French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 11 of 12
Giving a presentation
Faire une présentation
Structure a talk, guide your audience, answer questions, stress key points with c'est… qui / que, and use lequel, auquel and duquel.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Structure a talk and guide your audience through it
- Answer questions from the audience politely
- Stress a point with c'est… qui and c'est… que
- Use lequel, auquel and duquel after a preposition
Listen
At a public meeting in Chambéry, the urban planner Mathilde Rey presents the town's new cycling plan. A resident, Gilbert Favre, asks questions. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mathilde
Bonsoir à toutes et à tous, et merci d'être venus si nombreux. Je vais vous présenter le plan vélo sur lequel nous travaillons depuis deux ans.
Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming in such numbers. I'm going to present the cycling plan we've been working on for two years.
Mathilde
Ma présentation se fera en trois parties : d'abord, la situation actuelle ; ensuite, les nouvelles pistes cyclables ; enfin, le calendrier des travaux.
My talk is in three parts: first, the current situation; then, the new cycle lanes; and finally, the timetable for the work.
Mathilde
Commençons par un chiffre. Ce qui nous a surpris, c'est que la moitié des trajets en voiture font moins de trois kilomètres.
Let's start with a figure. What surprised us is that half of all car journeys are shorter than three kilometres.
Mathilde
C'est pour cette raison que nous proposons douze kilomètres de nouvelles pistes, grâce auxquelles on pourra traverser la ville en toute sécurité.
That's why we're proposing twelve kilometres of new lanes, which will make it possible to cross the town in complete safety.
Mathilde
Pour finir, les travaux commenceront au printemps et dureront deux ans. Je vous remercie de votre attention. Avez-vous des questions ?
To finish, the work will start in the spring and last two years. Thank you for your attention. Do you have any questions?
Gilbert
Oui. Bonsoir. J'habite dans une rue très étroite, au bout de laquelle il y a une école. Où est-ce que les voitures vont passer ?
Yes. Good evening. I live in a very narrow street with a school at the end of it. Where are the cars going to go?
Mathilde
Merci pour votre question, qu'on nous pose souvent. Ces petites rues deviendront des « zones de rencontre » : les voitures pourront y passer, mais à vingt kilomètres à l'heure maximum. Ce sont les piétons qui seront prioritaires.
Thank you for your question, which we're often asked. These little streets will become “shared zones”: cars will be able to use them, but at twenty kilometres an hour at most. It's pedestrians who will have priority.
Gilbert
Et les commerçants ? Ils ont été consultés ?
And the shopkeepers? Have they been consulted?
Mathilde
Oui, bien sûr. Nous avons rencontré plusieurs fois leur association, avec laquelle nous avons signé un accord en mars. C'est d'ailleurs grâce à elle que nous avons gardé des places de livraison.
Yes, of course. We met their association several times, and we signed an agreement with them in March. In fact, it's thanks to them that we've kept some delivery bays.
Gilbert
Très bien. Et où est-ce qu'on peut voir le plan complet ?
Very good. And where can we see the full plan?
Mathilde
Il est en ligne, sur le site de la ville. Si vous le souhaitez, je peux aussi vous envoyer la carte sur laquelle on voit toutes les nouvelles pistes.
It's online, on the town's website. If you like, I can also send you the map that shows all the new lanes.
Gilbert
Volontiers. Merci beaucoup.
Yes, please. Thank you very much.
Understand
Lequel, auquel, duquel
After a preposition (…), the relative pronoun for a thing is a form of , which agrees with the noun: (the plan we're working on), . For people, is more common: .
and join with it: + = , + = , + = . Forms with are used after longer phrases ending in , such as or : . After a plain , use . means “the reason why”.
| Form | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| plural |
Emphasis: c'est… qui, c'est… que
To highlight one part of a sentence, put it between and (when it is the subject) or (for anything else): (It's pedestrians who will have priority). (That's why we're proposing this plan). Before a plural noun, careful speech uses .
After , , the verb agrees with the pronoun: Ce qui…, c'est and ce que…, c'est highlight the end of the sentence: …
- C'est grâce à l'association que nous avons gardé des places de livraison.It's thanks to the association that we've kept some delivery bays.
- C'est moi qui ai préparé cette carte.I'm the one who prepared this map.
- Ce qu'on veut, c'est une ville plus calme.What we want is a quieter town.
Signposting a talk
A good talk tells the audience where it is going. These phrases announce the plan, move from one part to the next and handle questions.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| … | I'm going to present… |
| My talk is in three parts. | |
| D'abord…, ensuite…, enfin… | First…, then…, finally… |
| Let's start with a figure. | |
| , … | As you can see on this map, … |
| , … | To finish, … |
| Thank you for your attention. | |
| Thank you for your question. |
More in the grammar: Lequel, auquel, duquel: relative pronouns after a preposition
New words
- nombreux / nombreusemany, numerous · : thank you for coming in such numbers
- actuel / actuellecurrent, present · not “actual”
- la piste cyclablecycle lane
- le calendriertimetable, schedule; calendar
- le trajetjourney, trip (from one place to another)
- traverserto cross
- en toute sécuritéin complete safety · : safety
- étroit / étroitenarrow
- au bout deat the end of
- le piéton / la piétonnepedestrian
- prioritairehaving priority · : to have priority
- le commerçant / la commerçanteshopkeeper
- en ligneonline
- volontiersyes please, gladly · a polite way to accept an offer
Practise
1.“the plan we're working on”: which is correct?
2.Complete with the right form of .
I live in a street with a school at the end of it.
3.Complete with or .
It's pedestrians who will have priority.
4.“the association we signed an agreement with”: l'association ___ nous avons signé un accord
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.That's why we're proposing this plan.
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
Ma présentation se fera en trois parties.
My talk is in three parts.
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.