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The present: new verbs
B2
Catalogue
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The present of B2 verbs: je crains, ça me plaît, nous fuyons, il émeut, vous interdisez, j'accrois, il extrait. Also verbs conjugated like a known one: commettre, détenir, élire, survivre.
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1. Verbs like peindre: je crains, il enfreint
Craindre (to fear), contraindre (to force) and enfreindre (to break a rule) are conjugated like plaindre and peindre.
- Il craint les chiens.He is afraid of dogs.
- Vous enfreignez la règle.You are breaking the rule.
Formation
- The singular has the stem crain- and the endings -s, -s, -t; the plural has the stem craign-.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | crain- | craign- |
| Example | je crains, tu ne crains pas, elle craint | nous craignons, vous craignez, ils craignent |
- Contraindre and enfreindre follow the same pattern: nous contraignons, elle contraint, ils contraignent, vous enfreignez, il enfreint.
Use
- Contraindre is followed by à and an infinitive: contraindre quelqu'un à partir (“to force someone to leave”).
Common mistake
Nous craindons le froid.→ Nous craignons le froid.The plural stem is craign-, never craind-, although the infinitive has a d.
Show the answer craindre · présent · je crainsShow the answer
Show the answer Marie ___ (craindre) les orages. craintShow the answer
2. Please, displease: ça me plaît
With plaire (to please), the thing liked is the subject and the person who likes it is the indirect object.
- Ce livre plaît à Paul.Paul likes this book.
- Tu plais à tout le monde.Everybody likes you.
Formation
- Plaire has je plais, tu plais, il plaît, nous plaisons, vous plaisez, ils plaisent.
- The third person singular has a circumflex over the i: il plaît.
- Since the 1990 spelling reform, the circumflex of il plaît has been optional: il plait.
- Déplaire (to displease) is conjugated like plaire: il déplaît, ils déplaisent, nous ne déplaisons pas.
Use
- Plaire agrees with the thing liked: ça me plaît (“I like it”), ces robes me plaisent (“I like these dresses”).
- The person who likes is an indirect object, often a pronoun: ça lui plaît (“he likes it”, “she likes it”).
Difference from English
- In English I like it, the person who likes is the subject. In ça me plaît, literally it pleases me, the thing liked is the subject.
Common mistake
Ces robes me plaît.→ Ces robes me plaisent.The verb agrees with the thing liked: with the plural ces robes, the form is plaisent.
Show the answer plaire · présent · il/elle plaîtalso: plaitShow the answer
Show the answer Ce film ___ (plaire) à Marie. plaîtalso: plaitShow the answer
3. Flee, move: je fuis, j'émeus
The stems of fuir (to flee, to leak) and émouvoir (to move, to affect) change with nous and vous.
- Elle fuit la foule.She flees the crowd.
- Cette histoire émeut Paul.This story moves Paul.
Formation
- Fuir has the stem fui- in the singular and with ils, and fuy- with nous and vous.
| Singular, ils | nous, vous | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | fui- | fuy- |
| Example | je fuis, il fuit, ils fuient | nous fuyons, vous fuyez |
- With ils, the ending is a silent -ent: ils fuient.
Émouvoir
- Émouvoir is conjugated like promouvoir, with three stems.
| Singular | nous, vous | ils | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | émeu- | émouv- | émeuv- |
| Example | il émeut | nous émouvons | ils émeuvent |
Use
- Fuir is conjugated like s'enfuir, but fuir takes a direct object: fuir la ville (“to flee the city”). S'enfuir has none.
Common mistake
Ils fuyent la ville.→ Ils fuient la ville.The y is used only with nous and vous; with ils, the stem is fui-.
Show the answer fuir · présent · je fuisShow the answer
Show the answer Le robinet ___ (fuir) depuis hier. fuitShow the answer
4. Harm, forbid: je nuis, vous interdisez
Nuire (to harm) is conjugated like conduire, and interdire (to forbid) like dire, except with vous.
- Le soleil nuit à la peau.The sun harms the skin.
- On interdit aux enfants de fumer.Children are forbidden to smoke.
Formation
- Nuire has je nuis, il nuit, nous nuisons, ils nuisent.
- In the negative, ne… pas is placed round the verb: ça ne nuit pas (“it does no harm”).
- Interdire is like dire in the singular: tu interdis, il interdit.
- Unlike dire, interdire has a regular vous form, as prédire has: vous interdisez, nous interdisons, ils interdisent.
Use
- Nuire is followed by à: nuire à la santé (“to harm your health”).
- In interdire à quelqu'un de sortir (“to forbid someone to go out”), the person forbidden follows à, the action de.
Common mistake
Le sucre nuit les dents.→ Le sucre nuit aux dents.English harm takes a direct object, but nuire is followed by à.
Show the answer nuire · présent · il/elle nuitShow the answer
Show the answer Le tabac ___ (nuire) à la santé. nuitShow the answer
5. Extract, increase and others: j'extrais, j'accrois
Extraire and accroître have stems of their own, and the other new verbs are conjugated like a verb already known.
- Le dentiste extrait une dent.The dentist pulls out a tooth.
- Le bruit distrait les élèves.The noise distracts the pupils.
- Cette usine accroît sa production.This factory is increasing its output.
Formation
- Extraire (to extract) has the stem extrai- in the singular and extray- with nous and vous.
- Distraire (to amuse, to distract) and soustraire (to subtract) are conjugated like extraire.
| Singular, ils | nous, vous | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | extrai- | extray- |
| Example | j'extrais, il extrait, ils extraient | nous extrayons, vous soustrayez |
- With ils, the form has no y: ils extraient.
Accroître
- Accroître (to increase) has j'accrois, il accroît and the plural stem accroiss-: ils accroissent.
- In the present, only il accroît has a circumflex, which has been optional since the 1990 spelling reform: il accroit.
- Accroître takes a direct object: accroître ses efforts (“to step up your efforts”).
Conjugated like a known verb
| Model | Verbs conjugated like it |
|---|---|
| mettre | commettre, compromettre, émettre, omettre, soumettre, se remettre (ils commettent, ils soumettent) |
| battre | abattre, débattre |
| sentir, mentir | consentir, démentir |
| tenir | détenir, entretenir, s'en tenir (il détient, elle s'en tient) |
| venir | subvenir, survenir |
| valoir | équivaloir |
| lire | élire, relire (ils élisent) |
| écrire, voir, prendre | réécrire, revoir, s'en prendre |
| sortir | ressortir, s'en sortir |
| faire | se défaire, satisfaire (vous satisfaites, never satisfaisez) |
| conduire | instruire, introduire, séduire |
| accueillir | recueillir |
| vivre | survivre (ils survivent) |
Common mistake
Ils extrayent du charbon.→ Ils extraient du charbon.The y of nous extrayons is not used with ils: extrayent is a frequent spelling mistake.
Show the answer extraire · présent · nous extrayonsShow the answer
Show the answer Cette machine ___ (extraire) le jus des oranges. extraitShow the answer
6. New verbs at B2: mixed practice
The present forms of the new B2 verbs are practised together, each verb with its own stem.
- Les enfants craignent le noir.The children are afraid of the dark.
- Ce film ne me plaît pas.I don't like this film.
- Ils fuient la chaleur de la ville.They are fleeing the heat of the city.
Formation
- The verbs mixed are craindre, contraindre, plaire, fuir, émouvoir, nuire, interdire, extraire, accroître, soumettre and s'en tenir.
- The forms practised are craignent, ne me plaît pas, fuient, émeut, nuit, interdisez, extrayons, accroît, soumettent, s'en tient and contrains.
Show the answer Mes parents ___ (craindre) la neige. craignentShow the answer
Show the answer Cette musique ne me ___ (plaire) pas. plaîtalso: plaitShow the answer
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