Writing an article for the DELF B2: method, plan and example

The DELF B2 article is one of the three possible text types in the writing paper, alongside the formal letter and the forum contribution. You write for a newspaper, a magazine or a blog, and you defend a viewpoint on a social issue.

This guide gives you a simple method: how to build the headline and standfirst, organise your ideas in four parts, choose the right register and avoid common mistakes. For the general method, see our guide to DELF B2 writing.

What a DELF B2 article must contain

The marker first checks that you produced the right kind of text. An article is neither a letter nor an academic essay. It speaks to readers you don't know and must make them want to read on.

• A headline, short, announcing the topic or your position.
• A standfirst, optional, of one or two sentences summing up the issue.
• A clear position, defended with illustrated arguments.
• At least 250 words, as for any DELF B2 writing task.

The headline and standfirst

The headline should be short and informative. A question works well: « Transports gratuits le week-end : une fausse bonne idée ? ». So does a statement: « Réparer plutôt que jeter, un choix d'avenir ».

The standfirst, in bold under the headline, sums up the debate in one or two sentences. It shows the marker that you know press conventions.

A four-part plan

1. Introduction

Hook the reader with a fact, a question or a concrete situation. Present the debate, then state your position. In three or four sentences, the reader knows what you are discussing and what you think.

2. First argument

One paragraph, one idea. State the argument, explain it, then illustrate it with a precise example: a figure, an experience, a city that tried it.

3. Second argument and concession

Develop a second argument the same way. Then acknowledge the opposing view with a concession: « Certes, cette mesure a un coût ; pourtant… ». A nuanced article is more convincing.

4. Conclusion

Sum up your position in one sentence and end with a proposal or a question. Avoid repeating your introduction word for word.

An annotated example

Topic: « Faut-il rendre les transports en commun gratuits le week-end ? » Here is a possible plan for a DELF B2 article in favour of the measure.

Part	Content
Headline	Bus gratuits le samedi : et si on essayait ?
Standfirst	Several French cities are testing free weekend transport. A serious way to ease city-centre traffic.
Introduction	Saturday traffic jams; the question divides opinion; I support a trial.
Argument 1	Fewer cars in town: less pollution and noise.
Argument 2	City-centre shops attract more customers who come without a car.
Concession	Free transport does cost the city money; but it can be limited to weekends.
Conclusion	Propose a one-year trial, then measure its effects.

The right register

Use a neutral or formal register. You may address the reader (« Et vous, que feriez-vous ? ») but nothing colloquial. Prefer « beaucoup de » to « plein de », « travailler » to « bosser ».

Vary your linking words to guide the reader: d'abord, en outre, en revanche, par conséquent, en définitive. They count towards the coherence criteria of the grid.

Common mistakes

1. Forgetting the headline: the "article" genre is not recognised.
2. Writing it like a letter: « Madame, Monsieur » has no place in an article.
3. Not taking a position: a purely informative article does not answer the task.
4. Listing ideas without examples: two well-developed arguments beat five listed ones.

Practising the DELF B2 article

Pick a social topic, set a one-hour timer and follow the four-part plan. Then proofread with the official grid, explained in our DELF B2 exam guide.

To practise under exam conditions, use our DELF B2 sample papers and the writing studio. Official sample papers are also published by France Education international.