Each theme carries its own useful verbs, important nouns, adjectives, collocations and advanced expressions, followed by ready-made subjunctive, hypothesis and conditional sentences on that topic.
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This document covers universal grammar structures (usable in any theme) followed by 10 classic themes of TCF Canada speaking and writing. Vocab tables include English equivalents throughout, and every grammar-structure sentence (Subjunctive, Hypothesis, Conditional Présent, Conditional Passé, Futur Antérieur, Reusable Sentences) is given as a French–English table.
Cause → Consequence Connectors
| French | English |
|---|
| parce que | because |
| car | because/for |
| puisque | since |
| grâce à | thanks to |
| en raison de | due to |
| étant donné que | given that |
| donc | so/therefore |
| par conséquent | consequently |
| ainsi | thus |
| c’est pourquoi | that’s why |
| de ce fait | as a result |
| si bien que | so much so that |
Subjunctive — Most Useful Triggers
| French Trigger | English Meaning | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|
| il faut que | it is necessary that | Il faut que nous agissions rapidement. | We need to act quickly. |
| il est important/essentiel que | it is important/essential that | Il est essentiel que chacun fasse un effort. | It is essential that everyone makes an effort. |
| bien que | although | Bien que ce soit difficile, c’est nécessaire. | Although it’s difficult, it’s necessary. |
| pour que / afin que | so that | Il agit pour que les choses changent. | He acts so that things change. |
| avant que | before | Il faut réagir avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. | We must react before it’s too late. |
| à condition que | provided that | Cela fonctionnera à condition que tout le monde participe. | It will work provided that everyone participates. |
| il est possible/impossible que | it is possible/impossible that | Il est possible que la situation change. | It’s possible the situation will change. |
| je ne pense pas que / je doute que | I don’t think that / I doubt that | Je ne pense pas que ce soit suffisant. | I don’t think that’s enough. |
Hypothesis — the 3 “Si” Structures
| Type | Formation | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|
| Realistic (future) | Si + present, future simple | Si nous agissons maintenant, la situation s’améliorera. | If we act now, the situation will improve. |
| Hypothetical (present/future) | Si + imperfect, present conditional | Si nous avions plus de moyens, nous ferions davantage. | If we had more resources, we would do more. |
| Unreal (past) | Si + pluperfect, past conditional | Si nous avions agi plus tôt, les résultats auraient été meilleurs. | If we had acted sooner, the results would have been better. |
Conditional Présent (Present Conditional) — Formation
Stem (infinitive, -re verbs drop the final e) + -ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient Used for: wishes, suggestions, hypothetical present situations, polite requests. Example: Je voudrais changer de métier. — I would like to change careers.
Conditional Passé (Past Conditional) — Formation
avoir/être (in the present conditional) + past participle Used for: regrets, unrealized past possibilities, criticism of a past choice. Example: J’aurais dû réfléchir avant d’agir. — I should have thought before acting.
Futur Antérieur (Future Perfect) — Formation
avoir/être (in the future simple) + past participle, usually paired with a future-simple main clause. Used for: an action completed before another future action. Example: Une fois que nous aurons trouvé une solution, la situation s’améliorera. — Once we have found a solution, the situation will improve.
Opinion Expressions
| French | English |
|---|
| Selon moi… | In my opinion… |
| À mon avis… | In my view… |
| Il me semble que… | It seems to me that… |
| Je suis convaincu(e) que… | I am convinced that… |
| Il est évident que… | It is obvious that… |
| Il est important de souligner que… | It’s important to point out that… |
| Je pense que… | I think that… |
| Je suis d’avis que… | I am of the opinion that… |
| D’un côté… / d’un autre côté… | On one hand… / on the other hand… |
| Il ne faut pas oublier que… | We must not forget that… |
Useful Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| travailler | to work | Il travaille dans une grande entreprise. |
| embaucher | to hire | L’entreprise embauche de nouveaux employés. |
| licencier | to lay off/fire | Certaines entreprises licencient en période de crise. |
| démissionner | to resign | Elle a démissionné pour changer de carrière. |
| postuler à | to apply for | Il a postulé à plusieurs postes cette année. |
| gérer | to manage | Elle gère une équipe de dix personnes. |
| collaborer | to collaborate | Les employés collaborent sur ce projet. |
| négocier | to negotiate | Il a négocié une augmentation de salaire. |
| gagner sa vie | to earn a living | Beaucoup de jeunes peinent à gagner leur vie. |
| progresser | to advance | Elle progresse rapidement dans sa carrière. |
Important Nouns
| French | English |
|---|
| un emploi | a job |
| un métier | an occupation/trade |
| une carrière | a career |
| un salaire | a salary |
| un employeur / un employé | an employer / an employee |
| un entretien d’embauche | a job interview |
| le chômage | unemployment |
| les horaires de travail | working hours |
| le télétravail | remote work |
| un collègue | a colleague |
| une promotion | a promotion |
| un CV | a résumé/CV |
| la charge de travail | workload |
Useful Adjectives
| French | English |
|---|
| stressant | stressful |
| épanouissant | fulfilling |
| flexible | flexible |
| exigeant | demanding |
| compétitif | competitive |
| gratifiant | rewarding |
| précaire | precarious |
| stable | stable |
Collocations
| French | English |
|---|
| trouver un emploi | to find a job |
| occuper un poste | to hold a position |
| gravir les échelons | to climb the ladder |
| concilier vie professionnelle et vie privée | to balance work and personal life |
| faire carrière dans | to build a career in |
| acquérir de l’expérience professionnelle | to gain professional experience |
| changer de métier | to change careers |
Advanced Expressions
| French | English |
|---|
| jouer un rôle clé dans le développement économique | to play a key role in economic development |
| s’adapter aux exigences du marché du travail | to adapt to job market demands |
| offrir de meilleures conditions de travail | to offer better working conditions |
| favoriser l’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée | to promote work-life balance |
| valoriser les compétences des employés | to value employees’ skills |
Subjunctive
| French | English |
|---|
| Il est essentiel que les employés se sentent valorisés au travail. | It is essential that employees feel valued at work. |
| Bien que le télétravail soit pratique, il peut isoler certains employés. | Although remote work is convenient, it can isolate some employees. |
| Il faut que les entreprises offrent de meilleures conditions pour attirer les talents. | Companies need to offer better conditions to attract talent. |
| Il est important que chacun trouve un emploi qui lui plaît. | It is important that everyone finds a job they enjoy. |
| Je ne pense pas que le salaire soit le seul facteur de motivation. | I don’t think salary is the only motivating factor. |
| Il faut que les employeurs respectent l’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée. | Employers need to respect work-life balance. |
| Pour que les employés restent motivés, il faut qu’ils se sentent écoutés. | For employees to stay motivated, they need to feel heard. |
Hypothesis (Si…)
| French | English |
|---|
| Si les salaires étaient plus élevés, les employés seraient plus motivés. | If salaries were higher, employees would be more motivated. |
| Si j’avais plus d’expérience, je postulerais à ce poste. | If I had more experience, I would apply for this position. |
| Si les entreprises avaient investi davantage dans la formation, les employés auraient été mieux préparés. | If companies had invested more in training, employees would have been better prepared. |
| Si je trouve un meilleur emploi, je démissionnerai de mon poste actuel. | If I find a better job, I will resign from my current position. |
| Si le télétravail devenait la norme, les employés gagneraient du temps de trajet. | If remote work became the norm, employees would save commuting time. |
| Si j’avais choisi un autre métier, ma vie serait probablement différente aujourd’hui. | If I had chosen a different career, my life would probably be different today. |
| Si les entreprises offraient plus de flexibilité, les employés seraient plus satisfaits. | If companies offered more flexibility, employees would be more satisfied. |
Conditional Présent
| French | English |
|---|
| Je voudrais travailler dans un domaine plus créatif. | I would like to work in a more creative field. |
| Les employés aimeraient avoir plus de flexibilité dans leurs horaires. | Employees would like more flexibility in their schedules. |
| Cela vaudrait la peine de changer de carrière. | It would be worth changing careers. |
| Un meilleur salaire améliorerait la motivation des employés. | A better salary would improve employee motivation. |
| Les entreprises pourraient offrir davantage de formations. | Companies could offer more training. |
| Je changerais volontiers de métier si j’en avais l’occasion. | I would happily change careers if I had the chance. |
| Un bon équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée rendrait les employés plus heureux. | A good work-life balance would make employees happier. |
Conditional Passé
| French | English |
|---|
| J’aurais aimé travailler à l’étranger pendant quelques années. | I would have liked to work abroad for a few years. |
Is the guide really free?
Yes. It costs nothing and there is nothing to pay later for it. You create a free account, which is also what gives you the free writing and speaking corrections, and the PDF is yours to keep.
Which exam is it for — TCF Canada or TEF Canada?
Both. The themes and the vocabulary are the same ground: the two exams ask about work, the environment, technology and health in much the same way, and the grammar structures at the front of the guide are useful in either one.
What level is the vocabulary?
It is aimed at B2, which is the level behind CLB 7. Some of the advanced expressions reach into C1 — they are there so that a strong answer has somewhere to go, not because you need all of them to pass.
How should I use it?
Take one theme a week rather than reading it end to end. Learn the verbs and the collocations first, because those are what change a sentence; then use the ready-made subjunctive and conditional sentences as patterns for your own. Say them out loud — a word you have only read is a word you will not reach for under exam pressure.
Can I print it?
Yes. It is a PDF of 25 pages and it prints as it looks here. It is meant to be marked up.
Vocabulary you have read is not yet vocabulary you can use. Record an answer or write one, and see which of these words actually came out.
