This blog will guide you through the present tense rules, common mistakes, and useful tips to master this essential grammar concept.
In this exercise, students need to conjugate the verbs in parentheses in the present tense. Let’s break down the sentences and understand how to apply the present tense correctly.
➡️ Le matin, Ravi emmène ses enfants à l’école.
✔️ In the morning, Ravi takes his children to school.
➡️ Ils quittent la maison à 7 heures.
✔️ They leave the house at 7 o’clock.
➡️ Puis, Ravi prend le bus pour aller à son bureau.
✔️ Then, Ravi takes the bus to go to his office.
➡️ À midi, il mange au restaurant.
✔️ At noon, he eats at the restaurant.
➡️ Le soir, avant de rentrer, il fait des courses.
✔️ In the evening, before going home, he does some shopping.
➡️ Sa femme va chercher les enfants.
✔️ His wife goes to pick up the children.
➡️ Nous finissons notre travail à 18 heures.
✔️ We finish our work at 6 PM.
➡️ Mon mari m’attend à l’arrêt de bus.
✔️ My husband waits for me at the bus stop.
➡️ Nous prenons le métro pour rentrer.
✔️ We take the metro to return home.
➡️ Souvent nous choisissons un RER qui est plus rapide.
✔️ We often choose an RER that is faster.
➡️ Nous sommes chez nous dans quinze minutes.
✔️ We are home in fifteen minutes.
Regular verbs in French follow specific patterns based on their endings:
| Verb Ending | Example | Conjugation (Présent) |
|---|---|---|
| -ER | manger (to eat) | je mange, tu manges, il/elle mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez, ils/elles mangent |
| -IR | finir (to finish) | je finis, tu finis, il/elle finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent |
| -RE | attendre (to wait) | j’attends, tu attends, il/elle attend, nous attendons, vous attendez, ils/elles attendent |
Irregular verbs do not follow regular conjugation patterns and must be memorized. Some of the most common irregular verbs include:
| Verb | Conjugation (Présent) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| ÊTRE (to be) | je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont | Je suis étudiant. (I am a student.) |
| ALLER (to go) | je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont | Nous allons à l’école. (We go to school.) |
| AVOIR (to have) | j’ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont | Il a un chien. (He has a dog.) |
| FAIRE (to do/make) | je fais, tu fais, il/elle fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils/elles font | Elle fait du sport. (She plays sports.) |
❌ Nous finit notre travail à 18 heures. (Wrong)
✅ Nous finissons notre travail à 18 heures. (Correct)
Tip: Always match the verb ending to the subject pronoun. Nous takes the “-ons” ending for regular -ER verbs and “-issons” for -IR verbs.
❌ Il manger au restaurant. (Wrong)
✅ Il mange au restaurant. (Correct)
Tip: The infinitive (manger) is the base form of the verb, but in a sentence, it must be conjugated according to the subject.
❌ Nous avons arrivé en retard. (Wrong)
✅ Nous sommes arrivés en retard. (Correct)
Tip: Some verbs use être in the passé composé (e.g., aller, venir, partir, arriver).
✔ Write sentences: Take five verbs and make your own sentences in the present tense.
✔ Speak aloud: Read the example sentences multiple times to improve pronunciation.
✔ Use flashcards: Create flashcards with subject pronouns and verbs to practice conjugations.
✔ Practice with friends: Speak with a partner and describe daily routines using the present tense.
