CONJUGATION OF VERBS IN THE INDICATIVE PRESENT TENSE

There are four main groups of verbs in French and these groups are recognized by their endings. We
have the:

a) –er verbs like manger (to eat) and ecouter (to listen).
b) –ir verbs like sortir (to leave) and partir (to leave).
c) –re verbs like lire (to read) and dire (to say).
d) –oir verbs like recevoir (to receive) and voir (to see).

But before we begin learning the various conjugations of these verb groups. There are three important
verbs that you ought to know. But before we begin learning how to conjugate these verbs, there are
three very important verbs you need to know.
They are the verbs: être (to be), avoir (to have) and aller (to go).
These three verbs are the core verbs in French. And they are so important that you need to memorise
their conjugations.
You guys might be wondering what conjugation is, right?

Okay.

Conjugation is the inflection (of a verb) for each person, in order, for one or more tenses.

In English, the verb 'to be' is conjugated in the present tense as follows: 'I am', 'you are', 'he/she/it is',
'we are', 'you are', 'they are'.

Now back to the 3 main verbs. Below are their conjugations in the present tense:

ÊTRE (TO BE) AVOIR (TO HAVE) ALLER (TO GO)

je suis - I am j’ ai - I have je vais - I go
tu es - you are tu as - you have tu vas - you go
il/elle est – he/she is il/elle a - he/she has il/elle va -he/she goes
nous sommes - we are nous avons - we have nous allons - we go
vous êtes - you all are vous avez - you have vous allez - you go
ils/elles sont - they are ils/elles ont - they have ils/elles vont - they go

(je means I, tu means you, il means he, elle means she, nous means we, vous means you (all) and
ils/elles means they. Note that je, tu, il, elle are singular while nous, vous, ils, elles are plural.

Also note that in the conjugation of avoir, it is j’ai not je ai because ai starts with a vowel.)

PLS MAKE SURE YOU MEMORIZE THE CONJUGATION OF THESE VERBS AS YOU WILL NEED THEM A LOT
IN FRN 102.

I said at the beginning that there are 4 verb groups. Now we will start by learning how to conjugate the
1st group, the -er regular verbs.

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A. THE -ER REGULAR VERBS

Let’s start with the infinitives of verbs of the first group, ending in -er, such as regarder (to look at)
and chanter (to sing). Most verbs that end in -er in the infinitive follow the same conjugation. The
pattern is easy. You remove the -er ending of the verb to get the root.
For example, for the verb parler (to speak), the root is parl-.
Then, you add the endings corresponding to the subject pronoun.
Here are the corresponding endings:

1. For je, add -e to the root. Je parle (parl- + -e).

2. For tu, add -es to the root. Tu parles (parl- + -es).
3. For il/elle, add an -e to the root, just like for je. Il/elle parle (parl- + -e).
4. For nous, add an -ons to the root. Nous parlons (parl- + -ons).
5. For vous, add an -ez to the root. Vous parlez (parl- + -ez).
6. For ils/elles, add an -ent to the root. Ils/elles parlent (parl- + -ent).

Thus, below is the conjugation of parler and chanter:

PARLER (TO SPEAK) CHANTER (TO SING)

je parle - I speak je chante - I sing
tu parles - you speak tu chantes - you sing
il/elle parle - he/she speaks il/elle chante - he/she sings
nous parlons - we speak nous chantons - we sing
vous parlez - you (all) speak vous chantez - you (all) sing
ils/elles parlent - they speak ils/elles chantent - they sing

Now try conjugating the following verbs:

1. chercher (to search) 2. trouver (to find) 3. aimer (to like) 4. regarder (to watch; to look at).

B. THE -RE REGULAR VERBS

To conjugate these group of verbs, you just need to do the same as for -er verbs. You remove the
ending, in this case, -re to get the root.
Then you add the various endings.
Now for the endings of -re verbs, they are as follows. We shall use the verb vendre (to sell) to
demonstrate:

1. For je, add an -s to the root. Je vends (vend- + -s).

2. For tu, also add an -s to the root. Tu vends (vend- + -s).
3. For il/elle, just remove the ending. Il/elle vend (vend).
4. For nous, add an -ons to the root. Nous vendons (vend- + -ons).
5. For vous, add an -ez to the root. Vous vendez (vend- + -ez).
6. For ils/elles, add an -ent to the root. Ils/elles vendent (vend- + -ent).

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 Now here’s the full conjugation of vendre (to sell) and attendre (to wait).

VENDRE (TO SELL) ATTENDRE (TO WAIT)

je vends - I sell j' attends - I wait
tu vends - you sell tu attends - you wait
il/elle vend - he/she sells il/elle attend - he/she waits
nous vendons - we sell nous attendons - we wait
vous vendez - you (all) sell vous attendez - you (all) wait
ils/elles vendent - they sell ils/elles attendent - they wait

There’s an important irregular –re verb you’ve got to learn. It’s the verb faire (to do). Here’s the
conjugation:

FAIRE (TO DO)

je fais – I do
tu fais – you do
il/elle fait – he/she does
nous faisons – we do
vous faites – you (all) do
ils/elles font – they do

Now try conjugating the following verbs:

1. descendre (to go down) 2. entendre (to hear) 3. répondre (to answer)

C. THE -OIR REGULAR VERBS

Most -oir verbs are irregular. That is, they don't follow the same conjugation pattern.
It's going to be tough teaching you guys how to conjugate them. But, there are four -oir verbs you need
to know. So, we'll only learn how to conjugate those four.
Note: they are irregular verbs.

SAVOIR (TO KNOW) POUVOIR (TO BE ABLE VOULOIR (TO WANT) VOIR (TO SEE)
je sais - I know TO) je veux - I want je vois - I see
tu sais - you know je peux - I can tu veux - you want tu vois - you see
il/elle sait - he/she knows tu peux - you can il/elle veut - he/she wants il/elle voit - he/she sees
nous savons - we know il/elle peut - he/she can nous voulons - we want nous voyons - we see
vous savez - you (all) nous pouvons - we can vous voulez - you (all) want vous voyez - you (all) see
know vous pouvez - you (all) can ils/elles veulent - they want ils/elles voient - they see
ils/elles savent - they ils/elles peuvent - they
know can

There are no exercises for this, just learn the conjugation of the four verbs.

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D. THE -IR REGULAR VERBS

The -ir verbs follow two conjugation patterns. But before we treat the two patterns, let us know the
endings for the -ir verbs. Here are the corresponding endings:

1. For je, the ending is –is.

2. For tu, the ending is –is.
3. For il/elle, the ending is –it.
4. For nous, the ending is –ons.
5. For vous, the ending is –ez.
6. For ils/elles, the ending is –ent.

Now let us look at the two types of –ir verbs:

i. Type 1 -ir verbs

The Type 1 -ir verbs drop the -ir of the infinitive, add the appropriate endings for the je, tu, il
and elle inflections and -iss- to the plural forms i.e. the nous, vous ,ils and elles ending, and
then insert the appropriate ending. I know this is quite confusing so let me explain with an
example. Let's take the verb choisir (to choose).
For je, tu, il and elle, follow this pattern: stem + -i- + ending.
Recall the endings: je ends with -s, tu ends with -s, il/elle ends with -t)
1. For je, add an -is to the stem. Je choisis (chois- + -i- + -s). The same thing is repeated for
tu and il/elle.
2. For tu, add -is to the stem. Tu choisis (chois- + -i- + -s).
3. For il/elle, add -it to the stem. Il/elle choisit (chois- + -i- + -t).

(For nous, vous and ils/elles, they follow the pattern: stem + -iss- + ending.)

Thus,

4. For nous, add an -issons to the stem. Nous choisissons (chois- + -iss- + -ons).
5. For vous, add an -issez to the stem. Vous choisissez (chois- + -iss- + -ez).
6. For ils/elles, add an -issent to the stem. Ils/elles choisissent (chois- + -iss-+ -ent).

Thus, below is the conjugation of choisir and finir (to finish) conjugated in the same
manner:

CHOISIR (TO CHOOSE) FINIR (TO FINISH)

je choisis - I choose je finis - I finish
tu choisis - you choose tu finis - you finish
il/elle choisit - he/she chooses il/elle finit - he/she finishes
nous choisissons - we choose nous finissons - we finish
vous choisissez - you (all) choose vous finissez - you (all) finish
ils/elles choisissent - they choose ils/elles finissent - they finish

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 ii. Type 2 –ir verbs
The Type 2 -ir verbs drop the -ir of the infinitive, add the appropriate endings without the -
iss- to the plural forms i.e. the nous, vous ,ils and elles ending. These type of verbs are
termed irregular. Let’s look at an example below:
SORTIR (TO LEAVE)
je sors – I leave
tu sors – you leave
il/elle sort – he/she leaves
nous sortons – we leave
vous sortez – you (all) leave
ils/elles sortent – they leave

There are no exercises for the –ir verbs as most of these verbs are irregular and do not follow a regular
conjugation pattern.
The reason why I taught you the conjugation of the other groups of verbs is to get a feel of how they are
being done. I'll now summarise the rules and give you exercises to answer.

SUMMARY ON CONJUGATION OF VERBS

1. Je –
a) For the regular -er verbs, its inflection must end in -e. E.g. chanter - je chante. There is a
slight spelling change for verbs that end in -yer like nettoyer (to clean) and envoyer (to
send) which becomes je nettoie and j'envoie.
b) For -ir, -oir, -re verbs, the inflection for je ends with an -s. Therefore, look for the option that
has an -s. For example, finir - je finis (to finish), voir - je vois (to see), lire - je lis (to read),
prendre - je prends (to take).
c) TAKE NOTE THAT FOR THE VERBS POUVOIR AND VOULOIR, THE INFLECTIONS ARE JE PEUX
AND JE VEUX.
2. Tu -
All regular verb inflections of tu must end with an -s. For example, tu chantes, tu lis, tu dois, tu
nettoies, t'envoies.
TAKE NOTE THAT FOR THE VERBS POUVOIR AND VOULOIR, THE INFLECTIONS ARE TU PEUX AND
TU VEUX.

3. Il/Elle –
a) For -er verbs, the inflection ends in -e. For example, il chante, elle danse, il nettoie, elle
envoie.
b) For -ir/oir verbs, the inflection ends in -t. For example, finir - il finit (to finish), venir - elle
vient (to come), pouvoir - il peut, vouloir - elle veut.
c) For -re verbs, remove the -re stems.
i) If after removing the stem, the verb ends with a consonant, then that is the inflection
e.g. prendre - il prend.

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 ii) If after removing the consonant and it ends with a vowel like lire (to read), then add
a -t. E.g. lire - il lit, dire - elle dit. Also, if it ends with a –v like suivre (to follow),
remove the –v and replace with –t e.g. suivre – il suit.

4. Nous -
All regular verb inflections of nous must end with an -ons. E.g. Nous regardons, nous finissons.

5. Vous -
All regular verb inflections of vous must end in -ez. E.g. vous avez - you have, vous mangez -
you eat, vous courez - you run.
THERE ARE THREE NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS. THE VERBS ÊTRE (TO BE), DIRE (TO SAY) AND FAIRE
(TO DO). THEIR INFLECTIONS ARE VOUS ÊTES, VOUS DITES AND VOUS FAITES. NOTE THAT THEY
END IN -ES.

6. Ils/Elles -
For regular verbs, the inflection ends with -ent e.g. ils parlent.
TAKE NOTE OF TWO EXCEPTIONS, FAIRE (TO DO) AND ALLER (TO GO). THEIR INFLECTIONS ARE
ILS/ELLES FONT - THEY DO AND ILS/ELLES VONT - THEY GO.

7. When there are two verbs that are together in a sentence, or is separated by a de or à, only the
first is conjugated. The second is left in its infinitive (not conjugated).

VERB/ -ER VERBS -IR VERBS -OIR VERBS -RE VERBS

PRONOUN
Je -e -s -s -s
Tu -s -s -s -s
Il/Elle -e -t -t Consonant/ -t
Nous -ons -ons -ons -ons
Vous -ez -ez -ez -ez
Ils/Elles -ent -ent -ent -ent

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON CONJUGATION OF VERBS

Mettez la forme du verbe qui convient 3. Les hommes (être) bavards.

A. es B. sont C. sommes D. est
1. Il (parler) à l'accusé.
4. Je (prendre) le cahier de Koffi pour faire
A. parle B. parlent C. parles D. parlez
mes corrections.
Using our table above, the ending for
A. prend B. prends C. prenez D. prenons
il/elle under –er verbs is –e and option A
5. J' (avoir) une belle chambre.
ends with –e so option A is our answer.
A. as B. avez C. ai D. ont
Now answer the remaining questions.
6. Nous (aller) à Paris la semaine prochaine.
A. va B. vas C. allons D. allez
2. Aujourd'hui, tu (aimer) ton chat.
7. Elle te (donner) la monnaie.
A. aime B. aiment C. aimes D. aimez
A. donne B. donnes C. donnons D. donnez

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8. Il est temps de (finir) nos querelles. 22. J' (applaudir) devant ce beau spectacle.
A. finir B. finit C. finissons D. fini A. applaud B. applaudis C. applaudi D.
9. Il (faire) beaucoup d'argent avec son applaudissons
commerce. 23. Joey (choisir) toujours des vêtements qui lui
A. fais B. fait C. faisons D. font vont à merveille!
10. Les enfants (être) dans la salle de bain. A. choisi B. chois C. choisit D. choi
A. es B. est C. sont D. ont 24. Emeka et Chika (aller) à l'école.
11. Quelle nouveau modèle de voiture (avoir)- A. vas B. vont C. alle D. vais
vous? 25. Tu (venir) avec moi.
A. a B. as C. avez D. avons A. viens B. venis C. venissons D. vien
12. Après le spectacle, à la sortie des artistes, 26. Tu mange trop et tu (grossir) de plus en
les spectateurs (vouloir) voir la vedette. plus.
A. veulent B. veut C. veux D. voulent A. grossis B. grossit C. grossi D. grossie
13. Je te (montrer) l'interieur de notre nouvelle 27. Il (venir) ce week-end.
maison. A. vient B. venit C. veni D. venir
A. montre B. montres C. montrent D. 28. J' (attendre) le bus.
montrez A. attends B. attend C. attendu D. attendis
14. Qu'est-ce que vous (choisir)? 29. Paul et Peter (faire) les courses.
A. choisis B. choisissez C. choisissent D. A. fait B. fairent C. faisent D. font
choisit 30. Vous (faire) les vaisselles.
15. Ils (commencer) leur travail après le match A. faitez B. fairez C. faites D. faires
de foot. 31. On (pouvoir) jouer après les examens.
A. commence B. commences C. A. peut B. pouvoit C. pout D. peux
commençons D. commencent 32. Tu (vouloir) manger avant te laver les
16. Je (aller) au garage du quartier. mains?
A. allez B. allons C. va D. vais A. voulois B. vous C. veux D. vois
17. Au Nigéria, la plupart des pêcheurs (vivre) 33. Je commence à (lire).
au bord des fleuves. A. lire B. lis C. lit D. lisez
A. vis B. vit C. vivent D. vivez 34. Il nous (suivre) chaque jour au marché.
18. J' (aimer) la piscine. A. suiv B. suit C. suis D. suivons
A. aime B. aimes C. aiment D. aimer 35. Tu (vivre) dans une grande ville.
19. Paul (jouer) à chat avec ses petits A. vis B. vivs C. vivre D. vit
camarades.
A. joue B. joues C. jouent D. jouons
20. Théo, tu (manger) tes épinards! ANSWERS
A. mangez B. mangent C. mangeons D. 1A 2C 3B 4B 5C 6C 7A 8A 9B 10C 11C 12A 13A
manges 14B 15D 16D 17B 18A 19A 20D 21C 22B 23C
21. Marie et moi (rincer) tous les vêtements. 24B 25A 26A 27A 28B 29D 30C 31A 32C 33A 34B
A. rincez B. rinces C. rinçons D. rincent 35A

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 NUMBERS (LES NOMBRES)

There are two groups of numbers: the cardinal quatre-vingt… - eighty

numbers and the ordinal numbers. We’ll start quatre-vingt-dix - ninety
from the cardinal numbers. quatre-vingt-onze… - ninety-one
cent – one hundred
The Cardinal Numbers
deux cents… - two hundred…
The cardinal numbers are the normal counting mille – one thousand
numbers like one, two and three in English. deux milles… - two thousand…

zero – zero
un – one The Ordinal Numbers
deux – two
French ordinal numbers are adjectives (only
trois – three
premier varies and becomes première in the
quatre – four
feminine form). Note that except for premier
cinq – five
and neuf, the ordinal number is formed by
six – six
adding the suffix -ième to the cardinal number
sept – seven
(omitting the final -e if there is one).
huit – eight
*le premier, la première – first
neuf – nine
le/la deuxième – second
dix – ten
le/la troisième – third
onze – eleven
le/la quatrième – fourth
douze – twelve
le/la cinquième – fifth
treize – thirteen
le/la sixième – sixth
quartorze – fourteen
le/la septième – seventh
quinze – fifteen
le/la huitième – eighth
seize – sixteen
*le/la neuvième – ninth
dix-sept – seventeen
le/la dixième – tenth
dix-huit – eighteen
le/la onzième – eleventh
dix-neuf – nineteen
le/la douzième – twelfth
vingt – twenty
le/la treizième – thirteenth
vingt et un – twenty-one
le/la quatorzième – fourteenth
vingt-deux… – twenty-two…
le/la quinzième – fifteenth
trente… - thirty…
le/la seizième – sixteenth
quarante… - forty…
le/la dix-septième – seventeenth
cinquante… - fifty…
le/la dix-huitième – eighteenth
soixante… - sixty…
le/la dix-neuvième – nineteenth
soixante-dix – seventy
le/la vingtième – twentieth
soixante-onze… - seventy-one
le/la vingt et unième… - twenty-first

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON NUMBERS

Write out the numbers 1-100 in French in their cardinal and ordinal forms.

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 WHAT TIME IS IT? (QUELLE HEURE EST-IL?)

 Quelle heure est-il? /Il est quelle heure? - What time is it?
 quel (masc.) /quelle (fem.) - What/which
 l'heure - time, o'clock
 midi - noon
 minuit – midnight

Therefore 12pm can be called midi and 12am can be called minuit.
French uses the 24 hr time from 00:00/24:00 (12 am) to 23:59 (11:59 pm).
THEREFORE, YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO COUNT FROM 1 TO 59 TO TELL TIME IN FRENCH.

1:00 - une heure (it is une not un because the word heure is feminine)
2:00 - deux heures
3:00 - trois heures
11:00 - onze heures
12:00 - douze heures/midi
From 1pm up till 12am, we will be adding 12 to the hour to get the 24 hr time equivalent.
1:00pm / 13:00 - treize heures (Here 1+12=13, thus we use 13:00)
2:00pm / 14:00 - quatorze heures (Here 2+12=14, thus we use 14:00)
9:00pm / 21:00 - vingt-et-une heures
11:00pm / 23:00 - vingt- trois heures
12:00am / 24:00 - vingt-quatre heures/minuit

HALF PAST AN HOUR

To say half past..., we add et demie after the time. For example 1:30 (half past one) can be written as
une heure et demie, and 6:30 will be six heures et demie.

QUARTER PAST AND QUARTER TO

a) We will use the examples 3:15 and 3:45 to explain the concept of quarter past and quarter to.
b) 3:15 can be written in two forms: as 15 past 3 and quarter past 3. But we're learning about
quarter past. To say quarter past ..., simply add et quart after the time. Therefore 3:15 will be
trois heures et quart, 2:15pm will be quatorze heures et quart (14:15).

c) 3:45 can be written as 15 to 4 or quarter to 4. To say quarter to..., add moins le quart after the
time. Therefore 3:45 will be quatre heures moins le quart (literally meaning 4 o'clock minus
quarter an hour).

THE GENERAL PROCEDURE TO TELL TIME

a) To tell times that are not an hour/hours at the dot i.e. o'clock, we will consider the minutes figure.
Now, there are 60mins in an hour. We all know that when the minute hand has not yet reached
or crossed figure 6 on the clock (30 mins), we use ... minutes after/past (the hour time). Thus, for

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 any time that the minutes figure has not reached 30mins, simply write the number of minutes
after the o'clock. That is, xxx heures + xxx minutes. For example,
3:15 - trois heures quinze minutes
5:29 - cinq heures vingt-neuf minutes
Adding the minutes at the end of the time is optional. Therefore, I can just say trois heures quinze.

b) Now for any time that has its minutes figure to be greater than 30mins e.g. 7:43, the easiest way
to tell such time is to translate it to words first of all. You have to put it in a form of xxx o’clock
minus xxx minutes. Therefore, 7:43 is 8 o'clock minus 17 mins (17 mins to 8). When you’ve gotten
it in this form, the next step is to translate the time to French. The syntax is: xxx heure(s) moins
xxx minutes. Thus, 7:43 will be huit (8) heures moins dix-sept (17)minutes (moins means minus).
Let's see another example:
4:53 can be written as 7 mins to 5 o'clock. That is 5 o'clock minus 7 minutes. Thus, 4:53 is cinq
heures moins sept minutes.
Remember that adding …minutes at the end of telling the time is optional.

Finally, when telling the time, you start with il est ....
3:49 - il est quatre heures moins onze.
4:13 - il est quatre heures treize.
Also am means du matin

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON TIME

Quelle heure est-il? ANSWERS

a) 12:30 pm
a) Il est douze heures et demie/il est douze
b) 4:14 am
heures trente.
c) 6:56 am
b) Il est quatre heures quatorze.
d) 1:15 pm
c) Il est sept heures moins quatre.
e) 7:19 pm
d) Il est treize heures et quart/ il est treize
f) 11:45 am
heures quinze.
g) 7:29 pm
e) Il est dix-neuf heures dix-neuf.
h) 9:15 pm
f) Il est douze heures moins le quart/ il est
i) 12:03 am
douze heures moins quinze.
j) 12:00 am
g) Il est dix-neuf heures vingt-neuf.
k) 12:00 pm
h) Il est vingt et une heures et quart/ il est
l) 12:33 pm
vingt et une heures quinze
i) Il est vingt-quatre heures trois.
j) Il est vingt-quatre heures/ il est minuit.
k) Il est douze heures/ il est midi.
l) Il est treize heures moins vingt-sept.

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 DETERMINERS

Determiners known as les determinants in French are words placed before a noun to show that a noun is
coming after it. One could say that the determiner announces to us that a noun is coming. Now,
determiners are generally grouped into two: the articles and the adjectives. Articles in French are just
like we know them in English. There are three classes of articles in French: The definite articles, the
indefinite articles and the partitive articles. Also there are three types of adjectives that can be used as
determiners: the possessive adjective, the demonstrative adjective and the interrogative adjectives.
Thus determiners can be:

a. Definite articles - While English has only one definite article the, French uses le for singular
masculine nouns and la for singular feminine nouns. Le and la are shortened to l’ before a
singular noun or adjective that begins with a vowel sound. Les is used for both plural masculine
and feminine nouns.
b. Indefinite articles -The indefinite articles are un (masculine singular) and une (feminine singular)
meaning both a or an, and des (plural) meaning some.
c. Partitive articles - The partitive article is used when the exact quantity of an item is unknown. In
English, the partitive article is often omitted. Rather than saying, “I want some bread”, we say “I
want bread” omitting the some. In French, the partitive article is always used. It is formed by
combining de and the definite article. The partitive articles are: du (de + le), de l’ (de + l’), de la
(de + la) and des (de + les).
d. Possessive adjectives – These are : my (mon, ma, mes), your (ton, ta, tes), his/her (son, sa, ses),
your (plural) (votre, vos), our (notre, nos) and their (leur, leurs).
e. Demonstrative adjectives – These are : this and these (ce, cet, cette, ces).
f. Interrogative adjectives – In French, we have just quel, quelle, quels and quelles meaning
which in English.

GENERAL RULES FOR DETERMINING THE RIGHT DETERMINER TO CHOOSE

Since your exams are computer based, you will be given options to choose from. I have created a set of
rules which I call the PRIORITY RULES to easily pick the correct answer. Follow these rules accordingly
and you will get most of your answers correctly.
1. Check if the word after the “___” is plural i.e. ends with an –s or –x. If the word ends with an -s or -
x, there is no need of determining the gender as it is a plural word and must have the determiner
before it to end with an –s. So if the word is plural, look for the option that ends with an –s. E.g. les
hommes, les drapeaux. So if you’re given a question such as:
Il est interdit de fumer dans ___ toilettes! A. de la B. du C. une D. les
Check if the word after the “___” ends with an –s or –x. The word here is toilettes and it ends with
an –s so we’ll pick the option ending with an –s which is option D. So, D is the correct answer. There
could be questions where there are no options ending with an –s such as:
Elle aime ___ fils A. son B. sa B. ma D. le
In this case, move to RULE 2.
Also, if the word does not end with an –s or –x, such as in the question: J’ai vu ___ arbre en venant
ici., move on to RULE 2.

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2. Check if the word after the “___” starts with a vowel. If it does then check among these words : cet,
l’, mon, ton, son. One of these words will be in the option. Pick that word as that word is the
answer. So, in the example below:
J’ai vu ___ arbre en venant ici. A. cet B. sa C. son D. les
The correct option is A.
Now, if the word starts with a vowel but none of the words I gave above are in the options, move
on to RULE 3. If also, the word does not start with a vowel, also move on to RULE 3.
3. Check if one of the following words are in the options: votre, notre, leur. If there is any, then that is
the answer. If not move on to RULE 4. Let us see two examples:
Nous avons vu ___ voiture en traversant la rue. A. ses B. le C. leur D. l’
Nous avons vu ___ avion en traversant la rue. A. ses B. le C. la D. une
In the first question, following our rules, voiture is not plural, neither does it begin with a vowel. SO
we move to RULE 3. We then look out for a word in RULE 3 that is also in the options and we found
leur, so we pick option C as the answer.
In the second question, following the rules, avion is not plural but it begins with a vowel so we go
to rule 2. But the options given are not among the words given for us to choose from in RULE 2, so
we move to rule 3. But still we still can’t find a word in RULE 3 in the options, so we move to RULE
4.
4. Now, we check for the gender of the word. But we have a little problem. We all know that
determiners go before nouns, but in French, all nouns and adjectives have a gender. They are
either masculine or feminine. And you’ve got to know the gender of the word/noun before knowing
which determiner to use. So I’ll give you a general rule for determining the gender of words
(nouns).
A) For Feminine nouns –
a) It is quite safe to assume that all noun ending in -e are all feminine. But before rushing to
assume its femininity, if the noun end in -age, -ege, – ème, -ome, -aume, -isme, then it is
not feminine but masculine. But take note of the following exceptions as they are
feminine: la nage (swimming), la plage (beach), la page (page). As far as the word does
not end with the above listed endings but still ends with -e, it is feminine.
b) Also, words ending with -tion and -sion are feminine although they don't end with an -e.
For e.g. la natation, la television.
c) PLS MEMORIZE THE FOLLOWING WORDS AS THEY ARE ALL MASCULINE: le livre
(textbook), le père (father), le frère (brother), le grade (rank, degree), le fils (son), le stade
(stadium), le domaine (estate, field/domain), le lycée (high school), le musée (museum),
le café (coffee), le thé (tea).

B) For Masculine nouns –

a) It is quite safe to assume that any noun not ending with -e are masculine. But there are
few exceptions: words that end with -tion and -sion like la natation are feminine although
they don't end with -e.
b) It is important to note that nouns ending with -age, -ege, – ème, -ome, -aume, -isme are
all masculine.

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 c) PLS MEMORIZE THE FOLLOWING WORDS AS THEY ARE ALL FEMININE: la maison (house),
la main (hand), la peau (skin), l’eau (water), la dent (tooth), la nuit (night), la fin (end), la
souris (mouse), la vis (screw), la bible (bible), la faim (hunger), la soif (thirst).

Please, note that there are numerous exceptions to these rules of gender determination which
cannot be listed here. But the rules above can assure you a 70% accuracy so do not be so
worried. But if your mind does not settle for a 70% accuracy, you can go on to browse for the
other exceptions. But be warned, there are hundreds of exceptions and the words are rarely
used in conversations. We shall now start learning about articles.

Now you’ve correctly identified the gender,

a) For masculine words – pick one of the following words that is also in the options: mon, ton,
son, ce, le, un, quel.
b) For feminine words – pick one of the following words that is also in the options: ma, ta, sa,
cette, les, une, quelle.
5. RULE 5 is the exception rule. If the word in question is lait (milk), thé (tea), café (coffee) usually
goes with du, thus: du café, du thé, du lait as they are uncountable. You probably know why by
now.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON DETERMINERS

Mettez le bon déterminant qui a) la b) leurs c) ces d) votre
convient pour completer les phrases 11. Où est ___ stylo que j'ai prêté ?
suivantes. a) sa b) ma c) ces d) le
1. Il a trouvé ___ stylo dans son sac. 12. Ils vont passer les vacances en
a) la b) ce c) ma d) les France ___ année.
2. Elle a perdu ___ clés de sa voiture. a) cette b) les c) cet d) une
a) les b) ta c) ce d) leur 13. Elle a acheté ___ robe pour la soirée.
3. Nous avons visité ___ musée hier. a) cette b) un c) mon d) leurs
a) la b) le c) vos d) quel 14. Il utilise ___ ordinateur portable
4. ___ ami est très sympa. pour travailler.
a) sa b) cette c) nos d) ton a) ton b) ces c) le d) nos
5. Il a choisi ___ livre intéressant. 15. ___ voiture est garée devant la
a) la b) un c) ma d) quel maison?
6. Regardez ___ étoiles dans le ciel. a) notre b) ses c) quelle d) vos
a) cet b) vous c) les d) sa 16. Il a trouvé ___ clé perdues.
7. Elle a acheté ___ voiture rouge. a) mes b) leur c) ce d) la
a) une b) cet c) tes d) leurs 17. Il a oublié ___ sac à dos à l'école?
a) sa b) ces c) son d) la
8. J'ai vu ___ chien dans le parc. 18. Nous allons ___ parc pour pique-
a) nos b) la c) ton d) cet niquer.
9. ___ parents sont en vacances. a) à b) au c) à l' d) aux
a) leur b) cette c) ma d) no 19. Il a acheté ___ ordinateur hier.
10. Il est allé à ___ école. a) cet b) ce c) cette d) le
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 20. ___ avion va partir dans deux a) le b) de la c) du d) des
heures. 27. J'ai préparé _______ salade pour le
a) ce b) l' c) la d) les pique-nique.
21. Elle a acheté _______ lait pour faire a) le b) de la c) du d) des
le gâteau. 28. As-tu goûté _______ vin rouge ?
a) le b) de la c) du d) des a) le b) de la c) du d) des
22. Nous avons besoin _______ farine 29. Tu veux _______ eau avec ton
pour la recette. repas ?
a) le b) de la c) du d) des a) le b) de la c) de l' d) des
23. Il boit _______ eau minérale tous les 30. Elle a trouvé _______ miel au
jours. marché.
a) le b) de la c) du d) de l' a) le b) de la c) du d) des
24. Elle a mangé _______ pommes pour
le dessert.
a) le b) de la c) du d) des ANSWERS
25. Il a préparé _______ café pour ses 1B 2A 3B 4D 5B 6C 7A 8C 9D 10D
amis. 11D 12C 13A 14A 15C 16D 17C 18D
a) le b) de la c) du d) des 19A 20B 21C 22B 23D 24D 25C 26D
26. Nous avons ramassé _______ 27B 28C 29B 30C
champignons dans la forêt.

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 SIMPLE NEGATIVE FORM

To make a sentence negative, you simply place ne... pas around the verb. For e.g.
a) Elle travaille le lundi. - She works on Mondays.
Elle ne travaille pas le lundi. - She does not work on Mondays.
b) Il répond à la lettre. - He answers the letter.
Il ne répond pas à la lettre. - He does not answer the letter.

If the ne precedes (comes before) a verb starting with a vowel or a mute h, ne becomes n’. For e.g.
a) J’habite à Owerri. - I live in Owerri.
Je n’habite pas à Owerri. - I do not live in Owerri.
b) Elle aime les tomates. - She likes tomatoes.
Elle n’aime pas les tomates. She does not like tomatoes.

When negating French sentences, as far as the verb being negated is not être, all indefinite and partitive
articles following the verb (that is un, une, du, de la, des) turn to de or d' (if it precedes a vowel or a
mute h). For e.g.
a) J'ai un stylo. - I have a pen
Je n'ai pas de stylo - I don't have a pen.
b) Ce village a du charme. - This village has charm.
Ce village n’a pas de charme - This village has no charm.
c) Il prête de l’ argent à son ami. - He lends money to his friend.
Il ne prête pas d’ argent à son ami. - He does not lend any money to his friend.
d) Nous avons des cartes routières. - We have road maps.
Nous n’avons pas de cartes routières. - We do not have any road maps.
e) Il est un homme – He is a man.
Il n’est pas un homme – He is not a man (the verb est is the 3rd person singular of être so there is
no change).

Now, there are other negation patterns apart from ne…pas. They include ne…plus (no more/no longer
e.g. Je ne mange plus d’orange – I am no longer eating an orange), ne…rien (nothing e.g. il ne voit rien –
he does not see anything i.e. he sees nothing), ne…personne (nobody e.g. il n’y a personne – there’s
nobody), ne…jamais (never e.g. je ne quitte jamais la maison – I never leave the house).

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON NEGATION

A) Mettez les phrases suivantes à la 8. Vous corrigez les copies des

forme negative (put the following étudiants.
sentences in the negative form). 9. Nous étudions l’arabe.
1. Il encourage ses employés. 10. Il maigrit en vacances.
2. Ils visitent le musée. 11. Ils parlent de la nouvelle
3. Tu gagnes à la loterie. transaction.
4. Elle enlève son chapeau. 12. Vous commandez une bouteille de
5. Vous exprimez vos opinions. vin blanc.
6. Tu pèses les fruits. 13. Tu demandes une augmentation de
7. Il danse la valse. salaire.
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 14. Ils financent un grand projet. B. il ne connait pas de projet.
15. Vous choisissez une autre direction. C. il ne connait pas le projet.
D. je ne connait pas le projet.
B) Choisissez l'option juste en
8. Tu as un stylo? Non,
répondant aux questions par une
A. je ne ai pas un stylo.
phrase negative (choose the correct
B. je n'ai pas un stylo.
option in response to the questions in
C. je ne ai pas de stylo.
the negative form).
D. je n'ai pas de stylo.
1. Le professeur parle le français?
9. Est-ce qu'il mange du poulet? Non,
Non,
A. il ne mange pas du poulet.
A. elles ne parle pas le français.
B. il ne mange pas de poulet.
B. il ne parle pas le français.
C. elle ne mange pas du poulet.
C. ils ne parlent pas le français.
D. elle ne mange pas de poulet.
D. je ne parle pas le francais.
10. Avez-vous soif? Non,
2. Tu as un cahier? Non,
A. je n'ai pas soif.
A. tu n'as pas un cahier.
B. nous n'avons pas soif.
B. tu n'as pas de cahier.
C. il n'a pas soif.
C. je n'ai pas un cahier.
D. tu n'as pas soif.
D. je n'ai pas de cahier.
3. Est-ce qu'elle aime la musique? ANSWERS
Non, A)
A. elle n'aime pas de musique. 1. Il n'encourage pas ses employés.
B. elle ne pas aime la musique. 2. Ils ne visitent pas le musées.
C. elle n'aime pas la musique. 3. Tu ne gagnes pas à la loterie.
D. elle ne aime pas la musique. 4. Elle n'enlève pas son chapeau.
4. Est-ce que Nicolas habite à Lagos? 5. Vous n'exprimez pas vos opinions.
Non, 6. Tu ne pèses pas les fruits.
A. elle ne habite pas à Lagos. 7. Il ne danse pas la valse.
B. elle n'habite pas à Lagos. 8. Vous ne corrigez pas les copies des
C. il n'habite pas à Lagos. étudiants.
D. tu n'habites pas à Lagos. 9. Nous n'étudions pas l'arabe.
5. Est-ce que tu manges le dinêr? Non, 10. Il ne maigrit pas en vacances.
A. tu ne manges pas le dinêr. 11. Ils ne parlent pas de nouvelle transaction.
B. je ne mange pas le dinêr. 12. Vous ne commandez pas de bouteille de
C. je ne manges pas le dinêr. vin blanc.
D. tu ne mange pas le dinêr. 13. Tu ne demandes pas d'augmentation de
6. Le boucher vend de la viande. Non, salaire.
A. il ne vend pas de la viande. 14. Ils ne financent pas de grand projet.
B. ils ne vendent pas de la viande. 15. Vous ne choissisez pas d'autre direction.
C. elles ne vendent pas de la
B)
viande.
1B 2D 3C 4C 5B 6D 7C 8D 9B 10A/B
D. il ne vend pas de viande.
7. Est-ce que son mari connait le
projet? Non,
A. elle ne connait pas le projet.
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