The DELF B1 writing paper (production écrite) gives you 45 minutes for a text of around 160 words or more: a personal letter, a forum post, an article or a short essay in which you describe an experience or give and defend your opinion on a general topic. It is graded on more than correctness — the grid looks at whether you did what the task asked, whether you present facts and express your own view clearly, whether the text holds together, and then at vocabulary, spelling and grammar. That last group hides a trap specific to French: many agreement endings are silent — the -e of a feminine past participle, the -s of a plural, the -ent of a plural verb — so mistakes you would never hear in speech show up plainly on paper. Asagno's writing practice shows a real task, a reusable structure (greeting or introduction → one argument per paragraph → your conclusion), and — in exam-pack attempts — an AI examiner that grades your answer against a rubric and returns a corrected version with specific comments in Arabic and English.
What you'll learn
- What the grading grid rewards: following the task, presenting facts, expressing an opinion, coherence — then vocabulary, spelling and grammar
- A reusable structure: introduction, one argument per paragraph, a conclusion that states your view clearly
- Register: tu for a friend (Salut Marc, … À bientôt), vous for a formal letter (Madame, Monsieur, … Cordialement)
- Connectors that turn a list into an argument: d'abord, ensuite, d'un côté… d'un autre côté, en revanche, pourtant, donc
- Silent agreements: checking the endings you cannot hear (-e, -s, -ent) before you hand in
- AI-scored practice on real prompts, with a corrected version and comments, not just a score
Two annotated lines
"D'un côté, le télétravail permet de mieux gérer son temps. D'un autre côté, il isole et on perd le contact avec les collègues. Personnellement, je préfère un mélange des deux." — "On the one hand, remote work lets you manage your time better. On the other hand, it isolates you and you lose contact with colleagues. Personally, I prefer a mix of both." Two sides, clearly linked, then your own view: this is what "express and defend an opinion" looks like on paper.
"Ma sœur est partie hier et mes amis sont arrivés ce matin." — "My sister left yesterday and my friends arrived this morning." Partie takes an -e because sœur is feminine; arrivés takes an -s because amis is plural. Neither ending is audible, and both are marked.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a B1 writing answer be?
The DELF B1 format asks for a minimum of around 160 words — always check the instruction printed on the paper itself, since that is what you are graded against. Asagno's practice tasks set 160–180 words so you get used to landing in that range without running out of time.
Does spelling matter as much as grammar in French?
It matters more than many learners expect. Spelling is part of the grading grid, and in French it is tangled up with grammar: accents change meaning (a / à, ou / où) and silent agreements are really grammar you can only show in writing. Isolated slips cost little; consistent errors that make the text hard to follow cost more.