Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers the present indicative tense of regular -er verbs like "contacter" (to contact) and "envoyer" (to send), focusing on verb endings and pronunciation changes in forms like "je contacte" and "nous envoyons".
  1. All verbs of the 1st group end in -er in the infinitive.
  2. The stem remains the same for all personal pronouns.
Contacter (To contact)Envoyer (to send)
Je contacte (I contacte)J'envoie (I sende)
Tu contactes (You contactes)Tu envoies (You sendes)
Il/ Elle/ On contacte (He/ She/ One contacts)Il/ Elle/ On envoie (He/ She/ One sends)
Nous contactons (We contactons)Nous envoyons (We sendons)
Vous contactez (You contactez)Vous envoyez (You sende)
Ils/ Elles contactent (They contactent)Ils/ Elles envoient (They sendent)

Exceptions!

  1. Some verbs undergo a change to maintain pronunciation: manger - nous mangeons / commencer - nous commençons.

Exercise 1: Le présent de l'indicatif des verbes en -er: 1er groupe

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

prépare, comptes, contactes, envoyons, célébrez, étudie, habitent, présentons

1.
Ils ... en Italie.
(They live in Italy.)
2.
Tu ... les habitants.
(You are counting the inhabitants.)
3.
Je ... un gâteau.
(I am preparing a cake.)
4.
Il ... le français.
(He is studying French.)
5.
Tu ... ta village.
(You contact your village.)
6.
Nous ... des amis.
(We introduce friends.)
7.
Nous ... le numéro à ma mère.
(We send the number to my mother.)
8.
Vous ... son anniversaire.
(You are celebrating his birthday.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. J'_____ mes coordonnées par email.

(I _____ my contact details by email.)

2. Tu _____ ton ami pour son adresse.

(You _____ your friend for his address.)

3. Nous _____ une lettre à nos voisins.

(We _____ a letter to our neighbors.)

4. Il _____ dans un village près de Paris.

(He _____ in a village near Paris.)

5. Vous _____ le service client pour des informations.

(You _____ customer service for information.)

6. Je _____ toujours mes collègues par téléphone.

(I _____ always my colleagues by phone.)

Present Indicative of -er Verbs: First Group

This lesson focuses on the present indicative tense of regular French verbs ending in -er, which belong to the first group. These verbs are essential for beginners at the A1 level as they form the basis of everyday communication about current actions or habitual events.

General Formation

All first group verbs have infinitives ending in -er. The stem is derived by removing -er from the infinitive and remains consistent for all subject pronouns. To conjugate these verbs in the present indicative tense, specific endings are attached to the stem:

  • je-e
  • tu-es
  • il/elle/on-e
  • nous-ons
  • vous-ez
  • ils/elles-ent

Examples of Conjugation

ContacterEnvoyer
Je contacteJ'envoie
Tu contactesTu envoies
Il/Elle/On contacteIl/Elle/On envoie
Nous contactonsNous envoyons
Vous contactezVous envoyez
Ils/Elles contactentIls/Elles envoient

Pronunciation Notes

Some verbs add certain letters in the nous form to preserve pronunciation. For example:

  • manger becomes nous mangeons
  • commencer becomes nous commençons

Usage

The present indicative in French is used to describe actions happening right now or general truths. For example, Je contacte mes collègues means "I am contacting my colleagues" or "I contact my colleagues."

Comparison with English

Unlike English, which often uses the auxiliary verb "to be" with present participles to form the present continuous (e.g., "I am contacting"), French uses the simple present indicative for both simple present and present continuous meanings. This can simplify sentence structure but may require practice to master.

Useful Words and Phrases

  • Contacter – to contact
  • Envoyer – to send
  • Je contacte… – I contact / I am contacting
  • Nous envoyons… – We send / We are sending

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 15:13