1.  Use the present tense as the principal tense for your essay (unless you are narrating
     a story that took place in the past).   Although you may need to use other tenses from
     time to time, when your main tense is the present you will avoid many complications.
     This is the normal convention for essay writing in English too.

2.  Consult the list of expressions on page 17 of your textbook (Ensemble) for some useful
     essay vocabulary, especially transition (linking) words.

3.  Do not begin a sentence with "aussi" meaning "also";  place it after the verb.
 
                 Certains féministes pensent aussi que le mariage exploite les femmes.
 
     Or you can introduce an additional idea with "de plus" (in addition):

                 De plus, certains féministes pensent que le mariage exploite les femmes.

4.  Do not begin a sentence with "parce que"; "parce que" is a co-ordinating conjunction.
     To co-ordinate two main clauses, it must be placed between them:

                Les jeunes et les adultes ont des idées différentes parce qu'ils mènent des vies
                différentes.

    At the beginning of a sentence, use "puisque" which means "since":

               Puisqu'ils ne sont pas encore dans la vie active, les jeunes sont idéalistes.

5.  Do not start a sentence with "peut-être"; place it after the verb:

                Le mariage limite peut-être la liberté de l'individu, mais.....

    It is acceptable to begin a sentence with "peut-être" if you add "que" after it:

                Peut-être que le mariage limite la liberté de l'individu, mais....

6.  Use the subject "on" with a verb in the third person singular when you are referring to
     a body of opinion, a widely-held belief etc.  "On" is the equivalent of the English
     terms "one",  "people", "people in general", "they", "it is said, thought etc.".  Do not use
     the pronoun "ils" in this context.  "Ils" must always refer to some specific, previously
     mentioned group:

                Les jeunes sont idéalistes.  Ils veulent réformer la société.

                On pense (people think, they think, it is thought)  que les jeunes sont idéalistes
                parce qu'ils ont peu d'expérience de la vie.

7.  When the word "to" in English has the sense of "in order to", you need "pour" before
     the infinitive in French, not just the infinitive itself:

                Il faut travailler pour réussir.

                It is necessary to work (in order) to succeed.

8.  The infinitive can be used with other prepositions:

                Avant de quitter leur famille, les jeunes sont parfois nerveux.

                Before leaving their family, young people are sometimes nervous.

9.  The infinitive can also be used with the impersonal expression "il est + adjectif + de":

                Il est important de comprendre que..............
                Il est intéressant de savoir que..........
                Il n'est pas facile de recommencer une vie........

     n.b.  In your written work, you should use "il est" and not "c'est" in this construction.
             "C'est" is frequently used in this type of sentence in the spoken language but
             should be avoided in written French.

 
10.   If you are using a double verb construction (i.e. a conjugated verb completed by an
       infinitive as in "nous voulons partir"), remember to check whether or not you need a
       preposition before the infinitive.  Some verbs take "à" or "de" before the infinitive;
       others take no preposition:

                   J'espère me marier un jour, mais pas trop tôt.  (no preposition)

                   Beaucoup de gens commencent à mettre en cause le mariage.  (use "à")

                   Les jeunes essaient de comprendre les adultes.  (use "de")

        See pages 280-281 of Ensemble for a comprehensive list of verbs and the
        preposition they take when completed by an infinitive.