TCF Canada writing task 1: annotated example 3 (cancelling an outing because of the flu)

The prompt

Translation: You had planned to go to the movies with your friend Karim on Saturday evening, but you caught a bad flu. Write a message to Karim to cancel the outing, describe your visit to the walk-in clinic and suggest another date. (60 words minimum/120 words maximum)

Structure both answers follow

1. Greet Karim and announce the cancellation and its cause
2. Narrate the clinic visit step by step
3. Suggest a new date and make amends
4. Closing formula and signature

Answer targeting an estimated NCLC around 7

91 words (limit 60–120: met)

Sentence by sentence

1. Salut Karim,

   “Salut” sets the informal register expected between friends from the start, and the first name meets the requirement of a named recipient.

2. Malheureusement, je ne peux pas aller au cinéma avec toi samedi soir.

   A clear cancellation in the very first sentence, softened by “Malheureusement”. The negation “ne… pas” is correct, but the phrasing stays simple and impersonal.

3. J'ai une grosse grippe depuis mardi.

   The cause is given with “depuis” and the present tense, used correctly. Limit: the sentence is short and stands alone, with no connector linking it to the cancellation.

4. Hier matin, j'avais beaucoup de fièvre, alors j'ai décidé d'aller à la clinique sans rendez-vous de mon quartier.

   Good contrast between imperfect and passé composé: “j'avais” for background, “j'ai décidé” for the action. The connector “alors” shows consequence, but it is basic.

5. J'ai attendu presque trois heures dans la salle d'attente !

   The lived detail (“presque trois heures”) and the exclamation mark bring the story to life. Correct passé composé and precise vocabulary: “salle d'attente”.

6. Ensuite, la médecin a écouté mes poumons et elle m'a dit de rester à la maison pendant une semaine.

   “Ensuite” orders the story, and the reported speech “m'a dit de rester” is well handled. Limit: the coordination “et elle” is somewhat repetitive.

7. Elle m'a aussi donné un billet médical pour mon travail.

   “Billet médical” is a typically Canadian term that fits the context. “aussi” adds information, but the subject-verb-object pattern keeps repeating.

8. Est-ce qu'on peut voir le film samedi prochain ?

   The “Est-ce qu'on” question meets the requirement (a new date) in an informal register. It is correct but blunt; the conditional would sound more tactful.

9. Je t'invite pour m'excuser !

   A welcome, warm gesture of amends. “pour m'excuser” expresses purpose with an infinitive, a simple but correct structure.

10. À bientôt,

    “À bientôt” is a friendly closing, consistent with the register chosen in the greeting.

11. Camille

    The signature properly completes the message format.

Answer targeting an estimated NCLC of 9–10

104 words (limit 60–120: met)

Sentence by sentence

1. Salut Karim,

   As in A, “Salut” and the first name set a suitable informal register. The difference in level shows in the body of the message.

2. Je dois malheureusement annuler notre soirée cinéma de samedi : une vilaine grippe me cloue au lit depuis mardi.

   One sentence merges cancellation and cause using a colon. The idiom “me cloue au lit” and the possessive “notre soirée” show lexical ease.

3. Comme ma fièvre ne baissait pas, j'ai fini par me rendre à la clinique sans rendez-vous du quartier, où j'ai patienté près de trois heures entre les quintes de toux des autres patients.

   “Comme” with the imperfect sets up the cause, “j'ai fini par” nuances the decision, and the relative “où” adds a precise sensory detail.

4. La médecin, rassurante, a écarté toute complication, mais elle m'a prescrit une semaine de repos complet, billet médical à l'appui.

   The detached adjective “rassurante”, the concession with “mais” and the elliptical phrase “billet médical à l'appui” pack the sentence with varied syntax.

5. Que dirais-tu de reporter notre sortie au samedi suivant ?

   “Que dirais-tu de” plus infinitive, in the conditional, makes the suggestion more tactful. “reporter notre sortie” is more precise than “voir le film”.

6. Ce serait l'occasion de voir enfin ce film, et c'est moi qui offre le pop-corn pour me faire pardonner !

   The conditional “Ce serait”, the adverb “enfin”, the emphatic “c'est moi qui” and the phrase “me faire pardonner” show idiomatic control.

7. À bientôt,

   The friendly closing is the same as in A: at this level, there is no need to complicate a natural set phrase.

8. Camille

   The signature is unchanged. The higher level comes from the content, not the format.

One level up: 3 edits to the NCLC 7 answer

Three targeted changes, without rewriting the whole text. It is the fastest way to progress: take your own answer and look for the same kind of sentence.

1. J'ai une grosse grippe depuis mardi
   → Une vilaine grippe me cloue au lit depuis mardi

   Optional: use only if you want to say the flu keeps you in bed; the idiom “me cloue au lit” then enriches the vocabulary.

2. Hier matin, j'avais beaucoup de fièvre, alors j'ai décidé d'aller
   → Hier matin, comme j'avais beaucoup de fièvre, j'ai décidé d'aller

   The causal clause with “comme” replaces “alors” and varies the sentence structure while keeping the facts unchanged.

3. Est-ce qu'on peut voir le film samedi prochain ?
   → Que dirais-tu de reporter notre sortie à samedi prochain ?

   The conditional and the precise verb “reporter” make the suggestion more polite and better targeted.

After the three edits: 95 words (limit 60–120: met)

Your turn: write and count your words

Write your version here to check the word count with the TCF rule, then send it for feedback to get an estimated NCLC and your mistakes one by one.

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