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French verbs!! Help please? :)

Hi I am studying A2 french, can anyone recommend me some really good phrases to use and also some really useful verbs to learn?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

BioIz

Original post by LiliaGD

Hi I am studying A2 french, can anyone recommend me some really good phrases to use and also some really useful verbs to learn?

Thanks :smile:

Well you definitely need the modal verbs (devoir, pouvoir, vouloir) and you need to learn how to conjugate in the subjunctive for the present tense (I like throwing in some cheeky passé composé subjunctives as well :wink:

)

Also the passive (etre + past participle. Mon sac a main ont été volé)
Conditional perfect (Conditional of avoir/etre + past participle. Je serais venue si j'aurais été invitée)
Phrases using dont and lequel...

Basically just learn all the subjunctive phrases and some fancy conditional perfects and you'll probably be fine :wink:

Reply 2

LiliaGD

thanks

What is the subjunctive past i havent been taught this at school and how can i use it?

Reply 3

qwertyuiop1993

Original post by BioIz

)

Also the passive (etre + past participle. Mon sac à main a été volé)
Conditional perfect (Conditional of avoir/etre + past participle. Je serais venue si j'avais été invitée)
Phrases using dont and lequel...

Basically just learn all the subjunctive phrases and some fancy conditional perfects and you'll probably be fine :wink:

Careful, you used the 3rd person plural form of the auxiliary verb instead of the singular in your passive example.

Also it's si + pluperfect followed/preceded by a clause in the conditional perfect.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 4

qwertyuiop1993

Original post by LiliaGD

thanks

What is the subjunctive past i havent been taught this at school and how can i use it?

The subjunctive in the past tense is a tricky topic because most of the time the present subjunctive is used, even for actions in the past:

For example: Il a fallu qu'il parte à dix heures = He had to leave at 10 o' clock.

The 'leaving' action occurred in the past but is expressed by the present subjunctive - we just know from context that we're talking about the past.

However, the past subjunctive (perfect subjunctive) is used when the action in the subjunctive clause occurs before the action in the main clause:

Je suis content qu'il soit parti = I am happy that he left.

•

(He left and now the speaker is happy - the subjunctive clause occurs before the main clause)

Contrast this with "Je voulais qu'il parte" (I wanted him to leave)

•

Here the subjunctive clause doesn't occur before the main clause so the present subjunctive is used.

The perfect subjunctive is formed by taking the auxiliary verb in the subjunctive and adding the past participle.

Reply 5

BioIz

Original post by qwertyuiop1993

DANG IT I apologise

Reply 6

hopefulmedic28

Woo me too!
Which exam board are you doing? :smile:

Personally I'm just learning alternative verbs to replace the ones I over-use. For example take dire:
I use dire far too much... :rolleyes:

So I have made up a list of alternative verbs and the contexts in which they can be used - here's some of them if you're interested:
Interrogatifs: demander, interroger, questionner, interpeller, se renseigner.
Déclaratifs: affirmer, dire, informer, déclarer, annoncer, commenter, assurer, insister.
en etant d'accord: renchérir, admettre, accepter, acquiescer, approuver, avouer.

etc. And I'm going to do the same with various other verbs. If you're doing Edexcel this kind of thing really helps with the Creative Essays which need more varied language to create a decent story.