French Conjugation Master Class
Basic and Advanced Conjugation Systems
Part 1: Basic French Conjugation
1. Understanding Verb Groups
French verbs are divided into three groups, each with its own conjugation pattern:
- 1st Group: Verbs ending in -er (e.g., parler - to speak)
- 2nd Group: Verbs ending in -ir (that conjugate with -issons in the present, e.g., finir - to finish)
- 3rd Group: Irregular verbs (e.g., aller - to go, être - to be, avoir - to have)
2. Basic Tenses
A. Present Tense
1st Group (-er):
Example: parler (to speak)
Je parle, Tu parles, Il/Elle parle, Nous parlons, Vous parlez, Ils/Elles parlent
2nd Group (-ir):
Example: finir (to finish)
Je finis, Tu finis, Il/Elle finit, Nous finissons, Vous finissez, Ils/Elles finissent
3rd Group (irregulars like être):
Example: être (to be)
Je suis, Tu es, Il/Elle est, Nous sommes, Vous êtes, Ils/Elles sont
B. Passé Composé (Compound Past)
The passé composé is used to describe completed actions in the past. It's formed with an auxiliary
verb (avoir or être) and the past participle of the main verb.
- Most verbs use avoir: J'ai parlé (I spoke)
- Verbs of movement and reflexive verbs use être: Je suis allé(e) (I went)
C. Futur Simple (Simple Future)
To express actions that will happen in the future:
1. Take the infinitive of the verb.
2. Add the endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
Example: parler - Je parlerai (I will speak)
D. Imparfait (Imperfect)
This tense describes ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or settings.
1. Take the nous form of the verb in the present tense.
2. Remove the -ons ending.
3. Add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Example: parler - Je parlais (I was speaking)
Part 2: Advanced French Conjugation
1. Subjunctive Mood (Subjonctif)
The subjunctive is often used to express wishes, emotions, doubts, or necessity. This mood is
triggered after certain expressions (e.g., il faut que, je veux que, bien que).
1. Take the ils/elles form of the verb in the present tense.
2. Remove the -ent ending.
3. Add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Example: parler - que je parle (that I speak)
2. Conditional Mood (Conditionnel)
The conditional is used to express hypothetical or polite statements.
1. Take the infinitive of the verb.
2. Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Example: parler - Je parlerais (I would speak)
3. Past Perfect (Plus-que-parfait)
The plus-que-parfait is used to talk about an action completed before another past action.
1. Conjugate avoir or être in the imparfait.
2. Add the past participle of the main verb.
Example: parler - J'avais parlé (I had spoken)
4. Past Conditional (Conditionnel Passé)
Used for hypothetical statements about the past or regrets.
1. Conjugate avoir or être in the conditional.
2. Add the past participle.
Example: parler - J'aurais parlé (I would have spoken)
5. Present Participle (Participe Présent)
The present participle is often used to show simultaneous actions.
1. Take the nous form in the present.
2. Replace -ons with -ant.
Example: parler -> parlant (speaking)
Tips for Mastery
- Daily Practice: Use a mix of exercises, like sentence completion or creating hypothetical scenarios.
- Conjugation Drills: Test yourself on both regular and irregular forms.
- Identify Trigger Words: Recognize words and expressions that signal the use of specific moods like
the subjunctive.
- Immersion: Reading, listening, and speaking in French will help reinforce verb forms naturally.
