The present tense and the explicit subject
CEFR A1
What you will learn
- Use an explicit subject pronoun in a basic personal declarative or interrogative sentence.
- Choose the correct ending of a regular -er verb for its subject.
The idea
In a basic personal present-tense sentence, French expresses the subject; the same present covers habits and actions happening now.
Most regular verbs ending in “-er” follow this productive model: remove “-er” and add “-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent”. From “parler” you get “je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent”. “Aller” is an exception learned separately.
Four of the six forms sound alike in isolation: “parle”, “parles”, “parle” and “parlent” are pronounced /parl/. Spelling and the subject distinguish them, so keep both pieces of information when building the sentence.
Personal declarative and interrogative clauses express the subject: “Je parle”, not bare “parle”. The imperative is a different structure and does appear without a pronoun: “Parle !”.
And there is something you will miss: French has no separate form for what is happening right now. “Je parle” means both “I speak” and “I am speaking”, and the context decides. There is a phrase for insisting on the here and now, but it comes later and it is used far less than the English continuous.
Regular -er present
| sujet | parler | terminaison |
|---|---|---|
| je | je parle | -e |
| tu | tu parles | -es |
| il / elle / on | il parle | -e |
| nous | nous parlons | -ons |
| vous | vous parlez | -ez |
| ils / elles | ils parlent | -ent |
How it sounds
- Je parle français avec ma voisine.This can be today or every day: it is the same present tense.
- Tu travailles trop.The “-s” in “travailles” is silent. You only see it.
- Nous habitons à Lyon depuis trois ans.The “-ons” ending of “nous” is audible, unlike the silent endings in the nearby examples.
- Ils regardent la télévision.“-ent” is silent: “regardent” sounds just like “regarde”.
Your turn
Two or three, to check that the bit above landed.
Nous ___ le français à l'école.
parlons — With “nous” the ending is “-ons”, and this one is audible.
___ habites à Marseille ?
Tu — The subject is “tu”. “Toi” exists, but it does not go in front of the verb.
Elles ___ la porte.
ferment — Third person plural: “-ent”, even though you cannot hear it.
When it doesn't hold
What breaks the rule, said out loud. Hiding it is what makes you feel cheated in the exam.
- Verbs in “-ger” and “-cer” add a letter in the “nous” form so that the sound does not change.Nous mangeons. Nous commençons.
- “Aller” ends in “-er” and does not follow the pattern: it is the only one, and you have to learn it whole.Je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Je suis parlant français avec ma voisine.
Right Je parle français avec ma voisine.
English already expresses the subject. The transfer risk is using “être + present participle” for an action in progress: standard French normally uses the simple present here, “Je parle”, while “être en train de” is reserved for explicit emphasis on an action in progress.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- CEFR A1 · elementary repertoire for concrete needs and very simple interaction. · Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Companion Volume
- MCER como referencia; sin asignación estatal A1 por curso. · Real Decreto 217/2022, currículo básico de ESO
- A1 al final de classe terza; A1.1/A1.2 son subdivisiones editoriales. · Decreto 9 dicembre 2025, n. 221 · nuove Indicazioni nazionali
Once it makes sense
Practise this: Present tense of -er verbs, with its subjectGender and the article: le, la, l', un, uneTwo-part negation: ne… pas wraps around the verbAccents and the cedilla: they do not tell you where the stress fallsDu, de la, des: the article your language leaves outAu, aux, du, des: when à and de collide with the articleThe passé composé: two pieces and an auxiliary you have to choose