Sorting game
Commencer à or finir de? Sort verbs by their preposition
Before an infinitive, some French verbs take à, some take de and some nothing. Sort sixteen common verbs into the right box, then use them in sentences.
- B1
- 16 words to sort
- 3 boxes
- Tap to play
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Before an infinitive, French verbs come in three groups: no preposition (je veux partir, j'aime lire), à (je commence à comprendre) and de (j'ai fini de manger). There's no rule you can rely on: learn each verb with its preposition.
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Tap a word, then the box it belongs in.
How do you know if a verb takes à or de?
- Verbs of wanting, liking and ability usually take nothing: vouloir, aimer, préférer, pouvoir, savoir.
- Many verbs of starting and learning take à: commencer à, apprendre à, se mettre à.
- Many verbs of stopping, forgetting and deciding take de: finir de, arrêter de, oublier de, décider de.
- Continuer accepts both à and de with no difference in meaning.
The preposition changes with the person too: demander à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose, conseiller à quelqu'un de…, aider quelqu'un à…. Learning verbs in full phrases (essayer de faire) is far easier than memorising lists.
- Ami
Tu as fini de travailler ?
Have you finished working?
- Toi
Presque. J'essaie de terminer ce rapport, mais je commence à fatiguer.
Almost. I'm trying to finish this report, but I'm starting to get tired.
- Ami
Arrête de travailler, viens boire un café !
Stop working, come and have a coffee!