French, but Fun — Part 19
This lesson will review two verb tenses we have studied so far: the present tense (indicative) and the passé composé (indicative).
Êtes-vous prêts ? 😊
Présent (Indicative)
It is used to express current actions, habits, facts, and general truths.
For most verbs, you’ll just need to know the endings that match with each subject pronoun.
Regular Verbs
French regular verbs are divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -er, -ir, and -re.
a) -ER Verbs
Drop the -er ending and add the following endings:
Example:
b) -IR Verbs
Drop the -ir ending and add the specific endings:
Example:
c) -RE Verbs
Drop the -re ending and add the following endings:
Example:
Some Common Irregular Verbs
Examples
Je mange. (I eat.)
Tu chantes bien. (You sing well.)
Il regarde la télévision. (He watches TV.)
Elle lit un livre. (She reads a book.)
On parle français. (We speak French.)
Nous étudions à l’école. (We study at school.)
Vous habitez ici. (You live here.)
Ils jouent au football. (They play soccer/football.)
Elles aiment le chocolat. (They [feminine] like chocolate.)
Je travaille tous les jours. (I work every day.)
Tu bois de l’eau. (You drink water.)
Il dort. (He sleeps.)
Exercises
Movie Examples of the Présent
Passé Composé (Indicative)
It is used to describe completed actions in the past.
The passé composé is a compound past tense in French used to express actions that were completed in the past. It’s equivalent to the English simple past tense. It is formed by using a helping verb (either “avoir” or “être”) and the past participle of the main verb.
Formation
Choose the Correct Helping Verb:
- Use “avoir” as the helping verb for most verbs.
- Use “être” as the helping verb for a smaller group of verbs, typically verbs that indicate motion, reflexive actions, or a change in state.
Conjugate the Helping Verb:
- Conjugate the helping verb according to the subject pronoun:
Add the Past Participle:
Take the infinitive form of the main verb and change its ending:
- -er verbs: Replace -er with -é (e.g., parler -> parlé)
- -ir verbs: Replace -ir with -i (e.g., choisir -> choisi)
- -re verbs: Replace -re with -u (e.g., vendre -> vendu)
Examples
J’ai mangé. (I ate.)
Il a voyagé en France. (He traveled to France.)
Elle a rencontré des amis. (She met some friends.)
Nous avons regardé un film hier soir. (We watched a movie last night.)
Tu as lu ce livre. (You read this book.)
Ils ont parlé avec le professeur. (They talked to the teacher.)
Vous avez étudié pour l’examen. (You studied for the exam.)
J’ai habité à Paris pendant un an. (I lived in Paris for a year.)
Exercises
Movie Examples of the Passé Composé
FUN NOTE
A Short History
Medieval Manuscripts
In the early days of written French, during the medieval period, manuscripts were often written with little or no punctuation. Sentences and phrases were separated by larger spaces or decorative marks to indicate pauses. There was no standardized use of punctuation as we understand it today.
Influence of Latin
During the Middle Ages, Latin was the dominant written language in Europe, and it heavily influenced the development of punctuation. Latin texts often featured spaces before punctuations like “!” and “?,” and this practice began to influence the emerging French language.
Renaissance Printing
The advent of the printing press in the 15th century revolutionized the production of books. French printers, influenced by Latin typography, continued the tradition of placing spaces before exclamation points and question marks in their printed works.
Clarifying Sentence Structure
Early French printing focused on clarity and readability. Placing spaces before exclamation points and question marks was seen as a way to differentiate sentence endings and beginnings, especially in complex and lengthy sentences that were common in French literature and legal documents.
Standardization
Over time, this typographical convention became standardized in French publishing. It was reinforced by grammar and typography manuals, which codified the rules of French typography and usage.
Today, French typography adheres to these historical conventions, and spaces are consistently placed before exclamation points and question marks. It is considered a hallmark of French typography and distinguishes it from many other languages.
