Québec Secondary 2 French Ministerial Exam key terms

A text type that recounts a series of events, real or invented, usually organized around characters, a setting, a complication, and a resolution. In the exam it appears as short stories, tales, or novel excerpts.

The five-part structure of a story: initial situation, triggering event, rising action, climax, and resolution. Recognizing these stages helps you summarize a narrative and locate its central conflict.

The voice that tells the story, which is not the same as the author. A narrator may be a character inside the story or an outside observer, and this choice shapes what the reader can know.

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person (je), third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. It controls access to characters' thoughts and influences the reader's sympathies.

The degree of information the narrator shares about characters' inner lives. Internal focalization restricts knowledge to one character, external focalization reports only observable actions, and zero focalization gives an all-knowing view.

A figure who acts in a narrative, defined by physical traits, psychology, actions, and relationships. Characters may be round and changing or flat and stable, and their evolution often carries the story's theme.

A passage describing a character's appearance, behaviour, or personality. It can be physical, moral, or psychological, and it often reveals the narrator's attitude toward the character described.

An event or twist that complicates the action and changes the direction of the story. Péripéties build tension between the triggering event and the climax, and they are useful landmarks when summarizing a plot.

The final part of a narrative in which the conflict is settled and the outcome is revealed. It may be closed, answering all questions, or open, leaving the reader to imagine what follows.

A deliberate deviation from ordinary language used for expressive effect, such as comparison, metaphor, personification, or hyperbole. Identifying figures helps you explain the tone and imagery of a literary passage.

A figure of style that links two ideas with an explicit word of comparison such as comme, tel que, or ressembler à. Unlike metaphor, the comparison keeps both elements visible and names the resemblance directly.

A figure of style that transfers meaning from one thing to another without any explicit comparison word. The resemblance is implied, so the reader must infer the link between the image and its intended meaning.

An intentional exaggeration used for emphasis or comic effect, as in mourir de rire. Recognizing hyperbole prevents literal misreading and helps you describe a text's tone accurately.

The attitude the text conveys toward its subject or reader, for example humorous, ironic, serious, or nostalgic. Tone is built through word choice, rhythm, and figures of style rather than stated outright.

A way of saying the opposite of what is meant, or of showing a gap between appearance and reality. It often signals criticism or humour and requires the reader to read beyond the literal words.

A set of words in a text that share a common meaning area, such as the vocabulary of fear or of the sea. Identifying it reveals the dominant theme and supports interpretation with textual evidence.

The central subject or idea a text explores, such as friendship, injustice, or growing up. A theme is broader than the plot and must be supported by recurring details rather than a single sentence.

The most important point a paragraph or text conveys, around which the other sentences are organized. Locating it helps you summarize accurately and distinguish essential information from examples or details.

A supporting point that explains, illustrates, or qualifies the main idea. Secondary ideas often appear as examples, statistics, or explanations, and they should not be mistaken for the text's central claim.

The position an argumentative text defends, usually stated early and supported throughout. Identifying the thesis lets you evaluate whether the evidence actually serves the author's claim.

A reason offered to support a thesis or opinion. A strong argument is relevant, explained, and backed by evidence, while a weak one may rely on emotion or on unsupported generalization.

A specific case or illustration used to make an argument concrete. Examples strengthen a claim when they are typical and accurate, but a single example cannot by itself prove a general statement.

A connective word or phrase that signals the logical link between ideas, such as however, therefore, because, or first. These markers guide the reader through cause, contrast, addition, and conclusion.

A word or phrase that shows how parts of a text are arranged, for example firstly, in conclusion, or on the other hand. It makes the structure visible and helps you follow a long explanation or argument.

A text that takes a position on an issue and defends it with reasons and evidence, often anticipating objections. Recognizing its structure helps you separate the author's opinion from the facts presented.

An objection to the author's thesis, sometimes presented in order to be refuted. Its presence signals a more nuanced argument and invites you to judge how convincingly the author responds.

Information that is suggested rather than directly stated, requiring the reader to infer meaning from clues. Questions about implicit content ask what a text lets you conclude, not what it literally says.

Information stated clearly and directly in the text, requiring no inference. Distinguishing explicit from implicit content is essential when a question asks you to justify an answer with a quotation.

A conclusion drawn by combining textual clues with background knowledge when the information is not stated outright. Valid inferences stay grounded in the text and can be supported by specific passages.

The evidence and reasoning you give to support an answer, usually a quotation or precise reference to the text. A justified response explains how the evidence leads to the stated conclusion.

A reasoned judgement about a text's quality, message, or effectiveness, supported by evidence rather than personal taste alone. It weighs strengths and weaknesses and considers the author's choices and intended effect.

The organized outline of a written text, showing the order of introduction, development, and conclusion. A clear plan keeps paragraphs focused and prevents repetition or gaps in the reasoning.

A group of sentences developing one idea, usually marked by indentation and a topic sentence. Well-built paragraphs connect their sentences logically and stay on a single controlling idea.

The quality that makes a text hold together logically, with ideas that follow from one another and support the overall purpose. Coherence depends on planning, relevant content, and clear links between parts.

The linking of sentences through connectors, pronouns, and repeated terms so the text reads as a continuous whole. Cohesion is achieved at the sentence level, while coherence concerns the overall logic.

The technique of referring back to a word using a pronoun, a synonym, or a related expression to avoid repetition. Correct reprises keep the text clear and show that the writer controls referents.

A word that replaces or refers to a noun or noun phrase, such as il, celle-ci, en, or y. Choosing the right pronoun and matching it to its antecedent is a frequent source of errors.

The matching of grammatical features such as gender, number, and person between related words, for example between a subject and its verb or a noun and its adjective. Errors in agreement are heavily penalized in written production.

The verb form used with auxiliary avoir or être to build compound tenses. Its agreement depends on the auxiliary and on the position of the object, which is a common source of written errors.

The form of a verb that situates an action in time and aspect, such as present, imparfait, passé composé, or futur simple. Consistency of tenses and correct sequence in narratives are expected in writing.

The way words and groups of words are arranged to form correct sentences, including word order and sentence construction. Faulty syntax, such as a sentence without a main verb, weakens clarity and is penalized.

The marks that structure written language and clarify meaning, including the period, comma, semicolon, colon, and quotation marks. Correct punctuation prevents ambiguity and is assessed in written production.

The way a text reports someone's words, either directly with quotation marks or indirectly by adjusting pronouns and tenses. Mastering it is necessary for accuracy when writing dialogue or summarizing a statement.

A word with a meaning close to another, used to vary vocabulary or to refer back without repeating. True synonyms are rare, since words usually differ in nuance, register, or intensity.

A word expressing the opposite meaning of another, such as clair and obscur. Antonyms help you identify contrasts in a text and enrich vocabulary when you reformulate an idea.

The level of formality in language use, ranging from familiar to standard to formal. Matching register to the writing task, and recognizing shifts in a text, affects both accuracy and appropriateness.

The surrounding words, sentences, or situation that clarify the meaning of an expression. Using context to guess an unknown word is a key reading strategy when a text contains unfamiliar vocabulary.