DELF A1 Grammar Lists, Grammar Topics, Format, Sample Papers

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DELF A1 : Guideline and Preparation

DELF A1 assesses the most basic French proficiency and is often referred as the “discovery” stage. At the A1 level, you should be able to communicate in simple ways on familiar topics.

What is the DELF A1 exam format?

DELF A1 exam consists of 4 parts (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). Each part marks 25 points, making a total score of 100 points.

Click here to see DELF A1 practice exams with answers and audio clips.

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DELF Exam Samples

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DELF Exam Samples

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DELF Exam Samples

Here are what to expect from each section:

Listening (compréhension orale) : You will hear 3 or 4 short conversations. The audio will be played twice—so, don’t panic if you don’t catch it the first time around. The audio clips range from a few seconds to 3 minutes. Topics include conversations among friends and family members, a phone call for an appointment date, and a schedule announcement for flight / bus / train.

Reading (compréhension écrite) : You will read 4 or 5 short texts about everyday life activities, then, you will answer to the questionnaires at the end of each text.

Writing (production écrite) : The section consists of 2 writing assignments. On the first part, you will fill out a form asking for basic personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.) and, for the second part, you will write simple phrases in a form of letter, postcard, or note. The minimum requirement for each part is 40-50 words.

Speaking (production orale) : The speaking test consists of 3 parts: guided conversation, information exchange, and role-play. You are expected to introduce yourself to an examiner, create 7-8 simple sentences from any given words (for example, the given word is “stylo” and you respond by saying “j’ai un stylo rouge“), and interact with the examiner with a stimulated dialogue (role-play). The common A1 themes include family life, friends, routines, hobbies, and personal interests.

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Grammar topics for DELF A1

As a whole, DELF exam doesn’t test the grammar directly. Rather, the knowledge is evaluated indirectly by how well we understand the language and express our thoughts accordingly. Therefore, it is important to study the essential grammar rules to build up those skills and here are some topics to prepare for DELF A1:

Subject pronouns (je / tu / il / elle / on / nous / vous / ils / elles)
Stressed pronouns (moi / toi / lui / elle / soi / nous / vous / eux / elles)
Present tenses of the indicative mood (focus on the 3 verb groups ending with -ER / -IR / -RE)
Auxiliary verbs: être & avoir (je suis / j’ai)
Expression of politeness with conditional verbs (je veux / voudrais un café)
Simple interrogative sentences (focus on the 3 forms of interrogative sentences: a yes-no question with est-ce que / an open-ended question with interrogative adverbs quoi, qui, où, comment, pourquoi, quand, combien / an open-ended question with interrogative adverbs quel, quelle, quels, quelles)
Interrogative sentences (l’intonation, l’inversion du sujet, est-ce que)
Les présentatifs (c’est / ce sont / il est / il y a / voici / voilà)
Les articles définis (le / la / l’ / les)
Les articles indéfinis (un /une /des)
Les articles partitifs (du / de la/ de l’ / des)
L’article zéro (être + profession / je suis électricien)
Cardinal numbers (1 to 100)
Les adjectifs démonstratifs (ce / cet / cette / ces)
Adjective agreements (masculine vs. feminin)
Adjective agreements (singular vs. plural)
L’accord des adjectifs de nationalité
Les adjectifs qualificatifs
Les adjectifs possessifs
La place des adjectifs
Adverbs of quantity (assez / beaucoup / moins / plus / un peu / très / trop)
Adverbs of time (avant / après / bientôt / déjà / encore enfin / ensuite /hier / jamais)
Prepositions of time (depuis / dans / pendant / en)
Prepositions of place (sur / derrière / devant / entre / dans / contre / à côté de / à gauche / à droite / près de /loin de)

Les pronoms personnels sujets (je / tu / il / elle / on / nous / vous / ils / elles)
Les pronoms toniques (moi / toi / lui / elle / soi / nous / vous / eux / elles)
Le présent de l’indicatif (focus on the 3 verb groups ending with -ER / -IR / -RE)
Les verbes auxiliaires : être & avoir (je suis / j’ai)
Le conditionnel de politesse (je veux / voudrais un café)
La phrase interrogative simple (focus on the 3 forms of interrogative sentences: a yes-no question with est-ce que / an open-ended question with interrogative adverbs quoi, qui, où, comment, pourquoi, quand, combien / an open-ended question with interrogative adverbs quel, quelle, quels, quelles)
La forme interrogative (l’intonation, l’inversion du sujet, est-ce que)
Les présentatifs (c’est / ce sont / il est / il y a / voici / voilà)
Les articles définis (le / la / l’ / les)
Les articles indéfinis (un /une /des)
Les articles partitifs (du / de la/ de l’ / des)
L’article zéro (être + profession / je suis électricien)
Les nombres cardinaux (ex, 80 = quatre-vingt)
Les adjectifs démonstratifs (ce / cet / cette / ces)
L’accord des adjectifs (masculine vs. féminin)
L’accord des adjectifs (singulier vs. pluriel)
L’accord des adjectifs de nationalité
Les adjectifs qualificatifs
Les adjectifs possessifs
La place des adjectifs
les adverbes de quantité (assez / beaucoup / moins / plus / un peu / très / trop)
Les adverbes de temps (avant / après / bientôt / déjà / encore enfin / ensuite /hier / jamais)
Les prépositions de temps (depuis / dans / pendant / en)
Les prépositions de lieu (sur / derrière / devant / entre / dans / contre / à côté de / à gauche / à droite / près de /loin de)

DELF A1 Grammar Tips : Le Futur Proche

Le futur proche (the near future tense) describes an event that will happen in a near future. It is similar to the “going to” expression in English.

Guilaine, a certified French teacher from The French Learning Kit Podcast, shares her tips on le futur proche as following:

(1) Le futur proche structure

To form le futur proche, we use the verb ALLER + infinitive.

(2) Aller conjugation

Aller is one of the most frequently used verbs in French. It is also an irregular verb and conjugation may require some practice to master.

Je vais
Tu vais
Il va
Elle va
On va
Nous allons
Vous allez
Ils vont
Elles vont

(3) Le futur proche in sentences

Here are some examples of le futur proche structure (aller + infinitive) displayed in context.

Je vais manger chez McDo ce soir.
I am going to eat at McDonald’s this evening.

Oftentimes, le futur proche shows a degree of intention or a planned action. As seen here, ce soir hints that the speaker plans to take the action this evening (a near future).

Le futur proche can also stand alone without any indicator of time.

Je vais cuisiner pour mes amis.
I am going to cook for my friends. (I don’t know when, but I intend to do it)

Our Content Contributor

Guilaine is the founder of The French Learning Kit Podcast. A certified French teacher from Grenoble, since 2010 she has taught thousands of students in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Listen to her podcast for free, or if you look for a professional native French teacher, book an online class with her via the icons below.