When: The most recent past tense, indefinite time, continued and ongoing recurring events.

SingularSubject Ending

Plural Subject Ending

je -ais nous -ions

tu -ais vous -iez

il, elle, on

-ait ils, elles -aient

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesStep 1

To make the stem: pre-conjugate the verb to the Present Tense, nous form.

Step 2Remove the -ons ending.

Step 3Add on the subject-appropriate Imparfait ending.

EXCEPTIONS:Être doesn’t have -ons ending for present tense nous form. Use ét- instead. On stems that retain an e, y or i ending, replace that for nous & vous forms with the i for the standard Imparfait end.

Impa

rfai

tV

er

be

p

as

sé

All images are either from Pages, or anonymous contributors to Google images.

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

Endings are based on Infinitive Verb Groups

Verb GroupParticipe Passé

ending

-er - é

-ir - i

-re - u

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesCOMPOSITE TENSE:

Requires two verbs. An auxiliary verb and the participe passé.

The Auxiliary Verb:The Primary verb (1st), is conjugated to the present tense. Use étre or avoir.

The Main Verb (Participe):To make the stem: (any) remove the infinitive verb ending. Replace with the participe passé ending.

EXCEPTIONS:Most irregular verbs have an irregular participe passé form. You must memorize them.

Pas

sé

Com

posé

Ve

rb

e

pa

ss

é

Passé Composé continued...

How to choose your Auxiliary Verb...

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 Translation Participes Passés (gender & number)

descendre to go down, to descend descndu, descndus, descndue, descndues

rester

mourir to die mort, morts, morte, mortes

revenir

sortir

venir

arriver

naître to be born né, nés, née, nées

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

Mnemonic DeviceSomething more simple, used to remember a

far more difficult concept.

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

être Plural subjects

êtreSingular subjects avoir

Plural subjects avoir

jeétais

nousétions

jeavais

nousavions

tuétais

vousétiez

tuavais

vousaviez

il, elle, on

étaitils, elles

étaientil, elle, on avait

ils, ellesavaient

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesCOMPOSITE 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.)

THE MAIN VERB:To make the stem: (any) remove the infinitive verb ending. Replace with the participe passé ending.

EXCEPTIONS:Most irregular verbs have an irregular participe passé form. Memorize it.

Plu

s-qu

e-P

arfa

itV

er

be

p

as

sé

This set of endings is used only for replacing the infinitive ending on regular verbs. Irregular verbs are (for the most part) completely rewritten.

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesONLY CONJUGATE ONE

SINGULAR & PLURAL FORM:

To make the stem: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.

Pas

sé

Sim

ple

Ve

rb

e

pa

ss

é

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

ils, elles -èrent -irent -urent

When: as the LITERARY mid-past tense, instead of passé composé (not used in conversation).

Passé Simple Chart To help with reading unfamiliar texts...

Irregular verbs 3rd Person Singular conjugation 3rd Person Plural conjugation

apparaître - to appear il apparut ils apparurent

avoir il eut ils eurent

battre - to beat il battit ils battirent

combattre - to fight il combattit ls combattirent

connaître - to be acquainted il connut ils connurent

conquérir - to conquer il conquit ils conquirent

construire - to construct 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

interdire - to forbid, prohibit il interdit ils interdirent

introduire - to introduce 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

reconnaître - to recognize il reconnut ils reconnurent

resoudre - to resolve il résolut ils résolurent

revenir - to come back il revint ils revinrent

venir il vint ils vinrent

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

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..)

SingularSubject Ending

Plural Subject Ending

je -ais nous -ions

tu -ais vous -iez

il, elle, on

-ait ils, elles -aient

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesVERB 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.

Step 1To make the stem: Use the entire Infinitive Verb or the irregular future stem (Irregular Verbs chart).

Step 2For 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.

Con

ditio

nnel

Au

Pré

sent

Ve

rb

e

Mo

da

le

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

RulesLIMITED 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.

Impé

ratif

Ve

rb

e

Mo

da

le

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

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesONLY IN COMPOUND SENTENCES:Requires two primary conjugated verbs - one before que one after.

FORM 1To make the stem: for all but nous & vous, pre-conjugate the verb to the Present Tense, ils/elles form. Remove the -ent ending.

FORM 2 *To make the stem: for nous & vous, pre-conjugate the verb to the Present Tense, nous form. Remove the -ons ending.

LAST STEPAdd subject-appropriate Subjonctif ending. Can occur in the past or future.

Subj

onct

ifA

u P

rése

nt

Ve

rb

e

Mo

da

le

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.)

Singular Subject aller Plural Subject aller

je vais nous allons

tu vas vous allez

il, elle, on va ils, elles vont

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesCOMPOSITE TENSE:

The nearest future tense. Requires two

verbs: aller + infinitive.THE AUXILIARY

(PRIMARY) VERB:Uses aller conjugated to Present tense(indicative).

THE MAIN (SECONDARY) VERB:

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.

Futu

r P

roch

eV

er

be

F

ut

ur

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.

Singular Subject Ending Plural Subject Ending

je -ai nous -ons

tu -as vous -ez

il, elle, on -a ils, elles -ent

By Audrey A. Rogers 2012

RulesFOR REGULAR VERB FORMS:

STEP 1: Use the entire infinitive verb to make the stem.STEP 2: add the futur 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.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.

Futu

r Si

mpl

eV

er

be

F

ut

ur