Subject pronouns: je (I); tu (you: singular familiar); il (he, it: masculine); elle (she, it: feminine); on (one, we,

they,
people); nous (we); vous (you: singular formal and all plurals); ils (they: masculine, or mixed masculine and
feminine); ells (they: feminine)

Verb infinitives: Root found in infinitive form. Identified by ending-groups: -er, -ir, -re, -oir.
Present-tense of regular -er verbs: Most follow conjugation pattern. Root: parler (to speak) - > parl
Regular -er verb endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. Silent endings: -e, -es, -ent. Liaison: final -s of: nous, vous, ils,
elles link with verbs beginning with a vowel sound, making z sound.
Example (parler): je parle (I speak); tu parles (you speak); il parle (he speaks); elle parle (she speaks); on parle
(one/they/we speak); nous parlons (we speak); vous parlez (you speak); ils parlent (they m., m./f. speak); elles parlent
(they f. speak). Question sample: Combien de langues parles-tu. (How many languages do you speak ?)

-er verbs with spelling and stem changes: Some show spelling or stem changes in present-tense. Learnable via groups
Verbs ending in -cer: -c becomes –ç (cedilla) before o. Needed to keep soft pronunciation of c in infinitive.
Example (prononcer): je prononce (I pronounce); tu prononces (you pronounce); il/elle prononce (he/she
pronounce); nous prononçons (we pronounce); vous prononcez (you pronounce); ils/elles prononcent (they pronounce)
Verbs ending in -ger: the -g- becomes -ge- before the letter o. e.x. voyager (to travel). Nous voyageons (we travel).
Verbs ending in -e + consonant + -er: e.x. acheter (to buy). Accent grave added in all but first- and second-personal
plural.
Example (acheter): j’achètes (I buy); tu achètes (you buy); il/elle achète (he/she buys); nous achetons (we buy);
vous achetez (you buy); ils/elles achètent (they buy).
Verbs ending in –é + consonant + -er: e.x. répéter (to repeat). Some. É aigu changes to è grave in all but first- and
second-person plural.
Verbs ending in -e + l + -er: Some. E.x. épeler (to spell). Takes two ls in all but the first- and second-person plurals.

Purpose of present-tense (Indicative): > general statement and to describe ongoing present actions. > express close
future. > express habitual action. > describe past action closely connected to present. > express a historical fact. >
describe past events more dramatically. > express an action in process, être en train de + infinitive of the verb used.
Qu’est-ce que tu es en train de faire ? (What are you doing?)
One more use : depuis: present used to express action that began in past and continues in present. Many ways.
Start with: depuis. Question about duration of action: depuis quand (since when); depuis combien de temps (how
long). E.x. Depuis combien de temps habites-tu à Nice? (How long have you been living in Nice?) —J’habite à Nice
depuis trois ans. (— I have been living in Nice for three years).

Present-tense of -ir and -re verbs

-ir verbs in the present: two conjugation patterns.

Type 1: drop -ir of infinitive, add -iss- to plural form, insert appropriate ending. E.x. (choisir – to choose).
Example: (choisir): je choisis (I choose); tu choisis (you choose); il/elle choisit (he/she chooses); nous choisissons
(we choose); vous choisissez (you choose); ils/elles choisissent (they choose).
Type 2: drop -ir of infinitive, add appropriate ending, without -iss- in nous and vous forms. Can term irregular.(sortir).
Example (sortir): je sors (I go out); tu sors (you go out); il/elle sort (he/she goes out); nous sortons (we go out); vous
sortez (you go out); ils/elles sortent (they go out).

-re verbs in the present: for regular remove -re ending and follow pattern below. E.x. (vendre – to sell)
Example (vendre): je vends (I sell); tu vends (you sell); il/elle vend (he/she sells); nous vendons (we sell); vous
vendez (you sell); ils/elles vendent (they sell).
Irregular -re verbs: Some common -re verbs are irregular. E.x. (prendre – to take).
Example (prendre): je prends (I take); tu prends (you take); il/elle prend (he/she takes); nous prenons (we take);
vous prenez (you take); ils/elles prennent (they take).

The interrogative form: three ways of asking questions. 1. Inversion of subject and verb 2. Use est-ce que form 3.
Affirmative form with upward intonation.
Inversion: Parlez-vous espagnol? (Do you speak Spanish) | if 3rd-person singular verb ends in a vowel -t- added for
pronounciation | Parle-t-elle russe? (Does she speak Russian?)
est-ce que: more colloquial. Place in front of subject + verb. | Est-ce que tu sors ce soir? (Are you going out tonight ?) |
Becomes est-ce qu’ before a vowel | Est-ce qu’ils vendent des timbres? (Do they sell stamps?)
Intonation: colloquial. Subject + object spoken with upward intonation. | Vous investissez en Asie? (You’re
investing in Asia?)

The negative form: Place ne… pas around the verb. | Elle ne travaille pas le lundi. (She does not work on Monday). |
If ne precede verb starting with vowel/mute h, ne = n’ | Elle n’aime pas les marguerites (She does not like daisies). |
Also, other negations, constructed in the same way.
Other negations: Il n’attend personne (He is not waiting for anybody) | Tu ne voyages jamais en hiver (You never
travel during the winter) | Il n’a plus de patience (He has no patience left) | Elle ne répond rien (She does not answer
anything [she answers nothing]) | Ce n’est guère raisonnable (It’s hardly reasonable).
The negation ni… ni…: precedes each noun it negates + neg particle ne (‘n) before verb. When definite article le, la,
l’, les used before noun = remains when verb is negative. | Il aime le café et le chocolat (He likes coffee and
chocolate) | Il n’aime ni le cafe ni le chocolat (he likes neither coffee nor chocolate) | Elle aime le bleu et le jaune
(She likes blue and yellow) | Elle n’aime ni le bleu ni le jaune (she likes neither blue nor yellow).
Addendum: indefinite or partitive article before noun in affirmative sentence = disappears when verb is made
negative. | Elle commande de l’eau et du vin. (she orders water and wine) | Elle ne commande ni eau ni vin (she
orders neither water nor wine) | Il vend des oranges et des mangues (he sells oranges and mangoes) | Il ne vend ni
oranges ni mangues (he sells neither oranges nor mangoes).

‘To be’ and ‘ to have’

Verb être (to be): essential. Irregular. Must memorise.

Paradigm: je suis (I am); tu es (you are); il/elle est (he/she is); nous sommes (we are); vous êtes (you are); ils/elles
sont (they are). | -s of vous = say z when follow ê in êtes | Vous êtes brésilien? (Are you Brazilian?)

Verb avoir (to have): essential. Irregular. Must memorise.

Paradigm: j’ai (I have); tu as (you have); il/elle a (he/she has); nous avons (we have); vous avez (you have); ils/elles
ont (they have).
Notes: -s of pronoun = z when followed by vowel. | un, une, des = de or d’ when verb = negative. | Il a des enfants ?
(Does he have (any) children?) Non, il n’a pas d’enfants (No, he does not have (any) children) | used in many idioms
State of one’s body: avoir mal à (having pain or ache) | j’ai mal à la tête (I have a headache) | Il a mal au bras. (His
arm hurts)
Avoir du mal à + verb: have trouble doing something. | Elle a du mal à monter l’escalier (She has trouble climbing the stairs)

The -oir verbs: all not follow same pattern.

(savoir: know a fact, how to do something from study or memory)
Savoir: je sais (I know); tu sais (you know); il/elle sait (he/she knows); nous savons (we know); vous savez (you
know); ils/elles savent (they know). | Elle sait jouer du piano (she can play the piano) | Note: sometimes translated
‘can’. Before dependent clause or infinitive, only savoir can use. | Je ne sais pas où il est (I don’t know where he is)
Connaître: know when to use against savoir. To know, be acquainted with, familiar with. Figurative meaning: to
enjoy, experience. Always followed by direct object; never followed by dependent clause.
Paradigm: je connais (I know); tu connais (you know); il/elle connaît (he/she knows); nous connaissons (we know);
vous connaissez (you know); ils/elles connaissent (they know). | Elle connaît bien Paris. (She knows Paris well)

The verbs pouvoir and vouloir: Pouvoir (can, may – express ability and capacity), vouloir (to want – express wishes
and desires. Also, for polite request in conditional form)
Pouvoir: je peux (I can); tu peux (you can); il/elle peut (he/she can); nous pouvons (we can); vous pouvez (you can);
ils/elles peuvent (they can) | asking permission (inversion) formal style, first-person singular takes different form:
Puis-je vous aider? (May I help you?) | Anoth formal way to ask question: conditional form of pouvoir. | Pourriez-
vous annuler notre vol? (Could you cancel our flight?)
Vouloir: je veux (I want); tu veux (you want); il/elle veut (he/she wants); nous voulons (we want); vous voulez (you
want); ils/elles veulent (they want) | Je voudrais vous parler (I would like to speak to you)
Addendum: number of others also irregular (see lesson 3). | Falloir and pleuvoir only used in third-person-singular. |
Falloir (to be necessary) – il faut (it is necessary) | pleuvoir (to rain) – il pleut (it is raining)

More irregular verbs:

Aller (to go): irregular -er verb. Used in many idiomatic expressions.
Paradigm: : je vais (I go); tu vas (you go); il/elle va (he/she goes); nous allons (we go); vous allez (you go); ils/elles
vont (they go) | Preposition à (to, at in) to say where going. Watch for contraction: à+ le = au and à+ les = aux. | je
vais au théâtre ce soir. (I am going to the theatre tonight) | used in many idiomatic expressions.
Immediate future-tense: going to do. Aller present-indicative + infinitive verb | Elle va apprendre le chinois (she is
going to learn Chinese). | can replace present in collloquial speech | everyday convo: future tense sub (le future simple)

Venir (to come): derivatives: devenir (to become), prévenir (to inform), survenir (to occur) — all common.
Paradigm: : je viens (I come); tu viens (you come); il/elle vient (he/she comes); nous venons (we come); vous venez
(you come); ils/elles viennent (they come) | D’où viennent-ils? (where are they coming from?)
Immediate past: venir (present tense) + de + infinitive verb = action just taken place | Il vient de partir (He just left)

Tenir (to hold): conjugation similar to venir | has several different meanings | see page 39.
Paradigm: : je tiens (I hold); tu tiens (you hold); il/elle tient (he/she holds); nous tenons (we hold); vous tenez (you
hold); ils/elles tiennent (they hold) | Tiens la porte! (hold the door!)
Tenir append: with preposition à or de = takes on new meaning | Elle tient à ses bijoux (she is attached to her jewels) |
Elle tient de sa mère. (she takes after her mother)

Faire (to do, make): je fais (I hold); tu fais (you hold); il/elle fait (he/she holds); nous faisons (we hold); vous faites
(you hold); ils/elles font (they hold) | Nous faisons un gâteau (We’re making a cake) | also used in expressions
relating to chores, activites, sports, etc (see page 40) | used with impersonal third-person-singular il in most weather-
related expressions | Quel temps fait-il? (what’s the weather like?) Il fait froid (it is cold) | few with il no faire | Il
pleut (it is raining) | for more see page 40.
Causative form: most cases idea: something done by someone or causing something to happen. | faire + infinitive |
Elle fait la robe. (she is making the dress) | Ils font envoyer le document. (They have the document sent.)

Devoir and its many facets:

Devoir (to have to, must): Irregular | various meanings | Paradigm: je dois (I must); tu dois (you must); il/elle doit
(he/she must); nous devons (we must); vous devez (you must); ils/elles doivent (they must) | follow meanings:
Debt: Elle me doit mille euros. (she owes me a thousand euros.) | for more see page 43
Obligation: Vous ne devez pas y aller. (you must not go there) | for more see page 43
Probability: Son livre doit sortir la semaine prochaine. (her book is supposed to be published next week)
Warning and suggestion: used in conditional or past conditional: takes meaning of should or should have. See chap
12. | Tu ne devrais pas lui prêter d’argent. (you should not lend him any money)
Addendum: intonation may determine if implies obligation or probability. | il doit venir ce soir. (He is supposed to
come tonight. Or. He must come tonight)

Il y a (there is, there are): impersonal expression | means both there is and there are | Il ya a un chat sur le canapé.
(there is a cat on the sofa) | also used in a variety of expressions: see page 46
Il s’agit de (it is a matter of, it’s about): fixed expression that introduces the subject of a work (book,film,etc.) or of
a situation | Il s’agit d’amour. (it is a matter of love) | for more see page 46
Verbs ending in -eindre and -aindre: among -re verbs. | some can be grouped together. | verbs like peindre (to
paint) include teindre (to dye), ceindre (to encircle), feindre (to feign), craindre (to fear), plaindre (to pity) and se
plaindre (to complain) | for more examples for below see page 46
Peindre: je peins (I paint); tu peins (you paint); il/elle peint (he/she paints); nous peignons (we paint); vous peignez
(you paint); ils/elles peignent (they paint) | Vous peignez un tableau abstrait. (you are painting an abstract painting)
Craindre: follows similar pattern | Paradigm: je crains (I fear); tu crains (you fear); il/elle craint (he/she fears); nous
craignons (we fear); vous craignez (you fear); ils/elles craignent (they fear) | Ils craignent le pire. (they fear the worst).

Pronominal verbs: How to identify: verbs when in infinitive or conjugated forms are preceded by the pronouns me,
te, se, nous, vous, se. | Types: (The) Reflexive, Reciprocal, Passive, Subjective.
Reflexive: Action done to oneself | me, te, se: drop ‘e’ before mute h or vowel | Il s’assoit sur un banc. (he sits down
on a bench.) | in neg-f: ne follow subj-pronoun and pas follow conjugated-verb | Tu ne te reposes pas assez. (you do
not rest enough) | No forget simple interr with… | Est-ce que tu t’habilles pour la soirée? (are you getting dressed for the party?)
Reciprocal: action two or more people perform with or for each other | since multiple people. only in plural (with se,
nous, vous) | Ils s’aiment beaucomp (they love each other a lot) | Nous nous parlons tous les jours. (we talk to each other
everyday)
Passive: subject not person or animal. | not one performing. | is subjected to action. | in third-person-singular, with se
| ça ne se dit pas (this is not said) | ça se voit. (it shows) | Comment ça se traduit? (how is (that) translated?)
Subjective: Neither reflexive nor reciprocal. | for idiomatic or historic reasons: uses pronominal forms. | try earn
infinitives with pronoun se. | Il se doute de quelque chose. (se douter de) (He suspects something) | for commonly
used subjective verbs see page 51.
Pronominal in the imperative and infinitive: often in imperative to give commands: get up!... (more in chap 12). |
for affirmative-imperative: add stressed pronoun toi, nous, vous after verb, connected with hyphen. | Habillez-vous!
(Get dressed!) | neg-imp: ne in front of pronoun and pas after verb. Note: in neg, reflexive pronoun precedes verb, as
in normal sentence. | Ne te couche pas si tard! (Do not go to bed so late!) | when pronominal is used in infinitive:
reflexive pronoun always in same person and number as subject, and precedes the infinitive. | Tu viens de te marier?
(did you just get married?)

The passé composé: Most common way to talk about past. In English: compound past/present perfect.
Colloquially used to talk about past event. Refers to single action. | two parts: auxillilary or helping verb, avoir or être + a
past participle

Past-participle of regular verbs: add to stems. For regular. | -er verbs: -é : parler (to speak) -> parlé (spoken) | -ir
verbs: -i : choisir -> choisi (chosen) | -re verbs: -u : entendre -> entendu (heard) | can be english translated many ways
— depends | In neg-form, ne (n’) placed before avoir or être, and pas after avoir or être. | Il n’a pas vendu sa voiture.
(he did not sell his car) |
Addendum: Like preent- three question ways. | Rising: Vous avez aimé la pièce? | Inversion: Avez-vous aimé la
pièce? | est-ce-que: Est-ce que vous avez aimé la pièce? | = Did you like the play?

Passé compose with avoir: Used with passe compose: with execptions: past participle does not agree in gender and
number with subject of verb. | Most verbs in passe compose conjugated with avoir. | see page 56 for more | In passe
compose of verbs conjugated with avoir, the past participle agrees the direct object of the verb, but only in sentences
where the direct object, noun, or pronoun precedes the verb. For example: | Il a pris la bonne decision. (he made the
right decision) Il l’a prise. (he made it) | Elle a compris ses erreurs. (she understood her mistakes) Elle les a
comprises. (she understood them) | see page for greater understanding — if necessary.

Irregular past participles: many verbs conjugated with avoir in passe compose have irregular past paritciples —
simply have to memorise. — see pages 58-59 for samples.

Passé compose with être: Some use être instead of avoir in passe compose. (finite) list: important to memorise.
Many intransitive movement-verbs. In addition: all pronominal (reflexive) verbs conjugated with être in passe
compose. | Past participle of verbs conjugated with être agree in gender and number with the subject | Il est arrivé en
retard. (He arrived late) Elle est arrivée en retard. (She arrived late) | see page 60 for list.

Pronominal verbs in passé compose: All pronominal conjugated with être. | reflexive pronouns preced the aux verb
(être). | In most cases: past participle agrees in gender and number with subject of the pronominal verb. | example:
Se réveiller (to wake up): je me suis réveillé(e) (I woke up); tu t’es réveillé(e) (you woke up); il/elle s’est réveillé(e)
(he/she woke up); nous nous sommes réveillé(e)s (we woke up); vous vous êtes réveillé(e)(s) (you woke up); ils/elles
se sont réveillé(e)s (they woke up) | Elle s’est promenée sur la plage. (She walked on the beach.) | In neg-form:
negation placed around aux-verb être. | Elle ne s’est pas promenée le long du canal. (She did not take a walk along the
canal)
Addendum: Interrogative: reflexive pronoun placed before être | S’est-il rendu compte de son erreur ? (did he realise
his mistake?) | past participle does not agree with subject of pronominal verb when the verb is followed by a direct
object or another verb. | Elle s’est coupé les ongles. (she trimmed her nails) Elle s’est fait arracher une dent. (she had
a tooth pulled) | when reciprocal verbs take direct object = past participle agrees with subject. | Ills se sont embrassés.
(They kissed each other). | when reciprocal verbs take an indirect oobject = past participle does not agree. | Ils se sont
téléphoné. (they called each other)

Verbs conjugated with avoir or être: six verbs conjugated with être in passe compose (sortir, rentrer, monter,
descendre, passer, retourner) are conjugated with avoir and follow avoir agreement when a direct object follows the
verb. In these cases, the meaning of the verb has changed. | Ils sont montés en haut de la Tour Eiffel. (they went to the
top of the Eiffel tower) Ils ont monté les malles au grenier. (they took the trunks up to the attic) = here les malles is
direct object of monter hence avoir conjugation. | see page 63 for more samples.

The imparfait:
The imparfait: use to describe a state-of-mind or being in the past as well as continual, repeated, or habitual actions.
| to form: take nous form of present-tense and remove -ons ending — which gives stem. Then add imparfait endings.
Nous parlons: je parlais (I spoke); tu parlais (you spoke); il/elle parlait (he/she spoke); nous parlions (we spoke);
vous parliez (you spoke); ils/elles parlaient (they spoke) | Note: -ais, -ait, -aient endings pronounced alike.
Addendum: verbs with with spelling change in present-nous like manger, commencer, retain change only for je, tu,
il, elle, ils, elles pronouns. | elle remplaçait (she replaced) | the extra e or ç not needed in nous or vous forms of
imparfait | nous commencions (we started) | can be translate equiv to several pasts in eng. | être has irregular in imparfait|
être (imparfait): j’étais (I was); tu étais (you were); il/elle était (he/she was); nous étions (we were); vous étiez (you
were); ils/elles étaient (they were)
Uses: background and description | Les rues étaient embouteillées. (the streets were jammed) | situation that existed
in the past | La circulation était fluide. (the traffic was flowing) | a state-of-mind or being | Il avait faim. (he was
hungry) | for more see page 66
Imparfait vs passe compose: as express mental or physical state of being, some verbs used more often in imparfait
than in passe compose. Includes: etre (to be), avoir (to have), penser (to think), croire (to believe), savoir (to know),
espérer (to hope), sembler (to seem), paraître (to appear). However, when used in passe compose — may have
different meaning. | Il semblait déprimé. (He looked depressed) | see page 67
Habitual/repetitive actions: repeated past events | used to and would (meaning habitually) translated to french with
imparfait. | Il jouait au tennis le mardi. (He used to (would) play tennis on Tuesdays) | for time or expressions that
indicate imparfait — see page 67-68
More use: describe continuous action that was going on in past when another action (in passe compose) interrupted
it. | Elle regardait la télévision quand soudain elle a entendu un grand bruit. (she was watching tv when suddenly she
heard a loud noise) | express idea that action had been going on for a period of time before being interrupted = use
imparfait with depuis. Is equivalent to past of depuis + present tense learnt in chapter 1 | Il randonnait depuis trois
jours quand il a trouvé cette belle auberge. (He had been hiking for three days when he found this beautiful inn).
Imparfait with special constructions: Imparfait with a si + on construction = make suggestion or invite someone to
do something (informal on refers to two or more people and conjugated in third-person-singular) | Si on achetait des
billets? (What about buying tickets?) | Imparfait preceded by si seulement = express wish or regret | Si seulement on
pouvait prendre des vacances! (If only we could take a vacation!) (idioma) | Previously studied immediate past with
venir + de + infinitive. Immediate past can also be used in imparfait to describe an action that had just happened. |
Elle vient de téléphoner. (She had just called) Elle venait de téléphoner quand il est entré. (She had just called when
he walked in)

The futur simple and future antérieur:

Futur Simple: has two other future constructions: futur simple and futur antérieur. To form futur simple of most
verbs: use infinitive as stem and add endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. For -re verbs, drop the e from the infinitive
before adding the endings. Examples below:
Décider (to decide): je déciderai (I’ll decide); tu décideras (you’ll decide); il/elle décidera (he’ll/she’ll decide); nous
déciderons (we’ll decide); vous déciderez (you’ll decide); ils/elles décideront (they’ll decide)
Choisir (to choose): je choisirai (I’ll choose); tu choisiras (you’ll choose); il/elle choisira (he’ll/she’ll choose); nous
choisirons (we’ll choose); vous choisirez (you’ll choose); ils/elles choisiront (they’ll choose)
Répondre (to answer): je répondrai (I’ll answer); tu répondras (you’ll answer); il/elle répondra (he’ll/she’ll answer);
nous répondrons (we’ll answer); vous répondrez (you’ll answer); ils/elles répondront (they’ll answer)
Addendum: endings for futur simple same for all verbs. However, some irregular verbs have irregular stems. Just
have to memorise — see page 73. | some slight spelling modifications with some verbs. Seen throughout all persons
of future conjugation — see page 73.
Futur Simple uses: describing future events: | Les cours recommenceront en décembre. (Courses will resume in
December) | In compound sentence, if main clause is futur simple, then dependent clause, introduced by some
conjunctions [aussitôt que (as soon as), dès que (as soon as), lorsque (when), quand (when), tant que (as long as)]
will also be in futur simple. | Elle ira à Paris quand elle aura le temps. (She’ll go to Paris when she has time) | future-
tense of être and avoir sometimes used to express probability in present, to indicate something that is likely or
allegedly true. | L’étudiant n’est pas en classe. Il sera encore endormi. (Thu student is not in class. He is probably still
asleep) | In narration : futur simple can express a future idea from standpoint of the past (In English: a conditional,
would, would be used) | Malheureusement ses oeuvres ne seront reconnues qu’aprés sa mort. (Unfortunately, her
works would become recognised only after her death) | futur simple instead of an imperative: to achieve a less
peremptory tone. | Je vous demanderai de faire preuve de compassion. (please show a little compassion)

The future antérieur: (future perfect). | describes action that will take place and be completed before another future
action. To form: use future tense of avoir or être + the past participle of the main verb. Argument rules same as
passe compose.
écrire (to write): j’aurai écrit (I’ll have written); tu auras écrit (you’ll have written); il/elle aura écrit (he/she will
have written); nous aurons écrit (we’ll have written); vous aurez écrit (you’ll have written); ils/elles auront écrit
(they’ll have written)
devenir (to become): je serai devenu(e) (I’ll have become); tu seras devenu(e) (you’ll have become); il/elle sera
devenu(e) (he’ll/she’ll have become); nous serons devenu(e)s (we’ll have become); vous serez devenu(e)(s) (you’ll
have become); ils/elles seront devenu(e)s (they’ll have become) | Il aura enseigné le français toute sa vie. (He’ll have
taught French all his life)
Addendum: Sometimes choice between futur simple and futur anterieur. When both clauses use futur simple =
implies both actions take place simultaneously. | Elle vous téléphonera dès qu’elle finira son roman. (She’ll call you
as soon as she finishes her novel). | To mark an anteriority = use futur anterieur | Elle vous téléphonera dès qu’elle
aura fini son roman. (She’ll call you as soon as she finishes (will have finished) her novel) | futur anterieur can also
express probability of a past action, in same way that futur simple can be used to express probability in present. |
Son fils aura encore fait des bêtises! (His son probably got in trouble again!) | futur anterieur used after si =
implying a completed action. Si mean whether in this case. | Je me demande s’ils auront signé le contrat. (I wonder
whether they’ll have signed the contract) | In French: futur anterieur never used after si implying a future condition.
Use the present instead. | Si vous pouvez, envoyez-moi votre CV avant lundi. (If you can, send me your resume
before Monday)

Conjunctions used with the indicative mood: Learnt a few conjuctions frequently used with the futur simple and
futur anterieur. Now some more: [alors que (while, whereas), après que (after), comme (as, since), étant donné que
(given, in view of), maintenant que (now that), parce que (because), pendant que (while), puisque (since), si (if), sous
prétexte que (under the pretext that), tandis que (whereas), vu que (given, in view of)] | As seen earlier, some
conjunctions require future tense in both the main and dependent clause. When using another tense, the balance of
tenses is the same as with other conjunctions. | Elle apprendra le russe quand elle sera en Russie. (She’ll learn
Russian when she is in Russia) | Il a fondu en larmes quand il a appris qu’il avait raté l’examen. (He burst into tears
when he found out he had failed the exam) | Il lisait pendant qu’elle écrivait. (He was reading while she was writing)

The plus-que-parfait:

Formation of the plus-que-parfait : indicates a past action that happened before another past action started (in Eng:
had done). | use forms of avoir or être in the imparfait + the past participle of the main verb. | Il n’avait pas pu les
joindre. (He had not been able to reach them) | In plus-que-parfait, all pronominal verbs conjugated with être and
agree in gender and number with subject. | Nous nous étions embrassés sur le Pont-Neuf. (We had kissed on the Pont-
Neuf).
Use of the plus-que-parfait: The anteriority can be implied or stated. Therefore, plus-que-parfait is often combined
with a dependent clause that states this clearly. | Je ne m’étais pas rendu compte que j’étais malade. (I had not
realised I was sick).
Beware of English: Sometimes in english the plus-que-parfait is translated as a simple tense, however if there is any
anteriority in a series of actions, the plus-que-parfait must be used. | Elle a eu une réaction allergique au médicament
qu’elle avait pris. (She had an allergic reaction to the medicine she took (had taken)) | In Ch 1 studied depuis with
present tense. In Ch 8 studied depuis with imparfait (where eng uses plus-que-parfait). Let’s review. | Elle prend de
la vitamine C depuis des mois. (She has been taking vitamin C for months) Elle prenait de la vitamine C depuis des
mois quand le médecin lui a dit dé prendre aussi du calcium. (She had been taking vitamin C for months when the
doctor told her to take calcium also) | Plus-que-parfait when used with si seulement = express wish or regret about
past events | Si seulement il n’avait pas attrapé un rhume! (If only he had not caught a cold!)

The present conditional and the past conditional:

The present conditional: many uses. | formed by adding endings of the imperfect to the future stem of the verb. For
-er and -ir verbs, the future stem is the entire infinitive form. For -re verbs, drop the final -e from the infinitive
before adding the conditional endings. As seen in Ch 9, a number of irregular verbs have an irregular future stem.
This same stem is used to form the present conditional.
Mettre (to put): je mettrais (I would put); tu mettrais (you would put); il/elle mettrait (he’ll/she would put); nous
mettrions (we would put); vous mettriez (you would put); ils/elles mettraient (they would put)
Faire (to do): je ferais (I would do); tu ferais (you would do); il/elle ferait (he’ll/she would do); nous ferions (we
would do); vous feriez (you would do); ils/elles feraient (they would do)
Il aimerait avoir une tortue. (He would like to have a turtle)
Uses of the present conditional: expressing a wish or a suggestion | Il aimerait rencontrer la femme de sa vie. (He
would like to meet the woman of his dreams) | making a statement or a request more polite | Pourriez-vous nous
donner votre avis? (Could you give us your opinion?) | used when a condition is implied. When the main clause is in
the present conditional, the si clause is in the imparfait. | Régis finirait son roman s’il pouvait trouver une maison
d’édition. (Regis would finish his novel if he could find a publisher) | used to express unconfirmed or alleged
information. In this case called: conditionnel journalistique, seen from time-to-time in press or heard in news. | Un
sous-marin hollandais serait au large des côtes bretonnes. (A Dutch submarine is reportedly off the coast of Brittany) |
In formal French, savoir in present conditional is the equivalent of pouvoir (can, to be able to) in the present or the
simple future | Je ne saurais vous dire combien j’apprécie votre geste. (I shall never be able to tell you how much I
appreciate your gesture)
The past conditional: what would have happened if another event had taken place, or if certain conditions had or
had not been present | formed with: present conditional of être or avoir and past participle of main verb | rules of
agreement common to all compound-tenses still apply.
Donner (to give): j’aurais donné (I would have given); tu aurais donné (you would have given); il/elle aurait donné
(he/she would have given); nous aurions donné (we would have given); vous auriez donné (you would have given);
ils/elles auraient donné (they would have given)
Venir (to come): je serais venu(e) (I would have come); tu serais venu(e) (you would have come); il/elle serait
venu(e) (he/she would have come); nous serions venu(e)s (we would have come); vous seriez venu(e)(s) (you would
have come); ils/elles seraient venu(e)s (they would have come) | Ils se seraient mis en colère. (they would have gotten
angry)
Uses of past conditional: regret or reproach | Nous aurions voulu y assister. (We would have liked to attend) | found
is sentences where the si (dependent) clause is in the plus-que-parfait | Elle aurait fini plus tôt si vous l’aviez aidée.
(She would have finished earlier if you had helped her) | used like the present-conditional as a conditionnel-
journalistique to express a statement not necessarily confirmed by authorities. In English where allegedly or
reportedly , then conditional (past or present) used in French | Il aurait volé la voiture de son voisin. (He allegedly
stole his neighbour’s car) | present or past conditional also used with expression au cas où (in case) | Au cas où ce
cadeau ne vous plairait pas, dites-le-moi. (In case you do not like the present, let me know)

Could, should, would? :

Could: When could refers to single unique action in the past — passe compose of pouvoir used | j’ai pu (I could); tu
as pu (you could); il/elle a pu (he/she could); nous avons pu (we could); vous avez pu (you could); ils/elles ont pu
(they could) | Il n’a pas pu lui parler. (He could not talk to him) Il a pu obtenir les fonds. (He succeeded in obtaining
the funding) Nous n’avons pas pu y aller. (We could not go there) J’ai pu la convaincre. (I managed to convince her)
| When could refers to a description or habitual action — imparfait of pouvoir used | je pouvais (I could); tu pouvais
(you could); il/elle pouvait (he/she could); nous pouvions (we could); vous pouviez (you could); ils/elles pouvaient
(they could) | Après la mort de sa femme, il ne pouvait plus écrire. (After his wife’s death, he could no longer write),
Si jeune, il pouvait quand même prendre une telle decision! (So young, he was still able to make such a decision!), à
cette époque, les voitures ne pouvaient pas traverser la ville. (At that time, cars couldn’t drive through the city), En ce
temps-là, les femmes ne pouvaient pas voter. (At that time, women could not vote) | When could refers to an idea of
the future, a hypothesis, a suggestion, or a request — present du conditionnel of pouvoir used | je pourrais (I
could); tu pourrais (you could); il/elle pourrait (he/she could); nous pourrions (we could); vous pourriez (you could);
ils/elles pourraient (they could) | Pourrais-tu me prêter le livre dont tu m’as parlé. (Could you lend me the book you
told me about?), Pourriez-vous m’expliquer votre méthode de travail? (Could you explain to me your working
method?), Je pourrais vous prêter ma voiture. (I could lend you my car), Ils pourraient apprendre à jouer de la
clarinette. (They could learn how to play the clarinet)
Should: When should means ought to — conditionnel (present or passe) used | (Present) je devrais (I should); tu
devrais (you should); il/elle devrait (he/she should); nous devrions (we should); vous devriez (you should); ils/elles
devraient (they should) | (Passe) j’aurais dû (I could); tu aurais dû (you could); il/elle aurait dû (he/she could); nous
aurions dû (we could); vous auriez dû (you could); ils/elles auraient dû (they could) | Elle devrait se détendre un peu.
(She should relax a bit), Vous devriez aller au concert. (You should go to the concert), Tu aurais dû lui demander des
explications. (You should have asked him for explanations), Vous auriez dû l’emmener au festival du musique. (You
should have taken him to the music festival)
Would: When would refers to a repeated action in the past — imparfait used | Quand j’étais étudiant, je lisais les
journaux tous les jours. (When I was a student, I would read the newspapers everyday), Quand ils étaient adolescents,
ils jouaient au volley-ball le jeudi. (When they were teeens, they would play volleyball on Tuesdays) | When would
refers to a polite request — present du conditionnel used | Voudrais-tu me montrer le chemin? (Would you mind
showing me the way?), Est-ce que tu voudrais bien m’aider à résoudre ce problème? (Could you help me solve that
problem?) | When would refers to a specific action in the past — passe compose of vouloir used | Nous leur avons
demandé de nous accorder un peu de temps ; ils n’ont pas voulu le faire. (We asked them to give us a little time; they
would not do it), Je lui ai posé la question plusieurs fois; elle n’a pas voulu répondre. (I asked her the question
several times; she would not answer) | When would refers to an idea of the future, a hypothesis, or a suggestion —
present du conditionnel of the main verb used | Je vous le dirais si je le savais. (I would tell you if I knew), Elle
serait si heureuse s’il la demandait en mariage. (She would be so happy if he proposed to her)

The present subjunctive and the past subjunctive:

The present subjunctive: is a mood — not a tense | mood of a verb determines how one views an event | have
laready studied verb tenses in indicative mood (le present, l’imparfait, and le futur) stating objective facts, and in the
conditional mood, relating to possibilités. In ch 19 will deal with imperative mood (gives commands). Subjuncctive is
another mood that refers to someone’s opinion or deals with hypothetical actions | For most verbs, present of
Subjunctive formed by adding the Subjunctive endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent) to the stem | The stem for: je, tu,
il/elle, ils/elles is found by dropping the -ent ending from the third-person plural present indicative form (ils/elles) |
Note that the sound of the verb will be the same for all these persons | Let’s look at verb penser (to think). The third-
person plural : ils/elles pesent. The stem: pens- | je pense (I speak); tu penses (you speak); il/elle pense (he/she
speaks); ils/elles pensent (they speak) | The stem for the nous and vous Subjunctive forms is found by dropping the
-ons from the first-person plural of the present indicative. For nous and vous, the present subjunctive is identical to
the forms of the imparfait. The first-person plural: nous pensons. The stem: pens- : nous pensions (we speak); vous
pensiez (you speak) | Lets conjugate the verbs dire (to say) and mettre (to put):
Dire (to say): je dise (I say); tu dises (you say); il/elle dise (he’ll/she says); nous disions (we say); vous disiez (you
say); ils/elles disent (they say)
Mettre (to put): je mette (I put); tu mettes (you put); il/elle mette (he’ll/she puts); nous mettions (we put); vous
mettiez (you put); ils/elles mettent (they put)
Addendum: Some verbs have irregular forms in Present Subjunctive: être (to be) and avoir (to have) have both
irregular stems and endings | être: je sois (I am); tu sois (you are); il/elle soit (he/she is); nous soyons (we are); vous
soyez (you are); ils/elles soient (they are) | avoir: j’aie (I have); tu aies (you have); il/elle ait (he/she has); nous ayons
(we have); vous ayez (you have); ils/elles aient (they have)
|| The following three verbs have an irregular Subjunctive stem but regular endings | pouvoir (can, to be able to): je
puisse (I can); tu puisses (you can); il/elle puisse (he/she can); nous puissions (we can); vous puissiez (you can);
ils/elles puissent (they can) | savoir (to know): je sache (I know); tu saches (you know); il/elle sache (he/she knows);
nous sachions (we know); vous sachiez (you know); ils/elles sachent (they know) | faire (to do, to make): je fasse (I
do); tu fasses (you do); il/elle fasse (he/she does); nous fassions (we do); vous fassiez (you do); ils/elles fassent (they
do)
|| Aller (to go) and vouloir (to want) have an irregular stem in the je, tu, il/elle, ils/elles forms and are partially
irregular in the nous and vous forms | aller (to go): j’aille (I go); tu ailles (you go); il/elle aille (he/she goes); nous
allions (we go); vous alliez (you go); ils/elles aillent (they go) | vouloir (to want): je veuille (I want); tu veuilles (you
want); il/elle veuille (he/she wants); nous voulions (we want); vous vouliez (you want); ils/elles veuillent (they want)
Uses of the Subjunctive: three main concepts require it: wish, emotion, and doubt | Is used after verbs expressing the
notion of wish and desire. Is used when subject of main clause is different from subject of dependent clause |
compare: Je veux acheter cet ordinateur. (I want to buy this computer), Je veux que tu achètes cet ordinateur. (I want
you to buy this computer) | Compare: Il demande que nous soyons plus efficaces. (He is asking us to be more efficent)
| Subjunctive is used after expressions of emotion: Je suis content que tu viennes dimanche. (I am happy you are
coming on Sunday) | Is also used after expressions of doubt: Je doute qu’il comprenne vos questions. (I doubt he
understands your questions) | verbs penser (to think) and croire (to believe) in the affirmative are followed by the
Indicative mood. However, in the neg. and interrogative, the Subjunctive can be used to underlie uncertainty of event:
| Je ne crois pas que Daniel est coupable. (I don’t think Daniel is guilty), Je ne crois pas que Daniel soit coupable. (I
don’t think Daniel is guilty) | First implies ‘I am sure he is not guilty’, while second implies some doubt about his
guilt (or innocence). Difference will be detected via context and with voice-intonation or gestures.
Addendum: Subjunctive is also used after certain impersonal expressions — see page 107
Pourvu que: Sense: provided that | Il ne démissionnera pas pourvu que le directeur lui donne une augmentation
de salaire. (He won’t resign provided the director gives him a raise) || single-clause-meaning: when followed by
subjunctive: expresses hopes and desires | Pourvu qu’il réussisse! (Let’s hope he succeeds!) ||
Subjunctive also used after a superlative or adj. conveying a superalative idea: premier (first), dernier (last), seul
(only), unique (unique), etc. | C’est le meilleur ordinateur que je connaisse. (It’s the best computer I know). || relative
pronouns qui and que sometimes followed by subjunctive — e.g. if some doubt about existence of someone or
possible realisation of something. | Connaîtriez-vous quelqu’un qui sache parler le chinois couramment? (Would you
know someone who can speak Chinese fluently?). ||
The past subjunctive: usage same was as present subjunctive | action of dependent clause anterior to action of main
clause | Formation: present subjunctive of avoir or être + the past participle of the verb. |
penser (to think): j’aie pensé (I have thought), nous ayons pensé (we have thought), tu aies pensé (you have thought),
vous ayez pensé (you have thought), il/elle ait pensé (he/she has thought), ils/elles aient pensé (they have thought) ||
venir (to come): je sois venu(e) (I have come), nous soyons venu(e)s (we have come), tu sois venu(e) (you have
come), vous soyez venu(e)(s) (you have come), il/elle soit venu(e) (he/she has come), ils/elles soient venu(e)s (they
have come). | Nous sommes ravis qu’elle ait gagné la médaille d’or. (We are delighted she won the gold medal.) ||

The infinitive mood:

The infinitif present:

— Born from the tomb to dies in woman’s embrace…