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French prepositions - À and De

 À - The French preposition à is incredibly versatile and is used in various contexts. Here’s an overview of its main uses: 1. Location and Direction To indicate location : Example : "Je suis à Paris." (I am in Paris.) To indicate direction : Example : "Je vais à l'école." (I am going to school.) 2. Time To indicate time : Example : "Le train part à 8 heures." (The train leaves at 8 o'clock.) 3. Distance To indicate distance : Example : "La gare est à 10 kilomètres." (The station is 10 kilometers away.) 4. Manner To indicate manner or way something is done : Example : "Il mange à la main." (He eats with his hands.) 5. Possession To indicate possession : Example : "Ce livre est à moi." (This book is mine.) 6. Purpose or Use To indicate purpose or function : Example : "Une machine à laver." (A washing machine.) 7. Price and Measure To indicate price : Example : "Les pommes sont à 2 euros le kilo....

Difference between Passé Composé and Imparfait

 The passé composé and imparfait are two essential past tenses in French, each used in specific contexts. PASSÉ COMPOSE : Purpose : Used to describe specific, completed actions or events that happened at a definite point in time. Often used for actions that are part of a sequence of events. IMPARFAIT Purpose : Used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Provides background information, sets the scene, or describes conditions and emotions. PASSÉ COMPOSÉ VS IMPARFAIT 1. Completed Actions vs. Ongoing Actions Passé Composé : Used for actions that are completed at a specific point in the past. Example : "Il a terminé ses devoirs." (He finished his homework.) Imparfait : Used for actions that were ongoing or in progress in the past. Example : "Il faisait ses devoirs quand je suis arrivé." (He was doing his homework when I arrived.) 2. Specific Events vs. Background Information Passé Composé : Focuses on specific events and actions that happened once and we...

The Imperfect Tense

 The imparfait (imperfect tense) is a French past tense used to describe actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past. It also sets the scene for events that took place in the past. WHERE TO USE? 1. Habitual Actions in the Past To describe actions that were done repeatedly or habitually in the past. Example : "Quand j'étais enfant, je jouais souvent au parc." (When I was a child, I often played in the park.) 2. Ongoing Actions in the Past To describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past. Example : "Il lisait quand je suis entré." (He was reading when I entered.) 3. Background Descriptions To provide background descriptions of scenes, weather, emotions, and settings in the past. Example : "Il faisait beau et le soleil brillait." (The weather was beautiful, and the sun was shining.) Example : "La maison était grande et ancienne." (The house was big and old.) 4. Interrupted Actions To describe an action that was h...

The Past Tense (Passé Composé)

The passé composé is a French past tense that is used to indicate actions that have been completed in the past. It is one of the most common past tenses in French, and it's essential to master it for effective communication. WHERE IS PASSÉ COMPOSE USED ? 1. Specific Actions in the Past: To describe actions that happened at a specific point in time and were completed. Example : "Hier, j'ai visité le musée." (Yesterday, I visited the museum.) 2. Series of Completed Actions: To narrate a sequence of completed actions in the past. Example : "Il est entré, a pris un livre, et s'est assis." (He entered, took a book, and sat down.) 3. Actions with Defined Time Periods: To describe actions that occurred over a specific period of time in the past. Example : "Elle a travaillé ici pendant cinq ans." (She worked here for five years.) 4. Recent Past: To discuss actions that were completed in the recent past. Example : "Nous avons déjà mangé." (We...

Possessive Adjectives

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 Possessive adjectives in French are used to indicate ownership or association. They correspond to "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their" in English. Singular Possessive Adjectives: Masculine Singular: Mon (my): "Mon chien est très joueur." (My dog is very playful.) Ton (your - informal): "Ton stylo est sur la table." (Your pen is on the table.) Son (his/her/its): "Son livre est fascinant." (His/Her book is fascinating.) Feminine Singular: Ma (my): "Ma maison est belle." (My house is beautiful.) Ta (your - informal): "Ta voiture est rapide." (Your car is fast.) Sa (his/her/its): "Sa sœur est gentille." (His/Her sister is kind.) Plural Possessive Adjectives: Mes (my): "Mes amis sont sympas." (My friends are nice.) Tes (your - informal): "Tes livres sont intéressants." (Your books are interesting.) Ses (his/her/its):...

Demonstrative Adjectives

In French, demonstrative adjectives are used to point out specific people or things. They correspond to "this," "that," "these," and "those" in English. These are placed before noun or adjective. Singular Demonstrative Adjectives: 1. CE (masculine before a consonant)    - Ce livre (this/that book)    - Ce chien est mignon. (This/That dog is cute.)     2. CET (masculine before a vowel or mute h)    - Cet homme (this/that man)    - Cet arbre est grand." (This/That tree is tall.) 3. CETTE (feminine)    - Cette maison (this/that house)    - Cette fille est intelligente." (This/That girl is smart.) Plural Demonstrative Adjectives: 1. CES (for both masculine and feminine)    - Ces livres (these/those books)    - Ces maisons (these/those houses)    - Ces enfants jouent dans le parc." (These/Those children are playing in the park.) WHERE TO USE DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES? . Pointing Out Specific ...

The Present Tense

 The present tense in French, known as le présent de l'indicatif , is used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions and general truths. WHERE TO USE PRESENT TENSE? For events happening now, at the present moment.  Je prépare le projet.  (I am preparing the project) For general states and actions. Il fait chaud. (It is hot) For actions that ocur on regular basis or habits. Elle va à la gym tous les jours. (She goes to the gym every day) For universal truths, facts, and general statements. Le soleil se lève à l'est. (The sun rises in the east) To talk about events that are going to happen in the near future, often when a time expression is included. Je pars demain. (I leave tomorrow.) CONJUGATION OF VERBS REGULAR VERBS ER Verbs:  To conjugate we add the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent CHANTER (to sing) Je chant e Tu chant es Il/Elle/On chant e Nous chant ons Vous chant ez Ils/Elles chant ent However, there are some expections to this r...