DELF B2 reading comprehension: exercises and strategies to pass

The compréhension des écrits is one of the most demanding papers at B2 level. You need to understand complex argumentative texts, identify the author's stance, distinguish facts from opinions, and infer the meaning of sophisticated expressions.

Types of text in B2 reading comprehension

B2 includes two texts: (1) An informative-argumentative text (press article, editorial, open letter) with 5-6 comprehension and synthesis questions. (2) A shorter text for fine-grained comprehension with 4-5 detail and inference questions. Texts run between 350 and 500 words, at journalistic vocabulary level.

Inference questions at B2

Inference questions ask you to deduce information not explicitly stated in the text: "Que laisse entendre l'auteur ?" (What does the author imply?), "Quelle est l'attitude de l'auteur ?" (What is the author's attitude?), "Qu'implique cette affirmation ?" (What does this statement imply?). To answer them, read beyond the words: analyse the tone and the connotations.

Strategies for B2 argumentative texts

Strategy for B2 texts: (1) Read the title and subtitle. (2) Identify the main thesis in the first paragraph. (3) Analyse the structure: does the author present two positions, or defend just one? (4) Identify the logical connectors: they organise the argument. (5) Distinguish facts (statistics, events) from opinions (opinion verbs, hedging words).

Practice exercises