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TCF Canada writing guides
TCF Canada writing is three tasks in 60 minutes, escalating from a short practical message to a synthesis of two source texts. These guides take the tasks in turn: the message formats and register Task 1 expects, how to structure Task 2, and how to handle the Task 3 synthesis without simply copying the sources.
TCF Canada writing task 1: the register mistake that costs marks
A grammatically perfect message written in the wrong tone for its addressee loses marks a shorter, simpler message in the right tone would have kept.
TCF Canada writing task 1: message formats and what "task achievement" means
Task 1 can come as a note, an email, or a short descriptive message — each with its own structural expectations. Here's what each format needs, and what "task achievement" means separately from register.
TCF Canada Writing Task 2: Structure, Model Answers and Prompts
Two full French model answers, a review and a forum post, annotated line by line, plus ten practice prompts and the mistakes that cost marks on the 120–150-word task.
TCF Canada Writing Task 3: Synthesis, Not Summary
Task 3 rewards synthesizing two viewpoints in your own words, not summarizing them — here's the structure and phrasing that keeps your response from capping out.
TCF Canada Writing Task 3: A Full Example, Paragraph by Paragraph
A complete, invented 137-word French model response to TCF Canada Task 3, paraphrase and connectors annotated paragraph by paragraph.
TCF Canada Writing: Connectors and Cohesion Across Tasks 1–3
Connectors aren't a vocabulary list to memorize — they need to behave differently across Tasks 1, 2 and 3. Worked French examples show what changes and why.