Imperfect - Imparfait

The imparfait is used to "set the tone" of a past situation. An example in English bein"We were singing when Dad came home." It tells what was going on when a particular action or event occured. In French, the above example would be: "Nous chantions quand papa est rentré."

In order to conjugate the imperfect,

• take the 1st person plural of the verb you want to conjugate:

• Remove the -ons ending to find the stem, and add these endings:

• Note: The only verb that has an irregular stem (one not derived from the nous form of the present idicative) is être. The imperfect ending are added to ét___. Every other verb uses the nous form of the present indicative as its root.

Possesive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace possessive article + noun sets.

• Vous avez votre voiture? - You have your car?
• Oui, nous avons la nôtre. - Yes, we have ours.

À + a stress pronoun is used when the noun replaced is also the subject of the sentence. This usually occurs in sentences with être.

• Elle est ta voiture? - Is that your car?
• Oui, elle est à moi. - Yes, it is mine.

Stem Changing Verbs Review

-exer Verbs

-exer are regular -er verbs, but also are stem changing. The stem change applies to all forms except nous and vous. The stem change involves adding a grave accent ( ` ) over the e in the stem.

• Tenses affected by this rule:

-éxer Verbs

Like -exer verbs, the accent aigu above the e ( é ) changes to an accent grave ( è ).

• Tenses affected by this rule: hello

-yer Verbs

-yer verbs are regular -er verbs. However, when y is part of the last syllable, it changes to i in order to keep the ay sound. In the present indicative of -yer verbs, this affects all forms except nous and vous.

• Tenses affected by this rule:

Appeler

All forms except nous and vous have the l doubled.

• Tenses affected by this rule:

-cer Verbs

The last c in the verb changes to ç in the nous form.

• Tenses affected by this rule:

-ger Verbs

An e is added after the g in the nous form.

• Tenses affected by this rule:

Children's Games and Toys

• un hochet
• un cheval de bois
• une poupée
• une dinette
• un train électrique
• des légos
• un ours en peluche
• une console de jeu (une nintendo, une gameboy, une ps2)
• des jeux de société : le monopoly, le cluedo, la bonne paye
• des "transformers"

The Carnival

French Children's Poems, Songs, and Stories

Petit Papa Noël

Petit Papa Noël

Quand tu descendras du ciel

Avec des jouets par milliers

N'oublies pas mes petits souliers

Mais avant de partir

Il faudra bien te couvrir

Dehors tu vas avoir si froid

C'est un peu à cause de moi


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