Grammar guide
French grammar guides: rules and examples (A1–C1)
Clear explanations of French grammar from A1 to C2: rules, example sentences, tables and common mistakes. Every guide ends with free practice tests and worksheets.
- grammar guides
- 29
- CEFR
- A1–C1
A1 Beginner 7 guides
- Asking Questions in French: Est-ce que, Inversion and Question Words Learn how to ask questions in French: intonation, est-ce que, inversion, question words and quel, with clear tables, examples and common mistakes. Read the guide
- Être and Avoir: French Present Tense, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have): present tense forms, key uses, age and feelings with avoir, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- French Adjective Agreement: Rules, Endings and Examples Learn French adjective agreement at A1: masculine, feminine and plural endings, irregular forms, word position, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- French Articles: Definite, Indefinite and Partitive (le, un, du) Learn French articles at A1: le, la, les, un, une, des, du, de la. Clear tables, examples, common mistakes and a quick check to test yourself. Read the guide
- French Negation (ne … pas): Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French negation with ne … pas: word order, n' before vowels, pas de after negation, ne … jamais/plus/rien, common mistakes and a quick A1 check. Read the guide
- Present Tense of -er Verbs in French: Endings, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn the French present tense of -er verbs: endings, pronunciation, spelling changes, questions and negatives, with examples and a quick check. Read the guide
- Present Tense of Irregular Verbs in French: Forms, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French present tense of irregular verbs at A1: aller, faire, prendre, venir, vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, with tables, examples and common mistakes. Read the guide
A2 Elementary 6 guides
- French Object Pronouns, Y and En: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French direct and indirect object pronouns, plus y and en: forms, word order, passé composé agreement and common mistakes, with a quick check. Read the guide
- French Pronominal (Reflexive) Verbs: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French pronominal (reflexive) verbs: reflexive pronouns, daily routine verbs, negatives, questions, passé composé with être and common mistakes. Read the guide
- Futur Proche and Futur Simple: Forms, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French futur proche and futur simple: how to form each, irregular stems, when to use which, common mistakes and a quick check with answers. Read the guide
- Passé Composé in French: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn the French passé composé: avoir or être, past participles, agreement, negatives and questions, with A2 examples, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each French Past Tense Learn when to use the passé composé or the imparfait in French: clear rules, signal words, examples with translations, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- The French Imparfait: Forms, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French imparfait at A2: how to form it, when to use it for habits, descriptions and ongoing actions, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
B1 Intermediate 6 guides
- Conditionnel Présent in French: Forms, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French conditionnel présent: how to form it, irregular stems, when to use it for politeness, wishes, advice and si clauses, plus key mistakes. Read the guide
- French Comparatives and Superlatives: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French comparatives and superlatives: plus, moins, aussi, autant, meilleur vs mieux, with tables, examples, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- French Passive Voice: Forms, Agreement and Alternatives Learn the French passive voice (être + past participle): forms in every tense, agreement, par vs de, alternatives with on and se, and common mistakes. Read the guide
- French Present Subjunctive: Forms, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French present subjunctive: how to form it, irregular verbs, when to use it after il faut que, vouloir que and bien que, plus common mistakes. Read the guide
- French Relative Pronouns (qui, que, dont, où): Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn when to use the French relative pronouns qui, que, dont and où, with clear B1 rules, examples, common mistakes and a quick check to test yourself. Read the guide
- Plus-que-parfait in French: Form, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French plus-que-parfait: how to form it with avoir or être, when to use it, signal words, common mistakes and a quick check with answers. Read the guide
B2 Upper-intermediate 5 guides
- French Conditional Sentences (si clauses): Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Learn French si clauses at B2: the three conditional patterns, mixed conditionals, si vs whether, common mistakes and a quick check with answers. Read the guide
- French Conditionnel Passé: Form, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French conditionnel passé: how to form it with avoir or être, when to use it for regrets, si clauses and reported facts, plus common mistakes. Read the guide
- Gérondif and Present Participle in French: Forms, Uses and Common Mistakes Learn the French gérondif (en parlant) and present participle (parlant): how to form them, when to use each, the verbal adjective and the common mistakes. Read the guide
- Reported Speech in French (Discours Indirect): Rules, Tenses and Examples Learn French reported speech (discours indirect): tense changes after a past verb, questions with si and ce que, commands with de, and time expressions. Read the guide
- Subjunctive vs Indicative in French: Rules, Triggers and Common Mistakes Learn when French uses the subjunctive or indicative: trigger verbs, expressions and conjunctions, with B2 examples, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
C1 Advanced 5 guides
- Advanced French Subjunctive: Past Subjunctive, Concession, Relative Clauses and Literary Forms Master the French subjunctive at C1: past subjunctive, concessive clauses, relative clauses, ne explétif and literary forms, with examples and a quiz. Read the guide
- French Logical Connectors (Connecteurs Logiques): Uses, Moods and Common Mistakes Master French logical connectors at C1: cause, consequence, goal, concession and condition, with the mood each one takes, examples and common mistakes. Read the guide
- French Past Participle Agreement: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Master French past participle agreement at C1: être, avoir with a preceding direct object, pronominal verbs, infinitives, exceptions and common mistakes. Read the guide
- Nominalisation in French: Forming and Using Nouns in Formal Writing Learn French nominalisation at C1: suffixes like -tion, -ment and -té, how to turn clauses into noun phrases, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide
- Sequence of Tenses in French (Concordance des temps): Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes Master the French concordance des temps at C1: tense shifts after past verbs, the subjunctive sequence, si clauses, common mistakes and a quick check. Read the guide