Verb Agreement Slides Le Cœur de la Phrase
Mastering Subject-Verb Agreement
The "Broken" Paragraph
"Je habiter à Paris. Nous étudier le français. Les étudiants réussir aux examens. Tu attendre le bus."
Discussion Questions:
What is wrong with this paragraph?
Does it sound professional or sophisticated?
Why is the infinitive alone not enough for meaning?
01 Les Verbes en -ER
The Formula
Remove the -er to find the stem, then add the endings:
Je -e
Nous -ons
Tu -es
Vous -ez
Il/Elle/On -e
Ils/Elles -ent
Exemple: PARLER
<table class="w-full text-2xl border-collapse"><tbody><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 font-medium">Je</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">e</span></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 font-medium">Tu</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">es</span></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 font-medium">Il/Elle</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">e</span></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 font-medium">Nous</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">ons</span></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 font-medium">Vous</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">ez</span></td></tr><tr><td class="py-3 font-medium">Ils/Elles</td><td class="py-3 text-slate-600">parl<span class="text-blue-600 font-bold">ent</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
02 Les Verbes en -IR et -RE
Finir (-IR)
Je finis Nous finissons
Tu finis Vous finissez
Il finit Ils finissent
Vendre (-RE)
Je vends Nous vendons
Tu vends Vous vendez
Il vend Ils vendent
Common Writing Traps
Silent Endings
Remember: -e, -es, -e, -ent are often silent in speech but CRITICAL in writing. Don't forget the 's' or 'nt'!
Plural Subjects
"Marie et Paul" = Ils .Elle (singular!). Check your subject count carefully.
Irregular Stems
Watch out for spelling changes like manger (nous mangeons) or commencer (nous commençons).
Pratique Rapide
1. Nous (étudier) étudions
2. Elles (finir) finissent
3. Vous (attendre) attendez
Verb Agreement Worksheet Accord Total
The Verb Agreement Mastery Workshop
Nom:
Date:
PARTIE 1
Paragraph Emergency Room
The following paragraph is written by a student who forgot to conjugate. Rewrite the paragraph below, correcting all infinitive verbs into the present tense.
"Bonjour ! Je (s'appeler) Marc. Je (habiter) à Lyon avec ma famille. Nous (adorer) le français. Ma sœur (étudier) la médecine et mes parents (travailler) dans une banque. Ensemble, nous (finir) le dîner à 20h, puis nous (attendre) le début du film à la télévision."
PARTIE 2
The Precision Drill
Verbes en -ER
1. Tu (parler) :
2. Ils (manger) :
3. Nous (étudier) :
4. Elle (donner) :
Verbes en -IR / -RE
5. Je (finir) :
6. Vous (réussir) :
7. On (attendre) :
8. Elles (vendre) :
PARTIE 3
Writing Sprint
Compose 3 original sentences about your university life. Use at least one -er verb, one -ir verb, and one -re verb.
Sentence 1
Sentence 2
Sentence 3
Verb Agreement Answer Key Accord Total: Corrigé
Answer Key & Teaching Notes
PARTIE 1
Paragraph Repair
"Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Marc. Je habite (j'habite) à Lyon avec ma famille. Nous adorons le français. Ma sœur étudie la médecine et mes parents travaillent dans une banque. Ensemble, nous finissons le dîner à 20h, puis nous attendons le début du film à la télévision."
PARTIE 2
Precision Drill Answers
-ER Verbs
1. Tu parles
2. Ils mangent
3. Nous étudions
4. Elle donne
-IR / -RE Verbs
5. Je finis
6. Vous réussissez
7. On attend
8. Elles vendent
Instructional Insights
PRO TIP Remind students that "j'habite" requires elision. This is a common phonetic/writing error at the beginner level.
COMMON ERROR Check the spelling of "étudions" and "finissons". Students often forget the double 's' in the plural forms of -ir verbs.
SILENT ENDINGS Emphasize that while the "s" in "parles" and "ent" in "travaillent" are silent, they are the difference between a high-grade and a low-grade writing sample.
Syntax and Negation Slides ?
NON
?
PAS
L'Architecture de la Phrase
Syntax, Negation & Interrogation
Standard Sentence Logic
Sujet
Verbe
Objet
"Les étudiants écrivent un essai."
Simple, direct, and effective.
Tip: Beginners should stick to this order for clarity before adding complexity.
Le Sandwich de la Négation
NE [ VERBE ] PAS
Normal Verb
"Je ne parle pas."
Vowel Exception
"Je n'aime pas."
Negation ALWAYS wraps the conjugated verb.
Three Ways to Ask
01. Intonation
Tu manges ?
The "casual" way. Just raise the pitch of your voice at the end. Best for speaking.
02. Est-ce que
Est-ce que tu manges ?
The "standard" way. Adds a clear marker to the start of the sentence without changing word order.
03. Inversion
Manges-tu ?
The "formal/academic" way. Swap the subject and verb and add a hyphen. Essential for high-level writing.
MISSION: ALIBI
"I was at the library. I was reading a book. I saw the professor."
Rewrite to find the truth:
Make it Negative: "I was NOT at the library..."
Make it an Inverted Question: "Were you at the library?"
Alibi Syntax Worksheet Mission: Alibi
Detective Agency Writing Workshop
Agent:
Date:
Briefing
A suspect has given the following statement. Your job is to transform their alibi into negative statements and questions for the interrogation room. Precision in syntax is non-negotiable.
Original Statement
"Je suis à la maison. Je mange une pizza. J'écoute la radio. Je parle avec mon chat."
TASK 01
The Denial (Négation)
Rewrite the statements using ne...pas (or n'...pas ). Deny everything.
1. "Je suis à la maison."
2. "Je mange une pizza."
3. "J'écoute la radio."
TASK 02
The Interrogation (Inversion)
Convert these statements into formal questions using inversion (Verb-Subject). Assume the subject is "tu".
4. "Tu parles avec le chat."
5. "Tu finis le travail."
Detective Note
When using inversion, remember the hyphen between verb and pronoun!
Example: Manges-tu ?
Closing Argument
Write one complex question using Est-ce que and one complex negative sentence about a crime the suspect did NOT commit.
Est-ce que...
Je ne... pas...
Alibi Syntax Answer Key Mission: Alibi Corrigé
Master Answer Key
Internal Only
TASK 01
The Denial
1. "Je suis à la maison."
Je ne suis pas à la maison.
2. "Je mange une pizza."
Je ne mange pas une pizza.
3. "J'écoute la radio."
Je **n'**écoute pas la radio.
Note: Check for the elision (n').
TASK 02
The Interrogation
4. "Tu parles avec le chat."
Parles-tu avec le chat ?
5. "Tu finis le travail."
Finis-tu le travail ?
Grading Criteria
Syntax Mechanics
Negation placement: NE and PAS must surround only the conjugated verb.Vowel elision: 'NE' must become 'N' before vowels or h-muet.The Hyphen: Inversion is incomplete without the hyphen ( - ).
Common Pitfalls
Students often write "Je ne suis pas à la maison" but forget the second part "pas" .
In inversion, students may try to invert nouns (e.g., "Mange le chat ?" ) - clarify that inversion usually requires a pronoun.
Adjective Rules Slides L'Art de la Description
Adjectives: Rules & Rituals
Navigating the nuances of French agreement and placement
Gender
Number
Placement
The Sketchy Apartment
Listing A (Broken Placement)
"Un appartement bleu grand avec une cuisine petite moderne."
Why does this sound "foreign" to a native speaker? Adjectives in French are like furniture—you have to put them in the right room.
The Mirror Rule
Adjectives reflect the Gender and Number of the noun.
The Post-Noun Rule
Most adjectives come AFTER the noun. (un livre rouge)
The Agreement Grid
Regular Patterns
Category Ending Example Masc. Sing. --- bleu Fem. Sing. -e bleue Masc. Plur. -s bleus Fem. Plur. -es bleues
Irregular Alarms
-eux → -euse (heureux/heureuse)-if → -ive (sportif/sportive)-el → -elle (intellectuel/elle)
"Accuracy in agreement is the hallmark of an advanced writer."
The BAGS Rule
These adjectives go BEFORE the noun:
B
Beauty
beau, joli
A
Age
jeune, vieux, nouveau
G
Goodness
bon, mauvais
S
Size
grand, petit, gros
Example: Un petit garçon. vs. Un livre rouge.
Challenge Rapide
Noun + Adj Correct Phrase?
une maison (grand/blanc) une grande maison blanche
des étudiants (jeune/intelligent) de jeunes étudiants intelligents
Real Estate Adjective Worksheet Propriétés de Luxe
Real Estate Writing Challenge
AGENCE: STUDENT RÉDACTION
NOM:
The Mission
You are a real estate agent trying to sell a "charming" (read: terrible) apartment. You must describe the features using the provided nouns and adjectives. CRITICAL: You must follow both BAGS placement and gender/number agreement rules.
Item 01 Words: un appartement / grand / vieux / sale
Item 02 Words: des fenêtres / petit / cassé / moche
Item 03 Words: une cuisine / nouveau / moderne / cher
The Professional Pitch
Combine your sentences into a cohesive 3-4 sentence paragraph. Use connectors like et , mais , and avec to make it flow.
BAGS Check:
Beauty Age Goodness Size
Remember: Plural 'des' becomes 'de' before a BAGS adjective!
Real Estate Adjective Answer Key Propriétés de Luxe: Corrigé
Adjective Agreement & Placement Key
TASK 01
The Technical Repairs
Item 01 (appartement / grand / vieux / sale)
Un grand vieux appartement sale.
Note: Grand and vieux are BAGS (before); sale is standard (after).
Item 02 (fenêtres / petit / cassé / moche)
De petites fenêtres cassées et moches.
Note: 'Des' becomes 'de' before the BAGS adjective 'petites'. All adjectives must be Fem. Plural.
Item 03 (cuisine / nouveau / moderne / cher)
Une nouvelle cuisine moderne et chère.
Note: Nouvelle is Fem. Sing. BAGS. Moderne and chère go after.
Mastery Checklist
01
BAGS Recognition: Did the student place grand, petit, vieux, nouveau before the noun?
02
Gender/Number: Did they add -es to cassées and moches ?
03
Irregulars: Did they correctly use nouvelle (instead of nouveau ) for cuisine ?
04
Des → De: In item 02, did they change des to de because it precedes a plural adjective?
Logical Connectors Slides Le Pont du Style
Cohesion & Logical Connectors
The "Robot" Effect
Level 0: Choppy
"J'étudie le français. Je suis fatigué. Je finis mes devoirs. Je regarde un film."
Repetitive & Simple
Level 1: Sophisticated
"J'étudie le français mais je suis fatigué, donc je finis mes devoirs parce que je regarde un film après."
Fluid & Connected
The Connector Toolkit
Addition & Choice
Et (And)Ou (Or)Aussi (Also)
Contrast
Mais (But)Pourtant (Yet)Cependant (However)
Cause & Effect
Donc (So/Therefore)Parce que (Because)Car (For/Since)
Building the Compound Sentence
1
Clause A: "Je veux voyager à Paris."
2
Connector: "Puisque" / "Parce que"
3
Clause B: "J'aime la culture française."
"Je veux voyager à Paris parce que j'aime la culture française."
Punctuation Warnings
The Comma (La Virgule)
In French, you usually put a comma BEFORE connectors like mais , car , and donc when they join two complete clauses.
Il travaille, donc il réussit.
Connector Overload
Don't use more than 2 connectors in a single sentence. Too many bridges can make the structure collapse!
"Je mange et je dors et je ris et..." ← NO.
Sophisticated Editing Worksheet Le Profil Élite
Sophisticated Writing Workshop
Document Ref: 402-CON
NOM:
Phase 1: The "Robot" Text
"Je suis étudiant. J'aime l'université. J'étudie beaucoup. Je ne sors pas. Je réussis mes examens. Je suis content."
This text is grammatically correct but sounds immature for a university student. It lacks flow.
Phase 2: Sophisticated Edit
Combine the sentences above into 2 or 3 fluid, complex sentences. Use at least 4 different connectors from your toolkit.
Mais
Donc
Parce que
Car / Puisque
Phase 3: Logic Transfer
Translate the following thoughts into sophisticated French using logical connectors.
"I like coffee but I prefer tea because it is healthy."
"He is smart, therefore he understands the grammar."
L'Atelier de Rédaction Sophistication through logic
Sophisticated Editing Answer Key Le Profil Élite: Corrigé
Instructor Key & Exemplars
For Faculty Only
PHASE 02
Sophisticated Reconstruction
Sample High-Quality Response:
"Je suis étudiant et j'aime l'université parce que j'étudie beaucoup. Je ne sors pas, donc je réussis mes examens mais je suis très content pourtant."
Teacher Note: Encourage students to use a variety of connectors rather than just repeating "et". Check for the comma before "donc" and "mais".
PHASE 03
Logic Transfer Key
1. "I like coffee but I prefer tea because it is healthy."
J'aime le café mais je préfère le thé parce qu'il est bon pour la santé.
2. "He is smart, therefore he understands the grammar."
Il est intelligent, donc il comprend la grammaire.
Assessment Markers
Clarity of Logic: Does the connector used match the relationship between the ideas? (e.g., Cause/Effect vs. Addition)
Comma Usage: Did the student place a comma before mais or donc ?
Elision Precision: Did they use parce qu' before a vowel?
Sentence Variety: Did the student vary sentence lengths, or are they all now just extremely long?
Personal Profile Drafting Slides Le Profil Personnel
The Culminating Draft
The "Gold Standard" Profile
EP
Exemple Professionnel
"Je m'appelle Élodie. Je suis une étudiante sérieuse à l'Université de Paris. J'aime l'économie parce que c'est fascinant. Cependant, j'étudie aussi le français pour voyager."
Why it works:
Precise Agreement
Logical Flow
Professional Tone
The Mastery Checklist
Your profile must integrate ALL skills from the sequence:
01
Verbs
Present tense endings must be perfect. No "broken" infinitives.
02
Syntax
Use standard S-V-O order, with correct negation (ne...pas) if needed.
03
Adjectives
Correct placement (Standard vs. BAGS) and gender/number concord.
04
Connectors
Join sentences with et, mais, donc, parce que for professional flow.
The Red Pen Mentality
Don't just "read" it. HUNT for:
Missing 's' or 'nt' on verbs.
Adjectives after the noun (unless BAGS).
Missing 'pas' in negative sentences.
"Et" used more than 3 times (find a better connector!).
Authentic Profiles
Video Embed Area
Analyzing Campus Culture
Observe how French students introduce themselves and their academic interests.
Personal Profile Drafting Guide Le Dossier Personnel
Final Writing Workshop Guide
Portfolio Component 05
Étudiant:
The Mission
Draft a 100-150 word personal introduction for a French university exchange program. You must include: (1) Name & origin, (2) Current studies & interests, (3) Why you want to visit France, and (4) One thing you do NOT like about your current routine.
Phase 1: Component Check
Subject-Verb Pairings
List 3 main verbs you will use...
BAGS Adjectives
grand, petit, nouveau, beau...
Logical Connectors
mais, donc, parce que...
Negative Construct
"Je ne... pas..."
Le Brouillon (The Draft)
Technical Constraint
Ensure at least two adjectives are placed AFTER the noun and one is placed BEFORE (BAGS). Check every verb ending twice!
Profile Review Checklist Rubric Grille d'Évaluation
Peer Review & Self-Assessment
Writer:
Reviewer:
Quality Control Checklist
Criteria Observation (Check if present) Score /5 Verb Precision Regular -er, -ir, -re endings correctly agreed with subjects. No infinitives?
|
| Adjective Concord
BAGS handled? |
|
| Logical Flow
At least 3 connectors? |
|
| Syntax & Negation
Sandwich rule? |
|
Bravo ! (Successes)
What was done well?
À améliorer (To Improve)
One specific grammar goal...
Total Score: / 20
