Structuring a short message to ask for news | TEF Writing

The first written task in TEF IRN asks you to write a short personal message of around 40 words. The situation is always everyday: you write to a friend, a neighbour, or a colleague to ask how they are doing after a specific event. At this level the examiner looks for a correct greeting, a clear question about the named topic, and a natural closing. Forty words sounds easy, but most candidates either write too little or forget one of the three required parts.

What you’ll learn

Identify the three parts every short message needs (greeting, body, closing)
Use simple, natural French to ask for news on a specific topic
Meet the 40-word target without padding or repetition
Apply correct opening and closing formulas for a personal message
Avoid the most common errors at A1 level

What the task looks like

The TEF IRN Part 1 writing prompt gives you a social situation and asks you to write a message in response. A typical prompt might say: "Your friend Marie has just changed jobs. Write her a short message to ask for her news." You have to produce a coherent text of roughly 40 words. There is no template provided, so you need to have your own structure ready before the exam.

Word count

Aim for 38 to 45 words. Under 30 words will cost you marks on task completion.
Counting is easy: write your message, then count every word including names and short words like "et", "de", "le".

The three-part structure

Every short personal message in French has three clear parts. Learn this pattern and you will never forget a component under exam pressure.

1Greeting: address the person by name with "Cher / Chère [prénom]," or simply "Salut [prénom],"
2Body: one or two sentences that refer to the event mentioned in the prompt, then ask a specific question about their news
3Closing: a warm sign-off followed by your name, for example "Bises," or "À bientôt,"

Prompt: Your friend Pierre has just moved to a new apartment. Write him a short message.

Cher Pierre, J'ai appris que tu as déménagé dans un nouvel appartement ! Comment ça se passe ? Tu es bien installé ? J'espère que tout se passe bien pour toi. À bientôt, Sophie
Dear Pierre, I heard you moved to a new apartment! How is it going? Are you settled in? I hope everything is going well for you. See you soon, Sophie.

Useful opening phrases

The opening of your message needs to acknowledge the situation from the prompt. Here are reliable phrases that show you understood the context.

"J'ai appris que..." (I heard that...)
"On m'a dit que..." (I was told that...)
"Je viens d'apprendre que..." (I just found out that...)
"J'ai su que tu..." (I heard that you...)

Opening sentence after learning a friend had a baby

J'ai appris la naissance de ton bébé ! Toutes mes félicitations !
I heard your baby was born! Congratulations!

Asking for news naturally

The core of the task is asking for news. You need at least one clear question about the topic named in the prompt. Simple, direct questions work best at A1 level.

"Comment ça se passe ?" (How is it going?)
"Comment tu vas ?" (How are you?)
"Est-ce que tu es content(e) ?" (Are you happy/satisfied?)
"Tout va bien ?" (Is everything okay?)
"C'est comment, ton nouveau..." (What is your new ... like?)

Message asking for news after a friend started a new job

Chère Léa, J'ai appris que tu as commencé un nouveau travail, félicitations ! Comment se passe ta première semaine ? Tu aimes bien tes collègues ? J'espère que tout va bien pour toi. Bises, Nathalie
Dear Léa, I heard you started a new job, congratulations! How is your first week going? Do you like your colleagues? I hope everything is fine for you. Hugs, Nathalie.

Common mistake: forgetting to ask a question

Many candidates write only statements ("Je suis content pour toi") without asking anything. The task says "ask for news", so you must include at least one direct question.
Check your draft: does it contain a question mark? If not, add one.

Closing formulas

French closings depend on how close you are to the recipient. For a friend, use something warm. For a colleague or neighbour, something slightly more neutral is fine. These closings add words to your count, so always include one.

"Bises," or "Bisous," (for close friends)
"Amicalement," (warm but not intimate)
"À bientôt," (see you soon, works for any context)
"Cordialement," (more formal, fine for a neighbour or colleague)

How to practise this

Daily practice routine

Pick one everyday situation: a friend bought a car, started university, got married, moved cities.
Set a 5-minute timer and write a 40-word message using the three-part structure.
Count your words, check for at least one question mark, and make sure you signed off.
After a week of daily practice, writing a message in 5 minutes will feel routine.

Key takeaways

Every message needs three parts: greeting, body with a question, and a closing sign-off.
Aim for 38 to 45 words so you meet the task requirement without padding.
Always include at least one direct question asking about the topic in the prompt.
Use common opening phrases like "J'ai appris que..." to show you understood the situation.
A warm closing formula ("Bises," or "À bientôt,") is required and adds useful words to your count.