# What prose style do French natives use in school essay writing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 3, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037 "2016-04-03T08:23:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037/1 "2016-04-03T08:23:30Z")

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Hi  
I order to write French prose essays in as native style as possible, I want to know  
what prose style French natives adopt in school essay writing? I do not have any samples to go by, so I hope someone who has some knowledge of high school/lycée education can help me answer this question. The reason I’m asking is because grammar can vary depending on the style used. I notice it in negative phrasing especially. I was wondering whether the ‘style littéraire’ is a bid influence on high school essay writing to give it more polish. I look forward to your feedback.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037/2 "2016-04-03T15:44:36Z")

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This seems like a weird and impossible task, but have a look online: [here](http://pages.infinit.net/berric/EUF/euf-exemple-daudetdemonstratif.htm) is a sample essay (at the bottom). It does use the passé simple; is that what you’re asking? Otherwise, it’s as in English: a more formal style than informal writing, but not over-the-top.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037/3 "2016-04-03T16:51:56Z")

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> [@Dr.Drake](#):
>
> This seems like a weird and impossible task, but have a look online: [here](http://pages.infinit.net/berric/EUF/euf-exemple-daudetdemonstratif.htm) is a sample essay (at the bottom). It does use the passé simple; is that what you’re asking? Otherwise, it’s as in English: a more formal style than informal writing, but not over-the-top.

Thanks DR. Drake. Very helpful.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prose-style-do-french-natives-use-in-school-essay-writing/751037/4 "2016-04-03T20:46:04Z")

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It will depend a lot on the subject and the grade.

Chemistry lab report, high school \<\> “the cow”, 5th grade \<\> “the Huguenots”, high school. The first will be in the impersonal form or in passive voice, the second mostly in the present of the indicative, the third will use past tenses. The first should be completely clinical, no feelin’ at all (at most you’re allowed to use the line “obtained beautiful whitish crystals”), the others may include opinions or even be required to have them.