Regular -ER and -IR verbs in the present tense
Verbs of the first group end in -ER in the infinitive form: chanter (to sing), aimer (to like/love), jouer (to play), travailler (to work), etc. Verbs of the second group are mosty those ending in -IR in the infinitive: finir (to finish), choisir (to choose), réfléchir (to reflect), etc. These verbs are regular and are conjugated like this:
chanter en
Je chante
Tu chantes
Il chante/elle chante
Nous chantons
Vous chantez
Ils chantent/elles chantent
Tu chantes
Il chante/elle chante
Nous chantons
Vous chantez
Ils chantent/elles chantent
finir en
Je finis
Tu finis
Il finit/elle finit
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils finissent/elles finissent
Tu finis
Il finit/elle finit
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils finissent/elles finissent
The present tense is used to talk about ongoing actions, habits or generalities.
Tous les matins, je me lève à 8 heures se lever, présent Every morning, I get up at 8am.
Les Français parlent souvent mal anglais parler, présent The French often speak English badly.
Les Français parlent souvent mal anglais parler, présent The French often speak English badly.
Exception alert!
• The verb aller is irregular (je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont; I go, you go, he/she goes, we go, you go, they go).
• In some case the verb is spelled differently in its conjugated forms: appeler → j'appelle to call → I call; lever → je lève to lift→ I lift; manger → nous mangeons to eat → we eat, etc.
• The verb aller is irregular (je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont; I go, you go, he/she goes, we go, you go, they go).
• In some case the verb is spelled differently in its conjugated forms: appeler → j'appelle to call → I call; lever → je lève to lift→ I lift; manger → nous mangeons to eat → we eat, etc.
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