What a short-answer question is: A short-answer question (la réponse courte) asks you to answer a question about a recording in a few words of French — not a sentence, not an essay. On Paper 2 — Listening the instruction is « Répondez aux questions suivantes. ». What earns the mark is the correct, relevant detail the question asks for, NOT essay style or perfect grammar. You hear each clip twice, then write the exact detail.
- la réponse courte
- the short answer — a few words, not a sentence
- la question
- the question — what you must answer
- l'information / le détail
- the piece of information / the detail to give
- le mot-clé
- the key word — what you note down
- répondre
- to answer / to respond
- précis(e)
- precise — exactly to the point
A few words is enough: You do not need a full sentence. « En métro » scores just as well as « Elle va à l'université en métro » — and it's faster and safer. Give the exact detail the question asks for and move on.
Three rules, one table: Short answers come down to three rules. English explains the rule; the point is the same in every recording: give the right detail, briefly, to the question actually asked. Note the wording — the instruction is « Répondez aux questions suivantes. », usually [1 point] per question.
| Règle | Ce que ça veut dire |
|---|---|
| Peu de mots | un mot ou un groupe de mots suffit — n'écris pas de longues phrases |
| Réponds à ce qui est demandé | réponds exactement à la question posée, pas à autre chose |
| Ne recopie pas de longs passages | ne recopie pas une phrase entière ; donne seulement l'information demandée |
The two facts students forget: 1) A short, correct answer scores full marks — length adds nothing. 2) The mark is for the content, so don't lose it by over-writing or by copying a long, irrelevant chunk hoping the answer is buried in there.
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A method for every short answer: Don't try to write down everything you hear. Run the same five steps on each short-answer question and you'll capture the exact detail the examiner wants.
Nail the short answer
Read the question
Read the question carefully — what exactly is it asking? A time? A place? A reason? The French question word (« Quand ? / Où ? / Pourquoi ? / Combien ? ») tells you the kind of detail to give. Pin it down before the audio plays.
Listen for that detail
On the recording, listen for that specific detail — ignore everything that isn't the answer to the question.
Note the key word(s)
Jot down the key word or words (le mot-clé) as you hear them — a quick note, not a full sentence.
Write a short, precise answer
Turn your note into a short, precise answer — a few words of French, exactly the detail asked for.
Check it answers the question
Read your answer back against the question — does it actually answer what was asked? If yes, move on.
Read Q → Listen → Note → Write short → Check
Shorter is safer: The shorter your answer, the less chance of including something wrong that cancels the mark. Give the detail, nothing more — and never leave a blank. You hear each clip twice, so use the second play to fill every gap.
This is exactly how it feels: This is exactly how a short-answer question feels — you hear the clip, you don't see the words. Read the question, play the audio, write a few-word answer, then reveal the transcript to check. In the real exam you'd hear it twice. Tap 🔊 to hear it and Voir la traduction for the English.
Compréhension orale — le week-end de Léa
You're listening to a podcast in which Léa talks about her weekend. Read the question first (« Répondez à la question »), write a SHORT answer, then reveal the transcript to check — exactly how a Paper 2 — Listening short-answer question works.
- Quel est le plat préféré de Léa ? (What is Léa's favourite dish?) — Répondez avec quelques mots.
Salut, je m'appelle Léa. Le samedi matin, j'aide ma mère au marché et l'après-midi, je joue au basket avec mes amis au gymnase. Le dimanche, je préfère rester à la maison : je lis, je me repose et, le soir, je dîne avec toute ma famille. Mon plat préféré, c'est la ratatouille que prépare ma grand-mère.
Hi, my name is Léa. On Saturday mornings I help my mum at the market and in the afternoon I play basketball with my friends at the sports hall. On Sundays I prefer to stay at home: I read, I rest and, in the evening, I have dinner with my whole family. My favourite dish is the ratatouille my grandma makes.
- La ratatouille (de sa grand-mère).
Answer in a few words: Read the question, listen for that one detail — here, a dish. Answer in a few words (« la ratatouille »), not a sentence. You hear the clip twice, so use the second play to confirm it.
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Where short-answer marks are lost: Short-answer marks are lost on technique, not on French. Compare what good candidates do with the traps everyone else falls into.
Bonnes pratiques
- Answer the question that was ACTUALLY asked.
- Give a few precise words — exactly the detail required.
- Quote only the key word(s), not a long chunk.
- Always write something — never leave a blank.
Erreurs fréquentes
- Answer a DIFFERENT question (e.g. give the place when a time is asked).
- Write far too much — a whole paragraph for one detail.
- Copy an irrelevant chunk of the transcript and hope.
- Leave the answer blank because you missed it on the first listen.
Answer the question that was asked: Before you write, re-read the question. The most common lost mark is a correct fact that answers the wrong question — giving a place when « Quand ? » asks for a time. And never leave a blank — you hear it twice, so use the second play to fill every gap.