How to Teach Regular French -ER Verbs – A French Teacher’s Guide
Regular -ER verbs are one of the first big breakthroughs for beginner French students. It can be pretty exciting for them to learn that so many verbs work the same way, and they’re not hard to conjugate!
Once students understand the pattern, they realize that they don’t have to memorize the present tense conjugation of every French verb individually.
I teach students that a huge number of French verbs end in -ER, and most of these verbs follow the same basic conjugation pattern.
There are a couple of important exceptions to look out for, but the basic system is super predictable.
Start With the Basic -ER Pattern
I usually begin with a regular verb like regarder (to watch / to look at). I show students that the infinitive can be divided into two parts: regard + er. The -ER is removed, leaving the stem (regard-). Then we add the present tense endings:
-e
-es
-e
-ons
-ez
-ent
Now they can start to feel comfortable knowing how to conjugate the verb:
je regarde
tu regardes
il / elle / on regarde
nous regardons
vous regardez
ils / elles regardent
Once they know this pattern, they can apply it to a huge number of French verbs.
Regular French ER Verbs Present Tense Foldable Student Lesson Handout Book
I Make the Pattern Very Visual
When students are first learning conjugation, I like to separate the stem from the ending.
regard + e = regarde
regard + es = regardes
regard + e = regarde
regard + ons = regardons
regard + ez = regardez
regard + ent = regardent
This helps students understand that they’re not memorizing six completely different forms. They’re taking the same stem and attaching predictable endings.
I Immediately Use the Verb in Sentences
I don’t spend too long on a conjugation chart before putting the verb into context.
For example: Je regarde un film.
I ask students what this means. Depending on the context, je regarde can mean:
I watch.
I look at.
I am watching.
I am looking at.
This is very important for English-speaking students. French doesn’t have a separate present progressive tense to express “I am watching.”
Don’t Let Students Add Être
This is one of the mistakes I specifically warn students about, because they see:
I am watching
and they really want to say:
Je suis regarder.
Non, non, non… I tell them:
Je regarde can mean I watch or I am watching.
The French present tense does the job all on its own.
This is something I reinforce with lots of examples because English speakers (especially beginners) naturally want to transfer the English structure into French.
For example:
Je regarde la télévision.
I watch TV. / I am watching TV.
Nous regardons un film.
We watch a movie. / We are watching a movie.
Students need to really understand that they don’t need être + infinitive.
Then I Move Beyond Regarder
Once students understand the basic pattern, I introduce another regular -ER verb:
voyager
to travel
The stem is:
voyag-
So students can apply the same endings:
je voyage
tu voyages
il / elle / on voyage
nous voyageons
vous voyagez
ils / elles voyagent
This is where I point out that some -ER verbs require a small spelling adjustment.
Watch the -GER Verbs
Verbs ending in -GER are regular in their conjugation pattern, but there is a spelling change in the nous form.
voyager = nous voyageons
The extra e is there to preserve the soft g sound before the o of -ons.
Students don’t need a complicated phonetics lesson. I just want them to notice the pattern:
-ger becomes -geons
I tell them that this applies to other verbs ending in -GER as well.
For example:
manger = nous mangeons
nager = nous nageons
voyager = nous voyageons
This is a great time to show students that “regular” doesn’t always mean that every form is spelled exactly the way they might expect.
The underlying conjugation is still the regular -ER pattern. The spelling change is there to preserve pronunciation, and I like to tell them that if it doesn’t sound pretty in French, there’s a rule to fix that!
Then I Introduce -CER Verbs
The other spelling pattern I like to teach alongside -GER verbs is -CER.
For example:
commencer
to begin
The stem is:
commenc-
But in the nous form, the c changes to ç:
nous commençons
The cedilla keeps the c soft before the o in -ons.
Again, I explain that this is a spelling change designed to preserve pronunciation. Students don’t need to think of commencer as an entirely different type of verb. It’s still following the regular -ER conjugation pattern. It’s simply making a spelling adjustment where necessary.
This Is a Great Time to Teach Commencer à
I like commencer because it gives me an opportunity to teach students a useful structure at the same time.
When commencer is followed by another verb in the infinitive, we use:
commencer à + infinitive
For example:
Je commence à étudier.
Je commence à manger.
Je commence à faire mes bagages.
Je commence à avoir faim.
This is one of those little patterns that I like introducing early because students will encounter it again and again as they become more comfortable with French.
The prepositions à and de are so important in French, and the sooner they start paying attention to them, the better!
Don’t Make Students Memorize Every -ER Verb
This is probably the biggest teaching point I want students to take away from this lesson. I don’t want them thinking they have to learn separate conjugations for every -ER verb they learn.
These verbs follow the same basic -ER pattern.
Once students know the pattern, they can apply it to:
parler
aimer
travailler
écouter
habiter
chercher
and many, many others.
That’s when French verb conjugation starts becoming much more manageable.
I Give Students Lots of Different Verbs to Conjugate
After teaching the pattern, I like to mix familiar and unfamiliar verbs.
This is important because I want them to understand that they’re learning a verb family, not simply memorizing a mechanical formula that applies to every French verb.
I really like using games with my students. Who doesn’t like to have a little fun?
French Regular ER Verbs – Present Tense Jeopardy-Style Review Game (PowerPoint)
Don’t Forget the Silent Endings
Another thing I emphasize is pronunciation. Students often want to pronounce every written ending.
But in forms such as:
je regarde
tu regardes
il regarde
ils regardent
the endings don’t create four completely different spoken forms.
This is a good opportunity to help students see the difference between written French and spoken French.
I don’t want them to spend all their energy trying to pronounce every letter they see.
At the same time, forms such as:
nous regardons
and:
vous regardez
have clearly audible endings, so I make sure students hear and practice those as well.
My Teaching Sequence for Regular -ER Verbs
When I teach regular -ER verbs to beginners, I generally follow this progression:
1. Introduce the infinitive and stem.
Remove -ER to find the stem.
2. Teach the six present-tense endings.
-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent
3. Conjugate one straightforward verb.
I like starting with regarder.
4. Put the verb into sentences.
This is where students learn that je regarde can mean “I watch” or “I am watching.”
5. Introduce -GER verbs.
Show the -eons spelling in the nous form.
6. Introduce -CER verbs.
Show the ç in nous commençons.
7. Teach useful structures with the verbs.
For example:
commencer à + infinitive
8. Practice with lots of different -ER verbs.
The goal is for students to recognize and apply the pattern independently.
One of My Favorite Things About Teaching -ER Verbs
This is one of those grammar lessons where students can actually feel themselves making progress. At first, they think they have to memorize every verb. Then they realize that they already know how to conjugate all of them!
That’s exactly what I want.
The purpose of teaching regular -ER verbs isn’t simply to get students through one conjugation exercise. It’s to give them a system they can use when they encounter hundreds of new French verbs.
French -ER Verb Resources for Teachers
If you’re looking for ready-to-use resources for teaching regular French -ER verbs, I’ve created materials that give students explanations, conjugation practice, and opportunities to apply the pattern with different verbs.
French Regular ER Verbs – Present Tense Conjugation Game – Quel Dommage
French Regular ER Verbs – Listening Comprehension & Writing Storyboard Activity
French Regular ER Verbs Bundle
Once students understand the regular -ER pattern, they have one of the most useful tools they’ll need for learning French verbs throughout the rest of their studies.
