Verbs in the Present Tense

• French verbs in the present tense are categorised into three categories - ER, IR and RE verbs.

• Traditionally, ER verbs are considered the ‘first group’ of French verbs. These are generally straightforward and easy to conjugate. They make up the largest group of French verbs.

• The Infinitive ending ‘ER’ is dropped and replaced by the relevant ending according to the subject pronoun. The endings are ‘e’, ‘es’, ‘e’, ‘ons’, ‘ez’, and ‘ent’. For example, for the verb ‘manger’ (to eat), you will have ‘je mange’, ‘tu manges’, ‘il/elle mange’, ‘nous mangeons’, ‘vous mangez’, ‘ils/elles mangent’.

• The ‘second group’ of French verbs are those that end in ‘IR’. Similar to ER verbs, the ‘IR’ ending is dropped and replaced with the relevant endings - ‘is’, ‘is’, ‘it’, ‘issons’, ‘issez’, ‘issent’. An example of an ‘IR’ verb would be ‘finir’ (to finish).

• French verbs that end in ‘RE’ form the ‘third group’. This group tends to be more irregular than the first two and can be trickier to learn. The ‘RE’ ending is dropped and replaced with ‘s’, ‘s’, nothing for singular forms (il/elle/on) and plural forms use ‘ons’, ‘ez’, ‘ent’. For example, ‘vendre’ (to sell) becomes ‘je vends’, ‘tu vends’, ‘il/elle vend’, ‘nous vendons’, ‘vous vendez’, ‘ils/elles vendent’.

• Some French verbs are irregular and do not follow the standard conjugation patterns. Common examples include ‘être’ (to be), ‘avoir’ (to have), ‘aller’ (to go), and ‘faire’ (to do/make). These need to be learnt off by heart.

• When using negative sentences in the present tense, ‘ne’ is usually placed before the verb and ‘pas’ after it. For example, ‘Je ne mange pas’ (I do not eat).

• The present tense in French is often used to express a variety of English expressions, such as the immediate future (e.g., ‘Je vais faire les courses’ or ‘I am going to do the groceries’). Hence, understanding the conjugation and application of the present tense is key for good communication.

• It’s necessary to practice conjugation with various subject pronouns to improve fluency and understanding. Reading French texts, doing verb drills and making use of language learning apps can also be helpful for practice.

• Regular practice, conjugation drills and usage in sentences can consolidate your understanding and application of verbs in the French present tense.