MockoTEF Expression écrite Section A gives you the opening of a short press-style article and asks you to continue it. Your continuation must fit the existing text: same narrator voice, same tense, same tone. Examiners are not looking for a stunning conclusion but for a coherent continuation that respects what was already written. The most common failure is ignoring the opening paragraph and writing something that contradicts it in tense, person, or subject.
What you’ll learn
- Identify the tense, person, and tone of an article opening before writing
- Continue a text while keeping the same narrative voice
- Use transitional phrases to link your continuation to the existing content
- Avoid common continuity errors (tense switching, new subject introduction)
- Hit the required word count without repetition
What the task requires
Section A asks you to read an article opening of roughly 60 to 80 words, then write a continuation of about 60 to 100 words. The opening always sets a scene or announces a topic. Your job is to extend that scene or develop that topic, not to summarise what was already written and not to restart from a different angle.
What examiners check
- Continuity: does your text flow naturally from the last sentence of the opening?
- Consistency: same tense, same point of view, same register
- Coherence: no sudden topic changes or logical contradictions
- Language: correct grammar and spelling at B1 level
Reading the opening carefully
Before you write a single word, spend two minutes analysing the opening. Ask yourself four questions about it.
- 1Tense: is the text in the present, the passé composé, the imparfait, or a mix? Note the dominant tense.
- 2Person: is it written in the third person (il, elle, ils), or does it use "on" or "nous"? Is there a first-person narrator?
- 3Tone: is it journalistic and neutral, personal and engaged, or humorous? Match this in your continuation.
- 4Last sentence: what exactly does the last sentence say? Your first new sentence must connect to it directly.
Depuis quelques années, de plus en plus de citadins choisissent de quitter les grandes villes pour s'installer à la campagne. Ce phénomène, appelé "l'exode urbain", touche toutes les tranches d'âge et toutes les catégories sociales.
For a few years now, more and more city-dwellers have been choosing to leave large cities and move to the countryside. This phenomenon, called "urban exodus", affects all age groups and all social categories.
Quick analysis of the example
- Tense: present tense throughout ("choisissent", "touche")
- Person: third person, no narrator
- Tone: journalistic, neutral, informative
- Your first sentence should develop "les catégories sociales" or introduce a cause or consequence of this trend
Linking your continuation to the opening
The first sentence of your continuation is the most important one. It must pick up from where the opening stopped, using a reference back to the previous idea. Here are reliable linking strategies.
- Refer to a noun from the last sentence: "Ce mouvement s'explique par plusieurs facteurs..."
- Introduce a consequence: "Cela a des conséquences importantes sur..."
- Introduce a cause: "Les raisons de ce choix sont variées..."
- Use a contrast: "Cependant, la vie rurale n'est pas sans difficultés."
- Quote a representative person or example: "C'est le cas de Thomas, 34 ans, qui a quitté Paris..."
Ce mouvement s'explique avant tout par la recherche d'une meilleure qualité de vie. Le télétravail, devenu courant depuis 2020, a rendu ce choix possible pour beaucoup de salariés. Loin du bruit et du stress des métropoles, ces nouveaux ruraux cherchent un rythme de vie plus calme, des logements plus spacieux et une nature accessible. Certains villes moyennes connaissent aujourd'hui une véritable renaissance grâce à ces arrivants.
This movement is explained above all by the search for a better quality of life. Remote work, which became common since 2020, made this choice possible for many employees. Far from the noise and stress of large cities, these new rural residents seek a calmer pace of life, more spacious housing, and accessible nature. Some medium-sized towns are today experiencing a genuine renaissance thanks to these newcomers.
Tense consistency
Switching tenses without reason is one of the most penalised errors in this task. If the opening is in the present, stay in the present. If it mixes the imparfait and passé composé for a past narrative, do the same.
Tense traps to avoid
- Do not switch from present to passé composé mid-paragraph unless the opening already does this.
- Do not introduce a personal anecdote in the first person if the opening uses the third person throughout.
- If the opening uses "on", do not switch to "nous" without reason.
ERREUR: "Ce mouvement a touché toutes les régions. Hier, j'ai rencontré un couple qui a décidé de partir." | CORRECT: "Ce mouvement touche toutes les régions. Les témoignages se multiplient et montrent des situations très différentes."
WRONG: Sudden switch to first person and passé composé after a present-tense, third-person opening. CORRECT: Stays in present tense, third person.
Building to a strong ending
Press articles do not always end with a grand conclusion, but your continuation should feel complete rather than cut off. Try to end with a forward-looking phrase, a question, or a brief statement that closes the idea.
- "L'avenir dira si ce phénomène est durable." (The future will tell whether this phenomenon lasts.)
- "Il reste à voir comment les communes vont s'adapter." (It remains to be seen how communities will adapt.)
- "Une chose est sûre : cette tendance n'est pas près de s'arrêter." (One thing is certain: this trend is not about to stop.)
How to practise this
Practical preparation steps
- Find two or three short French news articles online (Le Monde, 20 Minutes, France Info). Read only the first paragraph, cover the rest, and write your own continuation of about 80 words.
- Uncover the real article and compare: did you stay in the same tense? Did you develop a similar idea?
- Practise the analysis step (tense, person, tone, last sentence) until it takes you less than 90 seconds.
Key takeaways
- Always analyse the opening for tense, person, tone, and last sentence before writing anything.
- Your first new sentence must connect directly to the last sentence of the given opening.
- Keep the same narrative voice and dominant tense throughout your continuation.
- Use referencing phrases ("Ce mouvement", "Cela") to link paragraphs smoothly.
- End with a forward-looking sentence or a brief closing statement so the text feels complete.
