DALF C1 Expressions: Academic Language for the Exam

On the DALF C1, the expressions you use are a direct signal of your command of academic French. These phrases don't just decorate your writing and speech — they demonstrate the linguistic maturity examiners are specifically listening and reading for.

Expressions for the synthèse de documents at C1

To structure a synthèse: "Il ressort de ces documents que..." (It emerges from these documents that...), "À la lumière de ces textes..." (In light of these texts...), "Il apparaît clairement que..." (It's clear that...), "Selon le document X..." (According to document X...), "L'auteur du deuxième texte souligne que..." (The author of the second text stresses that...), "Ces deux sources convergent pour affirmer que..." (Both sources converge in stating that...).

Expressions for the academic essai at C1

For the C1 essai: "La question qui se pose est de savoir si..." (The question at hand is whether...), "Il convient d'aborder cette question sous deux angles distincts..." (This question should be approached from two distinct angles...), "À cet égard..." (In this regard...), "Force est de constater que..." (It must be acknowledged that...), "La réalité est plus complexe qu'il n'y paraît..." (Reality is more complex than it appears...).

Transition and linking expressions at C1

High-level transitions for C1: "Dans la même veine..." (In the same vein...), "Qui plus est..." (What's more...), "Par-delà les différences..." (Beyond the differences...), "Au vu de ces éléments..." (In view of these elements...), "Il ne faudrait pas pour autant..." (That said, it shouldn't be assumed that...), "En définitive..." (Ultimately...).

Practice exercises