Step by Step Simplified FRENCH GRAMMAR Booklet 1 Le Verbe

in association with
Step by Step Simplified
FRENCH GRAMMAR
Booklet 1
Le Verbe.
Qu’est-Ce que C’est?
By
Delphine O’Brien
Grammar Booklet
Delphine O’Brien, 2013
published by myFrench.ie
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Grammar Booklet 1 The Verb
Grammar Booklet
Delphine O’Brien, 2013
published by myFrench.ie
Table of Contents
Introduction
4
What's a Verb?
5
What's an Infinitive Verb?
5
3 Ways to Use the infinitive Verb
6
2 Auxiliary Verbs in French : ETRE and AVOIR
6
What's a Pronominal Verb?
8
List of the Most Common Pronominal Verbs
9
En Résumé : 5 Things You Need to Know about the Verb
10
Au Travail! 2 Different Ways to Practice
11
Appendix : Solutions aux Activités
14
A Note about the Author
16
Copyrights
17
You might Also Like
18
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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 booklet concentrates only on one grammar subject and 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 cultural and authentic
literary texts.
Grammar, which knows how to control even kings.” Molière
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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 on-going, if the action is repeated
and if the action will take place in the future.
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 starts with to + the verb: to eat. It’s also called 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)
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3 Ways to Use the Infinitive
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 auxiliaire avoir.
2. After a preposition :
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:
Prendre une décision importante ce n’est jamais facile. Making an important
decision is never easy.
What is an auxiliary verb?
2 Auxiliary Verbs in French: ETRE and AVOIR
1. ETRE
The verb être as an auxiliary is used to conjugate all the verbs at the passive voice.
Voix active: Elsa mange un gâteau au chocolat. Elsa eats a chocolate cake.
Voix passive: Le gâteau au chocolat est mangé par Elsa. The chocolate cake is eaten by Elsa.
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It can also 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
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! Être and avoir are also verbs not only auxiliaries.
Être means to be, to exist.
Avoir means to possess, to own.
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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
Je me lève
Tu te lèves
Il/ Elle se lève
To get up
Nous nous levons
Vous vous levez
Ils/ Elles se lèvent
3 Categories of Pronominal Verbs
1. The reflexive verb / le verbe réflexif
The subject does the action itself.
Je me brosse les dents. I brush my teeth (myself)
2. The idiomatic verb / le verbe idiomatique
This type of verb does not represent reflexive actions.
The verbs s'ennuyer (to be bored) and se tromper (to make a mistake) have idiomatic
meanings.
It is still the subject that experiences the action but without acting physically on it.
Il s’ennuie. He is bored.
Ils se sont trompés. They made a mistake.
3. The reciprocal verb / le verbe réciproque
It expresses a reciprocal action between more than one person.
Nous nous disputons tout le temps. We argue with each other all the time.
Ils se sont aimés pendant 55 ans. They loved each other during 55 years.
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List of the Most Common Pronominal Verbs
Les verbes réciproques
Les verbes réflexifs
Les verbes idiomatiques
se regarder
se réveiller
se souvenir de
to look at each other
to wake up
to remember
s’embrasser
se lever
se tromper
to kiss
to get up
to make a mistake
s’aimer
se laver
se trouver
to love each other
to wash
to be situated
se quitter
se brosser
se passer
to leave each other
to brush
to happen
se retrouver
s’habiller
s’amuser
to meet each other
to get dressed
to have fun
se téléphoner
s’appeler
se marier
to phone each other
to be called
to get married
se parler
se promener
se reposer
to talk to each other
to go for a walk
to rest
se disputer
s’arrêter
s’endormir
to argue
to stop
to fall asleep
se détester
s’asseoir
se taire
to hate each other
to sit down
to be silent
se coucher
se fâcher
to go to bed
to get angry
s’entendre
to get along
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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).
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Au travail! : 2 Different Ways to Practice
This is now the time for you to practice and check your understanding of the lesson.
Two different types of exercises are offered, each of them will give you grammatical and
cultural knowledge.
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
1. Il y a de plus en plus de criminalité à Lyon.
2. La drogue a été le plus grand fléau des années 80.
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3. Il est parti sans laisser d’adresse.
4. Si j’étais à Paris, je visiterais le Château de Versailles.
5. Je prends l’avion demain pour Milan.
6. Je t’enverrai une lettre dès mon arrivée !
7. Elle marchait dans la forêt. Elle cria.
8. Quand il sera grand, il veut être avocat.
9. Ils sont allés faire les vendanges.
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ACTIVITE 2
Texte adapté du roman de Guy De Maupassant Le Horla (1887)
http://abu.cnam.fr/cgi-bin/go?horla3
8 mai. - Quelle journée admirable ! J'ai passé toute la matinée étendu sur l'herbe,
devant ma maison, sous l'énorme platane qui la couvre, l'abrite et l'ombrage tout
entière. J'aime ce pays, et j'aime y vivre parce que j'y ai mes racines, ces profondes et
délicates racines, qui attachent un homme à la terre où sont nés et morts ses aïeux,
qui l'attachent à ce qu'on pense et à ce qu'on mange, aux usages comme aux
nourritures, aux locutions locales, aux intonations des paysans, aux odeurs du sol,
des villages et de l'air lui-même.
J'aime ma maison où j'ai grandi. De mes fenêtres, je vois la Seine qui coule, le long de
mon jardin, derrière la route, presque chez moi, la grande et large Seine qui va de
Rouen
au
Havre,
couverte
de
bateaux
qui
passent.
A gauche, là-bas, Rouen, la vaste ville aux toits bleus, sous le peuple pointu des
clochers gothiques. Ils sont innombrables, frêles ou larges, dominés par la flèche de
fonte de la cathédrale, et pleins de cloches qui sonnent dans l'air bleu des belles
matinées, jetant jusqu'à moi leur doux et lointain bourdonnement de fer, leur chant
d'airain que la brise m'apporte, tantôt plus fort et tantôt plus affaibli, suivant qu'elle
s'éveille ou s'assoupit.
1. Make a list of all the verbs at the present tense with their meaning.
2. Find all the pronominal verbs and their meaning.
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Appendix
Solutions aux activités sur le Verbe
ACTIVITE 1
1. Il y a de plus en plus de criminalité à Lyon.
a : auxiliaire avoir, présent, to have
2. La drogue a été le plus grand fléau des années 80.
a été : auxiliaire être, passé-composé, to be
3. Il est parti sans laisser d’adresse.
est parti : -IR verbe, passé-composé, to go
laisser : infinitif, to leave
4. Si j’étais à Paris, je visiterais le Château de Versailles.
étais : auxiliaire être, imparfait, to be
visiterais : –ER verbe, conditionnel, to visit
5. Je prends l’avion demain pour Milan.
prends : -RE verbe irrégulier prendre, présent, to take
6. Je t’enverrai une lettre dès mon arrivée !
enverrai : -ER verbe irrégulier envoyer, futur, to send
7. Elle marchait dans la forêt. Elle cria.
marchait : -ER verbe régulier marcher, imparfait, to walk
cria : -ER verbe régulier crier, passe-simple, to shout
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8. Quand il sera grand, il veut être avocat.
sera : auxiliaire être, futur, to be
veut : verbe irrégulier vouloir, présent, to want
9. Ils sont allés faire les vendanges.
sont allés : verbe irrégulier aller, passé-composé, to go
ACTIVITE 2
1. Make a list of all the verbs at the present tense with their meaning.
1. couvre, verbe couvrir = to cover
2. abrite, verbe abriter = to shelter
3. ombrage, verbe ombrager = to overshadow
4. aime, verbe aimer = to like
5. ai, verbe avoir = to have
6. attachent, verbe attacher = to link, to connect
7. pense, verbe penser = to think
8. mange, verbe manger = to eat
9. vois, verbe voir = to see
10. va, verbe aller = to go
11. sonnent, verbe sonner = to ring
12. apporte, verbe apporter = to bring
13. s'éveille, verbe s’éveiller = to be become aware of, to wake up to
14. s'assoupit, verbe s’assoupir = to nod off
2. Find all the pronominal verbs and their meaning.
3. s'éveille, verbe s’éveiller = to be become aware of, to wake up to
4. s'assoupit, verbe s’assoupir = to nod off
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A Note about the Author
Delphine O’Brien is a native French speaker who has been living in
Ireland for the last 10 years. She is a mum of 2 girls so she experiences
on a daily basis the richness and also the challenge that language
Delphine O’Brien
is aand
native
French speaker
whoour
haslives.
been living in Ireland for the last 10 ye
interaction
bilingualism
bring into
She is a mum of 2 girls so she experiences on a daily basis the richness and also the challenge t
She has been
French
& French
as alives.
Second Language (FSL) both
language interaction
andteaching
bilingualism
bring
into our
in France and in Ireland for 15 years. She has taught as a secondary
She has been
teaching
French
& French
as ayears)
Secondand
Language
(FSL) both
France and in Irela
school
teacher
(from
1st to 6th
is experienced
in in
marking
for 15 years.
Sheexam
has papers
taught and
as athe
secondary
school
written
Leaving Cert
Oralteacher
exam. (from 1st to 6th years) and
experienced in marking written exam papers and the Leaving Cert Oral exam.
In France, she studied French linguistics & literature, English linguistics,
In France, culture
she studied
French children’s
linguisticsFrench
& literature,
English
& literature,
literature,
childlinguistics,
psychologyculture
and & literatu
children’s qualified
French literature,
child psychology
anda qualified
with a Degree
in French
with a Degree
in French as
Second Language
Teacher
and as a Seco
Language in
Teacher
in a MA in Intercultural
Sciences of Education.
a MA and
in Intercultural
Sciences of Education.
She is now
a freelance
FSL TutorFSL
and
she gives
online
to Secondary Scho
She
is now a freelance
Tutor
and she
givesprivate
online tuitions
private tuitions
Students, Adults
Learners
+ Primary
School,Adults
Homeschooled
to Secondary
Schools
Students,
Learners&+Bilingual
Primary Children.
School,
Homeschooled & Bilingual Children.
When she is not teaching online, she creates e-courses for Leaving Cert Students, runs them
my website
and writes
e-books
to help
students
succeed
in their exam.
When
she is not
teaching
online,
she creates
e-courses
for Leaving Cert
Students, runs them on my website and writes e-books to help
She also writes
andsucceed
recordsinPodcasts
in French about what is happening on the French sce
students
their exam.
promoting the intercultural and human aspect that lies behind the linguistic and theoret
domains ofShe
learning
a foreign
also writes
andlanguage.
records Podcasts in French about what is happening
on the French scene, promoting the intercultural and human aspect that
lies behind the linguistic and theoretical domains of learning a foreign
language.
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Copyrights

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otherwise without prior written consent from myFrench.ie

myFrench.ie reserves the right to change, without notice,
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Grammar Booklet 1 The Verb
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