Master French Present Indicative Tense

Definition: The present indicative tense (le présent de l’indicatif) is used to describe actions or states that are happening at the current moment or general truths. It can also express habitual actions, near future actions, or repeated occurrences.

Uses:

1. Current actions: Actions happening right now.
   • Example: Je mange une pomme.
     (I am eating an apple.)
2. General truths or facts: Statements that are always true.
   • Example: Le soleil se lève à l’est.
     (The sun rises in the east.)
3. Habitual actions: Things that happen regularly.
   • Example: Je vais à l’école tous les jours.
     (I go to school every day.)
4. Near future actions: Actions that are going to happen soon.
   • Example: Il part demain.
     (He is leaving tomorrow.)

Conjugation Rules of the 3 Verb Groups:

1. ER-Verbs (First group)

These are regular verbs that end in -er (except “aller”). The conjugation follows a predictable pattern.

Endings:

• Je – -e
• Tu – -es
• Il/Elle/On – -e
• Nous – -ons
• Vous – -ez
• Ils/Elles – -ent

Example: Parler (to speak)

• Je parle – (I speak)
• Tu parles – (You speak)
• Il/Elle parle – (He/She speaks)
• Nous parlons – (We speak)
• Vous parlez – (You speak) (formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles parlent – (They speak)

Exceptions:

• Verbs like manger and nager (to eat, to swim) add an extra -e before -ons in the nous form to maintain pronunciation:
  Nous mangeons (We eat), Nous nageons (We swim)
• Verbs like commencer (to begin) change c to ç before -ons in the nous form:
  Nous commençons (We begin)

2. IR-Verbs (Second group)

These are regular verbs that end in -ir and follow a set pattern.

Endings:

• Je – -is
• Tu – -is
• Il/Elle/On – -it
• Nous – -issons
• Vous – -issez
• Ils/Elles – -issent

Example: Finir (to finish)

• Je finis – (I finish)
• Tu finis – (You finish)
• Il/Elle finit – (He/She finishes)
• Nous finissons – (We finish)
• Vous finissez – (You finish)
• Ils/Elles finissent – (They finish)

Exceptions:
Some verbs like ouvrir (to open) and offrir (to offer) conjugate like regular ER verbs even though they end in -ir.

Example:
J’ouvre (I open) instead of je ouvris.

3. RE-Verbs (Third group)

These are mostly irregular verbs ending in -re. Their conjugations are less predictable but some regular ones follow this pattern:

Endings:

• Je – -s
• Tu – -s
• Il/Elle/On – (no ending)
• Nous – -ons
• Vous – -ez
• Ils/Elles – -ent

Example: Vendre (to sell)

• 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)

Exceptions: Many verbs in this group are irregular, such as prendre (to take), boire (to drink), and vivre (to live), with variations in stem changes.

• Je prends (I take), Je bois (I drink), Je vis (I live).

By understanding these conjugation rules and their exceptions, you can effectively use the French present indicative tense to describe actions and states in real-time, habitual contexts, or even near-future events.

Irregular Verbs in the French Present Indicative

Irregular verbs don’t follow the regular conjugation patterns of the three verb groups (ER, IR, RE). They often have unpredictable changes in their stems or endings. Let’s explore some of the most common irregular verbs in French and their conjugation patterns.

1. Être (to be)

One of the most important verbs in French, “être” is highly irregular.

2. Avoir (to have)

Another key verb, “avoir” is also irregular and frequently used in many tenses.

3. Aller (to go)

“Aller” is an irregular verb but belongs to the ER group in spelling.

4. Faire (to do, to make)

“Faire” is irregular and used in many expressions and idioms.

5. Prendre (to take)

The verb “prendre” has an irregular conjugation with changes in the plural forms.

6. Pouvoir (can, to be able to)

This verb is often used to express ability or permission.

7. Vouloir (to want)

“Vouloir” is used to express desire or wish.

8. Savoir (to know)

“Savoir” is used for knowing facts or how to do something.

9. Venir (to come)

This verb is irregular with changes in its stem in plural forms.

10. Mettre (to put)

“Mettre” is irregular with changes in the singular and plural forms.

Key Points:

• Irregular verbs don’t follow a single conjugation pattern, so they need to be memorized individually.
• Many irregular verbs like aller, faire, avoir, and être are used frequently in daily conversations.
• Some verbs share irregularities, like venir and tenir (to hold), which follow similar stem changes.