Irregular Verbs
French grammarians classify verbs into three categories, but I don't like this system at all so I use my own. Mistakes and Difficulties
French Mistakes and Difficulties
Erreurs, fautes, méprises, difficultés
Improve your French by looking out for and learning how to avoid some common French mistakes.
French grammarians classify verbs into three categories, but I don't like this system at all so I use my own. B1 - Intermediate French • verbs
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. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • prepositions • verbs
Le pour et le contre de « par contre »
The debate about par contre began in 1737, but many critics go far beyond what Voltaire originally said. Liaisons
When a word ending in a normally silent consonant is followed by a vowel or h muet, that consonant might be transferred onto the next word. This is called a liaison and it's one of the aspects of French pronunciation that can make it difficult to determine where one word ends and the next begins. LL
In French, the double L has two possible pronunciations - it may be pronounced like an "L" or like a "Y." Fortunately, there are patterns that can help you determine the pronunciation of most words. Love and Hate
French verbs related to love and hate (aimer, adorer, détester, haïr) can be confusing when it comes to using pronouns: when you want to say something like "I like it" - is it ever ok to say Je l'aime? Lui
The French word lui functions as two different types of pronouns and refers to both genders - but only sometimes. 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! A2 - Low-Intermediate French • prepositions • verbs • word order
Masculine Noun Endings
Mauvais vs Mal
The French words mauvais and mal can be tricky for French students because they both belong to three different parts of speech and have similar meanings. If you have a poor understanding of the difference, it wouldn't be a bad idea to read this lesson. adjectives • adverbs • nouns
Meilleur vs Mieux
The French words meilleur and mieux can be tricky for French students because they are the comparative/superlative forms of the oft-confused words bon and bien, respectively. This lesson is your best bet for gaining a better understanding of this confusing pair. adjectives • adverbs • nouns
Merci de vs Merci pour
When naming the object of your appreciation, there's a bit of grammar involved. Depending on what you're actually saying "thank you" for, you must choose between two prepositions: de and pour. Modal Verbs
There's no such thing as modal verbs in French, so translating them from English requires a bit of creative thinking. Usually you need a normal (conjugatable) French verb in a particular tense or mood, but you can sometimes use just an adverb. Movable Adjectives
A number of French adjectives change meaning depending on whether they go before or after the noun. adjectives • B1 - Intermediate French • word order
Ne explétif
Don't worry, it's not a swear word. In French, explétif is a grammatical term that serves only to draw attention to what precedes it. 
Practice is the key to improving your French, and just 15 minutes a day on some kind of French activity can make a huge difference. Check out these ideas and draw up your own schedule.
Of the four language skills, many people find that speaking is the most difficult. Here are tips and resources to help you overcome these obstacles in order to practice French as much as you like.