20 Common French Writing Mistakes in TCF and TEF Canada

The most common French writing mistakes in TCF and TEF Canada aren't exotic grammar. They're agreement errors, homophones like a/à, mixed registers, misused connectors, anglicisms and a few tense traps, repeated across a whole text. Fix these 20 and most B1–B2 writers gain accuracy without learning a single new structure.

Below, each mistake comes with a wrong and right example, grouped by type. Then you'll find how errors affect your mark, a five-minute self-edit checklist, and a word counter to practise on.

How writing mistakes cost you points

Both tests ask for real communication: TCF Canada has three tasks in 60 minutes, TEF Canada two sections (25 and 35 minutes). For the full format, see our TCF Canada writing task 3 guide, the templates for TCF Canada writing tasks 1 and 2 and our TEF Canada writing examples.

Examiners look broadly at four things:

• Task completion: did you do what the prompt asked, for the right reader, at the right length?
• Organisation: paragraphs, logical order, connectors.
• Vocabulary: range and precision.
• Grammar and spelling: accuracy.

Small errors are expected even at NCLC 7 and above. What hurts is repetition (the same agreement error ten times), and errors that block understanding or make the reader stop. A wrong register can also undermine task completion: a letter to a newspaper that opens with Salut hasn't really done the task.

Agreement mistakes (1–4)

1. Adjectives that don't agree

Adjectives take the gender and number of the noun. Check every adjective against its noun, especially when they're separated.

• Wrong: C'est une décision important pour les familles.
• Right: C'est une décision importante pour les familles.

2. Past participles with être

With être, the past participle agrees with the subject.

• Wrong: Mes collègues sont allé à la réunion.
• Right: Mes collègues sont allés à la réunion.

3. Past participles with avoir and a direct object before the verb

With avoir, the participle agrees only with a direct object placed before the verb (often que, la, les).

• Wrong: Les propositions que j'ai lu sont intéressantes.
• Right: Les propositions que j'ai lues sont intéressantes.

4. Verbs after collective subjects

Les gens is plural. La plupart des takes a plural verb.

• Wrong: Les gens pense que le télétravail est plus pratique.
• Right: Les gens pensent que le télétravail est plus pratique.

Accent and spelling mistakes (5–8)

5. a vs à

a is the verb (il a). à is the preposition. Test: if you can replace it with avait, write a.

• Wrong: Il a déménagé a Montréal.
• Right: Il a déménagé à Montréal.

6. ou vs où

ou means "or". où means "where" or "when" (le jour où).

• Wrong: La ville ou j'habite est calme.
• Right: La ville où j'habite est calme.

7. ces, ses, c'est, s'est

ces = these, ses = his/her, c'est = it is, s'est = reflexive past.

• Wrong: Mon voisin a vendu ces deux voitures et c'est installé à Gatineau.
• Right: Mon voisin a vendu ses deux voitures et s'est installé à Gatineau.

8. -é vs -er endings

After avoir or être, use the past participle (-é). After another verb or a preposition, use the infinitive (-er). Test: swap in vendu / vendre.

• Wrong: J'ai décider de vous écrire pour signaler un problème.
• Right: J'ai décidé de vous écrire pour signaler un problème.

Register mistakes (9–11)

9. Mixing tu and vous

Pick one form for the whole text, based on the reader in the prompt. A message to a friend uses tu; a letter to a manager, a company or a newspaper uses vous.

• Wrong: Madame, je vous écris car ton annonce m'intéresse.
• Right: Madame, je vous écris car votre annonce m'intéresse.

10. Spoken forms in a formal text

Dropping ne, writing y'a or overusing ça is normal in speech, but it reads as careless in a formal letter or an opinion text.

• Wrong: Je sais pas si y'a une solution, mais ça vaut le coup.
• Right: Je ne sais pas s'il y a une solution, mais cela vaut la peine d'essayer.

11. Openings and closings that don't fit the reader

A formal text needs a formal frame. A friendly message needs a friendly one.

• Wrong (to a newspaper): Salut ! … Bisous.
• Right: Madame, Monsieur, … Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.

Our free French writing phrases for the TCF and TEF lists ready-made openings and closings for every register.

Connector mistakes (12–15)

12. The same connector over and over

Et… et… et aussi… makes a text sound like a list. Vary your additions.

• Weak: Le vélo est écologique et il est économique et aussi il est bon pour la santé.
• Better: Le vélo est écologique. De plus, il est économique. Enfin, il est bon pour la santé.

13. Connectors with the wrong meaning

Cependant introduces a contrast, donc a consequence, car a cause. Using one in place of another breaks your logic.

• Wrong: Les loyers augmentent, cependant beaucoup de jeunes restent chez leurs parents.
• Right: Les loyers augmentent ; par conséquent, beaucoup de jeunes restent chez leurs parents.

14. malgré que

Malgré is followed by a noun. For a clause, use bien que.

• Wrong: Malgré que le projet coûte cher, il est utile.
• Right: Bien que le projet coûte cher, il est utile. / Malgré son coût, le projet est utile.

15. bien que with the indicative

Bien que, pour que, avant que and il faut que take the subjunctive.

• Wrong: Bien qu'il est tard, je continue.
• Right: Bien qu'il soit tard, je continue.

The French grammar cheat sheet has the full list of subjunctive triggers and the tense sequences examiners expect at B2.

Anglicisms (16–18)

Anglicisms are common among candidates who work in English, and in Canada. Examiners understand them, but they mark vocabulary down.

16. faire du sens

• Wrong: Cette mesure fait du sens.
• Right: Cette mesure a du sens. / Cette mesure est logique.

17. appliquer pour un emploi

• Wrong: J'ai appliqué pour le poste de technicien.
• Right: J'ai postulé au poste de technicien. / J'ai posé ma candidature pour…

18. supporter (to support)

In French, supporter usually means "to put up with".

• Wrong: Je supporte cette proposition.
• Right: Je soutiens cette proposition. / Je suis favorable à cette proposition.

Watch other false friends too: éventuellement means "possibly", not "eventually" (finalement), and actuellement means "currently", not "actually" (en fait).

Tense mistakes (19–20)

19. Passé composé where you need the imparfait

Use the imparfait for background, states and habits; the passé composé for completed events.

• Wrong: Quand j'ai été petit, j'ai habité à la campagne.
• Right: Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à la campagne.

20. Conditional after si

After si (if), never use the conditional. Use si + imparfait, then the conditional in the main clause.

• Wrong: Si j'aurais plus de temps, je ferais du bénévolat.
• Right: Si j'avais plus de temps, je ferais du bénévolat.

A five-minute self-edit checklist

Keep the last 5 minutes for proofreading. Don't reread "for errors" in general: you'll miss them. Do three fast, focused passes.

1. Pass 1: Agreement and verb endings (2 minutes)

   Underline each subject and check its verb. Check each adjective against its noun. For every past participle, ask: être or avoir? Is there a direct object before it? Check every -é / -er ending with the vendu / vendre test.

2. Pass 2: Homophones and accents (1–2 minutes)

   Scan only for a/à, ou/où, ces/ses/c'est/s'est, son/sont, on/ont. Then check the accents you know you skip.

3. Pass 3: Register, connectors and the task (1–2 minutes)

   One form of address throughout. Opening and closing match the reader. Each connector means what you need. No sentence copied from the prompt. Word count within range for TCF, above the minimum for TEF.

Build your own top-5 list: the five mistakes from this page that you make most often. Before the exam, that list is worth more than any new vocabulary. To test the list on real prompts, work through the TCF Canada writing drills task by task or the TEF Canada Section A and B writing drills.

Practise: write, then self-edit

Use the pad below for a TCF Canada task 1 message (60–120 words) on our own practice prompt. Write for about 10 minutes, then run the three passes above before you check the count. For TEF Canada, practise Section B with a 200-word minimum in the TEF Canada writing practice.

What to do next

1. Find your level (5 minutes)

   Take the free 10-question French level check to see where you stand in each skill.

2. Get feedback on a full writing test

   Sit the writing section of the free mock test or a complete TCF Canada mock test 1 with all four skills, or practise tasks one by one with the TCF Canada writing practice and its TEF Canada counterpart. Both hubs, TCF Canada practice test and TEF Canada practice test, cover all four skills.

3. Convert your score

   Turn a practice score into an NCLC level with the NCLC score converter. For Express Entry, read what NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada really requires.

Our take

Writing marks are rarely lost on one big mistake. They leak away through the same five or six small errors repeated across a text. Learn the 20 patterns above, find your personal top five, and proofread in three focused passes. That habit alone can move a B1 text toward a solid B2, the level most candidates need for NCLC 7 in writing.