Regular Verbs in the Present Tense (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
How to form the present tense of regular French verbs
In French, regular verbs fall into three main groups based on their endings: -er, -ir, and -re.
Each group follows a specific pattern when conjugated in the present tense.
1. -er verbs (e.g. parler)
Example verb: parler (to talk)
For -er verbs, remove the -er ending and add the following endings:
| Ending | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| -e | je parle | I talk |
| -es | tu parles | you talk |
| -e | il/elle/on parle | he/she/one talks |
| -ons | nous parlons | we talk |
| -ez | vous parlez | you all/you formal talk |
| -ent | ils/elles parlent | they talk |
2. -ir verbs (e.g. finir)
Example verb: finir (to finish)
For -ir verbs, remove the -ir ending and add the following endings:
| Ending | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| -is | je finis | I finish |
| -is | tu finis | you finish |
| -it | il/elle/on finit | he/she/one finishes |
| -issons | nous finissons | we finish |
| -issez | vous finissez | you all/you formal finish |
| -issent | ils/elles finissent | they finish |
3. -re verbs (e.g.vendre)
Example verb: vendre (to sell)
For -re verbs, remove the -re ending and add the following endings:
| Ending | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| -s | je vends | I sell |
| -s | tu vends | you sell |
| - | il/elle/on vend | he/she/one sells |
| -ons | nous vendons | we sell |
| -ez | vous vendez | you all/you formal sell |
| -ent | ils/elles vendent | they sell |
Summary
- er verbs: Remove -er, add: e, es, e, ons, ez, ent
- ir verbs: Remove -ir, add: is, is, it, issons, issez, issent
- re verbs: Remove -re, add: s, s, nothing, ons, ez, ent
By following these patterns, you can easily conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in French. Practice with different verbs to get more comfortable with the endings!
Practice
| Verb | Subject Pronoun | French (Your Answer) | Correct Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| aimer | je | j'aime (I love) | |
| choisir | tu | tu choisis (you choose) | |
| attendre | il/elle/on | il/elle/on attend (he/she/one waits) | |
| chanter | nous | nous chantons (we sing) | |
| remplir | vous | vous remplissez (you all/you formal fill) | |
| entendre | ils/elles | ils/elles entendent (they hear) | |
| danser | je | je danse (I dance) | |
| réussir | tu | tu réussis (you succeed) | |
| perdre | il/elle/on | il/elle/on perd (he/she/one loses) | |
| étudier | nous | nous étudions (we study) | |
| grandir | vous | vous grandissez (you all/you formal grow) | |
| vendre | ils/elles | ils/elles vendent (they sell) | |
| travailler | je | je travaille (I work) | |
| obéir | tu | tu obéis (you obey) | |
| répondre | il/elle/on | il/elle/on répond (he/she/one answers) | |
| jouer | nous | nous jouons (we play) | |
| finir | vous | vous finissez (you all/you formal finish) | |
| rendre | ils/elles | ils/elles rendent (they give back) |