Transcript ER Endings

Putting It Together
An ER verb assembly kit
Karin White – French teacher
C&I 401 – Fall 2005 Dr. Cheri Toledo
Curriculum Web- Middle School French
October 28, 2005
Putting It Together
An ER verb assembly kit
Setup
Getting
Started
FAQ’s
Projects
A do-it-yourself program for constructing complete
thoughts and actions using regular ER verbs

Owner’s Manual
Setup
The process of verb conjugation
Parts and accessories
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Verb Conjugation
So what is conjugation? What does “conjugate” mean?
In grammatical terms, it’s…
Taking the regular form of the verb
(such as: to have, to eat, to dance, to
speak, etc) and changing it to agree
with the subject of the verb (the
person/object performing the action)
Lost? Don’t you worry. We conjugate verbs in
English every day! How???
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Verb Conjugation
Watch carefully as our verb repair specialty crew
conjugates an English verb in the present tense.
to be
I am
We are
You are
You (pl) are
He/She is
They are
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Verb Conjugation
Don’t they do excellent work? Here are some
other familiar projects:
to eat
to dance
I dance
We dance
I eat
We eat
You dance
You (pl) dance
You eat
You (pl) eat
He/She eats
They eat
He/She dances They dance
Is it making sense yet? We change “to dance” to
“dance” or “dances” depending on who we’re talking
about (I, You, They). The same goes for “to eat.”
Try a few on your own:
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Verb Conjugation
Here are a few verbs try. Remember to use the
present tense!
to watch
to work
I watch
We watch
I work
We work
You watch
You (pl) watch
You work
You (pl) work
He/She works
They work
He/She watches They watch
How did you do?
C’est facile, n’est-ce pas?
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Verb Conjugation
Would you say… (click on each one)
I is?
You be?
He are?
They watches?
She work?
I to be?
You to work?
Oops! Of course not! Conjugated verbs are not
interchangeable! It sounds ridiculous! It’s the
same way with the French language.
Now that you are experts, lets check out the nuts
and bolts of conjugating French verbs.
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
In order to be a successful verb conjugator, you
will need to know the following 4 terms:
Subject- The person or thing doing the action (je, vous, la télé)
Infinitive- The verb by itself: danser, parler, inviter, regarder
What others can you name?
travailler
habiter
organiser
écouter
chanter
Stem- The verb without the er: dans, parl, invit, regard
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
And most importantly:
Ending- The combination of letters that we put in place of the
“er” that we dropped earlier. Each pronoun has it’s own
ending to be used.
Below is a chart that gives these endings
-ER Endings
Je
e [—]
Nous ons [ohn]
Tu
es [—]
Vous
ez [eh]
Il/
Elle
e [—]
Ils/
Elles
ent [—]
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
Or think of it this way:
Subject
The worker:
Infinitive
The drill
packaging:
Stem
The drill:
(packaging
removed)
Ending
The drill bits:
er
Je, Tu, Nous,
la fille, Ils
aimer, danser, aim, dans,
chanter, parler chant, parl
e, es, e, ons,
ez, ent
The worker chooses the bit for each drill!!!
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
Ok, here’s the drill : Try to conjugate these
French verbs by following the 4 simple step:
1. Take note of the worker
2. Choose your drill package
3. Remove ALL er packaging from the drill (how
else are you going to use it?)
4. Select the correct bit for the worker given
*Notice, there are 6 workers for each verb!*
parler
Je
Tu
Il/Elle
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
parler
Je
Tu
Il/Elle
jouer
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
Je
Tu
Il/Elle
habiter
Je
Tu
Il/Elle
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
aimer
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
Je
Tu
Il/Elle
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
Go to the next page to see how you did!
La Conjugaison des Verbes
Parts and Accessories
parler
jouer
Je parle
Nous parlons
Je joue
Nous jouons
Tu parles
Vous parlez
Tu joues
Vous jouez
Il/Elle parle Ils/Elles parlent Il/Elle joue
Ils/Elles jouent
habiter
J’habite
Tu habites
Il/Elle habite
Nous habitons
Vous habitez
Ils/Elles
habitent
aimer
J’aime
Tu aimes
Il/Elle aime
Nous aimons
Vous aimez
Ils/Elles aiment
How did you do? Ready for a new twist?
Getting Started
Parts Review
The Rule of THREE
Parts Review
Surveying the Foundation
You should know the following terms before proceeding:
-conjugate
-subject
-infinitive
-stem
-ending
Remember, when putting something together, it’s always
better to have a strong foundation than a weak one. You
want what you are making to last, right? Make sure your
foundation is strong before you begin further building.
La Règle de TROIS
The Rule of THREE
1
2
Most conjugated forms of an ER verb sound the
same (even though their spellings are different),
so you only have to learn THREE pronunciations!
There are THREE “Special G” verbs that
break the rules for conjugating the nous
form:
-nager
3
-voyager
-manger
Each conjugated form of an ER verb in
the present tense has THREE meanings.
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
1
Most conjugated forms of an ER verb sound the
same (even though their spellings are different),
so you only have to learn THREE pronunciations!
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
For example, let’s conjugate:
danser
Je danse
Tu danses
Il/Elle danse
Nous dansons
Vous dansez
Ils/Elles dansent
Say them to yourself:
danse = [dawnss]
danses = [dawnss]
danse = [dawnss]
dansons = [dawnss-ohn]
dansez = [dawnss-eh]
dansent = [dawnss]
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
danser
Je danse
Tu danses
Il/Elle danse
Nous dansons
Vous dansez
Ils/Elles dansent
Trois Pononciations!
1. [dawnss]
2. [dawnss-ohn]
How does it work?
3. [dawnss-eh]
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
When you take off the packaging (er), you get the stem
(the drill).
The stem is pronounced just like it looks. It’s like saying
the infinitive form without the ER sound at the end:
Infinitive
drop ER
=
Stem
-étudier
[ay]
=
étudi [ay-tew-dee]
-inviter
[ay]
=
invit [aahn-veet]
-habiter
[ay]
=
habit [ah-beet]
And then…
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
Add the bit! As a quick reminder, here are the
pronunciations of each bit (ending)
-ER Endings
Je
e [—]
Nous
ons [ohn]
Tu
es [—]
Vous
ez [eh]
Il/ Elle
e [—]
Ils/Elles
ent [—]
Do you see the 4 bits that have the same pronunciation?
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
Let’s try it with dîner:
Subject
(worker)
+
Stem
(drill)
+
Ending
(bit)
Result
Je
+ dîn [deen]
+
e [-]
dîne [deen]
Tu
+ dîn [deen]
+
es [-]
dînes [deen]
Il/Elle
+ dîn [deen]
+
e [-]
dîne [deen]
Nous
+ dîn [deen]
+ ons[ohn]
Vous
+ dîn [deen]
+
ez[eh]
dînez [deen-eh]
Ils/Elles
+ dîn [deen]
+
ent [-]
dînent [deen]
dînons [deen-ohn]
TROIS Prononciations
Three Pronunciations
Do you see the 4 bits that have the same pronunciation?
Subject
(worker)
+
Stem
(drill)
+
Ending
(bit)
Result
Je
+ dîn [deen]
+
e [-]
dîne [deen]
Tu
+ dîn [deen]
+
es [-]
dînes [deen]
Il/Elle
+ dîn [deen]
+
e [-]
dîne [deen]
Nous
+ dîn [deen]
+ ons[ohn]
Vous
+ dîn [deen]
+
ez[eh]
dînez [deen-eh]
Ils/Elles
+ dîn [deen]
+
ent [-]
dînent [deen]
dînons [deen-ohn]
Les exemples au Web
More examples: (click on links to hear
an authentic pronunciation)
http://www.frenchtutorial.com/standard/present/group1.php
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/ver1.html
The above links are the internet examples (described in your packet)
Les verbes du “G” special
Special G verbs
2
There are THREE “Special G” verbs that
break the rules for conjugating the nous
form:
Les verbes du “G” special
Special G verbs
These three “special G” verbs are:
nager
voyager
manger
They are all three ER verbs with a “G” before the –er.
Les verbes du “G” special
Special G verbs
For these “special G” verbs, the
“Nous” form is different.
What changes?
Why? (think pronunciation)
nager
Je nage
Nous nageons
Tu nages
Vous nagez
Il/Elle nage
Ils/Elles
nagent
voyager
manger
Je voyage
Nous
voyageons
Je mange
Nous
mangeons
Tu voyages
Vous voyagez
Tu manges
Vous mangez
Il/Elle voyage
Ils/Elles
voyagent
Il/Elle mange
Ils/Elles
mangent
Something about the spelling has changed…
Les verbes du “G” special
Special G verbs
So what changes?
-We’ve added an
“e” between the “g” and “ons”
-Why?
-So we can keep the [zsh] sound in all the verb
forms (je, tu, nous, vous, etc) consistently.
And if we didn’t?
-We’d have: nagons [nah – gohn]
voyagons [voy –a-gohn]
mangon [mah –gohn]
And the
French would
say…
Oh là là! Fermez les oreilles!!!
[mahn-gohn]??? Zut! C’est un
massacre de la langue française!
NON! NON! NON!!!
[nah-gohn]??? NON!!! C’est
horrible! Quelle horreur!!!!
Et [voy-a-gohn]?!? Quelle
mauvaise prononciation!!!!
Les verbes du “G” special
Special G verbs
So… in the interest of positive foreign relations, let’s
remember:
-The “NOUS” form is special for nager,
voyager, and manger
-In the “NOUS” form of these three verbs,
we need to insert and “e” after the “g” to
make the pronunciation sound nice
SPECIAL “G” needs an “E” to sound “JOLI!” (pretty)
3 pronunciations, 3 special “G” verbs, and now…
TROIS Sens
Three Meanings
3
Each conjugated form of an ER verb in
the present tense has THREE meanings.
TROIS Sens
Three Meanings
For example, let’s conjugate:
voyager
Je voyage
Nous voyageons
Tu voyages
Vous voyagez
Il/Elle voyage
Ils/Elles voyagent
“Je voyage” has three meanings: I travel, I am traveling,
I do travel
“Ils/Elles voyagent” has three meanings: They travel,
they are traveling, and they do travel
TROIS Sens
Three Meanings
Need a few more examples?
We play
Nous jouons
We are playing
We do play
Elles empruntent
I win
Je gagne
I am winning
I do win
They borrow
They are borrowing
They do borrow
La Règle de TROIS
The Rule of THREE
Et
VOILÀ!
Conjugate while remembering these three rules and you’ll
create a masterpiece every time!
And speaking of masterpieces… lets put it all together and
try your handiwork…
Projects
Les Projets
Projects
Visit the following sites and try to activities to test your
newfound skills and knowledge:
1. be sure to following instructions in parentheses! 
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/HotPotatoes/in
dex.htm  (click on “Français, scroll down and select Present Tense,
click on Regular –ER Verbs)
2. http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa101199t.htm
3. http://www.quia.com/mc/66100.html (you may play several times)
4. http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/ver1.html (scroll down towards
the bottom, starting with “fill in the blanks”)
Be sure to record your scores on the activity sheet!
FAQ’s
Les Questions Fréquentes
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical Questions:
Instead of dropping the “er” when conjugating a verb,
can’t I just drop the “r”?
What you’re really asking:
Can’t I leave some of the packaging and still use the drill
without any problems?
Answer:
NO! It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but it
is a bad habit to start! Some -er verbs have fancier
endings and cannot be conjugated by just dropping the
“r”. Conjugation will not turn out properly… nor will your
project if you leave the packaging on the drill!
Les Questions Fréquentes
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical Questions:
Why is the “e” missing in “Je” when I conjugate verbs like
“aimer, habiter, écouter, inviter, etc.”
What you’re really asking:
Is the “Je” worker picky about certain drills?
Answer:
Yes, the “Je” worker is picky. If the drill it wants to use
begins with the vowels “a,e, or i” or a vowel sound, it likes
to eliminate the “e” in “Je” and put an apostrophe in it’s
place. For example: J’habite, J’aime, J’invite.
Les Questions Fréquentes
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical Questions:
Will “je suis parle” or “je suis parler” work instead of
saying “je parle” to mean “I am speaking”?
What you’re really asking:
Can’t a worker use two drills at the same time with or
without the correct bit?
Answer:
NO! It’s dangerous and makes no sense! “Je parle” already
means “I am speaking.” “Je suis parle,”translates to “I am
am speaking.” “Je suis parler,” means “I am to speak.” Do
not put any form of être (suis, es, est, sommes, êtes,
sont) in front of any verb!!! (you’d be using two drills…
être and another verb)

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Introduction: This curriculum web introduces students to the
process of verb conjugation. It is limited to one specific form
of verbs (regular ER), but goes fairly in-depth with what
conjugation, is, means, and looks like in English and French. By
the end of the curriculum, students should be able to identify
and apply the basic steps to conjugating a regular ER verb in
French.
Aim: This curriculum web enables students to conjugate ER
verbs so that they can create complete sentences to express
actions, their thoughts, etc. In doing so they will greatly
expand their grammatical base because the rules and patterns
they learn can be applied to so many other aspects of the
language.

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Rationale: This activity a partial introductory but
supplementary part of the curriculum.
Audience: Middle School French or High School French I.
Prerequisites: Students will need to recognize and know the
meaning of ER verbs, as well as be family with the usage of ER
verbs in every day expressions before starting this activity.

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
National Learning Standards:
-Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written
and spoken language on a variety of topics.
-Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their
knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language.
-Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the
nature of language through comparisons of the language
studied and their own.

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Goals:
-Students will be able to apply the concept of verb
conjugation to their own language and to ER verbs in French
-Students will be able to list the steps necessary in
conjugating and French ER verb
_Students will be able to correctly conjugate French ER verbs
and identify the differences and similarities between
conjugated verb forms.

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Instructional Plan:
-Review what we know of “LUNDI,” our Monday stretch
activity. (Quizzes over “LUNDI” material will have been given
prior to this entire unit as means of reinforcement)
-As a class, break down the concepts from “LUNDI” so that
the students begin to see what “conjugation” is in its finished
form.
-From there, we will discuss how these conjugation patterns
that we have noticed arrived at their finished form (the steps
necessary).
-Introduce curriculum web and go over activity instructions.
Spend two-three days in computer lab (40 min periods).

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Instruction Plan con’t:
-Students will work individually.
Materials:
-Activity packet
-computer with internet access
-headphones
-pencil

Owner’s Manual
(Teaching Guide)
Assessment and Evaluation Plan:
-Assessment is contained within the curriculum web.
Students will complete the “projects” with their new
knowledge and skills.
-For further oral assessment, students will create dialogs (in
groups) based on prompts. Pronunciation quizzes will also be
given on a weekly basis.
Special Note: French grammar can be a very tedious and
tiresome topic. In order to maintain interest and simplify the
seemingly ambiguous concepts for my young audience, I’ve
added animation, music, and partial assessments along the way.
This project is designed around a construction/work project
theme.