A reminder:

There are three major groups of

regular verbs:

• verbs with infinitives ending in -er,

• verbs with infinitives ending in -ir, and

• verbs with infinitives ending in -re.

-er verbs To conjugate these verbs:

1. drop the -er from the infinitive to form the stem.

2. Next, add the –er endings to the stem :

-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent

Parler = to speak

Je parle Nous parlons

Tu parles Vous parlez

Il/elle/on parle Ils/elles parlent

Past participle: parlé

-ir verbs To conjugate these verbs:

1. drop the -ir from the infinitive to form the stem.

2. Next, add the –ir endings to the stem :

-is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent

Finir = to finish

Je finis Nous finissons

Tu finis Vous finissez

Il/elle/on finit Ils/elles finissent

Past participle: fini

-re verbs To conjugate these verbs:

1. drop the -re from the infinitive to form the stem.

2. Next, add the –re endings to the stem :

-s, -s, -, -ons, -ez, -ent

Vendre = to sell

Je vends Nous vendons

Tu vends Vous vendez

Il/elle/on vend Ils/elles vendent

Past participle: vendu

Boot verbs!

Some –er verbs have a spelling change or stem change.

We sometimes call them

Boot verbs.

Stem-changing verbs or boot verbs,

have irregular stems in all the singular forms as well as the third person plural.

considérer = to consider

*Note: present tense: é in the penultimate syllable changes to è in all forms but nous and vous.

1. Verbs with é in the penultimate syllable

Je considère Nous considérons

Tu considères Vous considérez

Il/elle/on considère Ils/elles considèrent

considérer = to consider

Je considère Nous considérons

Tu considères Vous considérez

Il/elle/on considère Ils/elles considèrent

1. Verbs with é in the penultimate syllable

*Note: present tense: é in the penultimate syllable changes to è in all forms but nous and vous.

Je lève Nous levons

Tu lèves Vous levez

Il/elle/on lève Ils/elles lèvent

lever = to lift / to raise

*Note: present tense: e in the penultimate syllable changes to è in all forms but nous and vous.

2. Verbs with e in the penultimate syllable (except for the -eler and -eter verbs)

Present tense: e in the penultimate syllable

par Madame D Reed

3. Verbs in –eler

J’appelle Nous appelons

Tu appelles Vous appelez

Il/elle/on appelle Ils/elles appellent

appeler = to call

*Note: present tense: l becomes ll in all forms but nous and vous.

4. Verbs in –eter

Je jette Nous jetons

Tu jettes Vous jetez

Il/elle/on jette Ils/elles jettent

jeter = to throw

*Note: present tense: t becomes tt in all forms but nous and vous.

acheter  et geler NO -tt or –ll but e è

therefore work like se lever. See 2.

Exception to the exception!!!

j'achète /je gèle nous achetons

/gelons

tu achètes/tu gèles vous achetez /gelez

il/elle/on achète/gèle ils/elles

achètent/gèlent

5. Verbs in –ayer

Je paie Nous payons

Tu paies Vous payez

Il/elle/on paie Ils/elles paient

Payer* = to pay

*Note: -ayer verbs have an optional stem change in which y changes to an i in all forms but nous and vous.

6. Verbs in –oyer

Je nettoie Nous nettoyons

Tu nettoies Vous nettoyez

Il/elle/on nettoie Ils/elles nettoient

nettoyer = to clean

*Note: in the present tense requires stem change y to i in all forms but nous and vous.

7. Verbs in –uyer

J’ennuie Nous ennuyons

Tu ennuies Vous ennuyez

Il/elle/on ennuie Ils/elles ennuient

ennuyer* = to annoy / bore

*Note: -uyer verbs have an optional stem change in which y changes to an i in all forms but nous and vous.

Remember : Nous and vous

out of the shoe!

No stem changes for nous and vousSame stem as the infinitiveStem

change for je tu il ils

Other verbs with ONE spelling change which are NOT boot verbs : verbs in –cer or -ger

voyager=to travel/ commencer=to start

je voyagetu voyages il/elle/on voyagenous voyageons vous voyagez ils/elles voyagent

je commencetu commencesil/elle/on commencenous commençonsvous commencezils/elles commencent