Skip to content

Telling a story in French test for French B1 (free PDF download)

Narrating an anecdote with three past tenses – French B1 test with Zoé, the Français PDF coach

Quick answer: To tell a story in French, use the passé composé for the events that move the plot, the imparfait for the setting, feelings and actions in progress, and the plus-que-parfait for anything that had already happened. This French B1 test on telling a story in French has 8 questions worth 20 points, to do in 45 minutes: imparfait or passé composé, plus-que-parfait and connectors. The scoring guide is on a separate page; free printable PDF.

This test checks the passé composé, the imparfait, the plus-que-parfait and narrative connectors at CEFR B1. No notes are allowed. Write full French sentences where asked and keep accents. The total is 20 points.

Level: French B1 (CEFR intermediate) · Standards: CEFR B1, Spoken production

Time: 45 minutes · 8 questions · Total: 20 points · No dictionary

Question 1 Imparfait or passé composé (3 points)

Put the verb in the correct tense.

  1. Il (faire) ______ nuit quand nous sommes sortis.
  2. Tout à coup, Inès (crier) ______.
  3. Quand j'(avoir) ______ dix ans, nous habitions à Liège.

Question 2 Plus-que-parfait (2 points)

Conjugate in the plus-que-parfait.

  1. nous / rater (le train)
  2. elle / sortir

Question 3 Connectors (2 points)

Complete with d’abord, soudain, finalement, pendant que.

  1. ______, il a trouvé un taxi libre, après une longue attente.
  2. Nous marchions ______ la neige tombait.

Question 4 Find the error (2 points)

Rewrite each sentence correctly.

  1. Elle a arrivé hier soir.
  2. Il avait faim parce qu’il n’a pas mangé.

Question 5 Translate (2 points)

Translate into French.

  1. He was sleeping when the phone rang.
  2. They had missed the last bus.

Question 6 Tell the picture story (2 points)

Look at the panels and write two French sentences that tell what happened. Use the imparfait for the first and the passé composé for the second.

Three black and white panels: 1 it is raining at 7:30, 2 the bus leaves at 7:45, 3 a taxi arrives at 8:001 — 7 h 30il pleut2 — 7 h 45le bus part3 — 8 h 00un taxi arrive
Three moments of one morning.

Question 7 Reading (3 points)

Read, then answer in English.

Le soir du concert, Mathilde et Yanis attendaient devant la salle à Bordeaux. Ils avaient acheté leurs billets en ligne, mais Yanis avait laissé son téléphone chez lui. Soudain, Mathilde a eu une idée : elle a montré ses propres billets à l’entrée. Ils ont pu entrer ensemble, et le concert a duré deux heures.

  1. Where were they waiting? (1 point)
  2. What problem did Yanis have? (1 point)
  3. How did they solve it? (1 point)

Question 8 Write an anecdote (4 points)

Write 5 or 6 French sentences about a day when something unexpected happened. Use the three past tenses and at least three connectors. (4 points)

See the Telling A Story In French test answer key with scoring

Suivez-nous