Just the core concepts you need to write and speak French correctlyIf you have some knowledge of French and want to polish your skills, French Essentials For Dummies focuses on just the core concepts you need to communicate effectively. From conjugating verbs to understanding tenses, this easy-to-follow guide lets you skip the suffering and score high at exam time.French 101 ? get the lowdown on the basics, from expressing dates and times to identifying parts of speechGender matters ? see how a noun's gender determines the articles, adjectives, and pronouns you have to useThe here and now ? learn how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, choose subject pronouns, and form the present participleWay back when ? get guidance on working with the past tense, including hints about when to use the compound past (passé composé) and when to use the imperfectWhat lies ahead ? discover the different ways to express the future Open the book and find: A review of numbers, dates, and timesThe parts of speechHow to determine a noun's genderHow to select the correct prepositionRules for making adjectives agreeTips for asking and answering yes/no questionsWays to spice up your descriptions Ten important verb distinctions