Present tense: -ir and -re verbs (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Present tense: -ir and -re verbs
Understanding -ir verbs
French -ir verbs fall into two distinct groups, and it's essential to learn which group each verb belongs to because they have different conjugation patterns.
Critical Distinction: French -ir verbs are NOT all conjugated the same way. There are two completely different patterns, and you must memorise which pattern each verb follows.
-ir verbs that take -ss in plural forms
These verbs add -ss before the plural endings (-ons, -ez, -ent). The most common example is finir (to finish):
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | I finish |
| tu | finis | you finish |
| il/elle/on | finit | he/she/one finishes |
| nous | finissons | we finish |
| vous | finissez | you finish |
| ils/elles | finissent | they finish |
Other verbs like finir: choisir (to choose), réussir (to succeed), remplir (to fill)
Worked Example: Pattern Recognition
Look at the plural forms of finir:
- nous finissons (we finish)
- vous finissez (you finish)
- ils finissent (they finish)
The key is the -ss that appears before the standard endings (-ons, -ez, -ent).
Example sentences:
- Je choisis un livre. (I choose a book.)
- Nous finissons nos devoirs. (We finish our homework.)
-ir verbs that don't take -ss
These verbs follow a different pattern and are sometimes called "-s → -t verbs" because the singular forms end in -s, -s, -t. The key example is partir (to leave):
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | pars | I leave |
| tu | pars | you leave |
| il/elle/on | part | he/she/one leaves |
| nous | partons | we leave |
| vous | partez | you leave |
| ils/elles | partent | they leave |
Other verbs like partir: dormir (to sleep), sortir (to go out), sentir (to feel)
Pronunciation Tip: Notice that je pars, tu pars, and il part all sound the same when spoken, but are spelled differently!
Example sentences:
- Tu dors bien? (Do you sleep well?)
- Ils sortent ce soir. (They're going out tonight.)
Regular -re verbs
Most -re verbs follow a standard pattern. The key example is répondre (to reply):
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | réponds | I reply |
| tu | réponds | you reply |
| il/elle/on | répond | he/she/one replies |
| nous | répondons | we reply |
| vous | répondez | you reply |
| ils/elles | répondent | they reply |
Other regular -re verbs: attendre (to wait), descendre (to go down), entendre (to hear), perdre (to lose), vendre (to sell)
Example sentences:
- J'attends le bus. (I'm waiting for the bus.)
- Vous vendez votre maison? (Are you selling your house?)
Irregular -re verbs
Some -re verbs have irregular conjugations that must be memorised individually. A key example is écrire (to write):
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| j' | écris | I write |
| tu | écris | you write |
| il/elle/on | écrit | he/she/one writes |
| nous | écrivons | we write |
| vous | écrivez | you write |
| ils/elles | écrivent | they write |
Other irregular -re verbs:
- lire (to read): je lis, tu lis, il lit, nous lisons, vous lisez, ils lisent
- boire (to drink): je bois, tu bois, il boit, nous buvons, vous buvez, ils boivent
Warning: These irregular verbs don't follow the standard -re pattern. Each one must be learned individually through practice and repetition.
Example sentences:
- Elle écrit une lettre. (She writes a letter.)
- Nous lisons le journal. (We read the newspaper.)
Important exceptions
The verb prendre (to take) and related verbs like comprendre (to understand) and apprendre (to learn) have unique conjugations that form their own special pattern:
| Person | prendre | comprendre | apprendre |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | prends | comprends | apprends |
| tu | prends | comprends | apprends |
| il/elle/on | prend | comprend | apprend |
| nous | prenons | comprenons | apprenons |
| vous | prenez | comprenez | apprenez |
| ils/elles | prennent | comprennent | apprennent |
Pattern Recognition: All three verbs follow the same pattern - they're from the same verb "family" with different prefixes that change the meaning.
Present continuous: être en train de
To emphasise that you're doing something right now, use être en train de + infinitive:
- Je suis en train d'écrire un e-mail. (I am in the middle of writing an email.)
- Nous sommes en train de manger. (We are in the middle of eating.)
This construction is similar to the English present continuous tense and helps express ongoing actions happening at this very moment.
Practice exercises
Practice Exercise: Test Your Understanding
Translate into English:
- Il finit ses devoirs.
- Nous partons demain.
Translate into French: 3. They are waiting for the train. 4. I understand French.
Answers:
- He finishes his homework.
- We leave tomorrow.
- Ils attendent le train.
- Je comprends le français.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- -ir verbs split into two groups: those with -ss in plural forms (like finir) and those without (like partir)
- Regular -re verbs follow the pattern of répondre, but watch out for irregular ones like écrire and lire
- Prendre and related verbs (comprendre, apprendre) have their own unique conjugation pattern
- Use être en train de + infinitive to emphasise ongoing actions happening right now
- Pay attention to pronunciation - many singular forms sound the same but are spelled differently