French Writing Practice and Prompts for the Classroom
When you teach French, whether in middle school, high school, core French or immersion, you need all the French writing prompts and practice activities you can get! This handy dandy list is great to keep in your back pocket for those 5 minute pockets of unexpected down time, to prepare for final writing exams, and everyday French activities.

Studying French Grammar Does NOT Lead to Accurate Writing
Before we start looking at french writing prompts, it’s important to understand its role in the French lesson plan. The #1 thing to remember about French writing activities in a classroom is that ACCURACY is not where you start – let alone put all your time and energy.
HOW MUCH students are exposed to the structure leads to accuracy.
Many teachers teach the way they were taught: show students the proper way to form a structure, give them opportunities to practice, and then test it. This DOES NOT WORK. See this post about second language acquisition and French grammar to see why.
Comprehensible Input French Example
Instead, give students tons of tiny texts with the structures you want them to use. Ask them warm up questions where they have to choose an answer between the structures they need to use. Lead them in tons of input-rich activities (WAY more than you think is necessary) before you ever ask them to produce the structure in writing).
For example:
J’ai besoin d’une calculatrice et un livre pour le cours de (fill in the blank, kiddos)
If you want students to be able to accurately talk about what they need for each class, instead of wasting time showing them how “j’ai besoin de/d'” works, just use that precious precious time for input and comprehension based activities where they get tons of repetitions of that structure!
Aim for them seeing, hearing, and using j’ai besoin de/d’ in context at least 50 times (ideally 75-125) before they are tested on it.
French 1 Writing Prompts
First, let’s look at French 1s as this is a very delicate stage of learning. Writing is a dangerous thing to mess with too early. At this stage in the game, our kids are baby baby novices. Starting at novice low with a writing prompt is honestly not a good idea, so don’t expect much. It’s more research-based practice to wait until students are at novice mid at the very least to introduce French writing prompts.
However, some of us (I also used to be in this position) teach in places where that just won’t fly.
Many students because of school constraints and stuffy curriculums need to use writing in French class, so let’s make this work as best we can at this level.
French 1 Writing Activities Tips
Again, for realz, make sure that you have given students at least 50 context rich, input rich exposures to any structure before asking them to write anything!
For novice lows, their very best skill is listing. Capitalize on this by asking questions that use the very same structures they need to answer inside the question. In other words, stay away from tu questions that need a j’ai answer until they are ready.
They will slay questions in the 3rd person though, especially if you teach them to look for the phrase they need in the question to answer it.
Next, you’ll see some copy-and-paste ready French 1 writing prompts with these exact principles in mind. Steal ’em!
French 1 Food Unit Writing Prompts:
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans le frigo?
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans le garde-manger?
Qu’est-ce qu’on mange au petit-déjeuner?
Quels aliments ne sont pas sains?
French 1 Personality & Adjectives Writing Prompts:
C’est comment, un bon ami?
C’est comment, un mauvais ami?
Comment est ta personnalité?/ Décris ta personnalité.
Tu es comment?
Tu es timide ou extraverti(e)? (Other either/or questions work well)
French 1 Family Unit
Qui est dans ta famille?
Tu as un animal domestique?
Décris une personne dans ta famille.
French 2 Writing Prompts
Next, let’s look at French 2 writing prompts. Don’t assume your French 2s are ready for more writing just because this class in high school French tends to have more grammar. They are only one teeny tiny step above French 1. They are still building a great deal of vocabulary and most are starting at novice mid. Here are some ideas for your French 2 writing prompts:
French 2 Writing Activities Tips:
- Start to ask for complete sentences
- Vary the question format to consistently work with 2nd person questions and 1st person answers. This of course means that you as the teacher need to speak to them in the 1st person a TON.
- Start asking for sequence. It will be choppy and inaccurate. That’s perfectly normal for novice mids to highs, but it will push them further into novice high. For example, daily routine works well in level 2 to help work with first, next, then, last.
- Ask for more details – maybe 3 in each sentence.
- Never expect accuracy. Instead, expect complexity. That is what you will get at this level.
- Praise like crazy when you start to see students using conjunctions. That is a very high-level skill for novice mids and emerging novice highs. For example, J’ai mangé une pizza et une pomme. That’s an advanced sentence for French 2! Treat it as such.
- Instead of review, revisit the same prompts they remember from French 1 and ask for more complex and detailed responses. Less prep for you and still just as valuable output practice for them!
French 2 Writing Prompt Examples:
- Qu’est-ce que tu fais pour le matin?
- Qu’est-ce qu’on fait pour se preparer pour l’école?
- Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans la douche?
- Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire après-l’école?
- Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end?
- Qu’est-ce que tu mets quand il fait beau?
- Qu’est-ce que tu fais dans la cuisine? dans la chambre? dans la salle à manger?
- Qu’est-ce que vous avez fait avec tes amis hier?

French Past Tense Writing Practice
Last, let’s take a look at a very common question: how can I practice French past tense with my students? You don’t need to wait until French 2 to use past tense! They are ready for it! Instead of teaching the ins and outs of how past tense works, use your precious class time to give input rich examples for students in comprehensible input activities like weekend chats!
For example, if you’re teaching a food unit, why not ask things like “what did you eat yesterday?” Just don’t expect complete sentences. Then, later in the year, after you’ve done lots of interpersonal work, they will be ready to respond with j’ai mangé after they have seen and worked with at least 50 in context examples (ideally 75).
The best way to give past tense writing practice is to expose students to tons of simple past tense structures in the 1st person, 2nd person, and 3rd person in levels 1 and 2. Use the high frequency verbs and phrases that they will naturally hear the most. Use this post on French High Frequency Verbs to guide you!

More Posts on Comprehensible Input, Research, and Linguistics
In conclusion, you have lots to think about with writing practice in French class. The most important concept is to make sure that writing is a proficiency-oriented practice in your class. Dive into the world of second language acquisition with these other posts for teachers:
- The Research Behind Comprehensible Input
- What is Comprehensible Input?
- Second Language Acquisition
- French Grammar and its New Role in Class
- French High Frequency Verbs
- Map Out Your French 1 Curriculum
More French teacher resources for you

Have you ever wished the transition to proficiency were easier to do? Grab the FREE toolkit here to learn the framework for updating your practice to comprehensible input with key tools like French grammar in context and high frequency words – with actionable ideas you can use tomorrow in class.
Free Conference for World Language Teachers
If you’re ready to jump in and get started with proficiency and teaching with comprehensible input, I have another resource to help you on your journey below:
Sign Up for the Next Practical & Comprehensible Free Virtual Conference! Every year, I gather together the best and brightest in the field of world language to share with you how to switch to proficiency through comprehensible input. All with practical ideas that you can use tomorrow. It’s a FREE virtual conference – join the waitlist and find out more about the speakers here.
French Teacher Resources and Posts
You may also like these French teacher resources for your immersion classroom or high school French class:
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