Articles
Articles matter in PSC Written Expression, where correct usage helps produce accurate and natural French, and they can also play a role in Reading Comprehension, where an incorrect answer may sound plausible but fail because the article choice is not grammatically or idiomatically correct. Article errors often look small, but they are easy marks to lose. Candidates may need to choose between le / la / les, un / une, or a contracted form such as au / du when the sentence requires the correct article.
Why this matters on the PSC test
Articles must match the noun in gender and number. On the PSC test, the wrong article may appear in a very short segment, but the candidate still has to identify the noun correctly and choose the proper form in formal written French.
Core rule
An article comes before a noun and must match it correctly.
Before choosing the article, identify the noun first. Then check whether it is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.
la nature de notre travail
une fois par semaine
le succès
aux clients
Common PSC traps
- Wrong gender: the noun is feminine, but a masculine article is used. Example: la nature, not le nature.
- Indefinite article confusion: some nouns look familiar, but still require careful gender checking. Example: une fois, not un fois.
- Masculine nouns after de or à: the sentence may require a contracted article. Example: du commerce, au Canada.
- Number mistakes: plural nouns require plural articles. Example: les clients.
- Short underlined segments: article errors are often hidden inside a very small section, so they are easy to overlook under time pressure.
PSC-style examples
La nature de notre travail exige une mobilisation constante.
Marine Atlantique organise une traversée une fois par semaine.
Le nom correct est le succès.
Les demandes sont traitées avec soin pour les clients concernés.
Le secteur agit dans les domaines du commerce et de l’économie.
Mini practice
a) Le
b) La
a) une
b) un
a) aux
b) au
1. b) La
2. a) une
3. a) aux