TOEIC: English Verb Conjugation
Conjugation is a grammar point regularly tested in the Reading section of the TOEIC, especially in parts 5 and 6 (fill-in-the-blank sentences). Unlike French, English has very few conjugated forms per verb.
A Simplified System
In French, a verb can take dozens of different forms. In English, each verb has only up to 5 forms. Let's take the verb eat as an example:
- eat (base form)
- eats (3rd person singular present)
- eating (-ing form)
- ate (past tense)
- eaten (past participle)
This principle applies to all English verbs. Tenses are then expressed using auxiliary words added to these 5 base forms.
Structures to Master
- Present Perfect: have/has + past participle. Ex.: He has eaten. This structure indicates a past action with a connection to the present.
- Continuous Form: be + verb in -ing form. Ex.: I am eating. Corresponds to the French notion of "en train de" (in the process of).
- Past Perfect: had + past participle. Ex.: They had eaten before we arrived.
The Pitfall of Literal Translation
Essential advice: never translate literally from French to English. The tense systems do not correspond directly. For example, I smoke, but I'm not smoking now illustrates a distinction that does not exist in French in this form. Mastering these structures is essential to succeed in parts 5 and 6 of the TOEIC.