Prepositions
Prepositions are words placed in front of nouns in order to indicate a relationship between that particular noun and a verb, an adjective, or another noun also found in the sentence. For example:-
- J’crit mon ami- I’m writing to my friend.
- On a dn dans un restaurant- We dined in a restaurant.
The following are common French prepositions:
| depuis | |
| aprs | en |
| avant | pendant |
| chez | pour |
| dans | sans |
| de | sur |
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Conjunctions
Conjunctions are connecting words which provide a link between similar words or groups of words, such as nouns or verbs. There are two types of French conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. The first category join words that have an equal value, while subordinating conjunctions join dependent clauses to their main clauses.
Examples of coordinating conjunctions: et, mais, ensuite, car, donc, ou, ou bien. For example:-
Je veux venir, mais ma voiture est en panne- I want to come, but my car isn’t working.
Examples of subordinating conjunctions: que, pour que, comme, lorsque, quand, si. For example:-
J’ai peur qu‘il va pleuvoir- I am afraid that it will rain.
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Verbs
Present tense of regular verbs
Regular verbs are verbs which are conjugated in the same way in each tense. Once you learn the tense, you can apply it to all other regular verbs. The conjugation depends if the verb ends in –er, –ir or –re. For example:-
| ‘Parler’ | ‘Finir’ | ‘Vendre’ |
| Je parle | Je finis | Je vends |
| Tu parles | Tu finis | Tu vends |
| Il parle | Il finit | Il vend |
| Nous parlons | Nous finissons | Nous vendons |
| Vous parlez | Vous finissez | Vous vendez |
| Ils parlent | Ils finissent | Ils vendent |
Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs also end in in –er, -ir or -re but don’t follow the regular conjugation pattern. Some of the most commonly employed verbs in the French language are irregular verbs, such as auxiliary verbs avoir and tre, as well as faire, dire, aller, savoir, vouloir, and pouvoir. It is important to learn and remember how to conjugate these verbs.
Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs are verbs which require a reflexive pronoun, as illustrated in the previous chapter on pronouns. For example:-
(se) laver; (se) maquiller; (se) coucher; (se) brosser (les dents).
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