Essential French Grammar

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Essential French Grammar Page 3

by Seymour Resnick


  All the singular forms and the third person plural (je parle, tu parses, il parle, ils parlent) are pronounced alike.

  The first person plural (the nous form) of all verbs of all conjugations and in all tenses, with only one exception (nous sommes, we are), ends in -ons:

  The vous form of all verbs in all tenses, with very few exceptions, ends in -ez.

  The third person plural (ils and elles) form of all verbs in all tenses without exception ends in -nt.

  2nd Conjugation Verbs (Infinitive ending -ir)

  finir (to finish)

  je finis

  I finish, am finishing

  tu finis

  you finish, are finishing

  il (elle) finit

  he (she) finishes, is finishing

  nous finissons

  we finish, are finishing

  vous finissez

  you finish, are finishing

  ils (elles) finissent

  they finish, are finishing

  Notes on the second conjugation:

  All the singular forms (je finis, tu finis, il finit) are pronounced alike.

  The plural endings are the same as for the 1st conjugation (-ons, -ez, -ent) except that -iss- is placed before them.

  There are not many verbs that follow the pattern of finir. The following are the most important and probably the only ones a tourist is likely to need: bâtir (to build)

  remplir (to fill)

  choisir (to choose)

  réussir (to succeed)

  Two common verbs ending in -ir are conjugated like 1st conjugation verbs.

  A number of important verbs ending in -ir are irregular and are discussed in the irregular verb section, p. 34.

  3rd Conjugation Verbs (Infinitive ending -re)

  vendre (to sell)

  je vends

  I sell, am selling

  tu vends

  you sell, are selling

  il (elle) vend

  he (she) sells, is selling

  nous vendons

  we sell, are selling

  vous vendez

  you sell, are selling

  ils (elles) vendent

  they sell, are selling

  Notes on the third conjugation:

  All the singular forms are pronounced alike (je vends, tu vends, il vend).

  The plural endings are the same as for the ist conjugation (-ons, -ez, -ent).

  There are not many verbs that follow exactly the pattern of vendre. The following are the most important:5

  A number of important -re verbs are irregular and are discussed in the irregular verb section which follows.

  The Present Tense of Common Irregular Verbs

  The following irregular verbs are so frequently used that the student will do well to memorize their forms.

  The Command or Imperative Form

  How to Form Commands

  The command form (“Speak!”) is the vous form of the present tense of the verb without the subject pronoun.

  The command is usually softened by adding s’il vous plaît (please).

  Parlez plus haut, s’il vous plaît.

  Speak louder, please.

  Descendez vite, s‘il vous plaît.

  Come down quickly, please.

  How to Avoid the Command Form

  A substitute for the command form is the use of the vous form of the verb vouloir (to wish, want) plus the infinitive of the working verb in the normal question word order (see rule 2, page 17). The word bien is often inserted after the word vous to soften the statement. This construction is equivalent to the English phrase “Will you please ... ?”

  Voulez-vous (bien) parlez plus haut?

  Will you please speak louder?

  Voulez-vous (bien) laisser la clé?

  Will you please leave the key?

  First Person Plural Commands

  The first person plural command “Let’s speak!” is the present tense of the verb without the subject pronoun nous.

  Allons! (Let’s go!)

  Lisons! (Let’s read!)

  Bâtissons! (Let’s build!)

  Ouvrons! (Let’s open!)

  Irregular Command Forms

  The verb être (to be) has irregular command forms:

  Soyez ici à quatre heures.

  Be here at four o‘clock.

  Soyons heureux.

  Let’s be happy.

  The Passé Composé or Past Indefinite Tense

  Comparison of the Past Indefinite Tense in French and English

  French, like English, has several ways of expressing a past event. The past tense which is most important and most useful in French is called le passé composé. It corresponds to the English simple past (I spoke, I finished, I bought) as well as to the English present perfect (I have spoken, I have finished, I have bought).

  How to Form the Passé Composé and the Past Participle

  The passé composé of most verbs is formed by using the present tense of the verb avoir (to have) and the past participle. This is very similar to the way in which the present perfect tense in English is formed. The past participle ends in -é for the first conjugation verbs (parler, parlé), in -i for the second conjugation verbs (finir, fini), and in -u for the third conjugation verbs (vendre, vendu).

  Study the following models:

  IST CONJ. VERBS

  (visiter—to visit)

  j‘ai visité

  I visited, have visited

  tu as visité

  you visited, have visited

  il (elle) a visité

  he (she) visited, has visited

  nous avons visité

  we visited, have visited

  vous avez visité

  you visited, have visited

  ils (elles) ont visité

  they visited, have visited

  2ND CONJ. VERBS

  (choisir—to choose)

  j’ai choisi

  I chose, have chosen

  tu as choisi

  you chose, have chosen

  il (elle) a choisi

  he (she) chose, has chosen

  nous avons choisi

  we chose, have chosen

  vous avez choisi

  you chose, have chosen

  ils (elles) ont choisi

  they chose, have chosen

  3RD CONJ. VERBS

  (perdre—to lose)

  j‘ai perdu

  I lost, have lost

  tu as perdu

  you lost, have lost

  il (elle) a perdu

  he (she) lost, has lost

  nous avons perdu

  we lost, have lost

  vous avez perdu

  you lost, have lost

  ils (elles) ont perdu

  they lost, have lost

  Verbs with Irregular Past Participles

  INFINITIVE

  PAST PARTICIPLE

  s’asseoir (to be seated)

  assis (seated)

  avoir (to have)

  eu (had)

  boire (to drink)

  bu (drunk)

  conduire (to conduct)

  conduit (conducted)

  connaître (to know)

  connu (known)

  courir (to run)

  couru (run)

  croire (to believe)

  cru (believed)

  devoir (to owe; must)

  dû (ought)

  dire (to say, tell)

  dit (said, told)

  être (to be)

  été (been)

  écrire (to write)

  écrit (written)

  faire (to do, make)

  fait (done, made)

  lire (to read)

  lu (read)

  mettre (to put)

  mis (put)

  mourir (to die)

  mort (died)

  naître (to be born)

  né (born)

  offrir (to offer)

  offert (offered)

  ouvrir (to open)

  ouvert (opened
)

  partir (to leave)

  parti (left)

  pouvoir (to be able)

  pu (been able)

  prendre (to take)

  pris (taken)

  recevoir (to receive)

  reçu (received)

  rire (laugh)

  ri (laughed)

  savoir (to know)

  su (known)

  venir (to come)

  venu (come)

  voir (to see)

  vu (seen)

  vouloir (to wish, want)

  voulu (wished, wanted)

  How to Use the Passé Composé

  Study the following sentences which contain examples of the past tense:

  Nous avons dépensé beaucoup d’argent.

  We spent (have spent) a lot of money.

  J‘ai déjà reçu l’invitation.

  I have already received the invitation.

  Elle a été malade la semaine dernière.

  She was ill last week.

  Verbs Which Form Their Compound Tenses Using être as the Auxiliary Verb

  The following sixteen verbs use être and not avoir as the auxiliary verb to form the passé composé and other compound tenses.6

  aller (to go)

  arriver (to arrive)

  descendre (to descend)

  devenir (to become)

  entrer (to enter)

  monter (to go up)

  mourir (to die)

  naître (to be born)

  partir (to leave)

  rentrer (to return)

  rester (to remain)

  retourner (to return)

  revenir (to come back)

  sortir (to go out)

  tomber (to fall)

  venir (to come)

  The past participle of verbs conjugated with être as the auxiliary verb change endings so as to agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb. If the subject is feminine singular, an -e is added to the past participle. If the subject is masculine plural, a -s is added, and if it is feminine plural an -es is added. (These changes do not affect pronunciation, however, except in the case of the verb mourir, past participle: mort, morts, morte, mortes. The addition of the -e in the feminine singular and plural forms causes the t to be sounded.)

  Study the conjugation of the verb sortir in the passé composé. Observe the changes which the past participle makes in order to agree in gender and number with the subject.

  sortir (to leave, go out)

  je suis sorti

  I (MASC.) left, have left

  je suis sortie

  I (FEM.) left, have left

  tu es sorti

  you (MASC. FAM.) left, have left

  tu es sortie

  you (FEM. FAM.) left, have left

  il est sorti

  he left, has left

  elle est sortie

  she left, has left

  nous sommes sortis

  we (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

  nous sommes sorties

  we (FEM. PL.) left, have left

  vous êtes sorti

  you (MASC. SING.) left, have left

  vous êtes sortie

  you (FEM. SING.) left, have left

  vous êtes sortis

  you (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

  vous êtes sorties

  you (FEM. PL.) left, have left

  ils sont sortis

  they (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

  elles sont sorties

  they (FEM. PL.) left, have left

  Ils sont arrivés hier et sont allés tout de suite au consulat américain.

  They arrived yesterday and went at once to the American consulate.

  Nous sommes restés longtemps.

  We stayed a long time.

  How to Use ne ... pas with Compound Tenses

  To make a sentence negative in the passé composé or any other compound tense, surround the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) by ne ... pas. (Remember that ne contracts to n’ before a vowel.)

  Je n’ai pas encore payé la note.

  I haven’t paid the bill yet.

  Elles ne sont pas arrivées à temps.

  They (FEM.) did not arrive on time.

  How to Form Questions in Compound Tenses

  To make a sentence involving a compound tense negative, either use est-ce que as in the present tense (see p. 17), or place the auxiliary verb before the subject and connect it to the subject by a hyphen. Note that a -t- is inserted in the third person singular of verbs conjugated with avoir.

  Est-ce que vous avez commencé le roman?

  Have you begun the novel?

  or

  Avez-vous commencé le roman?

  Have you begun the novel?

  Est-ce qu‘il a bien travaillé?

  Did he work well?

  or

  A-t-il bien travaillé?

  Did he work well?

  Est-ce qu‘elle est rentrée de bonne heure?

  Did she come back early?

  or

  Est-elle rentrée de bonne heure?

  Did she come back early?

  The Imperfect Tense

  How to Form the Imperfect Tense

  Another past tense in French is the imperfect. It is used to express what was happening or what used to happen. It is formed by dropping the -ons of the first person plural of the present tense (nous parl-ons, nous finiss-ons, nous attend-ons), and adding the following endings:

  (je) -ais

  (nous) -ions

  (tu) -ais

  (vous) -iez

  (il, elle) -ait

  (ils, elles) -aient

  Study the following models:

  IST CONJ. VERBS

  (parler—to speak)

  je parlais

  I spoke, used to speak, was speaking

  tu parlais

  you spoke, used to speak, were speaking

  il (elle) parlait

  he (she) spoke, used to speak, was speaking

  nous parlions

  we spoke, used to speak, were speaking

  vous parliez

  you spoke, used to speak, were speaking

  ils (elles) parlaient

  they spoke, used to speak, were speaking

  2ND CONJ. VERBS

  (finir—to finish)

  je finissais

  I finished, used to finish, was finishing

  tu finissais

  you finished, used to finish, were finishing

  il (elle) finissait

  he (she) finished, used to finish, was finishing

  nous finissions

  we finished, used to finish, were finishing

  vous finissiez

  you finished, used to finish, were finishing

  ils (elles) finissaient

  they finished, used to finish, were finishing

  3RD CONJ. VERBS

  (attendre—to wait)

  j‘attendais

  I waited, used to wait, was waiting

  tu attendais

  you waited, used to wait, were waiting

  il (elle) attendait

  he (she) waited, used to wait, was waiting

  nous attendions

  we waited, used to wait, were waiting

  vous attendiez

  you waited, used to wait, were waiting

  ils (elles) attendaient

  they waited, used to wait, were waiting

  Observations about the imperfect:

  All the singular forms and the third person plural (-ais, -ais, -ait, -aient) are pronounced alike.

  The endings of the first and second persons plural (-ions, -iez) are the same as in the present tense except for the insertion of the i before the ending.

  The only irregular verb in the imperfect tense is être (to be). Être uses the stem ét-, to which the regular imperfect endings are added (j’étais, tu étais, il (elle) était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils (elles) étaient).

  How to Use the Imper
fect Tense

  The following sentences will show you the difference between the imperfect and the passé composé. Note that the imperfect describes actions which used to happen, repeatedly or regularly, or actions which were taking place when something else happened. The passé composé, on the other hand, is used to describe single rather than repeated actions, and generally actions which are considered completed.

 

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