GCSE French Grammar Notes

GCSE
French Grammar
Notes
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Table of Contents
Introduction
3
Chapter I Le Verbe Qu’est-ce que C’est?
4
Chapter II Le Présent de l’Indicatif Qu’est-ce que C’est?
10
Chapter III Le Passé-Composé Qu’est-ce que C’est?
21
Chapter IV L’Imparfait Qu’est-ce que C’est?
31
Chapter V Le Futur Qu’est-ce que C’est?
38
Chapter VI Le Conditionnel Qu’est-ce que C’est?
48
Chapter VII Le Nom Qu’est-ce que C’est?
57
Chapter IX L’Adjectif Qu’est-ce que C’est?
62
Chapter X L’Adverbe Qu’est-ce que C’est?
69
Chapter XI La Préposition Qu’est-ce que C’est?
73
Appendix : Solutions aux Activités
78
Introduction: A Word about Grammar
Grammar. Just saying or reading the word makes most of the learners
panic! People have a negative feeling about French grammar. They have
heard about irregular verbs, weird tenses, nouns and gender…
That’s why this e-book is compiled with only very simplified
grammatical points.
You will be guided step by step and all the points are defined and
explained.
At the end of each mini lesson, you will be able to test your knowledge
and learn new vocabulary by working with specific activities. You will
find the answers to the activities in the appendix, at the end of the book.
Grammar, which knows how to control even kings.” Molière
The verb / Le verbe
QUESTION: What is a verb?
In French, a verb is called un verbe.
1. Un verbe could be the most important part of a sentence. Je pleure = I cry
2. The verb asserts, tells something about the subject of the sentence.
3. A verb expresses feelings, state of beings, actions or events.
4. The verb represents the chronology and the temporality of the action.
5. A verb has to be conjugated to do its work properly. It indicates if the action was in the
past, if the action is finished or starting, if the action is ongoing, if the action is repeated and
if the action will take place in the future.
QUESTION: What is an infinitive verb/un verbe à l’infinitif?
We could say that l’infinitif is the surname of the verb, its identity.
In English, the infinitive of a verb start with to + the verb: to eat. It’s also called a full
verb.
In French, l’infinitif is a single word with one of the following endings:
-ER  manger (to eat)
-IR  finir (to finish)
-RE  rendre (to give back)
1. After a conjugated verb:
This one is very important to remember:
In French, the second, third, etc… verb that comes after the first conjugated verb is always
an infinitive.
Je veux danser.
-ER ending because veux is the conjugated verb vouloir

You will find an infinitive verb after a conjugated verb but not after an auxiliary / un
auxiliaire (avoir or être).
J’ai aimé ce film.
NO -ER ending because ai is the auxilaire avoir.
2. After a preposition : à, de, pour
C’est difficile de se concentrer avec tout ce bruit! It’s hard to concentrate with all
this noise!
Il y aura à boire et à manger. There will be food and drinks.
3. As a noun:
Le rire. The laugh
QUESTION: What is an auxiliary verb?
2 Auxiliary Verbs in French: ETRE and AVOIR
1. ETRE
Je suis
I am
Tu es
You are
Il/Elle est
He/She/It is
Nous sommes We are
Vous êtes
Ye are
Ils/Elles sont They are
It can be used to conjugate compound tenses / les temps composés of all the
pronominal verbs (s’habiller = to get dressed).
Je me suis habillé(e). I got dressed.
It is used to conjugate all the compound tenses ( like le passé-composé) of some
intransitive verbs.
Il est rentré de France samedi soir. He came back from France Saturday night.
2. AVOIR
J’ai
Tu as
Il/Elle a
Nous avons
Vous avez
Ils/Elles ont
I have
You have
He/She/It has
We have
Ye have
They have
The verbe avoir as an auxiliary is used to conjugate all the compound tenses
of the transitive verbs.
Nous avons marché toute la journée. We walked all day.
It is also used to conjugate all the compound tenses of the most of the intransitive
verbs.
J’ai couru vers elle. I ran towards her.
It is used to form the compound forms of the verbs être and avoir.
J’ai eu de bons résultats à mes examens. I got great results at my exams.
J’ai été très content de mon séjour à Nantes. I was very happy with my trip to Nantes.
Attention! Etre and avoir are also verbs not only auxiliaries.
Etre means to be, to exist.
Avoir means to possess, to own.
QUESTION: What is a pronominal verb / un verbe pronominal?
Un verbe pronominal is a verb that is built with a reflexive pronoun (me, te ,se,
nous, vous) : se laver, s’endormir
Se lever To get up
Nous nous levons
Vous vous levez
Je me lève
Tu te lèves
Il/ Elle se lève
Ils/ Elles se lèvent
List of the Most Common Pronominal Verbs
Les verbes réciproques
Les verbes réflexifs
Les verbes
idiomatiques
se regarder to look at each other
se réveiller to wake up
se souvenir de to remember
s’embrasser to kiss
se lever to get up
se tromper to make a
mistake
s’aimer to love each other
se laver to wash
se trouver to be situated
se quitter to leave each other
se brosser to brush
se passer to happen
se retrouver to meet each other
s’habiller to get dressed
s’amuser to have fun
s’appeler to be called
se marier to get married
se parler to talk to each other
se promener to go for a walk
se reposer to rest
se disputer to argue
s’arrêter to stop
s’endormir to fall asleep
se détester to hate each other
s’asseoir to sit down
se taire to be silent
se coucher to go to bed
se fâcher to get angry
se téléphoner to phone each
other
s’entendre to get along
En Résumé: 5 Things You Need to Know about
French Verbs
1. A verb expresses feelings, state of beings, actions or events.
2. The verb represents the chronology and the temporality of the action.
3. A verb has to be conjugated to do its work properly.
4.The verb identity is its infinitive.
5. There are different types of verb (pronominal, transitive, intransitive, auxiliary).
Au travail! : Let’s Practice
This is now the time for you to practice and check your understanding of the lesson.
ACTIVITE 1
Here are 10 sentences.
1. Find the verbs for each sentence.
2. For each verb, write its identity card: its group (-ER, -IR,-RE verb), its temporality
(present, future…), its meaning.
EXEMPLE
1. Je voudrais que tu me dises la vérité.
voudrais : irregular verb vouloir, conditionnel, to want
dises : verb dire, subjonctif, to tell, to say
2. Il y a de plus en plus de criminalité à Lyon.
3. La drogue a été le plus grand fléau des années 80.
4. Il est parti sans laisser d’adresse.
5. Si j’étais à Paris, je visiterais le Château de Versailles.
6. Je prends l’avion demain pour Milan.
7. Je t’enverrai une lettre dès mon arrivée !
8. Elle marchait dans la forêt. Elle cria.
9. Quand il sera grand, il veut être avocat.
10. Ils sont allés faire les vendanges.