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Fundings Vocabulary Sheet: French Grammar with Examples
Understanding French grammar requires mastering key grammatical terms and structures that form the foundation of the language. This vocabulary sheet presents 10 essential grammar-related expressions that will help you discuss and understand French linguistic concepts with confidence.
10 Essential French Expressions
| French Expression | English Translation | Example in French |
|---|---|---|
| l'accord du participe passé | past participle agreement | Les fleurs que j'ai achetées sont belles. (agreement with preceding direct object) |
| le complément d'objet direct (COD) | direct object | Je mange une pomme. ("une pomme" est le COD du verbe "manger") |
| le subjonctif présent | present subjunctive | Il faut que tu viennes demain. (subjunctive after "il faut que") |
| la concordance des temps | sequence of tenses | Je pensais qu'il viendrait. (imperfect + conditional for concordance) |
| le pronom relatif | relative pronoun | La fille qui parle est ma sœur. ("qui" is the relative pronoun) |
| l'auxiliaire être ou avoir | auxiliary verb être or avoir | Je suis allé(e) / J'ai mangé (choosing the correct auxiliary) |
| le conditionnel passé | past conditional | J'aurais aimé te voir hier. (expressing a past unrealized wish) |
| la voix passive | passive voice | Le gâteau a été mangé par les enfants. (passive construction) |
| le complément d'objet indirect (COI) | indirect object | Je parle à Marie. ("à Marie" est le COI du verbe "parler") |
| l'adjectif possessif | possessive adjective | Mon livre, ta maison, ses amis (agreement with the possessed noun) |
Difficulty Level
B1-B2 — This vocabulary is designed for intermediate learners who are moving beyond basic communication and need to understand grammatical terminology to analyze sentence structure, correct their own errors, and engage with more complex French texts. Familiarity with basic verb tenses and sentence construction is required.
Memory Tip
Remember "COD vs COI" by thinking: COD = "Connects Directly" (no preposition needed), while COI = "Connects Indirectly" (requires à or de). For auxiliary verbs, use the "DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP" mnemonic for verbs that take être in compound tenses (Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer, Tomber, Retourner, Arriver, Mourir, Partir).
Practice Exercise
Match the grammatical term to its example: 1) l'accord du participe passé → a) Je parle à mon ami. 2) le COI → b) Les lettres que j'ai écrites. 3) le subjonctif présent → c) Il faut que je parte. 4) la voix passive → d) Le livre est lu par Marie. Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d
Practice these expressions on my-french.com.
