Tenses in the French Language

This is an important section in terms of improving your writing technique. It will not teach you how to form the different tenses, but more importantly it will teach you when to use them and in which context. The tenses covered in this section are the five basic tenses required for both higher and ordinary levels: Le présent, Le passé compose, L’imparfait, Le future, Le conditionnel

Le Présent

You need a comprehensive knowledge of the present tense to discuss or write about any kind of action or state what is happening at the present moment. This includes:

General feelings and opinions about different issues, e.g.,
Je pense que/je crois que/je suis d’avis que…
Actions that happen on a regular basis as part of your daily routine, weekend activities, current hobbies, etc., e.g., Chaque dimanche, je fais la grasse matinée or
Le matin, je me lève à sept heures or
J’aime le sport. Je joue au foot. Je m’entraîne le lundi soir.

Bear in mind that the present tense expresses both what you do habitually and what you are doing right now, because the distinction made in English between the two present tenses is not made in French. There is only one present tense in French. Also note that a lot of common and useful verbs are irregular in the present tense. Therefore, learn them off by heart.

Finally, note that you can use the present tense to express the recent past, i.e., having just done something – by using venir de + infinitif.
For example, Il vient de téléphoner (He has just phoned).

You can also use the present tense to express the immediate future, i.e., going to do something – by using aller + infinitif.
For example, Je vais partir dans cinq minutes (I am going to leave in five minutes).

Expressions to use with the present tense:

• En ce moment (At the moment)
• En général/généralement (In general/generally)
• D’habitude (Usually)
• Normalement (Usually)
• Le lundi/mardi (On Mondays/Tuesdays)
• Chaque lundi/mardi (Each/every Monday/Tuesday)
• Toutes les semaines (Every week)
• Tous les jours (Every day)
• Maintenant (Now)
• De nos jours (Nowadays)

Le Passé Composé

This past tense is used to describe completed actions, which are over and done with, that is, actions that happened at a particular moment in the past. It also describes actions that happened only once. The passé composé translates into what you did and what you have done. You will need this tense to discuss or write about: