Editing French language (section)

=== Verbs ===
{{Main|French verbs}}

==== Moods and tense-aspect forms ====
The French language consists of both finite and non-finite moods. The finite moods include the [[indicative mood]] (indicatif), the [[subjunctive mood]] (subjonctif), the [[imperative mood]] (impératif), and the [[conditional mood]] (conditionnel). The non-finite moods include the [[infinitive]] mood (infinitif), the [[present participle]] (participe présent), and the [[past participle]] (participe passé).

===== Finite moods =====

====== Indicative (<span title="French-language text"><i lang="fr">indicatif</i></span>) ======
The indicative mood makes use of eight tense-aspect forms. These include the [[Present tense|present]] ({{lang|fr|présent}}), the [[simple past]] ({{lang|fr|[[passé composé]]}} and {{lang|fr|[[passé simple]]}}), the [[past imperfective]] ({{lang|fr|[[imparfait]]}}), the [[pluperfect]] ({{lang|fr|[[plus-que-parfait]]}}), the [[simple future]] ({{lang|fr|[[futur simple]]}}), the [[future perfect]] ({{lang|fr|[[futur antérieur]]}}), and the [[past perfect]] ({{lang|fr|passé antérieur}}). Some forms are less commonly used today. In today's spoken French, the {{lang|fr|passé composé}} is used while the {{lang|fr|passé simple}} is reserved for formal situations or for literary purposes. Similarly, the {{lang|fr|plus-que-parfait}} is used for speaking rather than the older {{lang|fr|passé antérieur}} seen in literary works.

Within the indicative mood, the {{lang|fr|passé composé}}, {{lang|fr|plus-que-parfait}}, {{lang|fr|futur antérieur}}, and {{lang|fr|passé antérieur}} all use auxiliary verbs in their forms.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Indicatif
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"| Présent
!colspan="2"| Imparfait
!colspan="2"| Passé composé
!colspan="2"| Passé simple
|-
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! 1st person
| j'aime
| nous aimons
| j'aimais
| nous aimions
| j'ai aimé
| nous avons aimé
| j'aimai
| nous aimâmes
|-
! 2nd person
| tu aimes
| vous aimez
| tu aimais
| vous aimiez
| tu as aimé
| vous avez aimé
| tu aimas
| vous aimâtes
|-
! 3rd person
| il/elle aime
| ils/elles aiment
| il/elle aimait
| ils/elles aimaient
| il/elle a aimé
| ils/elles ont aimé
| il/elle aima
| ils/elles aimèrent
|-
| colspan="9" |
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"| Futur simple
!colspan="2"| Futur antérieur
!colspan="2"| Plus-que-parfait
!colspan="2"| Passé antérieur
|-
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! 1st person
| j'aimerai
| nous aimerons
| j'aurai aimé
| nous aurons aimé
| j'avais aimé
| nous avions aimé
| j'eus aimé
| nous eûmes aimé
|-
! 2nd person
| tu aimeras
| vous aimerez
| tu auras aimé
| vous aurez aimé
| tu avais aimé
| vous aviez aimé
| tu eus aimé
| vous eûtes aimé
|-
! 3rd person
| il/elle aimera
| ils/elles aimeront
| il/elle aura aimé
| ils/elles auront aimé
| il/elle avait aimé
| ils/elles avaient aimé
| il/elle eut aimé
| ils/elles eurent aimé
|}

====== Subjunctive (subjonctif) ======
The subjunctive mood only includes four of the tense-aspect forms found in the indicative: present (présent), simple past (passé composé), past imperfective (imparfait), and pluperfect (plus-que-parfait).

Within the subjunctive mood, the passé composé and plus-que-parfait use auxiliary verbs in their forms.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subjonctif
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"| Présent
!colspan="2"| Imparfait
!colspan="2"| Passé composé
!colspan="2"| Plus-que-parfait
|-
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! 1st person
| j'aime
| nous aimions
| j'aimasse
| nous aimassions
| j'aie aimé
| nous ayons aimé
| j'eusse aimé
| nous eussions aimé
|-
! 2nd person
| tu aimes
| vous aimiez
| tu aimasses
| vous aimassiez
| tu aies aimé
| vous ayez aimé
| tu eusses aimé
| vous eussiez aimé
|-
! 3rd person
| il/elle aime
| ils/elles aiment
| il/elle aimât
| ils/elles aimassent
| il/elle ait aimé
| ils/elles aient aimé
| il/elle eût aimé
| ils/elles eussent aimé
|}

====== Imperative (imperatif) ======
The imperative is used in the present tense (with the exception of a few instances where it is used in the perfect tense). The imperative is used to give commands to you (tu), we/us (nous), and plural you (vous).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Imperatif
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"| Présent
|-
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! 1st person
|
| aimons
|-
! 2nd person
| aime
| aimez
|}

====== Conditional (conditionnel) ======
The conditional makes use of the present (présent) and the past (passé).

The passé uses auxiliary verbs in its forms.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Conditionnel
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"| Présent
!colspan="2"| Passé
|-
! Singular
! Plural
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! 1st person
| j'aimerais
| nous aimerions
| j'aurais aimé
| nous aurions aimé
|-
! 2nd person
| tu aimerais
| vous aimeriez
| tu aurais aimé
| vous auriez aimé
|-
! 3rd person
| il/elle aimerait
| ils/elles aimeraient
| il/elle aurait aimé
| ils/elles auraient aimé
|}

==== Voice ====
French uses both the [[active voice]] and the [[passive voice]]. The active voice is unmarked while the passive voice is formed by using a form of verb ''{{lang|fr|être}}'' ("to be") and the past participle.

Example of the active voice:
* "{{lang|fr|Elle aime le chien.}}" She loves the dog.
* "{{lang|fr|Marc a conduit la voiture.}}" Marc drove the car.
Example of the passive voice:
* "{{lang|fr|Le chien est aimé par elle.}}" The dog is loved by her.
* "{{lang|fr|La voiture a été conduite par Marc.}}" The car was driven by Marc.
However, unless the subject of the sentence is specified, generally the pronoun ''on'' "one" is used:
* "{{lang|fr|On aime le chien.}}" The dog is loved. (Literally "one loves the dog.")
* "{{lang|fr|On conduit la voiture.}}" The car is (being) driven. (Literally "one drives the car.")

Word order is [[subject–verb–object]] although a pronoun object precedes the verb. Some types of sentences allow for or require different word orders, in particular [[inversion (linguistics)|inversion]] of the subject and verb, as in "{{lang|fr|Parlez-vous français&nbsp;?}}" when asking a question rather than "{{lang|fr|Vous parlez français&nbsp;?}}" Both formulations are used, and carry a rising inflection on the last word. The literal English translations are "Do you speak French?" and "You speak French?", respectively. To avoid inversion while asking a question, "{{lang|fr|Est-ce que}}" (literally "is it that") may be placed at the beginning of the sentence. "{{lang|fr|Parlez-vous français&nbsp;?}}" may become "{{lang|fr|Est-ce que vous parlez français&nbsp;?}}" French also uses [[verb–object–subject]] (VOS) and [[object–subject–verb]] (OSV) word order. OSV word order is not used often and VOS is reserved for formal writings.<ref name="Lahousse_2012" />