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Formal letters in French test for French 4 (free PDF download)

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Writing Polite Formal Letters and Emails – French 4 test with Zoé, the Français PDF coach

Quick answer: A formal French letter follows a fixed order: sender, recipient, place and date, subject line, greeting, body, closing formula and signature. This French 4 test on formal letters in French has 8 questions worth 20 points, to do in 45 minutes: greeting and closing pairs, make it polite and conditional forms. The scoring guide is on a separate page; free printable PDF.

This test checks formal formulas, polite requests, reading and writing. Write complete sentences in French where asked and keep the register formal. No notes or dictionaries are allowed.

Level: French 4 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Mid) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Mid, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 4.1 Language Comparisons, WL 2.1 Cultural Practices

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

Question 1 Greeting and closing pairs (2 points)

Write the greeting and the closing for each situation.

  1. A letter to a director whose name you do not know. (1 point)
  2. A letter to Monsieur le Maire. (1 point)

Question 2 Make it polite (2 points)

Rewrite each sentence as a polite request with vous.

  1. Donne-moi le prix. (1 point)
  2. Tu peux confirmer ma réservation ? (1 point)

Question 3 Conditional forms (2 points)

Complete with the conditional.

  1. Nous ____ (souhaiter) réserver une salle. (1 point)
  2. ____-vous (avoir) un moment pour me répondre ? (1 point)

Question 4 Read the email (3 points)

Email from Ibrahima Sy to a ski shop about a broken helmet buckleÀ : Service clientsObjet : casque reçu cassé (commande 4821)Madame, Monsieur,Le 3 février, j’ai commandé un casque de ski. Je l’ai reçu hier :la boucle est cassée.Je vous demande de bien vouloir me l’échanger.Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer,Madame, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.Ibrahima Sy
An email to read.
  1. Explain the problem in English. (1 point)
  2. What does the writer request? (1 point)
  3. Copy the sentence that is the closing formula. (1 point)

Question 5 Correct the formula (2 points)

Each line has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. Chère Monsieur le Directeur, (1 point)
  2. Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, mes salutation distinguées. (1 point)

Question 6 Translate into French (3 points)

Translate into formal French.

  1. I would like to receive more information. (1 point)
  2. Could you confirm the date of the interview? (1 point)
  3. I am writing to complain about my order. (1 point)

Question 7 Soften the tone (2 points)

Rewrite each blunt sentence in a polite, formal tone.

  1. Je veux mon argent maintenant. (1 point)
  2. Vous n’avez jamais répondu ! (1 point)

Question 8 Write an email (4 points)

You are an exchange student in Lausanne. Write an email of 5 to 6 sentences to the school office asking about a bus pass. Include a subject line, a greeting, a polite request, a thank-you and a closing.

See the Formal Letters In French test answer key with scoring

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