How do you practice grammar, especially verb conjugations, with flash cards?

[lagrave]

I use Anki to study French. Vocabulary works fine but the main difficulty with French as a second language is the conjugation of verbs. There are least five conjugations

présent
imparfait
futur simple
conditionnel
imperatif

you need to know even if you aren’t that advanced (if you want to study “high brow” French literature there are 2-3 more you need to know, that are only used in written language)

(You also need to know passé composé but that is simple)

For regular verbs, all these have six different suffixes.

The good thing is that these forms are quite regular. You just have to combine the correct stem and correct suffix, and the stems and suffixes are reused. The bad thing is that it is easy to mix up these combinations. For example, parler (talk or speak) (I will only use the first person as example, if you want to look into the details, look here)

présent - je parle
imparfait - je parlais
futur simple - je parlerai (this suffix is actually the présent of avoir!)
conditionnel - je parlerais
imperatif - n/a

For the first two, the stem is parl and for the second two it is parler. You can also see that imparfait and conditionnel use the same suffix but different stems (I know that they think the stem is parl in all cases and that er is part of the suffix but well, it isn’t

Furthermore, very common verbs like avoir (have), aller (walk) and être (be) stems are completely irregular:

avoir - aller - être
présent - (no stem at all) - (no stem) - (no stem)
imparfait - av - all - ét
futur simple - aur - ir (!) - ser (!)
conditionnel - aur - ir (!) - ser (!)
imperatif - (no stem) - (no stem) - so (!)

Basically, there are a LARGE number of combinations, but a lot of them are regular but there are also a lot of irregularities. You would save a lot of brain power if you could learn these combinations and irregular stems, but I can’t! Thanks to Anki I have increased my vocabulary with maybe 8000-10 000 words (and only have some 30 repetitions/day) but I suck at these verbs.

I have tried different types of Anki notes for this, e.g., “which use the same stem?” or “which use the same suffix?”, “what is the imparfait stem for être?”, “conditionnel of aller, 2nd person plural (you)?”, “list all six imparfait conjugations for être?” etc but as soon as the interval starts to become an month or so I forget the answers and have to start from zero again.

How do you use flashcards to study this type of grammar?

[Ammy]

1. Separate the decks by verb tense.
2. Separate the decks by type of verb: separate the verbs by regular and irregular. For irregular ones, create smaller decks by grouping verbs with similar conjugation patterns.
3. Decks by Theme: Create theme decks, such as “motion verbs”, “state verbs”, etc. This helps to contextualize learning and facilitates memorization.

a. Radical: Create a field for the verb stem, making it easier to identify patterns and remember.
b. Suffix: Create a field for the suffix, helping to visualize the formation of the conjugation.
Cartão:

• Frente: Parler (falar)
• Verso: Je parl ais
• Campo “Radical”: parl
• Campo “Sufixo”: ais
  w. Notes: Use this field to add notes about irregularities or particularities of each verb*.

context:

1. Create cards with complete sentences to contextualize the use of the verb.
2. Includes examples of use of the verb in different situations.
   3 Various types of questions:
   Translation: Present a sentence in Portuguese and ask to translate it into French, conjugating the verb correctly.
   Multiple choice: offer several conjugation options and ask the user to choose the correct one.
   Fill in the gap: Present a sentence with a gap for the correct conjugation of the verb.
   Repetitive spacing: Allows Anki to adjust the interval between reviews based on your performance.
   Reversed Cards: Reverse the order of the cards to strengthen memorization in both directions. https://www.ankiflashcards.com.br/anki/
   Add cards: Create new cards based on your questions or difficulties.

Card:
Front:Parler (speak)Imparfait, 1st person singular
Verso:Je parlais
Notes: The radical is parl. The suffix ais is common for imparfait.

[Ammy]

I’m studying French. My language is Brazilian Portuguese makes it easier to memorize.

[Ammy]

I’m still a little confused with my computer and my Anki, which prevents me from finding new ADD-ons that meet my needs. I practically changed my PC and had this problem.

Fill the gap
multiple choices
Repetitive spacing

Repetitive spacing is already standard in Anki.

Add Cards: Create new cards based on your questions or difficulties.
Question: What is the difference between “pouvoir” and “know”?

Card:

• Front: What is the difference between “pouvoir” and “know”?
• Verse: “Pouvoir” means “power” and indicates the ability to do something. Ex: Je peux parler français. (I can speak in French.) “Savoir” means “to know” and indicates knowledge of something. Ex: Je sais parler français. (I can speak French.)

Question:What is the imparfait stem for être?

• Front:Quand j’étais enfant, j’étais très timide.
• Verse: When I was a child, I was very shy.

être=étais:. Describe a state in the past: Quand j’étais enfant, j’étais très timide. The imperfect is ideal for describing states, qualities or habits that have lasted in the past.

[matta]

1. Create cards that ask you to translate a sentence from your native language, but also give a hint with the person, number, tense or aspect, and mood so that the correct target translation is determined. This will help you remember the technical parts of the conjugation. See this card from my deck on Latin Conjugation. See the attached image.
   

2. Also, create sentences with the missing piece being the verb in the correct tense, person, mood, etc. Give a sentence (or clause) in your native language together with a hint about the specific grammar outcome that you seek. See the attached image from the same deck. NB that learning your grammar in sentences (often taken from patterns given in textbooks) will force the pattern of conjugation into your brain. When you talk in a foreign language, you want the parts of the verb to come automatically; you don’t want to have to analyse your own native expression first, then mathemagically create the appropriate expression in your target language. It has worked for me; I have reached B2 in a language from zero within a couple of months.
   

[matta]

In case you are interested, the deck, to which I refer in my previous response is: Complete Table of Latin Conjugations with Examples.

[brumby]

For studying grammar, it’s helpful to use Cloze Deletion type of cards in conjunction with the Fill the Blanks add-on. The syntax of the task can look like this:

{{c1::He has::(He + to have)}} many friends.

The front and back of the card will look like this:

Front:

Back (wrong answer)

Back (correct answer)

[Ammy]

Don’t even think about sending deck links, this doesn’t help with learning. What kind of deck is this?

[Ammy]

He needs to improve his intellectual autonomy to create his own ideas, thus avoiding dependence on paid platforms and superficial concepts, common in the market.

[Ammy]

Contemporary pedagogy, based on theories such as John Dewey’s, emphasizes the importance of experience as a fundamental pillar of learning. Unlike immersions, which are often limited to a superficial immersion in a new context, and link decks, which fragment knowledge into small portions, experience-based learning promotes the active construction of knowledge. By carrying out practical activities, the individual establishes meaningful connections between theory and reality, strengthening neural networks and ensuring longer-lasting content retention. Furthermore, the experience provides an environment conducive to the development of skills such as problem solving, creativity and adaptability, preparing individuals for the challenges of the contemporary world.