Here’s a simple one.
What if you could just learn how to say in French, in one go:
I walk (every day)
And
I’m walking (to the office)
I do (30 minutes of French every day)
And
I’m doing (my French practice)
I ask you (to leave the room)
And
I’m asking you (please)
The great news is….
It’s possible!
It only takes a simple conjugation trick sometimes.
Using the present tense in French is extremely useful in two ways.
Compare :
- Her name is Janet but I call my sister Jane.
- I need to speak to her. I’m calling my sister Jane right now.
In English, you’d use one or the other.
See if we tried to swap them: - Her name is Janet but I’m calling my sister Jane.
- I need to speak to her. I call Jane right now.
Sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it?
Now, how do you avoid having to make that decision in French?
Easy: just go for the ‘I call’ solution every time.
I call = J’appelle.
/zha.PEHL/
I’m calling = J’appelle – too!
/zha.PEHL/
Same sound, same spelling, no difference at all!
Compare :
- I call my sister Jane = J’appelle [zha.pehl] | ma soeur [ma.sseur] | Jane [JANE].
- I’m calling my sister Jane = J’appelle [zha.pehl] | ma soeur [ma.sseur] | Jane [JANE].
Same sound, same spelling, a real no brainer!
What that means for your learning
Make things easy for yourself.
Whenever you learn a new verb, think how it can be used in both ways, and try to find and example.
Actually, why don’t you share your suggestions below for the first three examples:
I walk / I’m walking
I do / I’m doing
I ask / I’m asking
Remember, both will be exactly the same – you just need to find the right example!