- Explore France ►
- KEY PAGES
- Where to go
- How to get there
- Learn about France
About-France.com
- A grammar of modern French
You are here: France › French grammar
Essential
French
Grammar
The rules and principles clearly explained
The rules and principles clearly explained
Illustrated with a wide range of up-to-date, relevant
examples of contemporary French usage, this free, printable grammar
course is designed for intermediate and advanced learners in high
schools, universities, and for independent study.
This
course is listed as a recommended grammar resource by the University of Michigan French Studies
guide and in the Association of College and Research Libraries French studies guide, to cite but
two authoratative endorsements.
Course Type:
Self-paced Grammar Guide
Level: Intermediate to Advanced (CEFR B1-C1)
Test Prep: Ideal for students preparing DELF, DALF, TCF and other higher qualifications in French.
Study Time: Approx.30 minutes per unit
Level: Intermediate to Advanced (CEFR B1-C1)
Test Prep: Ideal for students preparing DELF, DALF, TCF and other higher qualifications in French.
Study Time: Approx.30 minutes per unit
Part 1. Nouns and the noun phrase in French
Nouns make up about 60% of all words in French, so understanding them, and the expressions in which they are used, is a fundamental stage in mastering French grammar. Noun phrases are made up of nouns or pronouns and the words that help define them, notably adjectives.- 1.1. Articles: the definite and indefinite articles in French with audio
- 1.2. Pronouns
- 1.2.1 The main pronouns in French 1 : forms and usage
- 1.2.2 Ce, ça and on - other third person pronouns
- 1.2.3 Y and en
- 1.3 Nouns
in French
- Gender, number and composition of the noun phrase.
1.3.1. FAQs - 12 essential questions and answers - 1.4. Adjectives
- 1.5. Numbers and counting with audio
- 1.5.1. Ordinals
- 1.6. Possession
- 1.7. Demonstratives - demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns
- 1.8. Relative pronouns and relative clauses
Part 2. French verbs
Verbs are the second grammatical category of words in French. They are vital parts of any sentence since they express the action or process that is taking place. Mastering verbs is often considered the hardest part of learning French.- 2.0. An introduction to French verbs
- 2.1. The auxiliaries: être and avoir
- 2.2. The main verb families:
- 2.2.1. verbs in -er,
- 2.2.2. verbs in -ir,
- 2.2.3. verbs in -re
- 2.3. Modal verbs - vouloir, pouvoir, devoir
- 2.3.1. Conjugation table for devoir
- 2.3.2. Conjugation table for pouvoir
- 2.3.3. Conjugation table for vouloir
-
2.4. Irregular verbs
- 2.4.1. Twelve vital irregular verbs
- 2.4.2. Irregular verbs in -re
- 2.4.3. Irregular verbs in -er or -ir
-
2.5. Tenses, voice, mood.
- 2.5.1. Expressing present time - the present tense with audio
- 2.5.2. Past tenses in French
- 2.5.2.1. The preterite and perfect tenses
- 2.5.2.2 The imperfect and pluperfect
- 2.5.3.. Expressing the future
- 2.5.4. The infinitive in French
- 2.5.5. The passive voice
- 2.5.6. The subjunctive mood in French
- 2.5.7. Forms and tenses of the subjunctive in French
- 2.5.8. Conditional tenses and conditional clauses
3. Other parts of speech:
Adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions help to modify meaning and define the relation between nouns and verbs, clarifying their role in the sentence.- 3.1. Adverbs in French
- 3.2. French prepositions
- 3.3. Conjunctions - coordinators and subordinators
4. Sentences - affirmative, negative, interrogative
A basic declarative sentence is an affirmative statement, as in Mon père porte un chapeau. Affirmative statements can be transformed into negative statements, such as Mon père ne porte pas de chapeau, or questions, such as Est-ce que mon père porte un chapeau?
- 4.1. Negation - expressing negatives
- 4.2. The interrogative
- 4.2.1. Questions without a question word
- 4.2.2. Question words - Qui, que, où, quand etc
See
also
► The French language - one of the world's major languages
► Essential French words and phrases - with audio 50 vital expressions for travellers
► A dictionary of France - people, places, terms, events and expressions.
► The French language - one of the world's major languages
► Essential French words and phrases - with audio 50 vital expressions for travellers
► A dictionary of France - people, places, terms, events and expressions.
| And much more from About-France.com: | ► Main index | ► French life | ► French institutions |
An
independent website, About-France.com does not track users and does not
show user-targeted advertising. About-France.com is an
affiliate
partner of selected external websites, and may receive
a commission on sales made on partner sites.
About-France.com
Home
page - Site
search
- Regions
- Maps of France
- Contact

