French Punctuation for Academic Writing

Total Word Count: 1,800+ words

Punctuation in French is not the same as in English. Spacing rules, the use of semicolons, and the dreaded "guillemets" (French quotation marks) can trip up even advanced learners.

For TCF/TEF Writing, correct punctuation is a subtle but noticeable marker of linguistic competence.

Part 1: Spacing Rules (The Hidden Trap)

French punctuation often requires a non-breaking space before certain marks.

. Period	No space before	C'est fini.
, Comma	No space before	Oui, bien sûr.
; Semicolon	Space BEFORE and after	Voici le plan ; nous verrons.
: Colon	Space BEFORE and after	Voici la raison : c'est simple.
! Exclamation	Space BEFORE and after	Incroyable !
? Question	Space BEFORE and after	Tu viens ?
« » Guillemets	Space INSIDE	« Bonjour ! »

French Punctuation for Academic Writing

French Punctuation for Academic Writing

Part 1: Spacing Rules (The Hidden Trap)

Book a session with a PrepMyFrench teacher

PrepMyFrench Ebooks

Recorded French Courses

Part 2: The Semicolon (Le Point-Virgule)

Aiming for CLB 7+?

Part 3: The Colon (Les Deux-Points)

Part 4: Guillemets (« ... »)

Aiming for CLB 7+?

Part 5: The Ellipsis (Les Points de Suspension)

Part 6: The Dash (Le Tiret)

Aiming for CLB 7+?

Part 7: Capitalization Rules

Part 8: Numbers and Punctuation

Aiming for CLB 7+?

Conclusion

Master A1 French in 60 Days

Master A2 French in 60 Days

Master B1 French in 60 Days

Master B2 French in 60 Days