Songs/Chansons
Aller
Avoir
Boire
Conduire
Connaitre
Devoir
Dire
Ecrire
Etre
Faire
Falloir
Lire
Mettre
Ouvrir
Partir
Plaire
Pouvoir
Prendre
Recevoir
Savoir
Valoir
Venir
Vivre
Voir
Vouloir.
                         

    The present tense should be describing what is happening
    right now, but in English it is not so. For example
                 I eat when I am hungry
                 I eat at home
    do not express what one is doing right now. To do so in
    English, one must use a progressive form:
                 I am eating.
     But for the French, I AM EATING and  I EAT are translated by
    one form only, the present:
    JE MANGE.
    If you do what many beginning student do and translate “‘I am
    eating” word for word, you often end up with JE SUIS MANGÉ,
    sounding like "I am eaten".

       ER verbs conjugate as follows:
Chanter (to sing)
    Je chante
    Tu chantes
    Il chante
    Nous chantons
    Vous chantez
    Ils chantent


     Verbs of the third group end with RE.
    Their conjugation is rather straightforward:

    EX:   Vendre (To sell)
    Je vends
    Tu vends
    Il vend
    Nous vendons
    Vous vendez
    Ils vendent

    Though a good number of RE verbs are irregular many follow
    the same conjugation pattern as above for the present:

    EX    Mettre (to put, to put on)
    Je mets
    Tu mets
    Il met
    Nous mettons
    Vous mettez
    Ils mettent


    Verbs of the second group ending in IR have a very
    characteristic “ss” sound  in the last syllable of the plural forms:

    Je finis
    Tu finis
    Il finit
    Nous finissons
    Vous finissez
    Ils finissent.

    However many verbs that end with IR are irregular (including
    all  the verbs that end with OIR) do not belong to this group
    and do not have that characteristic “ss” sound. They tend to
    conjugate like the verbs of the third group:

    EX: Sortir (to go out)
    Je sors
    Tu sors
    Il sort
    Nous sortons
    Vous sortez
    Ils sortent

          
                               THE IMPERATIVE

    While we are covering the present, it would make sense to
    cover the imperative, for it uses present forms.
    What is the imperative? One could say it is when one tells
    someone to do something.
    EX: Continue. (to either one person or to many).  
    In french we use either the tu or vous forms:

    Continue  (familiar to one person)
    Continuez (to a few people or formal to one person)

    Note that for the ER verbs the s drops off the tu form.
    It is not the case for IR and RE verbs

    Choisis   
    Choisissez

    Vends
    Vendez

    When the speaker is included,  it’s more of a suggestion:

    Let’s continue:
    Continuons

    As you can see, there is no let’s in French.
    The difference between continuons and continuez is
    sufficient to distinguish them without having to add the let’s.
    Make sure you don’t add “nous” when you want to say “let’s”.
    Nous continuons would not mean let’s continue but instead
    we are continuing.

                   IRREGULAR VERBS
           French also has a lot of irregular verbs. They almost
    always end in IR or Re but do not follow the regular
    conjugations. Instead, most of them vaguely parallel the
    third conjugation.
    Here is a list of the main ones, with audio:
    Le Présent

    A
    l
    o
    h
    a
    I am singing (also I sing etc..)
    You are singing
    He is singing

    We are singing
    You are singing
    They are singing

    Acceptant
    Achetant
    Admirant
    Aidant
    Aimant
    Ajoutant
    Améliorant
    Appelant
    Appréciant
    Arrangeant
    Assistant(à)
    Changeant
    Cherchant
    Commandant
    Commençant
    Comptant
    Canteillant
    Continuant
    Dansant
    Décidant
    Demandant
    Dépensant
    Désirant
    Dînant
    Discutant
    Donnant
    Écoutant
    Employant
    Envoyant
    Épousant
    Essayant
    Étudiant
    Excusant
    Expliquant
    Fermant
    Habitant
    Invitant
    Jouant
    Laissant
    Mangeant
    Marchant
    Montrant
    Parlant
    Payant
    Pensant
    Portant
    Possédant
    Préférant
    Préparant
    Présentant
    Refusant
    Regardant
    Regrettant
    Répétant
    Rêvant
    Tentant (de)
    Touchant
    Tournant
    Travaillant
    Traversant
    Trouvant
    Visitant
    Voyageant
    Acceptons
    Achetons
    Admirons
    Aidons
    Aimons
    Ajoutons
    Améliorons
    Appelons
    Apprécions
    Arrangeons
    Assistons(à)
    Changeons
    Cherchons
    Commandons
    Commençons
    Comptons
    Conseillons
    Continuons
    Dansons
    Décidons
    Demandons
    Dépensons
    Désirons
    Dînons
    Discutons
    Donnons
    Écoutons
    Employons
    Envoyons
    Épousons
    Essayons
    Étudions
    Excusons
    Expliquons
    Fermons
    Habitons
    Invitons
    Jouons
    Laissons
    Mangeons
    Marchons
    Montrons
    Parlons
    Payons
    Pensons
    Portons
    Possédons
    Préférons
    Préparons
    Présentons
    Refusons
    Regardons
    Regrettons
    Répétons
    Rêvons
    Tentons (de)
    Touchons
    Tournons
    Travaillons
    Traversons
    Trouvons
    Visitons
    Voyageons
    Accepter
    Acheter
    Admirer
    Aider
    Aimer
    Ajouter
    Améliorer
    Appeler
    Apprécier
    Arranger
    Assister(à)
    Changer
    Chercher
    Commander
    Commencer
    Compter
    Conseiller
    Continuer
    Dancer
    Décider
    Demander
    Dépenser
    Désirer
    Diner
    Discuter
    Donner
    Écouter
    Employer
    Envoyer
    Épouser
    Essayer
    Étudier
    Excuser
    Expliquer
    Fermer
    Habiter
    Inviter
    Jouer
    Laisser
    Manger
    Marcher
    Montrer
    Parler
    Payer
    Penser
    Porter
    Posséder
    Préférer
    Préparer
    Présenter
    Refuser
    Regarder
    Regretter
    Répéter
    Rêver
    Tenter(de)
    Toucher
    Tourner
    Travailler
    Traverser
    Trouver
    Visiter
    Voyager

It's all a question
of prononciation.

    A big mistake an English
    speaker can make with the
    présent is one of pronunciation:

     With ER verbs, such as
    CHANTER. (to sing)
    The ER is pronounced É (the
    english sound "it" without the “t”
    see sounds).

    When conjugated, for CHANTER
    we get:

 Je chante           
pronounced without the é sound

Tu chantes          
pronounced without the é sound

Il chante              
pronounced without the é sound

Nous chantons    
replace é with the “on” sound

Vous chantez      
pronounced with the é sound

Ils chantent        
pronounced without the é sound

    As you can see, for "je chante"
    the r drops out and so does the é
    sound. You are left with
    pronouncing only the T sound
    before the e. If you pronounce
    final "e" you would tend to say je
    parlé, which sounds like the
    imparfait  je parlais (I was
    speaking, I used to speak).
    The “Tu il and ils” forms are
    pronounced exactly like the “Je”
    form.
    As ER verbs comprise more than
    half of French verbs and all are
    regular except ALLER (to go), it
    is an important rule to remember.
    Ecoutez (listen):



    The importance of distinguishing
    between a silent e and an é
    sound is evident with the je form:
    Listen to the difference between

    Je parle (I speak, I am speaking)
    Je parlais (I used to speak, I was
                         speaking)
    j'ai parlé (I spoke, I have spoken)





They are very easy to mix up,
alors, Attention!

In fast French, the silent e often
drops out. Ecoutez:



Oh La la!
You'll get used to it.

    This présentation of the
    présent was prepared by
    David Berger.
    All rights reserved.
    All comments, suggestions
    and corrections are welcome
pouvoir                
croire                
venir
faire        
boire
conduire
aller        
sentir
sortir                
avoir                
devoir                
savoir
connaître                        
partir                
vivre                
ouvrir
plaire                
mettre        
lire        
recevoir                
dire
voir        
prendre        
vouloir        
écrire        
be able to (can)                     
believe                      
come                         
do / make                     
drink               
drive                 
go    
feel                
go out                                        
have                                     
have to(must)                       
know                  
know (+noun)                              
leave                                           
live                                          
open                  
please                                         
put                       
read                     
receive                             
say/tell                               
see                     
take                
want               
write               
ECOUTEZ - LISTEN
For more on ER verbs, click here
  The present is gone
            dissipating within
                   eternity's fluidity