The futur proche uses a form of aller plus an infinitive, while the futur simple uses a single conjugated verb; both express future actions. The futur proche often emphasizes a plan or something about to happen, while the futur simple can sound more neutral or formal.
What does intermediate French look like?
At an intermediate level, you can start choosing a future form for its nuance rather than relying on one translation. Compare these sentences:
| French | English | Typical emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Je vais partir demain. | I’m going to leave tomorrow. | A plan or intention|
| Je partirai demain. | I will leave tomorrow. | A future statement
Both sentences can describe the same departure. The futur proche is common in conversation and can suggest a connection to the present; the futur simple is common in writing and can sound more formal. Neither form is limited to a particular distance in time.
For a broader view of how future forms fit alongside past and present forms, see French tenses explained.
Is French 2 hard?
The futur proche is often the easier form to build because you conjugate only aller and leave the main verb in the infinitive. The present-tense forms of aller are vais, vas, va, allons, allez and vont.
- Je vais étudier. — I’m going to study.
- Nous allons manger. — We’re going to eat.
- Ils vont partir. — They’re going to leave.
Put ne and pas around the conjugated form of aller: je ne vais pas partir means “I’m not going to leave.” Remember to use the infinitive after aller, not another conjugated verb.
If conjugating aller is unfamiliar, review French verb conjugation before practicing full sentences.
What does intermediate French mean?
It includes using forms such as the futur simple to make predictions and describe future events. For regular -er and -ir verbs, add the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez and -ont to the infinitive. For regular -re verbs, drop the final e first: parler becomes je parlerai, finir becomes tu finiras, and vendre becomes nous vendrons.
Some common verbs have irregular future stems but use the same endings. Examples include être → ser- (je serai), avoir → aur- (tu auras), aller → ir- (elle ira) and faire → fer- (nous ferons).
For a negative sentence, place ne and pas around the conjugated verb: je ne partirai pas means “I will not leave.” Listen carefully to endings as you practice; French pronunciation explained can help you build that habit.
The Complete Resource for French Grammar
UPI Study has a full resource page built specifically for french grammar — covering which courses count and how to get started at $250 per course with no deadlines. Your college decides how credits transfer.
See French 2 →What is considered intermediate French?
One useful skill is choosing a future form in context. For an immediate intention, say je vais appeler le médecin: “I’m going to call the doctor.” For a prediction, you might say il fera beau demain: “The weather will be nice tomorrow.” These are tendencies, not rules that make the other form impossible.
In a real future condition, French normally uses the present after si, not the futur simple: si j’ai le temps, je viendrai means “if I have time, I’ll come.” You can also say si j’ai le temps, je vais venir. By contrast, French can use the futur simple after quand for a future event: quand j’arriverai, je t’appellerai means “when I arrive, I’ll call you.”
What does French 2 cover?
French 2 courses vary, but they often build on introductory grammar with past narration, pronouns and ways to discuss future plans. In UPI Study’s French 2 course, the futur simple appears alongside city-life vocabulary and relative pronouns. The syllabus below shows how that topic fits into the full course.
| # | Chapter | Lessons | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | En vacances: Travel, Transportation & the Passé Composé | Travel & Vacation Vocabulary — countries, nationalities, modes of transport, vacation activities, seasons and weather expressions; The Passé Composé with avoir — formation, regular past participles, common irregular participles, agreement, and negation in the past; The Passé Composé with être — the être verbs (DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP), past-participle agreement with the subject; Direct Object Pronouns — le, la, les, me, te, nous, vous; placement in present and past; agreement in the passé composé | 11 |
| 2 | Chez nous: The Home, the Imparfait & Describing the Past | House & Home Vocabulary — rooms, furniture, appliances, and parts of a dwelling; describing where one lives; Household Chores — vocabulary for tasks and frequency; expressing obligation and routine; Adverbs — formation of -ment adverbs; adverbs of frequency, time, and manner; placement rules; The Imparfait — formation from the nous stem; uses for description, habitual action, and ongoing past states | 11 |
| 3 | La nourriture: Food, Dining & Comparison | Food & Meals Vocabulary — foods, beverages, courses, quantities, and the partitive article in context; Grocery Shopping & the Restaurant — shops, vendors, ordering, and table vocabulary; The Verb venir & the Passé Récent — venir de + infinitive to express the recent past; Devoir, Vouloir, Pouvoir — obligation, desire, and ability; polite usage and nuance | 10 |
| 4 | La santé: Daily Routine, Reflexives & Wellbeing | Daily Routine Vocabulary — reflexive activities of the morning and evening; telling time in routine contexts; The Body, Health & Remedies — body parts, symptoms, ailments, and at the doctor/pharmacy; Reflexive Verbs (Present) — pronominal verb formation; reflexive pronoun placement; common reflexive verbs; Idiomatic Reflexives — verbs whose meaning shifts in the pronominal form (s'entendre, se rendre compte, etc.) | 10 |
| 5 | La technologie: Technology, Transport & the Conditional | Technology & Electronics Vocabulary — devices, media, and digital actions; using and troubleshooting technology; The Car & Driving — vehicle vocabulary, road signs, and explaining car trouble; Prepositions with the Infinitive — verbs followed by à, de, or no preposition before an infinitive; Reciprocal Reflexives — expressing mutual actions (se parler, se retrouver, s'aimer) | 9 |
| 6 | En ville: City Life, the Future & Relative Pronouns | City & Errands Vocabulary — shops, services, public buildings, and running errands; Directions & Location — asking for and giving directions; prepositions of place; The Verbs voir, recevoir & apercevoir — present and past forms and usage; Negative & Affirmative Expressions — ne … rien, ne … personne, ne … jamais, ne … plus, and their affirmative counterparts | 9 |
| ASSIGNMENT | 5 | ||
| FINAL EXAM | 6 |
Which colleges list French 2 on an equivalency chart?
These colleges show French 2 (French 102) on their equivalency charts with UPI Study. Open a college for its full chart.
| College | Equivalent course | Credits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSU | Open Electives | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Crestpoint | General Elective (Crestpoint) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Dunlap-Stone | General Education Humanities | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Gracelyn | General education: Broad Knowledge and Intellectual Skills (Humanities) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Indiana Tech | General Elective (Indiana Tech) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Maestro | UPI Recommended | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Newlane | Arts & Humanities GE | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Nexford | Humanities and Fine Arts Elective (Gen Ed) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
See the rest of the equivalency on the French 2 course page, or open a college above for its full chart. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Frequently Asked Questions about French Grammar
French 2 is generally a course that builds on introductory French. Its exact content and level depend on the institution, but it may include past narration, pronouns and future expressions.
French 102 is typically a second introductory French course, though course codes are not universal. Check the course description and prerequisites at your institution to see where it fits.
French 2 can be challenging if present-tense conjugations and basic vocabulary are still unfamiliar. Regular practice with short sentences can make new forms, including future tenses, easier to use.
French 2 may feel manageable if you are comfortable with the foundations from a first course. The difficulty depends on your preparation and the pace and expectations of the course.
Yes, B1 is an intermediate level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. At B1, learners can handle many familiar situations and produce connected text on familiar topics.
Yes, B2 is commonly described as upper-intermediate on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A B2 learner can generally interact with more fluency and understand more complex texts than a B1 learner.
A2 is generally classified as an elementary or basic-user level, not an intermediate level, on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Intermediate levels begin at B1.
Final Thoughts on French Grammar
Write three plans using aller plus an infinitive, then rewrite each sentence in the futur simple. Compare the meaning and notice where an irregular stem changes the spelling.
The way this actually clicks
Skip step 3 and the whole thing is wasted.
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