What is the correct conjugation of the verb "permettre" in the first person present tense?
Should I write "I allow" or "I permit"?
What happens if we add the complement pronoun "me"?
Should I write "je me permets" or "je me permet"?

Nature of the verb "to allow
It is a 3rd group verb (it ends neither in ER like those in the first group, nor in IR like those in the second group).
Conjugation of the verb to allow in the present tense
I allows,
You allows,
He/She/it allows,
We allow it,
Allow me,
He/She/it allows,
They make it possible.
There's no doubt that "I allow" is an unacceptable spelling error!
But writing "This gives me the opportunity to tell you..." is quite the opposite. allowed!
Allowing is a direct transitive verb, i.e. it can directly introduce a direct object complement.
"I allow something".
It conjugates with the auxiliary to have I allowed him to return to us" (example in the past tense).
Allowing is a indirect transitive verb when it introduces an indirect object complement (IOC), as in "I allowed him to ask me for help if he needed it", which means "I allowed this gentleman or lady...".
The "me", a personal pronoun, makes the word allow a pronominal verb. But that doesn't change its conjugation.
It is then conjugated with the auxiliary to be : "I allowed myself".
How do you use "permets" in a cover letter?
For example:
- "Dear Sir/Madam, I'm sending you my CV after discovering your recruitment advert... "
- "Sir, I would like to send you my application for the position of Sales Manager..."
Note that if you "allow yourself" to do something (like you allowed yourself to go out during the COVID period), you might as well be direct and say "Dear Sir or Madam, I'm sending you my CV...".
It's straightforward and will save you any unnecessary spelling mistakes!
The pronominal form "Je me suis permis" is often a source of errors.
- "Did I allow myself or did I allow myself?"
Even if you're a woman, you'll say "I took the liberty of sending you my CV...".
Why is this? A little grammatical analysis is in order.
You mustn't give in to the urge to agree the gender and number of the subject. Which is a mistake, because in this sentence, "me" is an indirect object, so "permis" remains invariable.
Which verbs are conjugated like allow?
admit
commit
compromise
cancel
dismiss
send
go to
omit
promise
readmit
retransmit
return
transmit
submit
teletransmit
send
but also :
commit
compromise
step down
interfere
stand
afford
promise
recover
submit
be passed on
Licence or permit?
Past participle of the verb to allow
Permis, permise (in the feminine singular) or permises (in the feminine plural) are the only correct forms.
For example: "the outings I allowed myself were very pleasant".
Did you like this article? Here are some others articles on how to write faultless French.
Key points to remember from this article
This article entitled "Permet ou Permets? Explains the correct conjugation of the verb "permettre" in the first person present tense. The correct form is "I allow".. The article points out that "I allow" is a spelling error. He also explains that the pronoun complement "me" does not change the conjugation of the verb. The verb "to allow" can be used directly with a direct object complement or indirectly with an indirect object complement. The article gives examples of its use in a letter of motivation and presents other verbs that conjugate in the same way as "permettre". Finally, it explains how to agree the past participle of the verb "permettre".