How to Write a French Essay

Writing an essay in French is just like writing an essay in English. However, writing in another language can be quite difficult for many students. Follow the same structure, but write in French. Proper organization and the ability to present an argument and justification of your side is necessary for all essays. It will take longer to write an essay in French than in your original language, so make sure you plan accordingly and allow for plenty of time.

Create an outline that contains the main topic or subject being discussed, and then list the points you are using for justifications.

Under each justification point, list the sources you are using to help support your point of view. A quotation can be very strong if the quotation directly supports your side of the argument. Include a wide range of sources, such as critical work, journal articles, books and other sources. Try to avoid using all sources from one type of media.

Write the essay using your outline as the structure of the piece.Follow the essay structure you would use for a normal essay: introduction, body and conclusion.

Write the essay in French from the start of the first draft. Many translation problems can occur if you first write in English and then translate all the sentences into French. You will find this will take even more time than if you started the entire process in French. There are several common word combinations that are used for presenting a question, presenting conclusions, listing information, introducing sources and positive and negative words used in writing. Having a list of these phrases can help writing move along smoothly.