A document containing all the important grammar constructions needed for French A level including: the past tense (passe compose), present tense, future tense, imperfect tense, conditional tense and the subjunctive.
Examples of these constructions in use are also included.
French grammar notes
Present tense IRREGULARS
For something tat takes place now or Aller – to go
regularly takes place. Je vais Nous allons
Tu vas Vous allez
ER infinitives Il/elle/on va Ils/elles vont
Je – e Nous- ons
Tu – es Vous- ez Avoir- to have
Il/elle/on – e Ils/elles – ent J’ai Nous avons
Tu as Vous avez
IR infinitives Il/elle/on a Ils/elles ont
Je – is Nous- issons
Tu – is Vous- issez Faire- to do
Il/elle/on – it Ils/elles – issent Je fais Nous faisons
Tu fais Vous faites
RE infinitives Il/elle/on fait Ils/elles font
Je – s Nous- ons
Tu – s Vous- ez Être – to be
Il/elle/on – nothing Ils/elles – ent Je suis Nous sommes
Tu es Vous êtes
Il/elle/on est Ils/elles sont
Le passe compose (past tense)
You need two parts. The auxiliary verb + the past participle. MRS VAN DE TRAMP verbs
1) Axuillary verb: the present tense of avoir Monter – to climb
2) Past participle: Rentre/ retourner – to return
ER verbs- Remove the ‘er’ then add é Sortir – to go out
IR verbs- remove the ‘ir’ then add i Venir – to come
RE verbs – remove the ‘re’ then add u Aller – to go
HOWEVER Naître – to be born
There are many verbs that have an irregular past participle Descendre – to descend
and these must be learnt. E.g. voir Vu Entre – to enter
Also, there is a list of verbs that use être as their auxiliary. Tomber – to fall
These are mostly verbs of motion and can be remembered Rester – to stay
by the pneumonic MRS VAN DE TRAMP. These être verbs Arriver – to arrive
need to agree with the person/ subject who is doing the Mourir = to die
action. Partir = to leave
Asking questions
1) Add a question mark and raise you voice at the end
a. Tu aimes le rugby?
2) Use est-ce que + subject + verb
a. Est-ce que tu aimes le rugby?
, 3) Swap the verb and the subject
a. Aimes-tu le rugby?
Question words
Comment? How?
Que? What?
Qui? Who?
Où Where?
Quel/quelle/quells/quelles? Which?
Quand? When?
Pourquoi? Why?
D’où From where?
Combien? How many/much?
Negatives
Put ne… pas around the verb
Ne…pas Not
Ne… jamais Never Je n’ai mangé jamais de bananes
Ne… plus No longer
Ne … que Only Je n’ai mangé que des bananes
Ne … rien Nothing
The near future
You need 2 parts: Verb “aller” + infinitive(whole verb)
e.g. Je vais visiter le musée Il va ranger sa chambre
The proper future
Add these endings to the infinitive or regular ER and IR verbs. For RE verbs, remove the final “e” first.
Je – ai Nous - ons
Tu – as Vous - ez
Il/elle/on – a Ils/ells – ont
E.g. Je regarderai = I will watch
Note: Many verbs have irregular forms in the future tense and must be learnt, but the same endings
as above still apply.
Aller j’irai I will go
Avoir j’aurai I will have
Être je serai I will be
Faire je ferai I will do
Devoir je devrai I will have to
Pouvoir je pourrai I will be able to
Savoir je saurai I will know
Vouloir je voudrai I will want
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