How do I write an essay in French?

Writing an essay or even a few paragraphs can be daunting! However, if you can break it down into a few simple steps and building blocks, what seems like a challenge actually becomes fairly straightforward. Rule 1 is plan your essay! Planning is the most important part of an essay but is often forgotten. Before launching into your writing, write down some of your ideas, the order in which you would like to present them and also perhaps note a few pieces of evidence that you have to support your points. It doesn't need to be fancy but it is imperative to give yourself that directional steer.
Next up are essay phrases. Some of the most important markers in an essay are your transition words and sentence starters. Here's a list of a few: à mon avis - in my opinion alors que - whereas cependant - however/ nevertheless en outre - furthermore je suis contre- i am against selon moi - according to me je voudrais souligner que - i would like to underline that je soutiens donc que - i maintain that tout bien considéré - all things considered Having just a few of these words and phrases in your essay toolkit can immediately take your writing from slightly loose to very cohesive. Furthermore, consistency in use of grammar and vocabulary is arguably more important than using lots of fancy structures. By writing your essay using structures and conjugations that you are sure of and comfortable with and can write correctly, you are much more likely to portray your ideas well than if you fill your essay with complex sentence structures and verbs that are peppered with mistakes. Thats not to say that showing off to the examiner is unnecessary but my advice would be to write consistently well with few errors and then throw in a few funky structures. For example, if you aren't 100% on the subjunctive, don't try and use it in every other sentence! Have a few subjunctive conjugations memorised and throw them in when you feel it would support your point well. Showing the examiner you can write consistently well is much more important than muddling around and wasting precious writing time on endless complex structures. Finally, have fun! These essays are a great chance for you to show off your francophone knowledge and language skills. Don't be afraid to pitch an original idea or to take a risk by disagreeing with an old French critic - this is your essay and your time to shine. Happy writing!