TEF Canada Writing Section A: Mastering the "Fait Divers" (News Article)

The TEF Canada Expression Écrite Section A requires you to write a short news article (a fait divers) based on a headline. While it seems simple, this 80-word task is a strict test of your ability to synthesize information, use past tenses correctly, and adopt journalistic tone.

Many candidates fail to reach CLB 7 on this task because they write it like a personal story rather than a newspaper report. Here is how to construct the perfect fait divers.

Understanding the "Fait Divers" Structure

A fait divers is a short news item about an incident, accident, or unusual event. It must answer the fundamental journalistic questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.