SOME TIPS AS STARTERS

What are the similarities and differences between English and French?

SIMILARITIES:1. The alphabets are the same DIFFERENCES:1. The pronunciation is different2. There are accents (/; \; ..; ^; , over the

vowels)-primarily used to change their sound

3. The formal and informal way of speaking4. There is feminine and masculine gender

for all nouns whether people or things

THE FRENCH SUBJECT PRONOUNS

Je = I 1st per. sing. Tu = you 2nd per. sing. Il = he/it 3rd per. sing Elle = she/it Nous = we 1st per. plu. Vous = you 2nd per. plu. Ils = they 3rd per. Plu., Elles = they

LES SALUTATIONS/ GREETING VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS

Bonjour = good morning /good day/hello

Bonne journée = have a nice day Bonsoir = good evening Bonne soirée = have a nice evening Bon après midi = good after noon Bonne nuit= good night Salut = hi / bye au revoir = Bye, bye Adieu = good bye / farewell

WISHES

A bientôt = see you soon A demain = see you tomorrow A plus tard = see you later A la prochaine = until we meet next Bonne anniversaire = happy birthday Bonne chance = good luck Bon voyage = happy journey Bon année = happy new year Bonne route = have a safe journey Bonne nouvelle année = happy new year Joyeux Noël = merry christmas

PEOPLE VOCABULARY

Monsieur = mister/sir Madame = madam Mademoiselle = miss Homme = man Femme = woman / wife Dame = lady Garçon = boy Fille = girl

INTRODUCTIONS(IN FRENCH THERE IS A FORMAL AND A INFORMAL WAY OF INTRODUCING ONSELF)

• Comment allez-vous ? (formal)• Comment ça va ? = how are you ? • Comment vas-tu ?• Je vais bien, merci• Ça va bien, merci =I am fine, thank you• Comment vous appelez-vous? (formal)• Comment t’appelles-tu ?• Comment tu t’appelles ?= what is your

name?• Je m’appelle ……….. = My name is………

MORE INTRODUCTORY EXPRESSIONS

Quel âge avez-vous?

Quel âge as-tu ? how old are you?

J’ai dix ans = I am ten years old

Où habitez-vous?

Où habites-tu ? where do you live?

J’habite à ……… = I live in ………..

Merci = thank you

De rien = no mention

S’il vous plait = please

DAY/ TIME INDICATORS Aujourd’hui = today Hier = yesterday Demain = tomorrow Maintenant = now Jour = day Journée = the whole day Matin = morning Matinée = the whole morning Midi = noon Après midi = afternoon Soir = evening Soirée = the whole evening Nuit = night Minuit = midnight

• Père = father

• Mère = mother

• Sœur = sister

• Frère = brother

• Oncle = uncle

• Tante = aunt

• Cousin = cousin

• Grand-père = grand father

• Grand-mère = grand mother

LES MEMBRES DE LA FAMILLE

SOME IMPORTANT GRAMMATICAL EXPRESSIONS

C’est = this is / that is / it is Ce n’est pas = this is not/ that is not / it is not Ce sont = these are / those are Ce ne sont pas = these are not / those are not Il y a = there is/ there are Y a-t-il = is there Il n’y a pas = there is not Voilà = there /there you are/ there it is etc… Voici = here / here it is etc……• Moi = me• Toi = You• Et = and

SOME IMPORTANT INTERROGATIVES

Qui est-ce? = Who is this?/who are these Qu’est-ce-que c’est? = what is this ?/ what are these Qui = who Comment = how / what Que / qu’est ce que = what Où = where Quand = when Pourquoi = why Combien de/d’ = how much / how many Quel / quelle = which / what Quoi = what

INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH VERB CONJUGATIONSOME IMPORTANT VERBS : “AVOIR”, “ETRE”, “ALLER”

Avoir (to have) J’ai ( I have) Tu as (you have) Il a (he has) Elle a (she has) Nous avons (we have) Vous avez (you have) Ils ont (they have) Elles ont (they have)

Etre (to be)

Je suis ( I am) tu es (you are) il est (he is) elle est (she is) nous sommes (we are) vous êtes (you are) ils sont (they are) elles sont (they are)

•Aller (to go)

•Je vais (I go)•tu vas (you go)•il va (he goes)•elle va (she goes)• nous allons (we go)•vous allez (you go)• ils vont (they go)• elles vont (they go)

LES VERBES

In French the verbs are divided into 2 groups namely “regular” and “irregular” verbs.

The regular verbs are again divided into 3 groups based on their endings.

They are : verbs ending in ER, ending in IR and verbs ending in RE . Example : Parler, Finir,Vendre

LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 1ERE GROUPE (-ER)AU PRÉSENT(VERB CONJUGATION OF 1ST GROUP (-ER) VERBS IN PRESENT TENSE)

For example let us take the verb « Parler » The following are the steps for conjugation: #1- remove the ending from the verb Parler parl (radical) #2 add the endings e, es, e, ons, ez ,ent

respectively to the subject pronouns Je = I Tu = you Il = he Elle = she Nous = we Vous = you Ils = they Elles = they

AND WE GET THE FOLLOWING CONJUGATION

Je parle (I speak) Tu parles(you speak) Il/elle parle(he/she speaks) Nous parlons (we speak) Vous parlez (you speak) Ils/elles parlent (they speak) And all the verbs belonging to this

group(-er) can be conjugated in this manner

LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 2EME GROUPE (-IR)AU PRÉSENT (VERB CONJUGATION OF 2ND GROUP VERBS IN PRESENT TENSE)

For example let us take the verb “Finir”

The following are the steps for conjugation:

#1- remove the ending « ir » from the verb

Finir fin (radical) #2 add the endings : is, is, it, issons,

issez and issent respectively to the subject pronouns

AND WE GET THE FOLLOWING CONJUGATION Je finis Tu finis Il/elle finit Nous finissons Vous finissez Ils/elles finissent

And all the verbs belonging to this group(-ir) can be conjugated in this manner

LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 3EME GROUPE (-RE)AU PRÉSENT (VERB CONJUGATION OF 3RD GROUP VERBS IN PRESENT TENSE)

Most of the 3rd group verbs are irregular however, a few of them can be considered as regular. They are:

« Vendre (to sell ) » ; « attendre (to wait) » ; « défendre (to defend) » ; « entendre (to hear) » ; « rendre (to return) » ; « répondre (to answer) » ; « descendre (to get down) » etc…

Now let us take the verb “vendre” The following are the steps for conjugation: #1- remove the ending « re » from the verb Vend re vend (radical) #2 add the endings : s, s, -, ons, ez and ent

respectively to the subject pronouns

AND WE GET THE FOLLOWING CONJUGATION

Je vends Tu vends Il/elle vend Nous vendons Vous vendez Ils/elles vendent And all the verbs belonging to this

group(-re) can be conjugated in this manner

Remember most of the 3rd group verbs have irregular conjugations and have to be learnt individually, you could however find your own way of making a pattern for conjugation when you learn the verbs.

““Bonne chance”