I know that a lot of people on here are studying French so I thought I'd post a basic guide to differentiating between all of the past, present, and future tenses.

PASSÉ SIMPLE
This literary tense is used primarily in historical reporting or writing of a formal nature. Many stories, prose selections, and novels are written in this tense. The passé simple is a one-word verb form used in formal writing where the passé composé is normally used in spoken French.

Note: Passé Simple is never used in spoken French; it is used primarily in written works

Regular Formation of the Passé Simple:
All verbs where infinitives end in -er form the passé simple from the infinitive stem by adding the following endings.
Je ai
Tu as
Il/elle a
Nous âmes
Vous âtes
Ils/elles èrent

Example:
donner
Je donnai
Tu donnas
Il/elle donna
Nous donnâmes
Vous donnâtes
Ils/elles donnèrent

All regular -ir and -re verbs add the following endings to the infinitive stem.
Je is
Tu is
Il/elle it
Nous îmes
Vous îtes
Ils/elles irent

Example:
finir
Je finis
Tu finis
Il/elle finit
Nous finîmes
Vous finîtes
Ils/elles finirent

Irregular Formation of the Passé Simple:
Irregular -ir verbs (except courir, mourir, tenir, venir, and their compounds) form the passé simple with the same endings as regular -ir verbs.

Example:
ouvrir
J'ouvris
Tu ouvris
Il/elle ouvrit
Nous ouvrîmes
Vous ouvîtes
Ils/elles ouvrirent

Many irregular -re verbs form the passé simple by adding the regular -ir verb endings to the plural "nous" stem.

Example:
écrire
J'écrivis
Tu écrivis
Il/elle écrivit
Nous écrivîmes
Vous écrivîtes
Ils/elles écrivirent

Many irregular verbs base the passé simple on the stem and final vowel of the past participle. If that vowel is "u", use the following endings.

Je us
Tu us
Il/elle ut
Nous ûmes
Vous ûtes
Ils/elles urent

Example:
avoir
J'eus
Tu eus
Il/elle eut
Nous eûmes
Vous eûtes
Ils/elles eurent

Some irregular verbs and their compounds have unpredictable simple past stems and vowels.

Example:
être
Je fus
Tu fus
Il/elle fut
Nous fûmes
Vous fûtes
Ils/elles furent

Note: The simple past stems of the verbs tenir and venir (and their compounds - eg. devenir) follow the "i" endings but drop the vowel.

Example:
venir
Je vins
Tu vins
Il/elle vint
Nous vînmes
Vous vîntes
Ils/elles vinrent


IMPARFAIT
Imparfait describes an action that was happening or used to happen in the past. The length of time of the action is not usually clear.

Formation of the Imparfait:
Use the nous form of the verb (present tense); remove -ons; add the following endings to the stem. Imparfair is used when you have an action that was going on in the past but was interrupted by another action, when you have an action repeated in the past, when you are describing something or a condition in the past, and when you are making a suggestion that a certain action be taken.
Je ais
Tu ais
Il/elle ait
Nous ions
Vous iez
Ils/elles aient

Example:
regarder
Je regardais
Tu regardais
Il/elle regardait
Nous regardions
Vous regardiez
Ils/elles regardaient
finir
Je finissais
Tu finissais
Il/elle finissait
Nous finissions
Vous finissiez
Ils/elles finissaient
attendre
J'attendais
Tu attendais
Il/elle attendait
Nous attendions
Vous attendiez
Ils/elles attendaient

Note: When you have an action that was going on in the past but was interrupted by another action, the action that is in progress is in the imparfait and the action that interrupted it is in the passé composé.


PASSÉ COMPOSÉ
Passé composé describes an action that happened at a particular moment or space of time in the past and that was clearly completed in the past. For regular verbs with an infinitive ending in -er, the past participle is formed by replacing the final -er of the infinitive with -é.

Note: The auxiliary "avoir" is used for all verbs that are not from MRSRDVANDERTRAMP. MRSRDVANDERTRAMP verbs use the auxiliary "être".

Example:
regarder
J'ai regardé
Tu as regardé
Il/elle a regardé
Nous avons regardé
Vous avez regardé
Ils/elles ont regardé
monter
Je suis monté(e)
Tu es monté(e)
Il/elle est monté(e)
Nous sommes monté(e)(s)
Vous êtes monté(e)(s)
Ils/elles sont monté(e)s

Note: Remember that for verbs using the auxiliary "être", you have to make the endings agree (think feminine, plural).

MRS.RD VANDERTRAMP
Monter
Retourner
Sortir
Revenir
Devenir
Venir
Aller
Naître
Descendre
Entrer
Rentrer
Tomber
Rester
Arriver
Mourir
Parter

Note: All of the above verbs use the auxiliary "être".


PLUS QUE PARFAIT
The plus-que-parfait is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb. The choice of auxiliary, être or avoir, is the same as for the passé composé.

Example:
regarder
J'avais regardé
Tu avais regardé
Il/elle avait regardé
Nous avions regardé
Vous aviez regardé
Ils/elles avaient regardé
monter
J'étais monté(e)
Tu étais monté(e)
Il/elle était monté(e)
Nous étions monté(e)(s)
Vous étiez monté(e)(s)
Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s

Note: Remember that for verbs using the auxiliary "être", you have to make the endings agree (think feminine, plural).


PARTICIPE PRESENT
The present particple of all verbs ends in -ant; for all verbs except avoir and savoir, the -ant ending is added to the stem of the imprefect (avoir - ayant, savoir - sachant, être - éyant)

Example:
avoir
En ayant...


FUTUR SIMPLE
This tense expresses an idea in the future.
Je ai
Tu as
Il/elle a
Nous ons
Vous ez
Ils/elles ont

Example:
arriver
J'arrivrai
Tu arrivras
Il/elle arrivra
Nous arrivrons
Vous arrivrez
Ils/elles arrivront
finir
Je finirai
Tu finiras
Il/elle finira
Nous finirons
Vous finirez
Ils/elles finiront
vendre
Je vendrai
Tu vendras
Il/elle vendra
Nous vendrons
Vous vendrez
Ils/elles vendront

The following verbs are irregular:
Add the above endings to the following stems.
avoir - aur
savoir - saur
être - ser
faire - fer
aller - ir
voir - verr
pouvoir - pourr
vouloir - voudr
venir - viendr
devoir - devr
envoyer - enverr
courir - courr
mourir - mourr
recevoir - recevr


CONDITIONNEL
This tense is used to express what could happen under certain conditions. Add to the future stem (or final "r" of the inifitive) the following endings.
Je ais
Tu ais
Il/elle ait
Nous ions
Vous iez
Ils/elles aient

Example:
manger
Je mangerais
Tu mangerais
Il/elle mangerait
Nous mangerions
Vous mangeriez
Ils/elles mangeraient


SUBJONCTIF
This structure implies a mood, tone, atmosphere, feeling, or emotion. It is a reaction to a fact or a personal opinion. We use the following endings. It follows "que".
Je e
Tu es
Il/elle e
Nous ions
Vous iez
Ils/elles ent

Example:
manger
que je mange
que tu manges
qu'il/elle mange
que nous mangions
que vous mangiez
qu'ils/elles mangent
finir
que je finisse
que tu finisses
qu'il/elle finisse
que nous finissions
que vous finissiez
qu'ils/elles finissent
vendre
que je vende
que tu vendes
qu'il/elle vende
que nous vendions
que vous vendiez
qu'ils/elles vendent


FUTUR ANTÉRIEUR
This tense is formed of the futur simple of the auxiliary avoir/être and the past participle of the verb.

Example:
manger
J'aurai mangé
Tu auras mangé
Il/elle aura mangé
Nous aurons mangé
Vous aurez mangé
Ils/elles auront mangé
monter
Je serai monté(e)
Tu seras monté(e)
Il/elle sera monté(e)
Nous serons monté(e)(s)
Vous serez monté(e)(s)
Ils/elles seraient monté(e)s

Note: Remember that for verbs using the auxiliary "être", you have to make the endings agree (think feminine, plural).


CONDITIONNEL ANTÉRIEUR
This tense is formed of the conditionnel of the auxiliary avoir/être and the past participle of the verb.

Example:
manger
J'aurais mangé
Tu aurais mangé
Il/elle aurait mangé
Nous aurions mangé
Vous auriez mangé
Ils/elles auraient mangé
monter
Je serais monté(e)
Tu serais monté(e)
Il/elle serait monté(e)
Nous serions monté(e)(s)
Vous seriez monté(e)(s)
Ils/elles seraient monté(e)s

Note: Remember that for verbs using the auxiliary "être", you have to make the endings agree (think feminine, plural).


SOURCE:
Class notes, personal knowledge

Excellent !!
Thanks so much.

Ahh, this is amazing, thank you so much! I'll definitely be referring to this a lot when I do French work from now on.

Karma for you!

i've only been studying french for about a month and a half so i'm not that advanced yet, but i gave you karma because it looks really helpful and i will probably need it in the future!!

I wanted to add to this:

www.verb2verbe.com

If you are not sure about any irregular/regular conjugation or are likely to get similar-looking tenses confused, check out verb2verbe. I love this site!

~H.

Wow! Thats a great guide! I think it'll help me alot with French.

I think this post should be made a sticky.

Karma.

Are you kidding me? I have been looking for a list like this for the past month! I'm in 4th year, but I had the summer off so I am trying to remember everything. Thank you SO much! This should be a sticky, and you get karma for this!

*Tiffany*

oh! oh! I know some french! The longest sentence I can possibly say is.

Il est midi.

It is noon.

TADA!
I frenchperson.

REALLY nice review all in one place.

I actually loved learning present tense because, for regular verbs at least, my teacher (in junoir high that is...before complicated junk arose) did everything in SONG!! (saying each letter as ee, ee ess, ee for them etc.)

To Old Mcdonald had a farm....
"e, es, e, ons, ez, ent. endings for the er verbs, conjugate with me. We have voyager and travailler, ecouter, danser, chanter, and parler, e, es, e, ons, ez, ent."

To *sp?* La Cucaracha! (i think...it's duhDUH duhDUH duhDUH duhduhduh duuh duhDUH)....
"is, is, it. issons. issez. issent....lalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalala..." (ir verbs)

To Frère Jacques-ish....
"s, s, nothing. ons, ez, ent. conjugate with me. verbs that end in re verbs that end in re. c'est la fin. c'est la fin."


oh and my website that I love when i'm at a loss/don't know if a verb is regular or irregular: pax.apana.org.au . . .



okay, back to memorizing 9 minutes of french speaking for my midterm part 1 tomorrow!! *yay*

I love the songs!!

I could not, for the life of me, remember the tune of O MacDonald. -.-"

Oh. My. Gosh. You just saved my life!

oh french
basically my whole family is french .
so i have to take french all through high school.
it's so boring.
but at the same time i love it.

Well done! Informative and admirably concise for learners
I'm such a huge French grammar Nazi it's unreal.

This will help ALOT of people. Thanks for taking your time to write that. I am in late- french started in grade six. This will help alot of french newbies while they are getting better
`allyson

Wowzers this is great. Thanks.

I am doing my 6th year of french now and personally don't find this site very helpful. Maybe it's just me though...

Thanks! I'm only in French I now so we only know 3 tenses, but I'll be sure to use this next year when we learn more tenses!