Just the core concepts you need to write and speak French correctlyIf you have some knowledge of French and want to polish your skills, French Essentials For Dummies focuses on just the core concepts you need to communicate effectively. From conjugating verbs to understanding tenses, this easy-to-follow guide lets you skip the suffering and score high at exam time. French 101 — get the lowdown on the basics, from expressing dates and times to identifying parts of speechGender matters — see how a noun's gender determines the articles, adjectives, and pronouns you have to useThe here and now — learn how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, choose subject pronouns, and form the present participleWay back when — get guidance on working with the past tense, including hints about when to use the compound past (passé composé) and when to use the imperfectWhat lies ahead — discover the different ways to express the futureOpen the book and find: A review of numbers, dates, and timesThe parts of speechHow to determine a noun's genderHow to select the correct prepositionRules for making adjectives agreeTips for asking and answering yes/no questionsWays to spice up your descriptionsTen important verb distinctions
Laura K. Lawless is the author of three language websites (French, Spanish, and English) and several successful language titles including Intermediate French For Dummies.Zoe Erotopoulos, PhD has taught French for more than 30 years. She is the author of French Verbs For Dummies.
Introduction 1Chapter 1: Getting Down to Basics 5Chapter 2: Narrowing the Gender Gap 19Chapter 3: It’s Happening in the Present 43Chapter 4: Being Descriptive and Connecting Your Thoughts 67Chapter 5: Connecting with Prepositions 87Chapter 6: Asking and Answering Questions 95Chapter 7: Uncovering the Past 107Chapter 8: Foreseeing the Future 123Chapter 9: Recognizing Verb Moods 131Chapter 10: Ten Important Verb Distinctions 151Appendix: Verb Charts 157Index 171
Laura K. Lawless, Zoe Erotopoulos, Laura K. (Monterey Institute of International Studies) Lawless, CT) Erotopoulos, Zoe (Department of Modern Languages and Literature, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Laura K Lawless