Key Idea: Professional texts are the formal letter, the report, the proposal, instructions and the essay. Each one has a job: to ask, to inform, to persuade, to explain a process or to argue a question.
Formal letter
- Reader: someone in a role. Use «vous» and a polite, respectful tone.
- Parts: place and date + «Madame, Monsieur,» → opening → body → close → sign-off.
- Sign off with «Je vous prie d'agréer…» and your full name.
- Soften a request with the conditional: «je souhaiterais».
Report
- Neutral and factual, with «on» or the passive. No «je».
- Parts: title → introduction → findings (constats) → recommendations → conclusion.
- Key phrases: «D'après les données, on observe que…», «Il est recommandé de…».
Proposal
- Reader: an authority you want to persuade. Formal, with «vous».
- Parts: title + aim → context → proposal → benefits → request for approval.
- Key phrase: «Je propose que…, ce qui permettrait de…».
Instructions
- Explain a process with the imperative or the infinitive: «épluche, ajoute, sers».
- Parts: title → what you need → numbered steps → tip or warning → close.
- Frame it: «Comment préparer…» … «Et voilà !».
Essay
- A professional text: logical argument, for a reader who expects reasoned discussion.
- Introduce: a hook, the debatable question and your plan.
- Argue both sides with logical connectors, in a formal, impersonal register.
- Hold your own view back until the end: «En conclusion, il me semble que…».
The letter, report, proposal and essay are formal. Instructions simply tell the reader what to do, in order.
Which text uses «on» and never «je»? The report.
Why write «je souhaiterais» instead of «je veux»? The conditional makes a request softer and more polite.
What does a proposal end with? A courteous request: you ask the reader to approve your plan.
Which text uses numbered steps? Instructions.
What does «Madame, Monsieur,» mean? Dear Sir or Madam.
Where does your own view go in an essay? At the end. Before that, you weigh both sides.