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A2

Grundkenntnisse

Hier kommt die Zeit dazu. Man kann erzählen, was passiert ist, und ankündigen, was man vorhat. Sätze werden länger, weil sie verbunden werden: and, but, because, when.

Der Wortschatz deckt den Alltag ab — Arbeit, Wohnen, Reisen, Gesundheit, Wetter. Ungewohntes bleibt schwierig, Vertrautes geht flüssig.

Noch ohne Familie37

être, avoir and there is

1

A2c’est or il estAn article after it means c’est in front of it.

The present tense

3

A2Verbs in -reThe smallest group — and the verbs in it take no preposition.A2Verbs that change their stemRegular endings, but the stem moves.A2Being in the middle of it: être en train deThere is no continuous form, and it is rarely missed.

The articles

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A2Where there is no article at allThe few places where the noun stands on its own.

The nouns

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A2Endings that give the gender awayNot a law, but a bet worth taking.A2Quantities and the de behind themAfter a quantity, de stands alone.A2There is no apostrophe sThe owner goes last, with de in front of them.

The adjectives

3

A2beau, nouveau, vieuxThree adjectives with a fourth form before a vowel.A2Comparingplus, moins, aussi — and the adjective itself is left alone.A2From adjective to adverb-ment hangs on the feminine, not on the plain form.

The pronouns

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A2This one and that oneOne word for both distances — and «the one» always needs a tail.A2Direct and indirect objectBefore the verb — and English uses one word where French uses two.A2y and enTwo words English has to answer without.A2moi, toi, lui — the stressed formsA second set of words where English reuses the first.

Questions and negation

2

A2jamais, rien, personne, plusThe same bracket, and the double negative is compulsory.A2InversionThe main verb itself moves, which English never does.

The past

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A2Passé composé with êtreA second auxiliary English got rid of, and an agreement with it.A2The irregular participlesYou already know how to learn a list like this.A2The imparfait«used to» and «was —ing» in a single form.

The future

1

A2The present for fixed arrangementsYou have three present futures; French has two.

Requests and commands

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A2être, avoir, savoir, vouloirFour forms to memorise, and a swap between «be» and «have».A2Where the pronoun jumps toEnglish objects never move; here they move twice.A2Asking without the imperativeOn a sign French uses the infinitive, not the -ing form.

Can, must, want

3

A2devoir and il faut«must» and «have to», with the same split you already make.A2savoir and connaître«Know» is two verbs, and so is «can».A2Asking politely«I would like», «could you», «may I» — three for three.

The small words

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A2Countries, cities, directionsThe gender of the country picks the preposition.A2Place and timechez is your possessive of place, in one word.

If-sentences

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A2When it is likelyPresent after si, future in the other half — exactly as in English.

The passive

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A2on instead of the passiveOne word for «one», «you», «they», the passive — and «we».

Joining sentences

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A2qui and queEnglish asks whether it is a person; French asks whether it is the subject.

What follows a verb

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A2The bare infinitiveWhere English says to or -ing, French often says nothing.

Spelling and sound

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A2The liaisonThe only place the plural can be heard at all.A2The accentsThe circumflex marks a lost s — and English usually still has it.

The finishing touches

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A2c'est and il estEnglish needs an article with a job; French drops it, and that decides everything.A2Marks and quotationsNo capital on Monday, March, French or German.