Transcript The Present Tense

The Present Tense
Objectif: To be able to correctly
use the present tense in French.
• We use the present tense to describe what
is happening now or to describe
something that happens on a regular
basis.
I am playing football.
I play football on Saturdays.
• In English we have two different present
tenses. In French there is only one. This
means that:
Je joue au foot = I play football
OR
I am playing football.
This can cause problems when
translating into French!
• When we use the present tense in French,
the spelling of the verb will change
depending on who is using the verb. We
do this in English too but to a lesser
extent:
I listen to the radio
She listens to the radio
• In French we have to remember a series
of patterns that tells us how the verb will
be spelt. These patterns are determined
by how the verb ends in the infinitive (the
verb form that the dictionary gives).
• The good news is that the vast majority of
verbs in French end in –er and follow the
following pattern:
Trouver = To Find
Je trouve
= I find/ I am finding
Tu trouves
= You find/ You are finding
Il/elle trouve = He/she finds/ is finding
Nous trouvons = We find/ we are finding
Vous trouvez = You find/ You are finding
Ils/elles trouvent=They find/they are finding
This pattern will be the same for the vast
majority of verbs in French. So if you
learn just this pattern, you can use the
present tense in French for the vast
majority of verbs.
Trouver = To Find
Je trouve
= I find/ I am finding
Tu trouves
= You find/ You are finding
Il/elle trouve = He/she finds/ is finding
Nous trouvons = We find/ we are finding
Vous trouvez = You find/ You are finding
Ils/elles trouvent=They find/they are finding
• There is another type of verb. This verb
ends in –re. There are not very many
verbs that end in –re but most of them
follow the following pattern:
Vendre = To Sell
Je vends
Tu vends
Il/elle vend_
Nous vendons
Vous vendez
Ils/elles vendent
=
=
=
=
=
=
I sell
You sell
He/she sells
We sell
You sell
They sell
• Back in your blue exercise book now, have
a go at translating the following sentences
using the notes from your purple book. Be
careful!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I eat (manger)
1.
She is eating.
2.
They are selling.
3.
We watch. (regarder) 4.
We are watching.
5.
I go down. (descendre) 6.
You (pol) listen. (écouter)
7.
I work. (travailler)
8.
Je mange.
Elle mange.
Ils vendent.
Nous regardons.
Nous regardons.
Je descends.
Vous écoutez.
Je travaille.
Je regardes la télé
Elle descends.
Nous écoutons la radio
In pairs…
• Tell your partner what you have
understood about the present tense.
• Is there anything either of you don’t
understand?
• What is your traffic light for the present
tense? Why?