Grand Tour of the French Verb System
Welcome to a two-part comprehensive Tour of the French verb system where we cover several basic concepts that will help you find your way through some new terms you may not have seen before.
The Grand Tour of the French Verb-Tense System has 2 complementary tours:
Tour 1: The Quick-Peek Tour: The Quick-Peek Tour identifies each key area of the French verb-tense system listed below and presents a very short description of each one. Each area is then described in greater detail in the Grand Tour according to their respective section numbers (1.1, 1.2, etc.). Just click on the numbered links to jump to any section.
Tour 2: The Grand Tour (which is located after the Quick-Peek Tour): The Grand Tour explores in greater detail each component of the French verb-tense system. All of these components will have practice webxercises available here at verbexpress.net.
Quick-Peek Tour of the French Verb-Tense System
1.1 Verbe et sujet (Verb and Subject)
1.2 Modes (Moods)
1.3 Temps (Tenses)
1.4 Formats (Formats)
1.5 Verbes en chaînes (Verb Chains)
1.6 Participe passé (Past Participle)
1.7 Stratégies d'apprentissage (Learning Strategies)
1.1 Le Verbe et le sujet (The verb and the subject):
First of all we have the concept of the verb itself (verbe in French), which is a key language tool in the form of a word, or group of words, that we use to communicate to someone else the ideas of ‘action’ or ‘state of being’ in any of their possible manifestations. (See Section 1.1 below for an in-depth discussion.)
Arching over the verb tenses themselves is a classification scheme which represents not so much the timeframes of actions, but certain shifting qualities of an action being described; whether it is, for example, the factual existence of the action or merely its hypothetical, possible existence.
Other features include whether the action is being handled as a command, or as an adjective, or whether we are merely using the non-active dictionary name of the verb. All of these "function angles" by which an action can be viewed are called "Modes" (Moods in English) and are fully discussed in Section 1.2 below.
Within the "Modes" (Moods), we find the French verb TENSES themselves. These are the actual mechanical formulas which are employed to make a verb describe an action as happening in the past, present, future, or in some other temporal way. These verb tenses are listed according to their respective timeframes in Section 1.3, below.
The essential mechanics of each verb tense or verb form are first of all handled by means of one of three possible formats: les temps simples (simple tenses), les temps composés (compound tenses), or les temps combinés (a combination of a temps simple, a temps composé, and an Infinitif - with or without additional helper words).
Each of these formats is further adjusted into one of three "verb directions" (which are called “voices” – “voix” in French): the actif (active), passif (passive), or pronominal (pronominal), which do not affect the timeframes, but add further precision and shades of meaning. All six of these verb "formats" are discussed in detail in Section 1.4, below.
1.5 Les Verbes en chaînes (Verb Chains):
If desired, verbs can easily be strung together like links in a chain. See the more detailed discussion in Section 1.5, below.
1.6 Le Participe passé (Past Participle):
To wrap up our quick summary of the sections we discuss more fully below, we come to one of the power tools of the French verb system. That is, the "Participe passé" (Past Participle). This verb tool can be likened to a chameleon because its spelling adjusts according to its nearby environment and the way it's being used at the time of speaking.
A Participe passé may agree in gender and number with other words in some cases, and not in others! It is one of the challenges of the French language because of its various uses and versatility. A deeper description of the Participe passé is presented in Section 1.6, below.
1.7 Stratégies d'apprentissage (Learning Strategies):
The only way to really master French verb tenses and verb forms is by practice. Lots of practice.
So here at VerbExpress.net, we will endeavour to provide a wide-ranging set of practice tools to help learners discover every conceivable French verb tense, form, and variation in every timeframe and also provide practice tools to help learners enjoy the powerful system as they increase in skill and confidence.
We will ensure that every tense and form can be practised in the affirmative, negative, and in question-asking to make sure that mastery is achieved at a deeper level than ever before possible.
The French Verb Tense Sample Gallery and the brand new World Encyclopedia of French Verb Tenses
As we set up the online practice pages (which we call webxercises - pronounced webzercizes) you can get a headstart in boosting your skills by downloading a copy of two recently-released ebooks HERE.
The first book is titled The French Verb Tense Sample Gallery and features the complete, alphabetically arranged set of French verb tenses, forms, and variations along with hundreds of examples AND English translations revealing every possible meaning!
The second book The World Encyclopedia of French Verb Tenses, (516 pages, July 2018), reveals the easy-to-follow rules for absolutely every verb-tense possibility, (615 formulas!), hundreds of examples with translations of every meaning, and also includes 12 powerful indexes putting usually hard-to-find information at your fingertips, always just a click away.
Get a copy of the Encyclopedia and the Sample Gallery HERE.
To discover various specific learning strategies, see Section 1.7, below.
Grand Tour - Detailed Descriptions
1.1 – Le Verbe et le Sujet (Verb and Subject) - Detailed Description
As in English, the French verb is a word that describes actions or states of being. For example, certain verbs represent actions which are external and visible, like "speaking" and "running", while other verbs describe actions which are invisible and internal, like "thinking" and "wanting". Two examples of verbs representing states of being are "having" and "being". They are all described using the verb.
The French verb contains a minimum of two components. The first component identifies the "kind" of action being described, and is called "le radical" (the type of action). The second component of a French verb is "la terminaison" (the ending of the verb), which is more varied than its English counterpart. The terminaison also specifies other aspects of the action being described, such as the timeframe and who, or what, is doing the visible or invisible action.
Obviously, the "doing" of an action requires a "doer". In French grammar, the "doer" of the verb is called the "sujet" (subject). The sujet can be pictured as the "grammatical driver" of the verb. The 'sujet' "makes the verb function". The sujet can be animate (alive) or inanimate (non-living), and is represented in French by nine possible "persons" divided into singular and plural groups. They are:
Singular:
1) Je (j' before a vowel) ("I") – first person singular, masculine or feminine;
2) tu ("you") – second person singular, masculine or feminine;
3a) il ("he" – animate, [or "it" – animate - for non-rational living things, like insects for example], or inanimate) – third person singular, masculine;
3b) elle ("she" – animate, [or "it" – animate - for non-rational living things, like insects for example], or inanimate) – third person singular, feminine;
3c) on ("one" – animate, an unspecified person) – third person singular, gender unspecified
(Note: The subject "on" also has several other possible meanings, which are shown at the end of this section.);
Plural:
1) nous ("we") – first person plural, masculine, feminine, or a mix of both;
2) vous ("you") – grammatically, the second person plural, but can be used to represent either one person, or more than one person. When used for one person, 'vous' can be masculine or feminine. When used for more than one person, 'vous' can be masculine, feminine, or a mix of both;
3a) ils ("they" – animate or inanimate) – third person plural, masculine (a group of "action-doers" which includes at least one grammatically masculine member);
3b) elles ("they" – animate or inanimate) – third person plural (all members of this group must be grammatically feminine)
The subject "on".
As mentioned above, the subject "on" can have several possible meanings in French. It can represent any one of the following "action-doers", depending on the context:
- 'on' can represent "nous" (we) – "On va au cinéma." – "We are going to the movie theatre."
- 'on' can represent "someone" – "On t'attend au téléphone." – "Someone is waiting for you on the telephone."
- 'on' can represent "one" (unspecified person) – "On doit faire attention." – "One must be careful."
- 'on' can represent "they" (unspecified) – "On dit qu'il va pleuvoir." – "They say that it's going to rain."
- 'on' can represent "you" (the generic, unspecified "you") – "Comment dit-on 'tree' en français?" – "How do you say 'tree' in French?" in the sense of saying "How does one say 'tree' in French?"
- 'on' can also be used to create the "passive voice" – "On nous a dit qu'il y aurait une réunion." – "We were told (by someone unspecified) that there would be a meeting." (= Someone (unspecified) told us that there would be a meeting.)
Important: The speaker may choose to use "on" whenever the context permits.
Now, a few words about the Conjugaison (conjugation). The French verb undergoes a transformation when it is connected to a "sujet" (subject). This transformation is called the "conjugaison" (conjugation) which means the joining together of the root of the verb with an ending appropriate for the context.
The "radical" (the root, or core meaning of the verb) sets aside its dictionary ending (-er, -ir, or -re) and replaces it with a new ending specifically selected to express the timeframe, the way the action is unfolding, and certain details regarding the identity of the "sujet" (subject) of the verb (that is, the doer of the action).
While the actual 'joining' of the root and the new ending is called the "conjugaison", the new ending itself is called the "terminaison", and is continually detailed in the verb formulas throughout the verbexpress.net site. These terminaisons (endings) serve to slice time itself into a great variety of shades of meaning, enabling the speaker (or writer) to convey an extremely precise idea of when – in the flow of time, and in what way, any external or internal action unfolds.
It must be noted, however, that from time to time, a certain limited number of verbs are also partially modified within their "radical" (root, or core). These exceptions are always clearly indicated in all the relevant verb-tense charts on the site.
1.2 – Les MODES (Moods) - Detailed Description
Next to be considered in the French verb system are the "modes" (moods in English). The "modes" are not verb tenses or timeframes but rather conceptual categories representing different "attitudes" the speaker can have toward the action being described. There are six "modes" (which are all more fully explained below): there are two "impersonal" modes (which do not depend directly on a subject), and four "personal" modes (which do depend directly on a subject).
The two impersonal modes are 1) the "Infinitif" and 2) the "Participe".
The four personal modes are 3) the "Indicatif", 4) the "Conditionnel", 5) the "Impératif", and 6) the "Subjonctif".
Let's look at each "Mode" (Mood) in turn:
First, let's look at the IMPERSONAL Modes: (The spelling of the verb doesn't change according to the subject)
Impersonal Mode 1) The "Infinitif"
The Infinitif is the most basic form a verb can take. It's the way a verb is spelled and located in the dictionary. There are two forms the Infinitif can take: A) the "Infinitif présent" (the actual dictionary form), and B) the "Infinitif passé". Their actual meanings and mechanics, along with examples are presented in the relevant charts in the various pages of verbexpress.net.
The Infinitif can be used independently, or be combined with other conjugated verbs to create timeframes or "verb chains" (see Section 1.5 below).
Impersonal Mode 2) The "Participe"
The "Participe" is the second "impersonal" mode (that is, the ending doesn't change with the subject - it is never conjugated as described above). It comes in three possible formats: A) the "Participe présent", B) the "Participe passé", and C) the "Participe passé composé".
For the most part, the spelling of these "participes" remain the same regardless of their subjects. Some agreement in gender and number are however applied to the "participe passé" in various circumstances. These are specified where applicable throughout the relevant charts in the various pages of verbexpress.net. . The precise meanings, mechanics, and examples for each type of participe are also presented.
Now let's take a look at the PERSONAL Modes: (The verbs will change endings depending on which subject is being used.)
Personal Mode 1) The "Indicatif"
The "Indicatif" mode presents an action as "factual", whether it is placed in the past, present, or future. The action, whether visible or invisible, is presented as being "real"; it is being "indicated" (where it gets its name). The list of verb tenses and verb forms in the table below (in alphabetical order) are all part of the "Indicatif" mode because they all point to the factual reality of the visible or invisible action being expressed.
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Don't be concerned or overwhelmed by their number and variety (a similar variety of time descriptors also exists in English! Being specific about time is one of the things that people do naturally and continually, and each language has developed more or less elaborate ways of describing the details of time related to any action.
All the meanings and mechanics of the following Indicatif verb tenses and forms are clearly presented in the relevant charts in the various pages of verbexpress.net. |
| Futur antérieur |
| Futur antérieur au futur proche |
| Futur proche |
| Futur proche au passé |
| Futur simple |
| Imparfait |
| Imparfait with 'depuis' |
| Passé antérieur |
| Passé composé |
| Passé récent |
| Passé récent au futur proche |
| Passé récent au futur simple |
| Passé récent à l'Imparfait |
| Passé simple |
| Passé surcomposé |
| Plus-que-parfait |
| Présent continu |
| Présent continu au futur proche |
| Présent continu au futur simple |
| Présent continu à l'Imparfait |
| Présent - Indicatif |
| Présent - Indicatif with 'depuis' |
Personal Mode 2) The "Conditionnel"
The "Conditionnel" – The "Conditionnel" mode has two basic forms, the "Conditionnel présent" and the "Conditionnel passé". They are used in 3 main ways:
A) We use the 'Conditionnel' to express what would exist or what would happen if certain conditions were to be met. These "hypothetical" treatments of a verb can be in the past, present, or future.
B) We use the 'Conditionnel' to describe an action which has been reported has not yet been confirmed. It will switch to the Indicatif mode if the report is confirmed. But until then, the factual status of the action, event, etc. is pending, and is shown to be pending by using the Conditionnel.
This use of the 'Conditionnel' is regularly employed, for example, by journalists and lawyers and permits them to report events which are not yet confirmed. In this way, they can tell portions of their stories to their readers / listeners while they continue their search for more facts about the event or confirmation.
C) The third way the Conditionnel is used is for "Indirect Speech" – for reporting someone's speech indirectly (that is to say without quoting them exactly, without the exact words and quotation marks). (This indirect quotation handling is fully discussed in the 'Discours indirect' section of the VerbExpress.net site.
For example, the 'Futur simple' in an original quote will become the 'Conditionnel présent' in the indirect quote (and without quotation marks). The 'Futur antérieur' in an original quote will become the 'Conditionnel passé' in the indirect quote (but without quotation marks).
The "Conditionnel" examples which have just been shown are only two of the several verb-tense treatments involved in creating indirect speech. Please visit the 'Discours indirect' section of this site for further explanations, examples, and practice.
Personal Mode 3) The "Impératif"
The "Impératif" – The third personal mode is called the "Impératif". This is simply the "command" mode by which one person gives a command or a suggestion to another person or group of persons. It comes in two forms, the "Impératif présent" and the rarely used "Impératif passé".
Although no subject pronouns are used, the commands or suggestions are always given to 1) the second person singular ('you' – one person), 2) the first person plural ('us' – a group of two or more persons, one of which is the person speaking), and 3) the second person plural ('you' – a group of at least two persons (excluding the person speaking) or a polite singular 'you' to show respect).
The meanings and mechanics of the Impératif are all presented in their respective pages of this site.
Personal Mode 4) The "Subjonctif"
The fourth and final personal mode is called the "Subjonctif". This intriguing mode comes in two forms – the "Subjonctif présent" and the "Subjonctif passé". (There are two others, but they aren't used in speaking or writing anymore). It is used far more often in French than in English, and although it has easy mechanics, it operates in a great variety of specific and subtle contexts, requiring a good deal of skill to master.
Essentially, we use the Subjonctif to represent the subjective attitude of the speaker with regards to an action (visible or invisible) or when expressing an attitude of uncertainty or doubt toward that action. Additionally, the Subjonctif is triggered by certain "key words" that represent certain categories of ideas.
The complete explanation of its mechanics and the contexts and special words that trigger its use are fully presented within the relevant pages on this site.
1.3 – Les TEMPS (Tenses) - Detailed Description
Here at VerbExpress.net and in the amazing e-book The World Encyclopedia of French Verb Tenses (and its companion e-book The French Verb Tense Sample Gallery), the student of French will find a far more realistic collection of verb tenses and verb forms than in any other French verb works. From rock-bottom simple to the very most advanced tenses, forms, and variations, the user will have them all at their fingertips.
Many verb forms are used as verb tenses, although they are not officially recognized as verb tenses. Nor are they sufficiently featured in traditional verb books.
The VerbExpress.net website, the Encyclopedia e-book and the Sample Gallery e-book work together to offer a huge advantage for the student by presenting all of these tools, arranged alphabetically according to their normal French names, with all the rules of formation as well as virtually every possible English meaning of each verb tense, form, and variation at your fingertips, always just a click away.
In the chart below titled "The Line of Time", you'll find, arranged according to timeframe every French verb tense and French verb form that is used regularly by native speakers of French – from the most basic to the most advanced.
The entries on the white background (in the table below) are considered to be "official French verb tenses". The verb forms listed below which appear on a yellow background are not considered to be "official" tenses, although they are used all the time by speakers of French around the world. But are they usually not featured in traditional verb books.
They are, however, all presented here at VerbExpress.net, in the Encyclopedia, and in the Sample Gallery in their respective alphabetically-ordered chapters. Companion webxercises (online practice exercises) will be available here onsite (coming soon). I've also included loads of samples along with their translations in the Sample Gallery and more will be available online to help you really see what they look and feel like and know what you're aiming at mastering.
In addition, each verb tense, form, and variation is also presented in the 'actif, passif, and pronominal' formats, as well as with the four major semi-auxiliary verbs 'aller (to go), devoir (to have to), pouvoir (to be able to), and vouloir (to want to)'.
This collection covers an enormous amount of verb-tense descriptive power!
IMPORTANT! The rules of formation of most of these verb forms are straightforward, and merely need to be 1) understood and 2) practised (the webxersite makes that possible).
Each of the following verb tenses and forms has its dedicated section on this site.
The Line of Time
The PAST |
|
| Présent-Indicatif avec 'depuis' | |
| Subjonctif présent avec 'depuis' | |
| Passé récent | |
| Passé composé | |
| Passé simple | |
| Subjonctif passé (Relative Past) | |
| Imparfait | |
| Imparfait avec 'depuis' | |
| Futur proche au passé | |
| Présent continu à l'imparfait | |
| Passé récent à l'Imparfait | |
| Plus-que-parfait | |
| Passé antérieur | |
| Passé surcomposé |
The PRESENT |
| Présent - Indicatif avec 'depuis' |
| Subjonctif présent avec 'depuis' |
| Présent-Indicatif |
| Subjonctif présent (Relative present or future) |
| Présent continu |
The FUTURE |
| Futur proche |
| Présent continu au Futur proche |
| Futur simple |
| Présent continu au Futur simple |
| Futur antérieur |
| Futur antérieur au Futur proche |
| Passé récent au Futur simple |
| Passé récent au Futur proche |
| Subjonctif présent (Relative Past or Future) |
Special Forms
Infinitives |
|
| Infinitif présent | |
| Infinitif passé | |
Participles |
|
| Participe présent | |
| Gérondif présent | |
| Gérondif passé | |
| Participe passé | |
| Participe passé composé | |
Imperatives |
|
| Impératif présent | |
| Impératif passé | |
Conditionals |
|
| Conditionnel présent | |
| Conditionnel passé | |
| Passé récent au Conditionnel présent | |
| Présent continu au Conditionnel passé | |
| Présent continu au Conditionnel présent |
Important: Each verb tense and form is presented throughout the VerbExpress.net site in each of the following formats (where applicable):
Formats |
|
| Actif (Basic Format) | |
| Passif | |
| Pronominal | |
Semi-Auxiliaries |
|
| Aller | |
| Devoir | |
| Pouvoir | |
| Vouloir |
1.4 – Les Formats (Formats) - Detailed Description
Now let's explore the "Formats", the shapes of the verb-tense structures.
Every French verb tense or verb form shown in the "Map of Times" shown at the end of Section 1.3 above always operates simultaneously on two levels.
The first (I) is at the "structural" level
The second (II) is at the "verb-direction" level.
(P.S. – Nobody (other than a fellow student or a teacher) is likely to ever ask you if a verb tense is a temps simple, a temps composé, or a temps combiné. The following discussion is simply intended to help you become a little more aware of how French verb tenses work from a structural point of view.)
I) Structure: Each verb tense is created using one of the three following structures, and sometimes even a combination of two or three of them of them:
A) Un 'temps simple' (simple tense) = [subject (noun or pronoun) + main verb (conjugated)]
B) Un 'temps composé' (compound tense) = [subject (noun or pronoun) + avoir/être (conjugated) + main verb (participe passé)]
C) Un 'temps combiné' (combination or hybrid) = [subject (noun or pronoun) + verb (conjugated) + additional word(s) - or no word(s) + main verb (Infinitif)]
Let's look at each one in detail.
A) The "temps simple" (simple tense) means that only one "verb-word" is used for the action. The generic formula is:
[subject (noun or pronoun) + main verb (conjugated)]
Consider the following example:
"Je parle" (Présent indicatif, which in this case has three possible English meanings: 'I speak/I talk, I am speaking/I am talking, I do speak/I do talk'). The single verb-word "parle" contains both the "radical" and the "terminaison" (the ending). The radical describes the type of action, and the terminaison describes who is doing the action and when the action is being done.
In this example, the 'radical' (the root: the core meaning of the action) is "parl-", the 'action of speaking or talking') and the 'terminaison' (the "ending") is the letter "e" at the end of the verb).
Another example of a "temps simple" is "Vous partirez" (Futur simple – 'You shall leave/You shall be leaving or You will leave/You will be leaving). Once again, the action is expressed using a single verb-word containing the "radical (root) – in this case "partir-" – the action of leaving, and the "terminaison" (the ending), – in this case the "-ez" at the end of the verb.
There are several temps simples in the French verb system, and each one is identified as being so in its basic verb chart (identified as Actif/Basic format) throughout the VerbExpress.net site.
B) The "temps composé" (compound tense) creates time frames by using a combination of two verb-words. The generic formula is:
[subject (noun or pronoun) + avoir or être (conjugated) + main verb (participe passé)]
The subject of the verb will be accompanied by either the verb "avoir" or "être" (called an auxiliaire when it is being used to create a temps composé). Then it is followed by the "participe passé" (past participle) of the main verb.
One example is: "J'ai parlé" (Passé composé, which in this case has three possible English meanings: 'I spoke / I talked, I have spoken / I have talked, or I did speak / I did talk') where "ai" is the verb "avoir" conjugated with the subject "Je (j')" in the Présent-Indicatif, and "parlé" is the "participe passé" of the main verb "parler" (to speak or to talk).
Another example is "Tu étais allé(e)" (Plus-que-parfait – 'You had gone') where "étais" is the verb "être", and "allé" is the "participe passé" of the main verb "aller" ('to go').
Every temps composé featured on VerbExpress.net will indicate whether to use avoir or être and will provide links to further details as necessary. However the quick version of the rule is this:
1) Use "être" with a small, small group of designated verbs (which will be shown where applicable in the onsite verb-tense charts. Also use 'être' with any verb in the "pronominal" format. (to create the 'temps composés' / Compound tenses)
2) Use "avoir" with all other verbs. (to create the 'temps composés' / Compound tenses)
C) The "temps combinés" are not official verb tenses and are therefore usually not included in traditional verb books. However, they are used continually by native speakers of French in a variety of powerful combinations. That's why they are presented in all their variations here at VerbExpress.net: to give teachers and learners of French full access to all the powerful verb tools of the French language.
The generic formula of the temps combiné is:
[subject (noun or pronoun) + verb (conjugated) + additional word(s) - or no word(s) + main verb (Infinitif)]
This verb form is neither a "temps simple" nor a "temps composé". Rather, it is a combination of a temps simple, a temps composé, possibly a few additional words, and the "Infinitif" of the main verb.
Consider the following examples.
Example 1)
"Elle va chanter." (She is going to sing. – "Futur proche", not an official French verb tense, but used continually in French as it is in English).
First, we have the "va" (a 'temps simple' – Présent-Indicatif – of "aller" (to go), conjugated with the subject "Elle"), which is then followed by the "Infinitif" of the main verb "chanter" (to sing).
See the onsite section of the 'Futur proche' for more examples and practice.
Example 2)
"Nous venons de travailler." (We have just worked. – "Passé récent", not an official French verb tense, but used continually in French as it is in English).
First comes the "venons" (a 'temps simple – Présent-Indicatif – of "venir" (to come), conjugated with the subject "Nous"), followed by the word "de", then followed by the "Infinitif" of the main verb, in this case "travailler" (to work).
See the onsite section of the 'Passé récent' for more examples and practice.
Example 3)
"Ils auraient été en train de chercher une solution." (They would have been in the process of looking for a solution. – "Présent continu au Conditionnel passé", once again not an official French verb tense, but used often in French as it is in English). Again, first comes the "auraient été" (a 'temps composé – Conditionnel passé – of "être" (to be), conjugated with the subject "Ils") followed by the group of words "en train de" (in the process of), then followed finally by the "Infinitif" of the main verb, in this case "chercher" (to look for / seek).
See the onsite section of the 'Présent continu au Conditionnel passé' for more examples and practice.
These three formats,
A) the 'temps simples',
B) the 'temps composés', and
C) the 'temps combinés' (my term for describing useful and popular combinations),
are all indicated in the title area of the "Basic Format" section of the relevant verb tenses or verb forms throughout the main verb-tense sections of the entire site.
(P.S. – As stated at the beginning of this involved discussion, rarely, if ever, will anyone other than a teacher or a fellow student ask you if a verb tense is a temps simple, a temps composé, or a temps combiné. The above discussion is included just to help you become a little more aware of how the verb tenses work from a purely structural perspective.)
II) Verb Direction: In addition to the three structural formats discussed above, there are also three possible verb directions:
A) The "Actif" direction
B) The "Passif" direction
C) The "Pronominal" direction
A) "Actif " – In this case, the 'grammatical' subject of the verb is doing the action (visible or invisible action). This approach is called "la voix active" (Active Voice). The actif format is indicated by the word "actif" in the title area of each relevant verb-tense chart.
Example – "J'ai envoyé la lettre." (I sent the letter / I have sent the letter / I did send the letter.). In this example the subject of the verb – "Je (j')" (I) – did the action of sending the letter.
B) "Passif" – This approach describes something or someone not as doing an action, but as receiving an action. This approach is also called "la voix passive" (Passive Voice).
The passif format is indicated by the word "passif" in the title area of each relevant verb-tense chart. The Passif has several handling options, including two 'direct' approaches, one 'indirect' approach, and two pronominal approaches. These are all presented systematically for each verb tense, where applicable throughout the site.
Example – "La lettre a été envoyée." (Passif direct) (The letter was sent / The letter has been sent.). In this case, the letter is the receiver of the main verb's action (ie. the "sending") – "La lettre" (The letter) – received the sending action. The letter itself didn't do anything; on the contrary, an action was done to it.
C) "Pronominal" – In the pronominal format, the subject is "boomeranging" the verb – that is to say that most of the time the subject is both doing and receiving the action. This is accomplished by using "mirror pronouns", and is explained fully where applicable throughout the site. There are however two cases where the pronominal format is not describing a 'boomerang' action. These are the essentially pronominal verbs, and the idiomatic pronominal verbs. Links to lists of these special groups are always provided where applicable.
Example – "Ils se sont envoyé des lettres." (They sent / have sent / did send letters to each other.). Here, the subject of the verb – "Ils" (They) – did the action of sending something, and they also received the same "sending" action. The same type of action went in both directions. This can be done with plural subjects, as in the case just seen, or with single subjects as in: "Paul s'est lavé." (Paul washed himself.). In this example, the subject of the verb – "Paul" – both did the washing and received the washing action. The pronominal format gets more involved, and a more detailed discussion is found in Appendix D.
1.5 – Les Verbes en chaînes (Verb Chains): - Detailed Description
French verbs can be strung together like links in a chain, just as they can in English.
Here are just a few examples of basic verb chains. The verb chains are underlined.
"Je vais réparer le téléviseur." (I am going to repair the television set.)
"Tu dois retourner avant demain." (You must go back / have to go back before tomorrow.)
"Elle peut calculer rapidement." (She can calculate / is able to calculate quickly.)
"Il veut inventer un nouvel appareil." (He wants to invent a new device.)
Now let's see what adding a few more "chain links" looks like. Each "link" is underlined.
"J'aurais dû aller voir un film." (I should have gone to see a movie.)
"Elle veut faire réussir ses employés." (She wants to make her employees succeed.)
"Je devrais pouvoir trouver la solution cette fois-ci." (I should be able to find the solution this time.)
To really discover the power and versatility of verb chains, be sure to explore and try them out them when they come (soon) to this site. They are challenging at first, but once you know how, they're actually easy to do, fun to use, and enable a more powerful and skillful handling of the French language.
1.6 – Le Participe passé (Past Participle): - Detailed Description
We now come to the famous, versatile, and powerful "Participe passé" (Past Participle). This form of the French verb can be thought of and handled as an adjective describing the "completed" or "finished" state of something.
Although the participe passé is fully discussed in its designated section on the site, a few comments are appropriate here to give you an idea on the different ways it can work.
By way of introduction, let's first consider the ways in which the English Past participle can work. Take the verb "to finish". The English past participle for this verb is "finished", and it's a word that everyone uses often, and in a variety of contexts.
It can be used as an adjective: for example, " ... the finished report was locked in the safe..."
It can be used as a key part of many verb tenses, as in "We have finished the work."; "They will have finished by this weekend."; "Having finished our dinner, we left the restaurant."; etc. You get the idea.
The use of the French "Participe passé" (p.p.) is just as versatile, and therefore, as you would expect, plays a prominent role in many French verb tenses.
There is one important difference, however, between the English past participle (p.p.) and its French counterpart. Unlike the English "p.p." which never changes its spelling to "agree" grammatically with anything else, the French "p.p." does agree in gender and number with other words in some cases, and, in other cases, does not!
(There actually exists an entire book for native speakers of French entitled "L'accord du participe passé" (The agreement of the Past Participle) to address this ongoing concern of the French language.)
These "Rules of Agreement" are located in Appendix J on this site, and any special details are always included with any verb tenses that use the p.p. in their construction.
1.7 – Stratégies d'apprentissage (Learning Strategies) - Detailed Description
What's the best and fastest way to learn the French verb system? Is there a strategy that can produce better results faster?
Everyone knows that only actual practice makes perfect.
Here at VerbExpress.net, preparations are being made for the following approaches to help learners achieve greater skill with the French verb system
- Learners will be able to view and practise French verbs with popular vocabulary collections in the active, passive, or pronominal formats.
- Practice will be available in the affirmative, negative, or the interrogative.
- It will be possible to view and practise them by alphabetical order,
- or by easiest to difficult,
- or by their internal structure (temps simples, composés, and combinés), or
- by timeframes.
Finally, they can simply be viewed and practised on an "as-needed" basis, as new verb tenses and forms are presented according to the normal curriculum order of public school classes, university courses, professional development courses, or adult professional training.
So come back often and visit our 'What's New at VerbExpress' link on the left and Stay Tuned!