Look at your list of ideas critically and decide which ones you really want to use.  Eliminate anything that is irrelevant or trivial;  add secondary ideas to the points which now seem important to you.   Which ideas could be main points in a discussion?  Which ideas might be good for opening or closing your essay?  What order should you place them in for your essay to be coherent and have maximum effect?

  On a fresh sheet of paper, organize this material into an outline for your essay.   Remember Aristotle's advice!  He said that a well-constructed plot should have a beginning, a middle and an end.  So should your essay. (If you want to see exactly what Aristotle said about this,  click here ).

   Now tackle each part of your plan separately.  For each part, brainstorm the French words and expressions that you might need or be able to use.  Start with vocabulary you already know; consult the vocabulary presented in the textbook (if appropriate to your topic).  Only use a dictionary if you cannot find a way to express your idea within your existing vocabulary.  It is always better to work with what you know.   On the other hand, searching for vocabulary will often suggest additional ideas for your essay.  If you use a dictionary, make sure that you read the dictionary entry carefully and pick the right term for your context.

  Once you have your plan and a list of vocabulary, you are ready to write the essay.  Remember to simplify complex ideas (and sentences) and break them down into smaller, more straightforward units.  Probably, you do not yet have all the means to express in French what you would really like to, so for the time being, allow yourself to be guided, in part, by what you are able to say clearly and correctly.  And remember, there is always more than one way to say the same thing.   If you are having real difficulty expressing something, perhaps the problem is not your French; perhaps the thought itself is not yet sufficiently clear in your mind.  As a well-known French writer once said:
 
                                Ce que l'on conçoit bien s'énonce clairement,
                                Et les mots pour le dire arrivent aisément.
                               (Boileau, L'Art poétique)

  When you have completed your first draft, re-read your work carefully and check the French in a systematic way.  Look at each verb ending to make sure it matches the subject; identify the adjectives and check that they agree with the noun they qualify;  have you added 's' or the appropriate plural ending to nouns preceeded by 'les', 'ses', 'nos' etc.?  Have you used the appropriate form of the possessive adjective?  Do you find the same word occurring lots of times? Can you replace some of these repetitions with other words?  If you have any hesitation about the gender of a word, check it in a glossary or dictionary.  It is considered a serious error to get the gender of a common word (e.g. maison, livre, chien, école, mariage) wrong in your written work.

  Make the necessary corrections to your work and then type it up or write it out afresh.  Please double-space your essay  -  this makes it much easier to read and leaves adequate space for comments or suggestions.

  For language tips, click here.

    For a brief outline of the evaluation criteria, click here.

It is a wonderful thing to be able to express your thoughts and ideas in another language and so share them with others!  Try to enjoy the challenge!  I certainly enjoy reading what my students write.