The TCF Canada & scoring

B2 grammar for the TCF Canada: a system that defends and scores

French grammar books are thick. The TCF's writing and speaking rubrics care about two things: few errors in the basics, and a few visible signs of B2 range. Build a system around those, not around the book's chapter order.

Updated November 2026 · 3 min read

The short answer

Layer 1, foundation: present, passé composé vs imparfait, futur, conditional. Errors here cost the most.
Layer 2, joints: object pronouns, en and y, relative pronouns qui/que/où/dont, verb + à/de + infinitive.
Layer 3, scoring structures: subjunctive after opinion and necessity, gérondif, concession (bien que, même si), hypotheses with si.
Two to three months of focused grammar alongside practice is enough for most learners at B1.

1Layer 1: the tense foundation

Tense	Use in the TCF	Classic error
Présent	Everything about you, habits, opinions	Irregular forms of faire, aller, prendre, venir
Passé composé	Single completed events (Task 2 articles, Task 1 experiences)	être vs avoir; agreement with être
Imparfait	Background, descriptions, habits in the past	Using it for single events
Futur simple / proche	Plans and predictions	Mixing both in one sentence
Conditionnel	Politeness and hypotheses (je voudrais, on pourrait)	Confusing with futur (-rai vs -rais)

2Layer 2: pronouns and prepositions

C'est un projet dont je suis fier.
dont replaces de + noun: "a project I'm proud of".
La ville où j'habite est calme.
où for place and time.
J'en ai besoin. / J'y pense souvent.
en replaces de + thing; y replaces à + thing.
J'ai décidé de partir. / J'ai commencé à travailler.
Verb + de / à + infinitive: learn each verb with its preposition.

3Layer 3: structures that signal B2

Il faut que les entreprises fassent des efforts.
Subjunctive after necessity.
Je ne pense pas que ce soit la meilleure solution.
Subjunctive after a negative opinion.
Bien que ce soit cher, c'est utile.
Concession with bien que + subjunctive.
En travaillant à distance, on gagne du temps.
Gérondif: cause or manner.
Si les transports étaient gratuits, on utiliserait moins la voiture.
Hypothesis: si + imparfait, conditionnel.

Use one or two of these per paragraph, correctly. That signals range without multiplying errors.

4A 2–3 month schedule

1
Weeks 1–3
Layer 1 audit: write a 150-word past-tense story every other day; correct tense and agreement.
2
Weeks 4–6
Layer 2: ten sentences a day with pronouns and relatives; learn 40 common verb + preposition pairs.
3
Weeks 7–10
Layer 3: integrate one scoring structure into every Task 3 essay and spoken opinion.
4
Ongoing
Keep an error log; review it weekly. The same five errors usually cause most lost points.

See it applied in writing preparation and how the TCF is graded.

5Frequently asked questions

What grammar do I need for B2 French?+

Solid control of the main tenses, object and relative pronouns, and verb-preposition patterns, plus a few B2 structures such as the subjunctive after opinions and necessity, the gérondif, concession and si-clauses.

Keep reading

What really gets you B2 on the TCF: scoring to the rubricWhat each section rewards, from structured listening to rubric-driven writing and speaking.TCF Canada writing: structures and a B2 strategyThe three tasks and word ranges, a structure for each, connectors, and time control.A2–B1: correct your own writing, build natural speakingA four-point self-check, functional phrases, a Task 2 question grid, and shadowing.Zero to NCLC 7 in 12 months: the roadmapFive stages from A1 to the TCF sprint, with goals, tasks and mistakes for each.

Turn the method into points

Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.