Conversational French: Core Tenses

Use present-tense forms of high-frequency regular -er verbs to describe daily routines and interests.

Use être and avoir in the present tense to exchange personal information and describe current states.

Ask and answer present-tense questions using intonation, est-ce que, and common question words.

Use present-tense negation to express dislikes, inability, and unavailability in everyday exchanges.

Use hesitation, clarification, and self-correction phrases to avoid abandoning a conversation.

Use venir de + infinitive to say what has just happened.

Use the passé composé with avoir to report completed everyday actions.

Use the passé composé with être and the required agreement to report common movements.

Sequence completed actions with d’abord, puis, ensuite, and enfin.

Form the imparfait of common verbs from the present-tense nous stem, including the exception être.

Use the imparfait to describe repeated past habits and past situations.

Choose between the passé composé and imparfait when telling a short personal anecdote.

Use aller + infinitive to describe near-future plans and intentions.

Ask and answer follow-up questions about another person’s near-future plans.

Sustain a five-minute social conversation that connects present life, recent events, past experiences, and near-future plans while using repair strategies when needed.