REVIEW THE BASICS OF FRENCH after a break

Reassess Your Level:
 

Before you begin, start your French relearning journey with a crucial step: reassessing your level. It is essential to know where you stand.
 

If you're looking for a reliable starting point, I invite you to try my French level test, specially designed to accurately assess where you are in your learning. This test covers a wide range of aspects of the language, from grammatical foundations to oral comprehension.
 

I strongly encourage you to take the time to do this test. Not only will it help clarify your starting point, but it will also motivate you by showing you the progress that can be made. You can find the link to my level test in the description.
 

Let's now see the important grammar points to review after a break in your French learning:
 

Important Tenses:
 

The Present Indicative:
 

Usage: The present tense is the most direct and immediate way to express actions that are happening at the moment of speaking, general truths, or habits.
 

Formation: The conjugation varies depending on the group of the verb. For example, for the 1st group (finir), you remove the -r and add the appropriate endings: je finis, tu finis, il/elle finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent.
 

Complete Example: "Je mange une pomme." This sentence expresses an action that is taking place at the moment.
 

The Past Composed:
 

Usage: The past composed is used to talk about actions that had a beginning and an end in the past. It is often used to recount events or experiences.
 

Formation: For "finir," conjugate the auxiliary "avoir" in the present (j'ai) and add the past participle of the verb (fini): j'ai fini.
 

Complete Example: "J'ai fini de lire ce livre hier." This sentence indicates that the action of reading the book is completely finished.
 

The Imperfect:
 

Usage: The imperfect is used for descriptions, contexts, or habits in the past. It gives an impression of continuity or incompleteness.
 

Formation: For "finir," take the root "nous finissons" (finiss-) and add the endings of the imperfect: je finissais, tu finissais, il/elle finissait, nous finissions, vous finissiez, ils/elles finissaient.
 

Complete Example: "Quand j'étais enfant, je finissais toujours mes devoirs avant de sortir jouer." This sentence describes a past habit.
 

The Simple Future:
 

Usage: The simple future expresses an action that will take place in the future, with no direct link to the present.
 

Formation: For "finir," simply add the future simple endings to the infinitive: je finirai, tu finiras, il/elle finira, nous finirons, vous finirez, ils/elles finiront.
 

Complete Example: "Je finirai ce projet la semaine prochaine." This sentence expresses a future action without connection to the present moment.
 

The Near Future:
 

Usage: The near future is used to talk about an action that will occur very soon or that is planned.
 

Formation: Use the verb "aller" in the present followed by the infinitive of the main verb. For "finir": je vais finir, tu vas finir, il/elle va finir, nous allons finir, vous allez finir, ils/elles vont finir.
 

Complete Example: "Je vais finir de regarder cet épisode, puis je te rappelle." This sentence indicates an imminent action.
 

Definite and Indefinite Articles:
 

Definite Articles:
 

Usage: Definite articles ("le", "la", "les", "l'") are used to talk about something specific or already mentioned. They are also used to refer to an entire category in a general sense.
 

• "Le" is used with singular masculine nouns starting with a consonant.
   
• "La" is used with singular feminine nouns starting with a consonant.
   
• "L'" is used before a noun starting with a vowel or a silent "h", regardless of gender.
   
• "Les" is used for plural nouns, both masculine and feminine.

Complete Examples:

• "Le chien dort." (a specific dog)
   
• "La pomme est rouge." (a specific apple)
   
• "L'oiseau chante." (a specific bird, starts with a vowel)
   
• "Les livres sont sur la table." (specific books)
   

Indefinite Articles:
 

Usage: Indefinite articles ("un", "une", "des") are used to talk about something nonspecific or not previously mentioned. They introduce an unidentified item or refer to any member of a set.
 

• "Un" is used with singular masculine nouns.
   
• "Une" is used with singular feminine nouns.
   
• "Des" is used with plural nouns, both masculine and feminine, and replaces "un" or "une" in the plural.
   

Complete Examples:
 

• "Cet homme lit un journal." (a nonspecific newspaper)
   
• "J'ai vu des oiseaux dans le jardin." (nonspecific birds)
   

Partitive Articles:
 

Usage: Partitive articles are used to designate an indefinite amount of something, which cannot or is not desired to be counted. Typical contexts include food, drinks, materials, and abstract concepts.
 

• "Du" is used in front of singular masculine nouns starting with a consonant. It is the contraction of "de + le".
   
• "De la" is used in front of singular feminine nouns.
   
• "De l'" is used in front of singular nouns of any gender starting with a vowel or a silent "h".
   
• "Des" is used in affirmative sentences to introduce plural nouns but changes to "de" or "d'" in negative sentences.
   

Complete Examples:
 

• "Je voudrais du pain." Here, "du" indicates an indefinite amount of bread, which is not exactly counted.
   
• "Elle a acheté de la farine." "De la" introduces flour as an uncounted quantity.
   
• "Il mange de l'orange." "De l'" is used because "orange" starts with a vowel and represents an unspecified quantity.
   
• "Nous prenons des photos." In an affirmative sentence, "des" suggests an indefinite quantity of photos. If this sentence were negative, "des" would become "de": "Nous ne prenons pas de photos."
   

Notes:
 

• Partitive articles are often omitted after negative verbs, as mentioned, switching from "des" to "de" or "d'" to signify total absence.
   
• In certain expressions of quantity, like "beaucoup de", "peu de", "assez de", the partitive article is replaced by "de" or "d'": "beaucoup de pain", "peu de farine".
   
• The use of partitive articles is one of the aspects of French that can vary greatly depending on the context, making their mastery particularly useful for precise and natural communication.
   

Pronouns:
 

Pronouns are powerful tools in the French language, allowing sentences to flow more smoothly and avoiding repetition. Among these, direct object pronouns (COD), indirect object pronouns (COI), as well as the pronouns "en" and "y", are particularly important for achieving an intermediate level of French (A2/B1). Here is a detailed overview to help you master them.
 

Direct Object Pronouns (COD)
 

Direct object pronouns replace a noun directly received by the verb without a preposition. In French, these pronouns are: me/m', te/t', le/la/l', nous, vous, les.
 

• Example with "le" (replace it): Tu vois le livre ? Oui, je le vois.
   

Indirect Object Pronouns (COI)
 

Indirect object pronouns replace a noun that is an indirect object, that is, a noun preceded by a preposition (à, de, pour, avec...). These pronouns are: me/m', te/t', lui, nous, vous, leur.
 

• Example with "lui" (talk to Pierre): Je parle à Pierre. Je lui parle.
   

The Pronoun "en"
 

The pronoun "en" replaces a noun preceded by the preposition "de", indicating an indefinite quantity, or replaces the name of a place introduced by "de". It can also replace a noun preceded by a partitive or indefinite article.
 

• Quantity: Tu veux des bonbons ? Oui, j'en veux.
   
• Place: Tu reviens de France ? Oui, j'en reviens.
   

The Pronoun "y"
 

The pronoun "y" replaces a noun preceded by the preposition "à", "chez", "dans", "sur", etc., and can indicate a place or an abstract concept.
 

• Place: Tu vas à l'école ? Oui, j'y vais.
   
• Concept: Tu penses souvent à tes vacances ? Oui, j'y pense souvent.