Sorting game
Which -er verbs change their spelling? Sort manger, appeler, acheter
Nous mangeons, il appelle, j'achète, nous commençons, je paie: sort sixteen -er verbs by the spelling change they need in the present tense.
- A2
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In short
Some regular -er verbs adjust their spelling to keep the sound: -ger adds e before o (nous mangeons), -cer takes ç (nous commençons), -eler / -eter double the consonant (il appelle, il jette) or add a grave accent (il achète), and -yer changes y to i (il paie, il nettoie).
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Tap a word, then the box it belongs in.
Which -er verbs change their spelling?
| Verb type | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ger | nous form only | nous mangeons |
| -cer | nous form only | nous commençons |
| appeler / jeter | silent endings (je, tu, il, ils) | j'appelle, ils jettent |
| acheter / lever | silent endings | j'achète, ils lèvent |
| -oyer / -uyer | silent endings | je nettoie, ils essuient |
The logic is always sound. G and c are soft before e and i but hard before a and o, so French adds e or a cedilla to keep them soft. For appeler, acheter and -yer verbs, the change happens when the ending is silent, because that's when the vowel before it changes sound.
- Amie
Tu m'appelles ce soir ?
Will you call me tonight?
- Toi
Oui, je t'appelle après le dîner. Nous mangeons tard !
Yes, I'll call you after dinner. We eat late!
- Amie
Et tu paies ta part du cadeau ?
And are you paying your share of the gift?
- nous mangonsnous mangeons
Keep the e to keep the soft g.
- il apelleil appelle
Double l in appeler's silent-ending forms.