TYPE I VERBS WITH A CHANGE OF STEM

A vowel change in the stem of a verb is a phenomenon that occurs both in English and French. Sometimes there is a change in the spelling: I see - I saw. Sometimes there isn’t: I read - I read (past tense)

In French a vowel change in the stem occurs when the ending is mute:

Stop! Arrêtez! (fam) Arrête!

There is no change in the spelling for this verb but in the familiar form the vowel ê is open (as in è) but in the polite form ‘arrêtez’ ê is pronounced as if it was spelt ‘é’.

In the verb ‘Répétez’ (Repeat) there is a vowel change in the spelling as well:

Répétez (fam) Répète

We still have 3 oral forms (Familiar, Polite and Inclusive) but the é is changed to è when the endings are mute. Therefore we have:

Je répète I repeat; I’m repeating

Tu répètes you repeat

Il, elle répète he/she repeats

Ils, elles répètent they repeat

The endings –e, -es, ent are silent

For nous & vous the endings are not mute, therefore there is no vowel change in the stem:

Nous répétons We repeat

Vous répétez You repeat

TYPE I VERBS with a spell change:

Complétez! Complète! (é becomes è) Complete!

Achetez! Achète! (e becomes è) Buy!

Appelez! Appelle! (the letter ‘l’ is doubled) Call!

> Translate into French.

- Don’t buy that! (fam) - N’achète pas ça!

- Call me! (fam) - Appelle-moi!

- Repeat that! (fam) - Répète ça!

- I’m calling now! - J’appelle maintenant!

- Complete everything! (fam) - Complète tout!

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