Writing a Dialogue

HOW TO WRITE A DIALOGUE

1. Déterminez le niveau de langue demandé.

2. Vous pouvez, si vous le souhaitez, présenter brièvement le lieu, le moment de la scène, ainsi que les principaux personnages.

3. Dans ce cas, sautez une ligne entre l’introduction et le dialogue.

4. Respectez la ponctuation (guillemets, points d’exclamation, d’interrogation) et allez à la ligne pour chaque changement de locuteur. Pas de TIRETS !

5. Variez les verbes introducteurs (toujours au prétérit) et étoffez vos phrases avec des adverbes:

  NOTEZQU'IL N'Y A PAS D'INVERSION EN ANGLAIS: "...Dit-il" = ... HE SAID

Les verbes :

SPEAK	SPEAK IN A LOUD VOICE	SPEAK TO EXPRESS FEELINGS
He said – he added – he replied – he exclaimed – he retorted – he wondered – he declared – he asked – he answered – he repeated – he explained – he whispered (chuchoter)	He yelled – he screamed – he shouted	He laughed – he complained – he sighed (soupirer) – he sobbed (sangloter) – he insisted – he threatened (menacer)

body language

he frowned  (froncer les sourcils), he  nodded (faire un signe de tête, acquiescer), he smiled,  he stared at her(fixer qqn/qqch), he shrugged (hausser les épaules), he shook his head (secouer la tête)

Les adverbes

angrily, anxiously, bitterly (amèrement), cheerfully (joyeusement) curiously (avec curiosité), desperately, furiously, gratefully (avec gratitude), impatiently, kindly , calmly, (gentiment), loudly (d’une voix forte), proudly, quietly (calmement), sadly, scornfully (avec mépris), shyly (timidement), sincerely…

DIALOGUE

« Elliot ! Elliot ! You wouldn’t believe what just happened !” Dana said excitedly.

“What is it? Are you ok, Dana? You poor thing, you look terribly pale” her neighbour exclaimed, looking at her anxiously. 

“Yes, I’m ok. Well at least, I am now. The strangest thing just happened. I came back from the supermarket with two huge bags of groceries and also all my money for the rent. I had just managed get into the building when I heard this guy behind me say: “Give me all your money!”. Dana was still shaking as she told the story.

“Oh my gosh!” Elliot replied. He was almost speechless. 

“But then I started saying to myself, I can’t give this bloke all my money or I’ll have none left for the rent. So I said: “no, go away”, Dana added, more calmly now.

 “You didn’t. Oh dear, what happened next?”, Elliot couldn’t wait to hear the rest of the story.” 

I just kept saying “no, go away! I haven’t got any money. And then you know what happened?” Dana was now enjoying herself. She went on, “he just left, without another word”. 

Elliot stared at her. “Just like that?” He just couldn’t believe his ears.

 “Yes, just like that! Don’t you think that’s crazy? All I did was stay calm and controlled. I just couldn’t stop thinking: “I can’t give him my money, I need it.” And it worked.” Dana couldn’t help feeling rather proud of herself. 

“Wow, that’s really funny! Good for you for sticking up for yourself. He must’ve had a real shock. A vulnerable woman, faced with a knife, keeping it together,” Elliot looked at her admiringly. 

Dana blushed. “Now I’m going to pay my rent before someone else tries to steal it off me,” she said briskly.

 Her neighbour nodded. “Good thinking. And I’ll remember to call you anytime someone tries to rob me”! 

Dana burst out laughing. “ Any time! See you later Elliot”.

Wrtitng a letter

FORMAL LETTER

                                                                                                                              DATE : month, day, year

                                                                                                                                                                                  ADDRESS – street name, city, country

                        Dear Sir / Dear Madam (on ne connaît pas le nom de la personne)

                        Dear Mr Smith / Dear Ms Jones,

                        

                       I am writing to (ask you, let you know, apply for the position of, to complain about, to suggest, present…..

                       Faire au moins 2 paragraphes                    

    

                     I look forward (I am looking forward) to hearing from you

                                                                or

                     I thank you for taking the time to examine my request

                                                                 or

                     I thank you in advance for helping me

                       Sincerely,

                   

                              Signature

                               

     

INFORMAL LETTER

                                                                                                                               DATE : month, day, year

                                                                                                                                                                                  ADDRESS – street name, city, country

                                   Dear John, / Dear Mom and dad,

                                  

                                   I am writing to tell you… / to let you know…./ to ask you….

                                 Faire au moins 2 paragraphes          

                               I hope to hear from you soon/ I hope to see you soon

                                            or

                               I look forward to hearing from you

                                              or

                               Say hello to ….. for me,  / Give my love to….

                              

                            (lots of) love,

                             Hugs and kisses,

                              Take care,

                          Signature

Expression Ecrite: LINK WORDS

LINK WORDS 1 

POUR COMMENCER

First, firstly, first of all, in the first place, first and foremost, to begin / start with

My first impression is…

POUR DEVELOPPER UN SUJET

Secondly, thirdly, then, next

at first sight (à première vue)

as a matter of fact, in fact (en fait)

at all events, in any case (en fait)

on second thoughts (à la réflexion)

actually (effectivement, vraiment / en fait)

anyway (de toutes façons)

in most cases (dans la plupart des cas)

in this respect (à cet égard)

to some extent (dans une certaine mesure)

as far as … is concerned (en ce qui concerne)

from a (adjectif) point of view (d'un point de vue + adj.)

POUR EXPRIMER LE BUT

To, in order to, so as to + BV

For + nom/ pronom + TO + BV

POUR EXPRIMER LA CONDITION

if (si)

in case (au cas où)

suppose/ supposing (à supposer que)

provided/providing (pourvu que)

on condition that (à condition que)

so long as / as long as (à condition que)

POUR EXPRIMER L'OPPOSITION

whereas / while (tandis que)

unlike (à la différence de)

contrary to (contrairement)

as against (en opposition à)

on the one hand…, on the other hand… (d'une part…, d'autre part)

conversely (inversement)

on the contrary (au contraire)

in contrast to (en contraste avec)

or else (ou alors)

otherwise (autrement)

POUR EXPRIMER LA RESTRICTION

although / though (bien que)

as though / as if (comme si)

even though / even if (même si)

no matter what (peu importe ce que)

whatever (quel que soit)

no matter how (peu importe comment)

however + adj. (si + adj. soit-il / elle)




LINK WORDS 2

POUR DONNER DES EXEMPLES

for instance, for example, such as, like

namely (c'est-à-dire)

above all (surtout)

POUR EXPRIMER LA CAUSE

as (étant donné que)

because (parce que)

for (car)

since (puisque)

This is the reason why (C'est la raison pour laquelle)

because of (à cause de)

owing to (en raison de)

thanks to (grâce à)

due to (du fait de)

out of + nom (par + nom) Ex.: out of pity

on account of (étant donné)

POUR EXPRIMER LA CONSEQUENCE

so that (de telle sorte que)

so…that (si…que)

so much so that (à tel point que)

that's why (c'est pourquoi)

as a result of (en conséquence de)

therefore (c'est pourquoi)

accordingly (en conséquence)

consequently (par conséquent)

so, thus (ainsi)

hence (d'où)

POUR EXPRIMER LE TEMPS

eventually (finalement)

till / until (jusqu'à ce que)

while (pendant que)

as long as (tant que)

whenever (chaque fois que)

since (depuis que)

once (une fois que)

meanwhile (pendant ce temps là)

in the meantime (entre temps)

at times (parfois)

POUR AJOUTER UN ELEMENT

in addition to (outre)

besides (d'ailleurs)

furthermore (en outre)

moreover, what is more, on top of that (de plus)

as well, also, too (aussi)

similarly (de même)

POUR CONCLURE

To conclude, in conclusion, as a conclusion, last but not least, to sum up...