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Imparfait
Rules
Step 1
To make the stem: preconjugate the verb to the
Present Tense, nous
form.
Step 2
Remove the -ons ending.
Step 3
Add on the subjectappropriate Imparfait
ending.
All images are either from Pages, or anonymous contributors to Google images.
When: The most recent past
tense, indefinite time, continued
and ongoing recurring events.
Singular
Subject
Ending
Plural
Subject
Ending
je
-ais
nous
-ions
tu
-ais
vous
-iez
il, elle,
on
-ait
ils, elles
-aient
EXCEPTIONS:
Être doesn’t have -ons
ending for present tense
nous form. Use étinstead. On stems that
retain an e, y or i ending,
replace that for nous &
vous forms with the i for
the standard Imparfait
end.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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é
Passé
Composé
Rules
COMPOSITE TENSE:
Requires two verbs. An
auxiliary verb and the
participe passé.
The Auxiliary Verb:
The Primary verb
is
conjugated to the
present tense. Use étre
or avoir.
(1st),
The Main Verb (Participe):
To make the stem: (any)
remove the infinitive
verb ending. Replace with
the participe passé
ending.
When: The mid-past tense,
definitely over,events that began
and ended in the past, spoken.
Chart for the participe passé endings
Endings are based on Infinitive Verb
Groups
Verb Group
Participe Passé
ending
-er
-é
-ir
-i
-re
-u
EXCEPTIONS:
Most irregular verbs have
an irregular participe
passé form. You must
memorize them.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
Passé Composé continued...
How to choose your Auxiliary Verb...
Mnemonic Device
Something more simple, used to remember a
far more difficult concept.
Although most verbs require using avoir, there are a
few that have to use être. You’ll be able to remember
them more easily using DRMRSVANDERTRAMP, which is first letter of each verb on the chart below. Use
the samples on the chart below to help you fill in your own. Some verbs like venir are the basis for others
which may not be listed below. Use être for those as well. Memorize the frequently-used forms first. The
participe verbs below must have gender-number agreement with the subject, like noun modifiers.
Infinitive
descendre
Translation
Participes Passés (gender & number)
to go down, to descend
descndu, descndus, descndue, descndues
to die
mort, morts, morte, mortes
to be born
né, nés, née, nées
rester
mourir
revenir
sortir
venir
arriver
naître
devenir
entrer
retourner
tomber
rentrer
aller
monter
partir
Most of these verbs have related meanings: to go/to come, to leave/to arrive, to go out/to
stay. If you remember these relationships it might help you to memorize them.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Plus-queParfait
Rules
COMPOSITE TENSE:
Requires two verbs.
An auxiliary verb and
the participe passé.
THE AUXILIARY VERB:
Uses *étre or avoir
conjugated to Imparfait
tense. (*Find on DR
MRS VANDERTRAMP
chart.)
When: The oldest past tense, definite,
events that precede (go before) other
events in the past.
Chart for the auxiliary verb options only
Singular
subjects
je
THE MAIN VERB:
To make the stem:
(any) remove the
infinitive verb ending.
Replace with the
participe passé
ending.
tu
il, elle,
on
être
avoir
étais
avais
étais
avais
était
avait
Plural
subjects
nous
vous
ils, elles
être
avoir
étions
avions
étiez
aviez
étaient
avaient
EXCEPTIONS:
Most irregular verbs have
an irregular participe
passé form. Memorize it.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Passé
Simple
Rules
ONLY CONJUGATE ONE
SINGULAR & PLURAL
FORM:
When: as the LITERARY mid-past tense,
instead of passé composé (not used in
conversation).
To make the stem:
This set of endings is used only for replacing the
infinitive ending on regular verbs. Irregular verbs are (for
the most part) completely rewritten.
1)Remove the
infinitive verb ending
on regular verbs only
in 3rd person (he, she,
they). 2)Replace with
the passé simple
ending.
EXCEPTIONS:
Most irregular verbs
have an irregular passé
simple form.
Because this is a
literary (i.e. books &
formal writing) tense,
you mainly need to know
it in order to translate
texts.
Subject form stem
-er verbs
-ir verbs
-re verbs
je
-ai
-is
-us
tu
-as
-is
-us
il , elle, on
-a
-it
-ut
nous
âmes
îmes
ûmes
vous
âtes
îtes
ûtes
-èrent
-irent
-urent
ils, elles
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
Passé Simple Chart To help with reading unfamiliar texts...
Irregular verbs
3rd Person Singular conjugation
3rd Person Plural conjugation
il apparut
ils apparurent
avoir
il eut
ils eurent
battre - to beat
il battit
ils battirent
il combattit
ls combattirent
connaître - to be acquainted
il connut
ils connurent
conquérir - to conquer
il conquit
ils conquirent
il construisit
ils construisirent
devenir - to become
il devint
ils devinrent
écrire - to write
il écrivit
ils écrivirent
être
il fut
ils furent
faire
il fit
ils firent
il interdit
ils interdirent
il introduisit
ils introduisirent
mourir - to die
il mourut
ils moururent
naître - to be born
il naquit
ls naquirenent
obtenir - to obtain
il obtint
ils obtinrent
offrir - to offer
il offrit
ls offrirent
prendre - to take, grab
il prit
ils prirent
il reconnut
ils reconnurent
il résolut
ils résolurent
il revint
ils revinrent
il vint
ils vinrent
apparaître - to appear
combattre - to fight
construire - to construct
interdire - to forbid, prohibit
introduire - to introduce
reconnaître - to recognize
resoudre - to resolve
revenir - to come back
venir
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Au Présent
Conditionnel
Rules
VERB SELECTION
Regular Verbs: use the
entire infinitive verb.
Irregular Verbs: if it has
an irregular future stem,
use it. If not, use the
infinitive here as well.
When there’s doubt; using could,
would, should,and may in English.Also
for if...then or would’ve...but phrases.
(For things that might occur in the future, or things that won’t /didn’t occur..)
Singular
Subject
Ending
Plural
Subject
Ending
To make the stem: Use
je
-ais
nous
-ions
the entire Infinitive Verb or
the irregular future stem
(Irregular Verbs chart).
tu
-ais
vous
-iez
il, elle,
on
-ait
ils, elles
-aient
Step 1
Step 2
For agreement: Add on the
subject-appropriate
Imparfait ending. On
stems that retain an e, y
or i ending, replace that for
nous & vous forms with the i
for the standard Imparfait
end. May be in past/future.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Impératif
Rules
LIMITED CONJUGATIONS:
Conjugates only tu, nous
and vous forms. The
subject, however, is
understood. It will not be
used in the phrase.
WITH PRONOUNS:
In Positive statements, tie
pronouns to the verb with a
hyphen. In Negative
statements pronouns are
placed in their normal
position. (See more at right.)
EXCEPTIONS:
The verbs être, avoir,
savoir and vouloir have
unique conjugations to
memorize.
Verbs in -er for tu form
should have the s removed
unless followed by y or en.
To say “Stop that,” “Brush your hair,” “Let’s
eat!” in French. When something absolutely
has to happen NOW.
The irregular verbs:
Subject
être
avoir
vouloir
savoir
(tu)
sois
aie
veuille
sache
(nous)
soyons
ayons
veuillons
sachons
(vous)
soyez
ayez
veuillez
sachez
Samples to illustrate how it works:
Positive: Shut the door. Fermez la porte. or Fermez-la. (object pronoun)
Negative: Don’t shut the door. Ne fermez pas la porte. or Ne le fermez pas.
Reflexive Positive: Brush your hair. Brosse-toi les cheveux. or Brosse-les-toi.
Reflexive Negative: Don’t brush your hair. Ne te brosse les cheveux. or Ne te les
brosse pas.
Another Rule: (reflexives) the pronouns me & te in positive statements become
the stressed pronouns moi & toi, unless followed by y or en. Dis-moi, Vas t’en (go
away).
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Au Présent
Subjonctif
Rules
ONLY IN COMPOUND
SENTENCES:
Requires two primary
conjugated verbs - one
before que one after.
FORM 1
To make the stem: for
all but nous & vous, preconjugate the verb to the
Present Tense, ils/elles
form. Remove the -ent
ending.
FORM 2 *
To make the stem: for
nous & vous, preconjugate the verb to the
Present Tense, nous form.
Remove the -ons ending.
When: after the word que
appears. Used with: present,
past, future or conditionals.
These endings look like a cross between present tense for er verbs and Imparfait for nous and vous. As such, it looks
normal for -er verbs except in 1st & 2nd person plural.
Singular Subject
Ending
Plural Subject
Ending
je
-e
nous *
-ions
tu
-es
vous *
-iez
il, elle, on
-e
ils, elles
-ent
LAST STEP
Add subject-appropriate
Subjonctif ending. Can
occur in the past or future.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Futur
Proche
Rules
COMPOSITE TENSE:
The nearest future
tense. Requires two
verbs: aller + infinitive.
THE AUXILIARY
(PRIMARY) VERB:
When:the English translation is
going to... or are going
to...added to the main verb.
Even aller may be used as the infinitve - then you’d have a
primary conjugation of aller with aller as an infinitive.
(Example: Nous allons aller au cinéma.)
Uses aller conjugated to
Present tense(indicative).
Singular Subject
aller
Plural Subject
aller
THE MAIN (SECONDARY)
VERB:
je
vais
nous
allons
tu
vas
vous
allez
il, elle, on
va
ils, elles
vont
Use ONLY the infinitive
verb tense even though
it’s the Main Verb.
IN NEGATIVE STATEMENTS:
Ne...pas still surrounds
the Primary verb (1st in
the sentence, conjugated).
For example: Je ne vais
pas manger les pommes.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012
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Futur
Simple
Rules
FOR REGULAR VERB
FORMS:
STEP 1: Use the entire
infinitive verb to make the
stem.
STEP 2: add the futur
The most common future
tense, so use it the most.
The singular subject endings look like singular subject
avoir conjugations in present tense, while the plurals look like
standard present tense endings.
ending to the infinitve verb.
FOR SOME IRREGULAR
VERBS:
Some irregular verbs have
an irregular futur stem. Use
the irregular verb chart or
class resources to find them.
Singular Subject
Ending
Plural Subject
Ending
je
-ai
nous
-ons
tu
-as
vous
-ez
il, elle, on
-a
ils, elles
-ent
STEP 1: Use the special
futur stem.
STEP 2: add the futur
ending to the infinitve verb.
FOR REGULAR -RE VERBS:
When using the infinitive,
remove the -e before adding
the end.
By Audrey A. Rogers 2012