French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 10 of 12
Formal writing
L'écrit formel
Write a formal letter or email of complaint with the right set phrases, link ideas with written connectors, and use the present participle: ayant constaté.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Write a formal complaint with the right set phrases
- Link ideas with written connectors: en effet, or, par conséquent
- Use the present participle in writing: ayant constaté
- Tell the present participle from the gérondif
Listen
In Le Havre, Françoise Duval asks her son Thibault to help her write a complaint to her electricity supplier. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Françoise
Thibault, tu peux m'aider ? Je dois écrire une réclamation à mon fournisseur d'électricité, et je ne sais pas comment la formuler.
Thibault, can you help me? I have to write a complaint to my electricity supplier, and I don't know how to word it.
Thibault
Bien sûr. Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé, exactement ?
Of course. What happened, exactly?
Françoise
Ils m'ont facturé huit cents euros pour deux mois, au lieu de cent cinquante. J'ai appelé trois fois, et personne ne m'a rappelée.
They've charged me eight hundred euros for two months, instead of a hundred and fifty. I've phoned three times, and nobody has called me back.
Thibault
D'accord. Alors on commence par « Madame, Monsieur », puisqu'on ne sait pas qui va la lire. Ensuite : « Je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de ma facture du mois de mars. »
OK. So we start with “Madame, Monsieur”, since we don't know who's going to read it. Then: “I am writing to you about my bill for March.”
Françoise
« Je me permets »… C'est bien, ça fait sérieux. Et après, je leur dis que je suis furieuse ?
“Je me permets”… That's good, it sounds serious. And then I tell them I'm furious?
Thibault
Non, on reste poli. « Ayant constaté une erreur sur cette facture, j'ai contacté votre service client à trois reprises. Or, je n'ai reçu aucune réponse. »
No, we stay polite. “Having noticed a mistake on this bill, I contacted your customer service on three occasions. However, I have received no reply.”
Françoise
« Or » ? Personne ne dit ça à l'oral !
“Or”? Nobody says that when they're speaking!
Thibault
Justement, c'est un mot de l'écrit. Il introduit un fait qui pose problème. Ensuite : « Par conséquent, je vous demande de corriger cette facture dans les meilleurs délais. »
Exactly, it's a written word. It brings in a fact that causes a problem. Then: “Consequently, I ask you to correct this bill as soon as possible.”
Françoise
Et s'ils ne répondent toujours pas ?
And what if they still don't answer?
Thibault
On l'écrit aussi : « À défaut de réponse de votre part, je me verrai dans l'obligation de saisir le médiateur national de l'énergie. »
We write that too: “Should I not hear from you, I will have no choice but to refer the matter to the national energy ombudsman.”
Françoise
Parfait. Et pour finir, j'écris « Bisous » ?
Perfect. And to finish, I write “Love and kisses”?
Thibault
Très drôle, maman. « Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées. » Et tu signes.
Very funny, Mum. “Yours faithfully.” And you sign it.
Understand
Formal letters and emails
A formal letter follows fixed steps, and each step has its set phrases. Stay polite and factual: no , no familiar words, no short forms of speech, and of course no (love and kisses).
The traditional closing formula is long, and it has no word-for-word English equivalent. In an email, (Kind regards) is enough.
| Step | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| opening | Dear Sir or Madam, | |
| the reason | … | I am writing to you about… |
| a request | Je vous serais reconnaissant(e) de… | I would be grateful if you would… |
| a deadline | as soon as possible | |
| a warning | , … | If I do not hear from you, … |
| a consequence | … | I will have no choice but to… |
| before closing | , … | I look forward to your reply. |
| closing | Yours faithfully. |
Connectors for writing
Written French links its ideas more explicitly than speech does. introduces a fact that creates a problem for what came before: confirms or explains what you have just said: it means “indeed”, not “in effect”.
Most of these connectors have a simpler equivalent in speech.
| Written | Meaning | In speech |
|---|---|---|
| indeed, as a matter of fact | ||
| yet, however (a problem) | ||
| consequently | ||
| from then on; therefore | ||
| however, nevertheless | ||
| moreover, furthermore |
The present participle: ayant constaté
In writing, a verb ending in -ant, without , can replace + verb or give a reason. This is the (present participle): (the customers who received this bill). Its past form is or + past participle: (Having noticed a mistake…).
Don't confuse it with the gérondif ( + -ant), which you know from B1: it says what the subject does at the same time, or how. (I found the mistake while reading the bill). The -ant form never agrees: .
- Les clients souhaitant changer de contrat peuvent nous appeler.Customers who wish to change their contract can call us.
- N'ayant reçu aucune réponse, je vous écris une deuxième fois.As I have received no reply, I am writing to you a second time.
- J'ai trouvé l'erreur en lisant la facture.I found the mistake while reading the bill.
More in the grammar: The present participle and the gérondif: ayant, en faisant
New words
- la réclamationcomplaint (formal) · : to make a complaint
- le fournisseursupplier
- formulerto word, to express
- facturerto charge, to invoice · : the bill
- se permettre deto take the liberty of · : I am writing to you
- poli / poliepolite
- constaterto notice, to note
- à plusieurs reprisesseveral times, repeatedly · : three times
- oryet, however (in writing) · introduces a fact that (causes a problem)
- aucun / aucuneno, not any · with : : I have received no reply
- justementexactly, precisely; that's just it
- par conséquentconsequently, therefore
- corrigerto correct ·
- saisirto refer a matter to (an authority); to seize · : to go to the ombudsman
Practise
1.How do you start a formal letter when you don't know the name of the person who will read it?
2.Complete with or .
I contacted your customer service three times. However, I have received no reply.
3.Complete with the present participle of .
Having noticed a mistake, I contacted your customer service.
4.What does mean in a formal letter?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I am writing to you.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de ma facture.
I am writing to you about my bill.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.