DELF B2 expressions: the phrases that make the difference

In the DELF B2, the expressions you use are what separate a scrape past 50 points from a confident 80. These phrases show command of formal register, the ability to nuance an argument, and the linguistic sophistication examiners explicitly reward in their marking criteria.

Formal argumentative expressions at B2

For the B2 argumentative text: "Force est de constater que..." (It has to be acknowledged that...), "Il convient de noter que..." (It should be noted that...), "À cet égard..." (In this regard...), "Cela étant dit..." (That being said...), "Compte tenu de..." (Given...), "Au regard de..." (In light of...), "Il n'en demeure pas moins que..." (It remains no less true that...).

Concession and nuance expressions at B2

For introducing nuance: "Sans nier que... il faut toutefois reconnaître que..." (Without denying that... it must nonetheless be acknowledged that...), "Si l'on peut admettre que... il n'en reste pas moins que..." (While one can admit that... it remains true that...), "Quoique / Bien que + subjonctif" (Although...), "Nonobstant les avantages... on ne peut ignorer que..." (Notwithstanding the advantages... we cannot ignore that...).

Conclusion expressions for B2

To conclude a B2 text: "En définitive..." (Ultimately...), "Tout compte fait..." (All things considered...), "En guise de conclusion..." (By way of conclusion...), "Il ressort de cette analyse que..." (This analysis shows that...), "Au terme de cette réflexion..." (At the end of this reflection...), "On peut donc affirmer que..." (We can therefore state that...).

Practice exercises