Basic French Grammar for Grade 10

1. Subject Pronouns

In French, subject pronouns are used to identify who is performing the action in a sentence. The most common subject pronouns are:

• Je (I)
• Tu (You - informal)
• Il/Elle/On (He/She/One)
• Nous (We)
• Vous (You - formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles (They - masculine/feminine)

For example:

• Je mange une pomme. (I eat an apple.)
• Tu joues au football. (You play football.)
• Elle lit un livre. (She reads a book.)

Note that the subject pronoun is often omitted in French when it is clear from the context or when the verb conjugation already indicates the subject.

2. Verbs and Conjugation

French verbs are conjugated differently depending on the subject pronoun. The most common verb tenses are the present, past, and future tenses. Here, we will focus on the present tense.

Verbs are divided into three groups: -er, -ir, and irregular verbs. The most common group is the -er verbs, which include verbs like "parler" (to speak) and "manger" (to eat).

Here is the conjugation of the verb "parler" (to speak) in the present tense:

• Je parle (I speak)
• Tu parles (You speak)
• Il/Elle/On parle (He/She/One speaks)
• Nous parlons (We speak)
• Vous parlez (You speak - formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles parlent (They speak)

For -ir verbs, such as "finir" (to finish), the conjugation is slightly different:

• Je finis (I finish)
• Tu finis (You finish)
• Il/Elle/On finit (He/She/One finishes)
• Nous finissons (We finish)
• Vous finissez (You finish - formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles finissent (They finish)

Irregular verbs, such as "être" (to be) and "avoir" (to have), have unique conjugations that must be memorized.