French Writing and Mechanics

Lessons to help you write in French.

Accents
It is essential to put accents in their proper places - an incorrect or missing accent is a spelling mistake just as an incorrect or missing letter would be.

Acronyms and Abbreviations - Acronymes et sigles français
VTT, TGV, DEUG... Feel like you're lost in alphabet soup? Acronyms abound in the French language, especially in newspapers, on the news, and in political discussions. You might not be able to learn every French acronym and abbreviation, but you can get a good head start by memorizing this list of the most common ones.

Aphereses
An apheresis, or aphaeresis, is a word which is shortened by dropping one or more syllables at the beginning of the word, and sometimes adding an extra sound at the end. Aphereses are often informal and are less common in French than apocopes.

Apocopes / Abbreviations
It is very common in French for long words to be abbreviated by dropping one or more syllables at the end, and, in some instances, then adding an -o, such as dico, ordi, and métro. There are some apocopes which are so old that they are normal register, but most are informal or familiar, so use them with caution.

Capitalization
French and English capitalization are quite different, as it is much less common in French. Many words that must be capitalized in English cannot be in French, so read through this lesson to make sure that you're not over-capitalizing your French. Also, find an answer to the debate about whether French capital letters can/should/must be accented.

Accented Capitals
You may have heard that capital letters are not supposed to be accented, when in fact whether or not to use accents on capital letters is entirely up to you. Most of the time they are not essential, and thus most French speakers leave them off. However, there are two instances where I recommend always using accents on capital letters.

Capitalization of Titles
The rules for the capitalization of French titles are quite complicated; so complicated, in fact, that I have been unable to find a definitive system. This lesson looks at the three different schools of thought.

Contractions
Although contractions in English are optional, in French they are required, so it is important to learn when and how to make contractions. Fortunately, the rules for French contractions are quite simple.

Forum - Le Carrefour francophone
Ce forum est monolingue, donc c'est un excellent moyen de mettre à l'essai votre écriture française.

Hyphens and Dashes - Le Tiret et le trait d'union 
Hyphens and m-dashes are important in both English and French, but they are considerably more common in the latter. This lesson explains when, why, and how to use hyphens and m-dashes in French.

Letter Writing
Learn how to write letters in French - business letters, personal letters, and letters to Santa.

Literary Tenses
Found almost uniquely in written French, literary tenses need to be recognized but you rarely need to use them yourself. This lesson explores where they are used, why to avoid them, and what is lost when you do.

Magnetic Poetry
Magnetic poetry is a fun little tool you can use to learn and practice French. 500 magnets with words and parts of words help you to express yourself in a unique and creative way.

Proofreading and Editing Tips
Whether you're checking over homework, proofreading a paper, or verifying a translation, there are certain key problem areas to watch out for. This is not a definitive list by any means, but it indicates areas of confusion and common mistakes caused by differences between French and English and includes links to more detailed explanations and examples. Before you turn anything in, check the following areas of your work.

Punctuation - La Ponctuation
Although French and English use nearly all of the same punctuation marks, some of their uses in the two languages are considerably different. Rather than an explanation of the rules of French and English punctuation, this lesson is a simple summary of how French punctuation differs from English.

Résumés - Le CV français
When applying for a job in a French-speaking country, your résumé needs to be in French, which is more than a matter of translation. Aside from the obvious language difference, certain information that may not be required on résumés in your country is required in France. This article explains the basic requirements and formats of French résumés, and includes several samples to help you get started.

Roman numerals in French
Roman numerals are used quite often in French, as both cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. They are commonly used to express dates, time periods, events, and more.

Silent Letters
There are a lot of silent letters in French - make sure you don't forget to write them!

Spelling Tricks
A table of common spelling equivalents between French and English that will help your vocabulary to grow by leaps and bounds by teaching you to recognize and spell French cognates.

Symbols
A quick reference guide to the names of French symbols and punctuation marks, including ! ? « » * & dozens more.

Texting - Les Textos français
Learning French is one thing, but French on the internet - in chatrooms and forums - or via text messaging or email can seem like a completely different language. Fortunately, help is at hand. Here are some common French abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols to help you communicate via text.

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