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Course path · B1

French B1: Saying What You Mean

Step past reporting facts: say what you would do, argue a case, and deal with a bank, a doctor, an administration and a cancelled flight in French — plus the conversations that actually happen abroad, about where you come from, what you hope for, and how to repair your own sentence halfway through.

Target language
French
Explained in
English
CEFR level
B1
Structure
23 modules · 90 lessons

Course journey

Every module has a place in the story.

Follow the authored sequence from the opening lesson through the final chapter. Preview lessons remain open before enrollment.

  1. Module 01

    Saying What You Would Do

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. WouldFree preview
      About 15 minSay what you would do, using the conditional.
      Launch →
    2. If This, Then ThatLocked
      About 16 minBuild real and unreal conditions with si.
      Locked
    3. Asking NicelyLocked
      About 14 minSoften requests so they land the way you intend.
      Locked

  2. Module 02

    Wishes, Doubts and Opinions

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Wanting Someone Else ToLocked
      About 16 minUse vouloir que with the subjunctive when the two subjects differ.
      Locked
    2. Doubting and DisagreeingLocked
      About 16 minExpress doubt and disagreement, and notice what negation does to the mood.
      Locked
    3. Giving AdviceLocked
      About 15 minRecommend, suggest and warn without giving orders.
      Locked

  3. Module 03

    Telling the Story

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Two Past TensesLocked
      About 18 minChoose between the passé composé and the imparfait by what the sentence is doing.
      Locked
    2. Telling What HappenedLocked
      About 18 minBuild a paragraph-length account by setting a scene and running events through it.
      Locked
    3. Before ThatLocked
      About 15 minStep one layer further back with the plus-que-parfait.
      Locked
    4. What They SaidLocked
      About 16 minReport someone else's words, shifting the tense as French requires.
      Locked

  4. Module 04

    Making a Case

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Agreeing and DisagreeingLocked
      About 16 minDisagree without sounding blunt, and agree with more than oui.
      Locked
    2. Giving ReasonsLocked
      About 16 minSupport an opinion with a reason, and pick the connector that fits where it sits.
      Locked
    3. What People SayLocked
      About 15 minAttribute a claim to nobody in particular, using on and the passive.
      Locked
    4. On the Other HandLocked
      About 16 minConcede a point and then answer it, which is what turns an opinion into an argument.
      Locked

  5. Module 05

    Work and Career

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. What You Actually DoLocked
      About 16 minDescribe your role and responsibilities rather than just naming your job.
      Locked
    2. Reading the AdvertLocked
      About 16 minDecode a job advert and write the opening of an application.
      Locked
    3. The InterviewLocked
      About 17 minAnswer the four questions every interview asks, without translating from English.
      Locked
    4. Email, Meetings and Time OffLocked
      About 16 minWrite the email work runs on, and ask for what you need at the right register.
      Locked

  6. Module 06

    When You Don't Know the Word

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Describing What You MeanLocked
      About 16 minDefine a word you do not know well enough that someone hands it to you.
      Locked
    2. Asking for the WordLocked
      About 15 minInvite the correction rather than waiting for it.
      Locked
    3. Being Usefully VagueLocked
      About 15 minSay roughly what you mean when precisely is out of reach.
      Locked
    4. Keeping It GoingLocked
      About 15 minBuy time, hold your turn, and repair a sentence mid-flow.
      Locked

  7. Module 07

    The News and the World

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Reading a HeadlineLocked
      About 15 minDecode a headline, which is written in a grammar of its own.
      Locked
    2. The EnvironmentLocked
      About 16 minDiscuss the topic every B1 exam asks about, with the vocabulary it expects.
      Locked
    3. Hopes and WorriesLocked
      About 16 minSay what you hope, fear and doubt, with the mood those verbs demand.
      Locked
    4. Numbers and TrendsLocked
      About 15 minDescribe a rise, a fall and a proportion without reaching for a chart.
      Locked

  8. Module 08

    What Might Have Been

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. I Should HaveLocked
      About 16 minSay what you should have done, which is the most useful sentence in this module.
      Locked
    2. If OnlyLocked
      About 17 minBuild a conditional about the past, and say what would have happened.
      Locked
    3. It Must Have BeenLocked
      About 15 minSpeculate about the past with the modal French actually uses.
      Locked
    4. Looking BackLocked
      About 16 minTell the story of a decision and what it led to.
      Locked

  9. Module 09

    Books, Films and Recommending

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Telling the PlotLocked
      About 16 minSummarise a book or film in the tense the summary is told in.
      Locked
    2. What You Thought Of ItLocked
      About 16 minReview something, and scale your reaction rather than saying good or bad.
      Locked
    3. Recommending ItLocked
      About 16 minRecommend something to a specific person, and warn someone off without insulting their taste.
      Locked
    4. Going OutLocked
      About 15 minFind out what is on, and arrange to go.
      Locked

  10. Module 10

    Formal Register

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Vous and TuLocked
      About 16 minChoose the right form of address, and know how the switch to tu is offered.
      Locked
    2. The Formal LetterLocked
      About 16 minOpen and close a formal letter or email the way a native writer would.
      Locked
    3. Asking In WritingLocked
      About 17 minAsk an institution for something, using the construction that makes it formal.
      Locked
    4. Complaining In WritingLocked
      About 17 minWrite a complaint that states facts, names what you want, and stays polite.
      Locked

  11. Module 11

    Money and Contracts

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. At the BankLocked
      About 16 minOpen an account and understand what the bank is telling you about charges.
      Locked
    2. What Leaves the AccountLocked
      About 16 minRead a bill, and say that you have been charged for something you did not agree to.
      Locked
    3. Signing Up, and Getting OutLocked
      About 17 minTake out a contract knowing what binds you, and cancel one when you want to leave.
      Locked
    4. What Things Cost, and Who Owes WhomLocked
      About 16 minTalk about cost and value, and handle money between friends without awkwardness.
      Locked

  12. Module 12

    Difficult Conversations

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. How You Really FeelLocked
      About 16 minName a feeling precisely, using the construction that puts it outside you.
      Locked
    2. Raising SomethingLocked
      About 17 minOpen a difficult conversation without it starting as an accusation.
      Locked
    3. Giving GroundLocked
      About 16 minConcede a point in an argument, and admit you went too far.
      Locked
    4. When Someone Is Having a Bad TimeLocked
      About 16 minRespond to bad news without reaching for advice.
      Locked

  13. Module 13

    Online Life

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Setting Things UpLocked
      About 16 minFollow written instructions on a screen, and say what is not arriving.
      Locked
    2. When It Doesn't WorkLocked
      About 17 minDescribe a fault using the construction that takes the blame out of it.
      Locked
    3. Scams and Staying SafeLocked
      About 16 minRecognise a scam message, and warn someone off one.
      Locked
    4. Messaging PeopleLocked
      About 16 minGet the tone right in writing, where none of the softening you use out loud is audible.
      Locked

  14. Module 14

    Papers and Bureaucracy

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Getting an AppointmentLocked
      About 16 minBook the appointment that everything else depends on, and survive the phone call.
      Locked
    2. Proving Where You LiveLocked
      About 17 minProduce the proof of address that everything else in the country depends on.
      Locked
    3. Reading What They Send YouLocked
      About 17 minUnderstand an official letter, and work out whether it needs an answer.
      Locked
    4. At the CounterLocked
      About 16 minHold your ground politely when you are told no.
      Locked

  15. Module 15

    Health and the Body

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Describing SymptomsLocked
      About 17 minSay how long it has been going on, and what kind of pain it is.
      Locked
    2. At the DoctorLocked
      About 17 minUnderstand what you are being asked and told to do.
      Locked
    3. At the PharmacyLocked
      About 16 minAsk for something without a prescription, and read the dosage off the box.
      Locked
    4. When It's UrgentLocked
      About 16 minDescribe an accident to someone who needs the facts fast.
      Locked

  16. Module 16

    Where You're From

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Explaining Where You're FromLocked
      About 16 minDescribe your country or region to someone who has never been there.
      Locked
    2. Comparing Two PlacesLocked
      About 16 minCompare where you are with where you're from, without insulting either.
      Locked
    3. When They Ask About the StereotypeLocked
      About 16 minCorrect a generalisation about your country without embarrassing anyone.
      Locked
    4. Being the ForeignerLocked
      About 16 minAnswer the four questions you will be asked over and over.
      Locked

  17. Module 17

    Talking About the Language

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Asking Without StoppingLocked
      About 16 minAsk how to say something in the middle of a sentence, using indirect questions.
      Locked
    2. Describing Your LevelLocked
      About 15 minSay how good your French is, accurately and without false modesty.
      Locked
    3. When They Switch to EnglishLocked
      About 16 minAsk someone to stay in French without making it awkward.
      Locked
    4. Repairing Yourself Mid-SentenceLocked
      About 15 minCorrect your own sentence halfway through without stopping.
      Locked

  18. Module 18

    Travel and Getting Away

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Planning the TripLocked
      About 18 minWeigh up options with somebody else, and talk about a trip that has not happened yet.
      Locked
    2. Describing a PlaceLocked
      About 18 minDescribe somewhere you have been so that somebody else can picture it.
      Locked
    3. When Travel Goes WrongLocked
      About 18 minReport a cancellation or a lost bag, and ask for what you are owed.
      Locked
    4. How You Like to TravelLocked
      About 18 minSay what kind of traveller you are, and concede a point without giving way.
      Locked

  19. Module 19

    Plans, Hopes and Ambitions

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. What You Want to DoLocked
      About 18 minTalk about an intention, and separate what you plan from what you would like.
      Locked
    2. Hoping and ExpectingLocked
      About 18 minSay what you hope for, using the mood French requires - which is not the one you expect.
      Locked
    3. In Five YearsLocked
      About 18 minPredict, and tell the difference between a prediction and a decision.
      Locked
    4. If Things Go WellLocked
      About 18 minAttach a condition to a plan, and choose the mood each conjunction demands.
      Locked

  20. Module 20

    Reading Between the Lines

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Reading a News StoryLocked
      About 18 minTell what a report establishes from what it merely passes on.
      Locked
    2. Reading a Personal LetterLocked
      About 18 minRead a long message for how the writer feels, not only for what happened.
      Locked
    3. Reading a ReviewLocked
      About 17 minFind the verdict inside a review that never quite states it.
      Locked
    4. Reading an Opinion PieceLocked
      About 18 minWork out what a columnist thinks, and which words are doing the arguing.
      Locked

  21. Module 21

    Following What You Hear

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Following a News BulletinLocked
      About 18 minGet the story out of a radio bulletin read at full speed.
      Locked
    2. Getting Through a Phone MenuLocked
      About 17 minChoose the right option first time, and find the one that reaches a human.
      Locked
    3. Following Instructions at WorkLocked
      About 18 minCatch the order of a task and the exception hidden in the middle of it.
      Locked
    4. Hearing a Yes or a NoLocked
      About 17 minTell an actual yes from a polite no, when both start with oui.
      Locked

  22. Module 22

    Writing It Connected

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Shape of a Personal LetterLocked
      About 18 minWrite a letter that is longer than a note, and give it a middle.
      Locked
    2. Describing an ExperienceLocked
      About 18 minWrite about something that happened so the reader knows what it was like, not only what occurred.
      Locked
    3. Writing a Short ReportLocked
      About 17 minPass on what happened and why you did what you did, in the order a reader needs it.
      Locked
    4. Linking Your ParagraphsLocked
      About 17 minJoin one paragraph to the next, which is a different job from joining two sentences.
      Locked

  23. Module 23

    Passing It On

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Relaying What You Were ToldLocked
      About 17 minPass on someone else's words, keeping the difference between a report and an order.
      Locked
    2. Giving the GistLocked
      About 17 minSay what a text is about in one sentence, then rank what is in it.
      Locked
    3. Explaining a DocumentLocked
      About 18 minTurn what a form or a notice demands into something a person can act on.
      Locked
    4. Standing Between Two PeopleLocked
      About 18 minRelay what an official says without passing on how blunt it was.
      Locked