Mastering the 'Aller' Conjugation: A Step-by-Step Guide

The French verb 'aller' (to go) is one of the most frequently used verbs in the language. It's essential for describing movement, forming the near future tense, and is part of many idiomatic expressions. Let's break down its conjugation in various tenses and provide some helpful tips for memorization.

Present Tense (Présent)

The present tense of 'aller' is irregular and must be memorized:

• Je vais
• Tu vas
• Il/Elle/On va
• Nous allons
• Vous allez
• Ils/Elles vont

Examples:

1. Je vais à l'école. (I go to school.)
2. Tu vas au cinéma. (You go to the cinema.)
3. Elle va chez le médecin. (She goes to the doctor.)
4. Nous allons au parc. (We go to the park.)
5. Vous allez en France. (You go to France.)
6. Ils vont au travail. (They go to work.)
7. On va à la plage. (We/One goes to the beach.)
8. Je vais bien. (I'm doing well.)
9. Tu vas mieux? (Are you feeling better?)
10. Elles vont faire du shopping. (They are going shopping.)

Memory trick: Notice that the 'nous' and 'vous' forms follow a regular pattern, while the others are unique.

Past Tense (Passé Composé)

'Aller' uses 'être' as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses:

• Je suis allé(e)
• Tu es allé(e)
• Il est allé / Elle est allée
• Nous sommes allé(e)s
• Vous êtes allé(e)(s)
• Ils sont allés / Elles sont allées

Examples:

1. Je suis allé au musée hier. (I went to the museum yesterday.)
2. Tu es allée à la bibliothèque? (Did you go to the library?)
3. Il est allé en Italie l'été dernier. (He went to Italy last summer.)
4. Nous sommes allés au concert samedi. (We went to the concert on Saturday.)
5. Vous êtes allés à la réunion? (Did you go to the meeting?)
6. Elles sont allées faire des courses. (They went shopping.)
7. Je suis allée voir mes grands-parents. (I went to see my grandparents.)
8. Tu es allé à la gym ce matin? (Did you go to the gym this morning?)
9. Elle est allée à la banque. (She went to the bank.)
10. Nous sommes allées à la plage. (We (feminine) went to the beach.)

Memory trick: Remember that 'aller' always uses 'être' in compound tenses, and the past participle agrees with the subject.

Future Tense (Futur Simple)

The future tense of 'aller' is irregular but follows a pattern:

• J'irai
• Tu iras
• Il/Elle/On ira
• Nous irons
• Vous irez
• Ils/Elles iront

Examples:

1. J'irai à Paris l'année prochaine. (I will go to Paris next year.)
2. Tu iras à l'université en septembre. (You will go to university in September.)
3. Elle ira au Japon pour ses vacances. (She will go to Japan for her vacation.)
4. Nous irons au restaurant ce soir. (We will go to the restaurant tonight.)
5. Vous irez au match demain? (Will you go to the match tomorrow?)
6. Ils iront à la montagne cet hiver. (They will go to the mountains this winter.)
7. On ira au zoo le weekend prochain. (We will go to the zoo next weekend.)
8. J'irai te voir bientôt. (I will come see you soon.)
9. Tu iras faire les courses après le travail? (Will you go grocery shopping after work?)
10. Elles iront à la piscine samedi. (They will go to the pool on Saturday.)

Memory trick: The root 'ir-' is used for all persons, with regular future endings added.

Irregular Patterns

The main irregularity of 'aller' is its use of different stems:

• 'v-' in the present tense (except for nous/vous)
• 'all-' in the imperfect and present participle
• 'i-' in the future and conditional

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of 'aller' in the present tense: a) Je _____ à la boulangerie. b) Nous _____ au cinéma. c) Ils _____ à l'école.

2. Translate to French using the passé composé: a) I went to the store. b) We went to the beach. c) She went to the doctor.

3. Complete the sentences with the future tense of 'aller': a) Demain, j'_____ au travail en vélo. b) L'année prochaine, nous _____ en vacances en Espagne. c) Ce soir, tu _____ au théâtre.

Answers and Explanations:

1. a) vais b) allons c) vont Explanation: These are the correct present tense forms for je, nous, and ils.

2. a) Je suis allé(e) au magasin. b) Nous sommes allé(e)s à la plage. c) Elle est allée chez le médecin. Explanation: 'Aller' uses être as its auxiliary verb in the passé composé.

3. a) irai b) irons c) iras Explanation: These are the correct future tense forms, using the 'ir-' stem.

Remember, practice is key to mastering the conjugation of 'aller'. Try using it in various contexts and tenses to reinforce your learning.