This introduction covers Les verbes en -er — The Pattern That Unlocks Hundreds of Verbs within Present tense: regular -er verbs for GCSE French. Revise Present tense: regular -er verbs in The 25 Core Verbs and the Present Tense for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔓 Les verbes en -er — The Pattern That Unlocks Hundreds of Verbs
Here is the good news: roughly 90% of all French verbs follow the same pattern — the -er pattern. Learn six endings and you can conjugate hundreds of verbs instantly. Whether you want to talk about listening to music, working at school, or eating at a restaurant, these endings will serve you again and again across every AQA task.
Practice questions for Present tense: regular -er verbs
What is the correct present tense ending for 'nous' with a regular -er verb?
What does 'regarder' mean in English?
Quick recall flashcards
porter
to wear / to carry — FALSE FRIEND: 'porter' does NOT only mean 'to carry' like a porter. Je porte un jean = I wear jeans.
rester
to stay / to remain — FALSE FRIEND: does NOT mean 'to rest' (se reposer). Je reste à la maison = I stay at home.