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Most Important French (or otherwise) Verb Tables for AS Level

Hi, I'm doing AS Level French and obviously exam season is just around the corner, so I was wondering what verbs are the most important to learn? I'm talking mainly about irregulars here, mainly in the present tense, since I've pretty much got most of the other irregulars in the future and past tenses.

Weirdly enough, I find that we've skipped over the present irregulars, in GCSE and in AS Level, so it would be really helpful if someone would give me some advice. Knowing the irregulars in the present would also help to form some other structures.

Thanks in advance!
Original post by beckyfrance
Hi, I'm doing AS Level French and obviously exam season is just around the corner, so I was wondering what verbs are the most important to learn? I'm talking mainly about irregulars here, mainly in the present tense, since I've pretty much got most of the other irregulars in the future and past tenses.

Weirdly enough, I find that we've skipped over the present irregulars, in GCSE and in AS Level, so it would be really helpful if someone would give me some advice. Knowing the irregulars in the present would also help to form some other structures.

Thanks in advance!


Try the 21 "magic" verbs from Caroline Tracey's Essential French Grammar:

être
avoir
aller
faire
vouloir
pouvoir
devoir
savoir
voir
prendre
venir
mettre
dire
connaître
croire
ouvrir
vivre
recevoir
conduire
écrire
craindre

The beauty of this list is that many of these verbs are the basis for other, similar verbs: for example, venir will also help you conjugate devenir, revenir, se souvenir, tenir, retenir; ouvrir will help you do couvrir, découvrir, offrir and souffrir, and so on.
Original post by beckyfrance
Hi, I'm doing AS Level French and obviously exam season is just around the corner, so I was wondering what verbs are the most important to learn? I'm talking mainly about irregulars here, mainly in the present tense, since I've pretty much got most of the other irregulars in the future and past tenses.

Weirdly enough, I find that we've skipped over the present irregulars, in GCSE and in AS Level, so it would be really helpful if someone would give me some advice. Knowing the irregulars in the present would also help to form some other structures.

Thanks in advance!


Original post by Anna Schoon
Try the 21 "magic" verbs from Caroline Tracey's Essential French Grammar:

être
avoir
aller
faire
vouloir
pouvoir
devoir
savoir
voir
prendre
venir
mettre
dire
connaître
croire
ouvrir
vivre
recevoir
conduire
écrire
craindre

The beauty of this list is that many of these verbs are the basis for other, similar verbs: for example, venir will also help you conjugate devenir, revenir, se souvenir, tenir, retenir; ouvrir will help you do couvrir, découvrir, offrir and souffrir, and so on.

To take up where I left off earlier - ran out of time!Take ouvrir, for example. Present tense: j'ouvre, tu ouvres...; past participle: ouvert.Look at decouvrir: Present tense: je découvre, tu découvres...; past participle: découvert Now look at offrir: Present tense: j'offre, tu offres...; past participle: souffert See the pattern?

Craindre is a great one:
Present tense: je crains; nous craignont, ils craignent; past participle: craint
Therefore: imperfect: je craignais...; Subjunctive: que je craigne

Loads of verbs like craindre: éteindre, atteindre, peindre, se plaindre, joindre, rejoindre.. Hence, for example:

ils ont atteint - they reached; qu'il atteigne - that he (it) reaches (subjunctive)
il avait éteint la lumière - he had turned off the light
s'il se plaignait - if he complained
and so on.

So by just learning these 21 verbs, you end up learning the majority of the irregular verbs that you're likely to need for AS. Good stuff. I always recommend this to my students. We use the book which is brilliant: http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Grammar-Essential-Sixth-Beyond/dp/095706120X . Best book on the market for grammar, in my view as a teacher!
Reply 3
Original post by Anna Schoon
To take up where I left off earlier - ran out of time!Take ouvrir, for example. Present tense: j'ouvre, tu ouvres...; past participle: ouvert.Look at decouvrir: Present tense: je découvre, tu découvres...; past participle: découvert Now look at offrir: Present tense: j'offre, tu offres...; past participle: souffert See the pattern?

Craindre is a great one:
Present tense: je crains; nous craignont, ils craignent; past participle: craint
Therefore: imperfect: je craignais...; Subjunctive: que je craigne

Loads of verbs like craindre: éteindre, atteindre, peindre, se plaindre, joindre, rejoindre.. Hence, for example:

ils ont atteint - they reached; qu'il atteigne - that he (it) reaches (subjunctive)
il avait éteint la lumière - he had turned off the light
s'il se plaignait - if he complained
and so on.

So by just learning these 21 verbs, you end up learning the majority of the irregular verbs that you're likely to need for AS. Good stuff. I always recommend this to my students. We use the book which is brilliant: http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Grammar-Essential-Sixth-Beyond/dp/095706120X . Best book on the market for grammar, in my view as a teacher!


Thank you so much! This is really helpful.

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