MockoTCF Expression écrite Task 1 asks you to write a short message of about 60 to 80 words. You are usually responding to a friend, neighbour, or acquaintance about an everyday situation. The task tests whether you can communicate practical information clearly, use the right tone, and organise a short message with a proper opening and closing. It sounds simple, but exam stress and misreading the prompt are the two most common reasons candidates lose marks here.
What you’ll learn
- Identify the required information points in a Task 1 prompt
- Open and close a message with the correct informal or semi-formal phrases
- Cover every required point in 60 to 80 words without padding
- Avoid register and tense errors common in short messages
What Task 1 is asking
The prompt describes a situation and tells you to write a message. It then lists two or three specific things to include. Your job is to cover all of them, not just the ones that seem most interesting.
« Vous venez de déménager dans un nouvel appartement. Écrivez un message à un(e) ami(e). Parlez de votre nouveau logement. Expliquez ce que vous aimez et ce que vous n'aimez pas. Proposez-lui de venir vous rendre visite. »
"You have just moved into a new flat. Write a message to a friend. Talk about your new home. Explain what you like and do not like. Suggest they come and visit you." Three required points.
The most common Task 1 mistake
- Candidates write a lot about one point (the flat) and forget to invite the friend.
- If the prompt lists three required points, you must address all three, even briefly.
- Missing one point reduces your content score regardless of how good your French is.
Opening and closing the message
A message without a greeting and a closing looks incomplete to the examiner. Keep these short and match them to the register the prompt implies.
- Informal opening (friend): Salut [Prénom], Coucou [Prénom], Bonjour [Prénom]
- Semi-formal opening (colleague, neighbour): Bonjour, Cher voisin / Chère voisine
- Informal closing: Bisous, À bientôt, Bonne journée, Amicalement
- Semi-formal closing: Cordialement, Bonne journée, À bientôt
Salut Camille, Je viens d'emménager dans mon nouvel appartement et je suis très content(e)! Il est lumineux et bien situé, mais la cuisine est un peu petite. J'adore le quartier, il y a plein de cafés et de parcs. Tu veux venir me rendre visite ce weekend? Ce serait super de te voir ici. À bientôt, Marc
An informal message to a friend, covering all three required points: description of the flat (light, well-located, small kitchen), what they like (the neighbourhood), and an invitation to visit. About 70 words.
Covering the required points efficiently
With a 60 to 80 word limit, you cannot write long explanations. Aim for one or two sentences per required point. Use connectors to link ideas smoothly rather than writing separate disconnected sentences.
- To add information: et, de plus, aussi, en plus
- To contrast: mais, par contre, cependant
- To conclude or transition: donc, alors, c'est pourquoi
- 1Read the prompt and number the required points (1, 2, 3).
- 2Write the opening line.
- 3Write one to two sentences for each required point in order.
- 4Write the closing line.
- 5Count the words. If you are under 60, expand one point. If you are over 80, cut one sentence.
Tense and person: getting the basics right
Most Task 1 prompts involve the present or recent past. A few ask you to plan something future. Staying in the correct tense throughout is more important than using complex structures.
« Je viens de déménager. Mon nouvel appartement est grand et très lumineux. La semaine dernière, j'ai rencontré mes voisins et ils sont très sympathiques. »
"I have just moved. My new flat is large and very light. Last week I met my neighbours and they are very friendly." Present tense for current state, passé composé for the event last week.
Agreement errors to watch
- Adjective agreement: "Mon appartement est grand" (masc.) but "Ma cuisine est petite" (fem.).
- Past participle agreement with être: "Je suis arrivé(e) hier." Add -e if the subject is feminine.
- Using the right pronoun: "tu" for the friend you are writing to, not "vous", unless the prompt context is more formal.
How to practise this
Practice routine for Task 1
- Find a TCF Task 1 prompt online, set a timer for 10 minutes, and write the full message.
- After writing, tick each required point on the prompt: did you cover all of them?
- Count the words. If you wrote fewer than 60, your sentences are too short. If over 80, cut filler words.
- Swap greetings and closings each time you practise so they become automatic.
Key takeaways
- Task 1 is a short message of 60 to 80 words: cover every required point, not just the ones you find easy to write about.
- Match your opening and closing to the register: informal for friends, semi-formal for colleagues or neighbours.
- One to two sentences per required point is enough. Use connectors to link them smoothly.
- Check tense consistency and adjective agreements before you move on.
