A French exposé has a fixed shape: introduction with a problématique, an announced plan in two or three parts, and a conclusion. This page shows that shape and the phrases that carry a listener through it.
By the end of this unit you can: give a structured presentation.
1Annoncer le plan: Open a presentation with a clear question and plan.
2Les transitions: Link the parts of a talk and the steps of an argument.
3Guider l'auditoire: Point your audience to what matters as you speak.
4Répondre aux questions: Handle questions and objections with poise.
5L'exposé de Thiago: Give a seminar presentation from start to finish.
Grammar and usage, explained
The French exposé has a shape
French audiences expect a visible structure: an introduction that sets out a problématique, an announced plan (usually two or three parts), signposted transitions, and a conclusion that opens out. Saying where you're going isn't clumsy here, it's the norm.
Comment expliquer le succès du paiement mobile en Afrique de l'Ouest ?How can we explain the success of mobile payment in West Africa?
Mon exposé s'articulera autour de deux axes.My presentation will be built around two main lines.
Il s'agit de: always impersonal
Il s'agit de means « it's about » or « the point is ». Its subject is always the impersonal il, so you can't say le livre s'agit de. To say what a book is about, use dans ce livre, il s'agit de… or ce livre parle de…
Dans ce roman, il s'agit d'un exil.This novel is about an exile.
Il s'agira de comparer deux modèles.The aim will be to compare two models.
Close one door, open the next
Between two parts, sum up in a phrase what you've just shown, then announce what comes next. Après avoir… + venons-en à… or intéressons-nous à… does both in one breath. Note the past infinitive after après: après avoir vu, après être allés.
Après avoir examiné les causes, venons-en aux conséquences.Having looked at the causes, let's come to the consequences.
Cela nous amène à notre deuxième partie.This brings us to our second part.
Contrast, addition or rephrasing?
En revanche sets up a contrast. Par ailleurs adds a separate point. Autrement dit restates what you've just said more simply. Choosing the wrong one blurs your logic, and C1 examiners notice.
Le nord progresse. En revanche, le sud stagne.The north is progressing. The south, on the other hand, is stagnating.
Par ailleurs, les coûts ont baissé.Furthermore, costs have fallen.
Signposting: listeners can't turn back a page
A reader can reread; a listener can't. So tell your audience what to look at (comme vous pouvez le voir), what matters (j'attire votre attention sur, retenons que) and when you'll return to a point (j'y reviendrai). Repeating a key fact (je le rappelle) is a courtesy, not a flaw.
J'attire votre attention sur la courbe rouge.I'd like to draw your attention to the red curve.
C'est un point important ; j'y reviendrai.It's an important point; I'll come back to it.
Spoken, but not casual
An exposé is oral, so short sentences and nous or on are fine. But conversational fillers like du coup, genre, ben and voilà quoi sound sloppy in front of a jury. Replace them with real connectors: donc, ainsi, par conséquent, en somme. And keep the ne in negatives.
Du coup, les prix ont augmenté.So prices went up. (too casual for an exposé)
Par conséquent, les prix ont augmenté.As a result, prices went up.
The part you can't script
Question time follows a ritual: thank, rephrase, answer, check. When you don't know, say so with style and offer to follow up. When a question strays, say it's beyond the scope of the talk. It's honest, and it's what a jury expects.
Merci pour cette question. Si je comprends bien, vous me demandez…Thank you for that question. If I understand correctly, you're asking…
Je ne dispose pas de ces chiffres, mais je vous les ferai parvenir.I don't have those figures to hand, but I'll send them to you.
Disagreeing gracefully
Avoid a flat vous avez tort. Acknowledge first, then qualify: vous avez raison sur un point, mais permettez-moi de nuancer. If you've been misunderstood, take the blame yourself: je me suis peut-être mal exprimé. Both keep the exchange courteous and the jury on your side.
Votre remarque est juste, mais permettez-moi de la nuancer.Your remark is fair, but allow me to qualify it.
Je me suis peut-être mal exprimée : je ne parlais que des zones rurales.Perhaps I didn't make myself clear: I was only talking about rural areas.
Scene: Thiago's seminar presentation
Thiago, a Brazilian master's student from Rio, is studying in Lyon. Today he gives a twenty-minute exposé on the rise of mobile payment in West Africa, followed by questions from his classmates and professor. Help him from the first line to the last.
Vocabulary: 27 words and phrases
Tap 🔊 to hear each one, recorded by a native-sounding French voice.
Annoncer le plan
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French
English
problématique(feminine)
central question (of a talk or essay)As a noun it's not « a problem »: it's the question your presentation sets out to answer.
annoncer le plan
to outline the structureExpected in any French exposé, straight after the introduction.
dans un premier temps
first / to begin withMore formal than d'abord. Pairs with dans un second temps.
dans un second temps
then / secondlySecond is the classic choice when there are only two stages; dans un deuxième temps is also common. The c sounds like a g: « se-gon ».
en dernier lieu
lastlyGoes with en premier lieu, en second lieu. Pour finir and enfin also work.
il s'agira de…
the aim will be to… / we'll be looking at…Always impersonal: il s'agit, il s'agira. Never je m'agis or le livre s'agit.
je me propose de…
I intend to… / I shall…A formal, slightly modest way to state your aim.
dans le cadre de…Dans le cadre de ce séminaire, je me propose d'étudier le paiement mobile.(As part of this seminar, I intend to study mobile payment.)
as part of… / in the context of…
Les transitions
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French
English
venons-en à…
let's come to… / now for…From en venir à. Venons-en maintenant à la deuxième partie.
après avoir examiné…
having looked at…Après + past infinitive: avoir or être + past participle. Après être revenus, ils ont…
intéressons-nous à…
let's turn to… / let's look at…
cela nous amène à…
this brings us to…
Guider l'auditoire
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French
English
comme vous pouvez le voir…
as you can see…The le stands for the whole idea. Keep it in a formal talk.
j'attire votre attention sur…
I'd like to draw your attention to…
j'y reviendrai
I'll come back to thatY stands for the point just raised.
je le rappelle
let me remind you / as a reminderOften slipped mid-sentence: ce marché représente, je le rappelle, 40 % des ventes.
pour illustrer mon propos
to illustrate my pointLe propos = what you're saying, your point. Not a proposal (une proposition).
retenons que…
let's bear in mind that… / the key point is…
en somme
in short / all in all
Répondre aux questions
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French
English
merci pour cette question
thank you for that questionBuys you a second to think. Je vous remercie pour cette question is more formal.
si je comprends bien…
if I understand correctly…Rephrase the question before answering: it shows you listened and checks you got it.
c'est une remarque tout à fait pertinente
that's a very relevant pointPertinent is far more common in French than in English: une question pertinente.
je ne dispose pas de ces chiffres
I don't have those figures to handDisposer de = to have available. Then offer to follow up: je vous les ferai parvenir.
cela sortirait du cadre de cet exposé
that would go beyond the scope of this talk
permettez-moi de nuancer
allow me to qualify thatNuancer = to add nuance. A polite way to disagree in part.
je me suis peut-être mal exprimé
perhaps I didn't make myself clearA woman writes exprimée. Taking the blame keeps the exchange courteous.
je vous remercie de votre attention
thank you for your attentionThe standard last line. Then: je suis à votre disposition pour vos questions.
Example sentences
Mon exposé s'articulera autour de deux axes.My presentation will be built around two main lines.
Après avoir examiné les causes, venons-en aux conséquences.Having looked at the causes, let's come to the consequences.
Retenons que l'accès au crédit reste le principal obstacle.Let's bear in mind that access to credit remains the main obstacle.
Merci pour cette question. Si je comprends bien, vous doutez de la fiabilité de ces chiffres ?Thank you for that question. If I understand correctly, you doubt how reliable these figures are?
Pour conclure, reste à savoir si ce modèle est transposable ailleurs. Je vous remercie de votre attention.To conclude, it remains to be seen whether this model can work elsewhere. Thank you for your attention.
Practise it, don't just read it
This unit is part of French Ultimate's C1 course: 5 short lessons with an animated video each, speaking and listening practice, a reading and an end-of-unit test.