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tex's french grammar
-ir verbs (regular) present tense
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Verbs with infinitives ending in -ir form a second group of regular verbs in French, often called 'second conjugation' verbs. To conjugate these verbs, drop the -ir from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The singular and plural forms of the third person are clearly distinguishable (finit vs.finissent). Listen to the difference.

audio
finir  'to finish'
je finis nous finissons
tu finis vous finissez
il/elle/on finit ils/elles finissent
past participle : fini


Here is a list of other common -ir verbs:

audio
choisir, to choose   maigrir, to lose weight   réfléchir, to think, reflect
établir, to establish   mincir, to get slimmer   réunir, to get together, assemble
grandir, to grow (up)   obéir (à quelqu'un), to obey (someone)   réussir (à), to succeed (at)
grossir, to gain weight   réagir, to react   vieillir, to grow old


un bon vin Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern,however. Irregular -ir verbs include ouvrir, partir, sortir, and dormir.

Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following dialogue. In particular, note the difference in the pronunciation of one s (pronounced as /z/) and two ss (pronounced as /s/) in the verb 'choisir.'


audio Tex et Tammy réunissent des copains ce soir. Tex and Tammy are getting friends together this evening.
  Tammy: Quel vin tu choisis, Tex? Tammy: What wine do you choose, Tex?
  Tex réfléchit un moment, et puis il choisit un bon vin rouge. Tex reflects a moment and then he chooses a good red wine.
  Tex: Nous choisissons toujours du rouge. C'est bon pour la santé. Tex: We always choose red (wine). It's good for (one's) health.

texercises

fill in the blanks
Give the correct form of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex ______ beaucoup. (réfléchir)


2. Les enfants de Rita ______. (grandir)


3. Tammy: Je ______ en hiver. (grossir)


4. Corey: Je ______ des amis pour manger une pizza. (réunir)


5. Les enfants de Rita: Nous ______ à notre mère. (obéir)


6. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ toujours leurs pizzas. (finir)


7. Fiona, tu ______ trop! (réfléchir)


8. Bette ______ parce qu'elle mange peu. (maigrir)


9. Tex ne ______ pas à Paw-Paw. (obéir)


10. Joe-Bob, pourquoi est-ce que tu ne ______ pas tes devoirs? (finir)


11. Edouard, vous ne ______ pas. (maigrir)


12. Fiona et Tammy, vous ______ toujours du vin blanc. (choisir)




listening comprehension
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Joe-Bob and Corey (plural).
audio 1.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 2.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 3.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 4.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 5.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 6.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 7.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 8.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 9.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 10.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 11.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey
audio 12.
Tex Joe-Bob et Corey