The verbs that are not -er verbs
CEFR A2 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
le, la, les or lui, leurDeciding whether the verb takes a direct or an indirect object, and placing the pronoun…The pronouns en and yReplacing de + something with en, and à + place or thing with y.Imparfait or passé composéChoosing the tense by what it does: setting the scene, or moving the story forward.French false friendsSpotting words that look like yours but mean something else, and using the right one…The imperative and its pronounsForming the imperative in its three persons, placing the pronoun after in the…Savoir or connaîtreChoosing between savoir and connaître: a fact, a clause or a skill need savoir; a…The rule, in three lines
The second-group -ir verbs insert an -iss- in the plural: je finis but nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. The third-group verbs change their stem and must be learnt: prendre → nous prenons, ils prennent.
The usual slip. Conjugating them like the -er verbs: «nous finons». The -iss- appears in all three plural persons and cannot be guessed from the infinitive.
Why it catches you out. English has one form for almost everything, so any change inside the verb is new. The -iss- has nothing to attach to in your language, and it turns up exactly where you least expect it: the plural.