É or ER in French: infinitive vs past participle

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Understanding the differences between É and ER in French Infinitives and Past Participles

In French, many verbs can be either é or er verbs. This distinction is important because it affects the way that the verbs are conjugated in different tenses, including the infinitive and the past participle.

1. Infinitives:

The infinitive form of a verb is the basic, dictionary form of the verb, and it is typically used after certain conjunctions (such as “to”) and with auxiliary verbs (such as “avoir”). In French, é verbs have infinitives that end in -er, while er verbs have infinitives that end in -ir. For example:

  • É verbs: Parler (to speak)
  • ER verbs: Aimer (to love)

2. Past Participles:

The past participle is used to form compound tenses (such as the past perfect and the passive voice), and it typically agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. In French, é verbs form their past participles by replacing the -er with -é, while er verbs form their past participles by replacing the -ir with -i. For example:

  • É verbs: Parlé (spoken)
  • ER verbs: Aimé (loved)

3. Practice:

Practice conjugating verbs in the infinitive and past participle forms, paying close attention to the difference between é and er verbs. Try to identify which verbs are é verbs and which are er verbs based on their infinitives, and then practice forming the past participles for each type of verb.

The distinction between é and er verbs is an important aspect of French grammar, and understanding it will help you to conjugate verbs correctly and communicate effectively in the language. By paying close attention to the infinitive and past participle forms of verbs, you’ll be able to master this aspect of French grammar and communicate with greater confidence and precision.

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