The Personal World: Choosing Between Two Weekend Plans
A writing task asks you to write 80 words in French about your weekend plans. You have two possible content sets. Plan A: 'Samedi matin, je vais jouer au tennis avec mon frère. L'après-midi, nous allons au cinéma. Dimanche, je vais étudier parce que j'ai un examen lundi.' Plan B: 'Le week-end, je fais du sport. Je regarde la télé. Je sors avec des amis. C'est amusant.' Plan A uses the near future three times and one 'parce que' clause; Plan B uses the present tense with varied verbs but no time markers beyond 'le week-end'. The rubric rewards a range of tenses, time expressions, and linking words, plus coherent sequencing. You can write either accurately. You have 20 minutes.
1. Which plan better satisfies the rubric, and what would you change?
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Plan A is stronger because it supplies day and time markers ('samedi matin', 'l'après-midi', 'dimanche'), a causal link ('parce que') and a coherent sequence from Saturday to Monday. Plan B has verb variety but reads as a list with only one vague time expression, so it scores lower on sequencing and range of time markers. However, Plan A repeats 'je vais' three times, which limits structural range. Improve it by varying the future: use 'nous allons' (already present), add 'je vais retrouver' or a present-tense habitual sentence ('d'habitude, le samedi je...'), and add one opinion ('j'adore le cinéma') and one connector ('puis', 'ensuite', 'enfin'). That keeps accuracy while showing range.
2. Draft the improved 80-word text and identify the sequencing devices you used.
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Model: 'Ce week-end, je vais être assez occupé. Samedi matin, je vais jouer au tennis avec mon frère, parce qu'il adore ce sport. Ensuite, l'après-midi, nous allons au cinéma voir un film français: j'adore les films français. Dimanche, malheureusement, je dois étudier, car j'ai un examen de français lundi. D'habitude, le dimanche je me repose, mais pas cette fois. Enfin, lundi soir, je vais me détendre!' (about 78 words). Sequencing devices: 'Ce week-end' (frame), 'Samedi matin', 'Ensuite', 'l'après-midi', 'Dimanche', 'Enfin' (chronology); 'parce que' and 'car' (cause); 'malheureusement' and 'mais' (contrast). Tense range: near future, present habitual ('je me repose'), and obligation ('je dois').