PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
Tenses
By the end, you'll know when to use the présent and how to conjugate -er, -ir, and -re verbs.
Le présent de l'indicatif describes current actions, general truths, and habits. Regular -er verbs drop the infinitive ending and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. The présent is also used with depuis to express actions that started in the past and continue into the present.
| Person | -er | -ir (1) | -ir (2) | -re |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -is | -s | -s |
| tu | -es | -is | -s | -s |
| il/elle | -e | -it | -t | -t / -- |
| nous | -ons | -issons | -ons | -ons |
| vous | -ez | -issez | -ez | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ent | -issent | -ent | -ent |
Je parle français tous les jours au travail.
I speak French every day at work.
Nous finissons nos devoirs avant le dîner.
We finish our homework before dinner.
Elle attend le bus depuis vingt minutes.
She has been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
Tu vas souvent au cinéma le week-end ?
Do you often go to the cinema on weekends?
Il ne comprend pas la question.
He doesn't understand the question.
On se retrouve à la gare à midi.
We're meeting at the station at noon.
Avoid this
Je suis parle français.
Say this instead
Je parle français.
Why: NEVER use être + present tense verb. 'Je suis parle' is a direct calque from English 'I am speaking.' French uses the simple présent for both 'I speak' and 'I am speaking.' The present continuous doesn't exist in French.
Avoid this
Il parles bien français.
Say this instead
Il parle bien français.
Why: The -s ending is ONLY for 'tu' in regular -er verbs: tu parles. For il/elle/on, the ending is -e (for -er verbs), -t or -d (for others). Mixing up tu and il/elle endings is extremely common among beginners.
Avoid this
Nous mangeons des pâtes. (correct but watch spelling)
Say this instead
Nous mangeons des pâtes.
Why: -GER verbs (manger, voyager, nager) insert an -e- before -ons in the nous form: nous mangeons (NOT nous mangons). This preserves the soft 'g' sound. Same for -CER verbs: nous commençons (NOT nous commencons).
🤫 The Silent Choir (shh-shh-shh-NOUS-VOUS-shh)
For -ER verbs, think of the endings as a 'silent choir': -e, -es, -e are all silent (je parle, tu parles, il parle). Only -ons and -ez make noise (nous parlONS, vous parlEZ). The -ent at the end goes back to silence (ils parlENT). So it's 'shh-shh-shh, LOUD-LOUD, shh' — only two forms are actually pronounced differently!
The présent is the foundation of all TEF/TCF tasks. At A1/A2, examiners check basic conjugation accuracy (je parle, tu parles, il parle). At B1+, they look for: depuis + présent to express ongoing actions (Je travaille ici depuis 3 ans — I've been working here for 3 years), si + présent → futur in conditional sentences, and the présent used as a near future (Je pars demain). The depuis construction is a classic B1 differentiator.
A job interview:
Recruteur
Parlez-moi de vous. Que faites-vous actuellement ?
Candidate
Je travaille dans le marketing depuis cinq ans. Je gère une équipe de dix personnes.
Recruteur
Et pourquoi voulez-vous changer de poste ?
Candidate
J'aime mon travail, mais je cherche de nouveaux défis. J'apprends vite et je m'adapte facilement.
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