Adjective Position
French adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify, depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow nouns, while limiting adjectives precede nouns.
A2 Grammar
Low-Intermediate French Lessons
French adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify, depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow nouns, while limiting adjectives precede nouns.Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency express how often the action of a verb occurs.Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner express how the action of a verb occurs. In English, the vast majority of adverbs of manner end in -ly, whereas in French, they mostly end in -ment. They are usually created from adjectives.Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place express where the action of a verb occurs.Adverbs of Quantity
Adverbs of quantity express how much, how many, or to what extent.Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time express when the action of a verb occurs.Agreement with Subjects
The three French verb constructions which include some form of être plus a past participle usually require grammatical agreement of the past participle with the subject.Après vs Derrière
The prepositions après and derrière have somewhat similar meanings, which of course means that students sometimes get them confused. Learn the difference between après and derrière to put all of this confusion behind you.Article Comparison
There are three types of French articles (definite, indefinite, and partitive), and it's not always easy to know which one you need. Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide.Auxiliary Verbs – Avoir vs Être
Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs, because they help form compound conjugations. The key thing to remember about compound conjugations is that it's the auxiliary verb which conjugates for the required tense or mood; the main verb is always a past participle.Avant vs Devant
The prepositions avant and devant have somewhat similar meanings, which of course means that students sometimes get them confused. Learn the difference between avant and devant to get in front of any potential confusion.C’est vs Il est
The French expressions c'est and il est can be tricky because they are synonymous but not interchangeable. Which one to use depends less on meaning than it does on grammar.Comparative Adverbs
Comparative adverbs are used to compare the relative superiority or inferiority of two or more things. This superior lesson will keep you from getting an inferiority complex. ;-)Conditional Mood
In English, we use the modal "would" plus a verb to talk about actions that may or may not take place, usually depending on whether a certain condition is met. The French equivalent to this construction is a conditional mood with a full set of conjugations for every verb. The uses of these two constructions are very similar.Conjunctions
One of the eight parts of speech, conjunctions are used as connectors between grammatically related words or phrases. There are two kinds of conjunctions, depending on whether that relationship is equal or unequal.Contre
The preposition contre usually means "against," but it has other meanings in certain contexts.Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions are small words that connect two or more grammatically equivalent words or phrases. The connected words might be adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs, or even independent clauses; the important thing is that they're equal and each one serves the same function in the sentence.Croire – to believe
Croire literally means "to believe" but has somewhat varying meanings depending on the preposition used. Learn the difference between croire à and croire en, plus other uses of croire.Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives (this, that) are used to indicate a specific noun or nouns. In French, they must agree with the noun(s) in number and sometimes gender: ce, cette, cet, ces.Depuis vs Il y a
When talking about something that happened in the past, the correct verb tense isn't always enough - sometimes you need a temporal expression to state just when it happened. The most common French temporal expressions are depuis and il y a, and they are not interchangeable.Devoir – must, to have to
Devoir is a very common French verb with irregular conjugations and an unusual relationship to some of its English equivalents. It has several meanings related to obligation, supposition, and expectation.Direct Objects
A direct object is a noun, whether person or thing, that someone or something acts upon or does something to. In both French and English, direct objects are often replaced with direct object pronouns (COD): me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les.En
The preposition en can be summarized as "to or in," but it's a bit more complicated than that.Euphonic Adjectives
French grammar is sometimes trumped by pronunciation, as in the case of euphonic adjectives. Because French does not like the hiatus created when a word ending with a vowel precedes a word that begins with a vowel or mute h, a few adjectives change their spelling—and thus their pronunciation—for purely euphonic reasons.Euphonic Inversion
When inversion results in a hiatus (two vowel sounds together), the letter -t must be added for euphony, but only under two conditions.Falloir
The irregular French verb falloir means "to need," "to be necessary," or "to be lacking." Since falloir is an impersonal verb, it has only one conjugation in each tense and mood: the third person singular; for example, the present tense il faut.Feminine Nouns
Future Tense
In English, we use the modal "will" plus a verb to talk about actions that will take place in the future, but in French there's a future tense with a full set of conjugations for every verb. The uses of these two constructions are very similar.Habiter vs Vivre
Believe it or not, life in France is so great that one verb just isn't enough: "to live" may be equivalent to habiter or vivre, depending on what exactly you want to say.Imperative Mood
It's imperative to understand the imperative mood if you want to give orders, make requests, express desires, provide recommendations, offer advice, and prohibit actions.Imperfect
They say practice makes perfect, so how can one of the most common French past tenses be imperfect? In grammatical terms, "perfect" means "complete," so the imperfect tense is used to describe an incomplete or ongoing action or state of being.Impersonal Verbs
Most verbs are personal: they must be conjugated for different grammatical persons. But some verbs are used impersonally, meaning they have only one conjugation, the third person singular.Indirect Objects
An indirect object is a person that someone or something does something to indirectly. In both French and English, indirect objects are often replaced with indirect object pronouns.Infinitive
The French infinitive, which always ends in -er, -ir, or -re, serves as the name of any given verb. It's what you look up in dictionaries and verb conjugation tables, so it's important to learn the infinitive of every new verb you see or hear.Intermediate French for Dummies
Get up to speed in the usage and grammar of French and improve your writing - by Laura K Lawless.Interrogative Adjective
When asking someone to make a choice between two or more things, you need the interrogative adjective quel, meaning "which" or "what."Interrogative Adverbs
When, where, why, how? Use interrogative adverbs to ask these informational questions.Interrogative Pronouns
Who, what, which one? Use interrogative pronouns to ask these questions, which are a little more complicated in French than in English.Inversion
The normal word order in French and English is subject + verb, as in vous êtes - you are. Both languages also have what is known as inversion, where the verb and subject pronoun switch places, resulting in êtes-vous - are you. In English, inversion is used only to ask questions, but in French it has several different purposes.Irregular -er Verbs
Technically, there is only one irregular -er verb, aller. But there are three patterns in the conjugation of so-called regular -er verbs that set them apart from the rest.Irregular Adjectives
Five French adjectives (beau, fou, mou, nouveau, vieux) are particularly tricky because they have very irregular feminine forms as well as a special form used only for certain masculine nouns.Jouer
Jouer is a regular -er French verb that can be a bit confusing when it comes time to decide which preposition should follow. Here's everything you need to know.Lequel – Interrogative Pronoun
Lequel, "which one," is the pronominal equivalent of the interrogative adjective quel, meaning that quel + noun can be replaced by lequel. It has different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it replaces.Manquer – to miss
The regular -er French verb manquer means "to miss," which seems straightforward enough, and yet it causes no end of confusion due to a strange turnaround it requires in a certain construction. Don't miss this lesson!Masculine Nouns
Negative Adjectives
French negative adjectives are used to negate or refuse nouns. Like other negative structures, negative adjectives have two parts.Negative Pronouns
French negative pronouns (ne ... personne, ne ... rien) replace and simultaneously negate nouns. They may be the subject or object of the verb they're used with.Nouns and Adjectives: Irregular Plurals
Most French nouns and adjectives become plural with the addition of -s, but of course there are exceptions.Par
The French preposition par generally means "by," "through," or "per."Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are the building blocks of everything you say, write, hear, and read. Even if you hate the thought of learning any grammar terms, knowing the difference between these eight basic parts of speech is essential for improving your French ability.Passé composé
The passé composé is the most important French past tense, and just to make things interesting, it has three possible English equivalents.Past Participle
The past participle is essential in the creation of compound verb tenses/moods and the passive voice, and it can also be used as an adjective.Possessive de
In English, we use 's (apostrophe s) to indicate that one noun possesses another. The French equivalent is the preposition de, with the order of the nouns reversed.Possessive Adjectives
French possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta ...) are used in front of nouns to indicate to whom or to what those nouns belong. They are considerably more complicated than English possessive adjectives because French has several different forms depending on the gender and number of the possessed noun.Possessive Pronouns
French possessive pronouns (le mien, la tienne, les siens ...) are used in place of nouns to indicate to whom or to what those nouns belong.Pour
The preposition pour usually means "for" and may be followed by a noun, pronoun, or infinitive.Pouvoir – can, to be able
Pouvoir is a very common irregular French verb with an unusual relationship to some of its English equivalents. It generally means "can" or "to be able" but it's a bit more complicated in certain tenses.Prendre
The irregular French verb prendre literally means "to take" but also has a number of additional meanings and is used in many idiomatic expressions.Present Participle / Gerund
The French present participle, which always ends in -ant, may be used as a verb, gerund, noun, or adjective. Structurally, French present participles are equivalent to "verb + ing" in English, but grammatically there are many differences between them.Present Participle: Adjectives and Nouns
When used as a noun or adjective, the present participle follows the same agreement rules as other nouns and adjectives, and some verbs have a different present participle conjugation for these usages.Progress with Lawless French
Progress with Lawless French is an adaptive, test-driven French learning system that will help you learn more efficiently with personalized kwizzes, writing challenges, and dictées.Pronominal Verbs
The grammatical term "pronominal" means "relating to a pronoun." You know that conjugated verbs (almost) always need a subject pronoun, but pronominal verbs need a reflexive pronoun as well.PwLF Super Study Lists
Take your Progress with Lawless French account to the next level with these super study lists that bring together all the lessons on a particular grammar topic.Reflexive Verbs
For reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun indicates that the subject of the verb is performing the action on him/her/itself, rather than on someone or something else. The majority of reflexive verbs have to do with one's body, clothing, or relationships.Savoir – to know
The French verb savoir usually means "to know." It has irregular conjugations in just about every tense and mood, and somewhat different meanings in a couple of those.Savoir vs Connaître (and Ignorer)
Do you know how to say "know" in French? There are two verbs with distinct meanings, and just to keep things interesting, there are also two overlapping meanings. Confused? After you read this lesson, you'll know all you need to know.Semi-Auxiliary Verbs
Semi-auxiliary verbs are used with infinitives to influence their meaning, tense, mood, or aspect. Some French semi-auxiliaries are equivalent to English modal verbs, and most of the top 10 French verbs can or must be used as semi-auxiliaries.Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that form a complete unit of meaning. Sentences can be as short as a single word or as long as the Seine; the minimum criterion is that they contain a subject and verb.State-of-Being Verbs
State-of-being verbs have various names but no action. These verbs create a link between their subject and a noun or adjective that describes or defines it.Stressed Pronouns
As indicated by the name, stressed/disjunctive/emphatic pronouns are used for emphasis. Stressed pronouns exist in English, but they are not always used in the same ways or for the same reasons as French stressed pronouns.Sur
The preposition sur is often equivalent to "on" but has many other possible translations.Tenir – to hold, to keep
Tenir is an irregular -ir verb with a multitude of meanings. The most common are "to hold" and "to keep."Top 10 Verbs
Here are the 10 most common and useful French verbs, with example sentences and the full set of simple and compound conjugations, with sound files.Variable Negative Pronouns
Variable negative pronouns are used in place of a negative adjective + noun, and must agree with the noun in gender.Verb Tense
The grammatical term "tense" comes from Latin tempus, meaning "time." So a verb tense refers to the time that the action of a verb occurs. French has three tenses: present, past, and future.Voir – to see
The French verb voir usually means "to see" and has irregular conjugations in just about every tense and mood.Vouloir – to want
The French verb vouloir usually means "to want" and has irregular conjugations in just about every tense and mood.More Lawless French
Subscribe to my twice-weekly newsletter: