A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR STUDENTS LEARNING FRENCH
LES ARTICLES INDEFINIS
These articles can be translated in English as <<a>> or <<an>>. We use <<Un>> before a masculine singular noun, <<Une>> before a feminine singular noun and<< Des>> before a masculine or a feminine plural noun.
For example- 1. J’ai un stylo. [ stylo means pen in french. It is masculine in gender so in order to write<< a pen>> we will write << un stylo>>]
2. Tu as une cravate. [cravate means neck tie in french. It is feminine in gender so in order to write<< a neck tie>> we will write << une cravate>>]
3. Il a des stylos / des cravates. [ in this case stylos and cravates both are in the plural form so we will write des before it.]
LES ARTICLES DEFINIS
These articles can be translated in English as <<the>>. We use <<Le>> before a masculine singular noun beginning with a consonant, <<La >> before a feminine singular noun beginning with a consonant ,<< Des>> before all plural nouns and <<l’>> before a masculine or feminine singular noun beginning with a vowel.
For example- 1. C’est le livre du professeur. [ livre means book in french. It is masculine in gender and begins with a consonant so in order to write<<the book>> we will write << le livre>>.]
2. . C’est la bouteille du professeur. [ bouteille means bottle in french. It is feminine in gender and begins with a consonant so in order to write<<the bottle>> we will write << la bouteille>>.]
3. . Ce sont les cles de la voiture. [cles means keys in french. It is a plural noun so in order to write<<the keys>> we will write << les cles>>.]
4. . C’est l’histoire du soldat. [ histoire means story in french. It begins with a vowel so in order to write<<the story>> we will write << l’histoire>.]
LES ARTICLES PARTITIFS
These articles can be translated in English as <<some>>. These are used to express an imprecise quantity and uncountable things.
We use <<du>> before a masculine singular noun beginning with a consonant, <<de la >> before a feminine singular noun beginning with a consonant ,<< Des>> before all plural nouns and <<de l’>> before a masculine or feminine singular noun beginning with a vowel.
For example- 1. Je mange du gateau.
2. Il boit de la biere.
3. Nous prenons des escargots.
4. Ils prennent de l’œuf.
LES ARTICLES CONTRACTES
These articles can be translated in English as <<to the, in the, at the, of the and from the>>. These articles are usually formed when definite articles combine with preposition a or de.
| Les articles defines(the) | A(to,in,at) | De(of,from) |
| Le | Au | Du |
| La | A la | De la |
| Les | Aux | Des |
| L’ | A l’ | De l’ |
For example- 1. Je parle a Paul.
2. Tu donnes une fleur au garcon.
3. Il offre son chocolat a la fille.
4. Nous parlons aux etudiants.
5. Il vient du parc.
6. Le professeur sort de la classe.
7. Vous venez des Antilles ?
8. Ils sont venus de l’eglise.
RECAITULATION
TENSES ( done in class IX)
1. Le Passe recent
It is used to express an action which has taken place in the recent past. It is usually expressed with expressions like il y a un moment, il y a une minute, il y a une heure, il y a un instant, recemment etc.
FORMATION
Venir au present + de + l’infinitif du verbe
For example- 1. Je viens de lire le roman <<Le Petit Prince>>, il y a un moment.
2. Recemment , nous venons d’apprendre cette lecon.
3. Il y a un instant, vous venez de vous promener.
2. Le Futur Proche
This tense is used to express an action which is going to take place in the near future. It is usually expressed with expressions like dans un moment, dans une minute, dans un instant, bientot etc.
FORMATION
aller au present + l’infinitif du verbe
For example- 1. Dans cinq minutes, le film va commencer.
2. Il va acheter une nouvelle voiture bientôt.
3. Maman ! Nous allons nous levons dans deux minutes.
3. L’imperatif
It is used for expressing orders, instructions, commands and advices.
FORMATION
We conjugate the verb in tu, nous and vous form in present tense, remove the subject pronouns and add an exclamation mark at the end of the sentences. If the verb is an er ending verb we drop s from tu form of conjugation. We make these sentences negative by adding ne before the verb and pas after the verb.
For example- 1. Aller a l’ecole (To go to the school)
Va a l’ecole! Ne va pas a l’ecole !
Allons a l’ecole! N’allons pas a l’ecole!
Allez a l’ecole! N’allez pas a l’ecole!
2. Boire beaucoup d’eau (To drink plenty of water)
Bois beaucoup d’eau! Ne bois pas beaucoup d’eau !
Buvons beaucoup d’eau! Ne buvons pas beaucoup d’eau!
Buvez beaucoup d’eau ! Ne buvez pas beaucoup d’eau !
3. Remplir cette fiche d’identite (to fill this form)
Remplis cette fiche d’identite! Ne remplis pas cette fiche d’identite !
Remplissons cette fiche d’identite! Ne remplissons pas cette fiche d’identite!
Remplissez cette fiche d’identite ! Ne remplissez pas cette fiche d’identite !
EXCEPTIONS
1. Etre courageux (Be courageous) 2. Avoir de la patience (To have patience)
Sois courageux ! Aie de la patience !
Soyons courageux ! Ayons de la patience !
Soyez courageux ! Ayez de la patience !
3. Savoir la verite (To know the truth) 4. Vouloir ( To want)
Sache la verite ! Veuille !
Sachons la verite ! Veuillons !
Sachez la verite ! Veuillez !
4. Le Futur Simple
It is used for expressing an action which will take place sometime later in future. It is usually expressed with expressions like demain, le lendemain, la semaine prochaine, le mois prochain, l’annee prochaine etc.
FORMATION
In case of regular verbs :
L’infinitif du verbe + endings of le futur simple(ai,as,a,a,ons,ez,ont,ont)
In case of irregular verbs (exceptions):
Instead of the infinitive of the verb, we take a different radical(stem) and add the (same) endings to it. Verbs having different radicals are as follows:
1. Avoir- aur
2. Etre- ser
3. Aller- ir
4. Savoir- saur
5. Vouloir- voudr
6. Pouvoir- pourr
7. Venir- viendr
8. Voir- verr
9. envoyer- enverr
10. Tenir-tiendr
11. Courir- courr
12. Mourir- mourr
13. Faire- fer
14. Devoir- devr
15. Se promener- se promener
16. se lever- se lever
17. se mener-se mener
18. Acheter- acheter
19. Falloir- faudra
20. Pleuvoir- pleuvra
21. Neiger- neigera etc.
5. Le Passe Compose
This tense is called simple past tense in english. We have two group of verbs , one which are conjugated with verb etre and other which are conjugated with verb avoir. Those verbs which belong to the group DR MRS VANDER TRAMP are conjugated with verb etre .
D- descendre ; participe passe-descendu
R- rentrer; participe passe-rentre
M- monter; participe passe-monte
R- rester; participe passe-reste
S- sortir; participe passe-sorti
V- venir; participe passe-venu
A- aller; participe passe-alle
N- naitre; participe passe-ne
D- devenir; participe passe-devenu
E- entrer; participe passe-entre
R- revenir; participe passe-revenu
T- tomber; participe passe-tombe
R- retourner; participe passe-retourne
A-arriver; participe passe-arrive
M- mourir; participe passe-mort
P- partir, passer; participe passe-parti, passe
FORMATION
Etre au present + le participe passé du verbe
Those verbs which donot belong to the above group are conjugated with verb avoir.
FORMATION
Avoir au present + le participe passé du verbe
Some verbs can take both avoir or etre as auxiliary verb depending on the fact that they are transitive or intransitive. When they are transitive they will use auxiliary verb avoir that means the verb acts directly on its object. For example: 1. j’ai sorti la cle de ma poche. (I took the key out of my pocket.)
2. J’ai sorti la poubelle. ( I took the dustbin out.)