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Kieran Ball

This guide is perfect for students who need help learning about French verbs. You'll get an introduction to using and recognising French verbs in the following areas:

  • infinitives
  • the impersonal verb "il faut"
  • the "going" future
  • the present perfect tense
  • the present tense
Read more

This guide is perfect for students who need help learning about French verbs. You'll get an introduction to using and recognising French verbs in the following areas:

  • infinitives
  • the impersonal verb "il faut"
  • the "going" future
  • the present perfect tense
  • the present tense

"French Grammar - Quick Guide - Verbs 1" is particularly useful for complete beginners in French grammar as everything is explained assuming no prior knowledge. The vocabulary used is limited so as to avoid over-complication. Each tense is explained, showing how to form the tense, how to negate it, and how to translate it to and from English.

Each tense starts with a simple explanation followed by lots of practise sentences to build confidence and proficiency.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • You will learn how to form basic sentences using french infinitives and some basic modal verbs
  • You will learn about the impersonal phrase "il faut"
  • You will learn how to form the "going" future tense
  • You will learn how to form the past tense with regular verbs
  • You will learn how to form the present tense with regular er, ir and re verbs

Syllabus

Introduction
Lesson 1 - Infinitives
Lesson 1a
Lesson 1b
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a solid foundation in essential French verb tenses, including present, present perfect, and future, which are crucial for basic communication
Focuses on building proficiency through extensive practice sentences, which reinforces understanding and application of grammatical concepts
Explores the impersonal verb "il faut," which is a fundamental element in expressing necessity and obligation in French
Assumes no prior knowledge of French grammar, making it accessible to complete beginners who are just starting their language journey

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Reviews summary

Quick introduction to french verbs

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation for understanding key French verbs, particularly focusing on essential tenses and structures like the infinitive, "il faut," the going future, and the present tense. Students appreciate that the course is designed specifically for complete beginners, explaining concepts with no prior knowledge assumed. The course includes plenty of practice sentences to build confidence, which many find helpful. Some advanced learners might find the content basic, but for its stated audience, it appears to be a useful quick guide to get started with French verbs.
Provides ample practice sentences to build skills.
"The course includes lots and lots of practice, which is exactly what I needed."
"Being able to work through many example sentences helped solidify my understanding."
"It's very useful to have so many chances to practise forming the tenses taught."
Covers essential beginner verb structures effectively.
"The breakdown of the present tense and the 'going' future was particularly helpful for me."
"I finally understood how to use 'il faut' after this lesson, which is great."
"It gives a good overview of infinitives and how they function in basic sentences."
Well-suited for students with no prior knowledge.
"Perfect if you are just starting out with French verbs, it really assumes you know nothing."
"As a complete beginner, I found the explanations very easy to follow and not overwhelming."
"It's great that they limit vocabulary and focus just on the grammar concepts for new learners."
Might be too basic for intermediate learners.
"While good for absolute beginners, it doesn't go into much depth beyond the basics."
"If you already know a little French, this might feel like a simple recap rather than new learning."
"I was hoping for more on irregular verbs or other past tenses, but it stays quite focused."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in French Grammar - Quick Guide - Verbs 1 with these activities:
Review Basic French Vocabulary
Familiarize yourself with essential French vocabulary to better understand and apply the grammar rules taught in the course.
Show steps
  • Study a list of the 100 most common French words.
  • Practice using these words in simple sentences.
  • Use flashcards to memorize new vocabulary.
Review 'Easy French Step-by-Step'
Use this book to reinforce the concepts taught in the course and gain a deeper understanding of French grammar.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters related to verb tenses and conjugations.
  • Complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
  • Review the grammar explanations and examples.
Verb Conjugation Drills
Practice conjugating regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs in the present, past, and future tenses to improve fluency and accuracy.
Show steps
  • Create flashcards with verbs and their conjugations.
  • Use online verb conjugation tools for practice.
  • Write sentences using different verb tenses.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Translate English Sentences to French
Translate English sentences into French, focusing on accurate verb conjugation and sentence structure, to reinforce your understanding of French grammar.
Show steps
  • Find English sentences to translate.
  • Translate the sentences into French, paying attention to verb tenses.
  • Check your translations with a French speaker or online translator.
Review 'French Verbs For Dummies'
Use this book as a reference guide to clarify any confusion about French verb conjugations and usage.
Show steps
  • Consult the book for explanations of specific verb tenses.
  • Review the examples provided for each verb tense.
  • Use the book to check your verb conjugations.
Write a Short Story in French
Write a short story using the verb tenses and grammar rules learned in the course to improve your writing skills and reinforce your understanding of French grammar.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic for your story.
  • Write a draft using the verb tenses you've learned.
  • Revise and edit your story for grammar and vocabulary.
Practice French Conversation with a Language Partner
Engage in conversations with a language partner to practice using the verb tenses and grammar rules learned in the course in a real-world context.
Show steps
  • Find a language partner online or in person.
  • Prepare conversation topics in advance.
  • Practice using different verb tenses during the conversation.

Career center

Learners who complete French Grammar - Quick Guide - Verbs 1 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Language Teacher
A language teacher instructs students in the grammar, vocabulary, and culture of a particular language. With its focus on French verb tenses and structures, the course provides a valuable resource for anyone aspiring to teach French. This course explains the formation and usage of French infinitives, the impersonal 'il faut', the present, present perfect, and going future tenses, and offers practice sentences, all of which support clear instruction. The course's approach to teaching grammar, which assumes no prior knowledge, will help a language teacher understand how to explain these concepts to their own students. This course may be useful for an aspiring French teacher.
Translator
A translator converts written material from one language to another, ensuring accuracy and fluency. This course, focusing on French verb conjugation and tenses, helps build a foundation for effective translation. A translator needs to understand the nuances of verb usage across different tenses, and the course's instruction on forming the present, present perfect, and going future tenses, among others, directly supports this skill. The practice sentences included in the course will increase confidence in handling various grammatical structures, essential for producing high quality translations. This course may be useful for a translator who wants to work with French.
Localization Specialist
A localization specialist adapts content, including websites and software, to suit different markets. This role often involves language translation, and this course helps build a foundation in French verbs. The course covers verb tenses including the present, present perfect, and 'going' future, which are necessary for accurate translation. The course also introduces infinitives, and the impersonal verb 'il faut', which will aid understanding of French grammar. By providing practice sentences this course helps with developing the skills required for localization. This course may be useful for someone working in the field of localization.
Subtitler
A subtitler creates written transcripts of dialogue for videos or films, often translating from one language to another. A strong grasp of French verbs is essential for this role, and this course helps build a strong foundation in this skill. This course focuses on the formation and usage of the present, present perfect, and going future tenses, also covering infinitives and the impersonal verb phrase 'il faut.' The course's emphasis on understanding how to translate verb tenses from French to English is particularly relevant for subtitlers. The practice sentences offered in the course will build confidence and improve translation skills, which helps with creating accurate subtitles. This course may be useful for a subtitler.
Curriculum Developer
A curriculum developer creates educational materials and courses for students. This course, which is focused on French verb tenses and structures, may help anyone developing such content. The approach taken here, which introduces infinitives, the impersonal 'il faut', the present, present perfect, and going future tenses, shows a method for structured teaching of fundamental grammar concepts. The inclusion of practice sentences provides examples of effective learning activities. This course may be useful for a curriculum developer.
Interpreter
An interpreter facilitates spoken communication between individuals who do not share a common language. The study of French verb tenses—present, present perfect, and going future—as covered in this course, will build a foundation for an interpreter to accurately convey meaning in real time. The course introduces infinitives and the impersonal structure 'il faut,' which helps establish fundamental skills necessary for interpreting. A deep understanding of verb conjugation, as taught in this course, assists in immediate comprehension and accurate expression for an interpreter working with French. This course may be useful for a budding interpreter.
Tour Guide
A tour guide leads groups of tourists, often needing to communicate information in multiple languages. This course offers a helpful introduction to French verbs, tenses and sentence structure. Because the course explains the present, present perfect, and going future tenses, along with infinitives and the impersonal 'il faut,' a tour guide can use this knowledge when talking about past, present and future situations. The practice sentences build confidence for speaking French. This course may be useful for a tour guide with French speaking clients.
Foreign Correspondent
A foreign correspondent reports on news and events from other countries, often requiring proficiency in the local language. This course’s focus on French verb tenses, such as the present, present perfect, and going future, builds a basic foundation for a foreign correspondent to communicate effectively about events happening in French-speaking regions. The course covers the use of infinitives and the expression 'il faut,' which builds essential language proficiency and provides a foundation. The practice sentences assist in gaining confidence with French grammar, which helps in daily interactions. This course may be useful for an aspiring foreign correspondent.
Bilingual Customer Service Representative
A bilingual customer service representative assists customers in two languages. This course helps build a foundation in French grammar, focusing on verbs and their tenses. The ability to handle different verb tenses, as taught in present, present perfect, and going future in this course, will improve communication accuracy. The course covers how to form basic sentences using French, including infinitives and the impersonal 'il faut,' which are essential for everyday conversation. The practice sentences will help build confidence in using French, which will lead to clearer communication. This course may be useful for someone working in customer service.
Content Creator
A content creator produces written or visual material for different platforms. This course, which provides an introduction to French verbs for beginners, helps when creating French language content. The course covers the use of infinitives, the impersonal 'il faut', the present, present perfect, and going future tenses. The practice sentences build confidence when using French, which helps when generating content. This course may be useful for a content creator who needs to produce French materials.
Bilingual Administrative Assistant
A bilingual administrative assistant provides support to a team or individual in two languages. The focus on French verbs, as provided in this course, helps build the basic foundation for handling communication in French. The course covers how to use French infinitives, the impersonal 'il faut,' the present, present perfect and going future tenses, all of which are important for understanding and forming basic sentences. The practice sentences build confidence in using French which help in daily tasks. This course may be useful for someone working in administration.
Multilingual Social Media Manager
A multilingual social media manager creates and manages content on social media platforms in multiple languages. This course helps build a foundation in French verb usage and sentence structure. The course covers infinitives, the impersonal 'il faut', the present, present perfect, and going future tenses. This structure aids in the creation of accurate and engaging content. By offering practice sentences, this course helps to build confidence in using the French language. This course may be useful for a social media manager.
ESL Instructor
An ESL instructor teaches English to speakers of other languages. Understanding the grammar of other languages, such as French as taught in this course, helps give an ESL instructor a point of reference. The course's focus on verb tenses, infinitives, and the impersonal 'il faut' introduces a different language structure. Learning how to translate tenses and structures from French to English helps an instructor better understand common issues when teaching English grammar for French speakers. This course may be useful for an ESL instructor.
Linguist
A linguist studies the structure, history, and development of languages. This course, with its focus on the specifics of French grammar, particularly verb tenses, will help a linguist understand French. The course delves into the formation and usage of infinitives, the impersonal verb 'il faut,' and the present, present perfect, and going future tenses. The detailed explanations of verb forms, negation, and translation between French and English will help a linguist analyze the subtle variations in language use. The practice exercises will solidify understanding of French grammar, thereby helping a linguist to explore linguistic theory. This course may be useful for someone studying French linguistics.
Language Analyst
A language analyst examines language data for patterns and insights, often focusing on specific grammatical structures. The course, covering French verb tenses such as the present, present perfect and 'going' future, is a basic introduction to French. The course also covers impersonal structures and infinitives, providing foundational knowledge. The course's explanations of verb formation and negation will be useful for anyone learning the structure of French. This course may be useful for a language analyst looking at the French language.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in French Grammar - Quick Guide - Verbs 1.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to French grammar, making it an excellent resource for beginners. It breaks down complex concepts into manageable steps, reinforcing the material covered in the course. The book is particularly helpful for understanding verb conjugations and sentence structures. It serves as a useful reference tool for students looking to solidify their understanding of French grammar.
Offers a straightforward and accessible guide to French verb conjugations and usage. It provides clear explanations and numerous examples, making it an ideal resource for students struggling with verb tenses. The book includes helpful tips and tricks for mastering French verbs. It valuable reference for anyone looking to improve their French grammar skills.

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