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in association with Step by Step Simplified FRENCH GRAMMAR La Grammaire. Qu’est-Ce que C’est? Sample By Delphine O’Brien Delphine O’Brien, 2013 published by myFrench.ie Page 2 Simplified Grammar e-Book Table of Contents Introduction 4 Booklet I Le Verbe Qu’est-ce que C’est? 5 Booklet II Le Présent de l’Indicatif Qu’est-ce que C’est? 15 Booklet III Le Passé-Composé Qu’est-ce que C’est? 27 Booklet IV L’Imparfait Qu’est-ce que C’est? 40 Booklet V Le Futur Qu’est-ce que C’est? 50 Booklet VI Le Conditionnel Qu’est-ce que C’est? 62 Booklet V Le Subjonctif Qu’est-ce que C’est? 73 Booklet VIII Le Nom Qu’est-ce que C’est? 79 Booklet IX L’Adjectif Qu’est-ce que C’est? 85 Booklet X L’Adverbe Qu’est-ce que C’est? 94 Booklet XI La Préposition Qu’est-ce que C’est? 99 Appendix : Solutions aux Activités 104 A Note about the Author 127 Copyrights 128 You might Also Like 129 Page 3 Simplified Grammar e-Book Introduction: A Word about Grammar Grammar. Just saying or reading the word makes most of the learners panic! People have a negative feeling about French grammar. They have heard about irregular verbs, weird tenses, nouns and gender… That’s why this e-book is compiled with only very simplified grammatical points. You will be guided step by step and all the points are defined and explained. At the end of each mini lesson, you will be able to test your knowledge and learn new vocabulary by working with cultural and authentic literary texts. Grammar, which knows how to control even kings.” Molière Page 4 Simplified Grammar e-Book Booklet I Le Verbe Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Verbe : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? What is a verb? In French, a verb is called un verbe. 1. Un verbe could be the most important part of a sentence. Je pleure = I cry 2. The verb asserts, tells something about the subject of the sentence. 3. A verb expresses feelings, state of beings, actions or events. 4. The verb represents the chronology and the temporality of the action. 5. A verb has to be conjugated to do its work properly. It indicates if the action was in the past, if the action is finished or starting, if the action is on-going, if the action is repeated and if the action will take place in the future. What is an infinitive verb/un verbe à l’infinitif? We could say that l’infinitif is the surname of the verb, its identity. In English, the infinitive of a verb starts with to + the verb: to eat. It’s also called full verb. In French, l’infinitif is a single word with one of the following endings: -ER manger (to eat) -IR finir (to finish) -RE rendre (to give back) Page 6 Simplified Grammar e-Book 3 Ways to Use the Infinitive 1. After a conjugated verb: This one is very important to remember: In French, the second, third, etc… verb that comes after the first conjugated verb is always an infinitive. Je veux danser. -ER ending because veux is the conjugated verb vouloir You will find an infinitive verb after a conjugated verb but not after an auxiliary / un auxiliaire (avoir or être). J’ai aimé ce film. NO -ER ending because ai is the auxiliaire avoir. 2. After a preposition : C’est difficile de se concentrer avec tout ce bruit! It’s hard to concentrate with all this noise! Il y aura à boire et à manger. There will be food and drinks. 3. As a noun: Prendre une décision importante ce n’est jamais facile. Making an important decision is never easy. What is an auxiliary verb? 2 Auxiliary Verbs in French: ETRE and AVOIR 1. ETRE The verb être as an auxiliary is used to conjugate all the verbs at the passive voice. Voix active: Elsa mange un gâteau au chocolat. Elsa eats a chocolate cake. Voix passive: Le gâteau au chocolat est mangé par Elsa. The chocolate cake is eaten by Elsa. Page 7 Simplified Grammar e-Book It can also be used to conjugate compound tenses / les temps composés of all the pronominal verbs (s’habiller = to get dressed). Je me suis habillé(e). I got dressed. It is used to conjugate all the compound tenses (like le passé-composé) of some intransitive verbs. Il est rentré de France samedi soir. He came back from France Saturday night. 2. AVOIR The verbe avoir as an auxiliary is used to conjugate all the compound tenses of the transitive verbs. Nous avons marché toute la journée. We walked all day. It is also used to conjugate all the compound tenses of the most of the intransitive verbs. J’ai couru vers elle. I ran towards her. It is used to form the compound forms of the verbs être and avoir. J’ai eu de bons résultats à mes examens. I got great results at my exams. J’ai été très content de mon séjour à Nantes. I was very happy with my trip to Nantes. Attention! Être and avoir are also verbs not only auxiliaries. Être means to be, to exist. Avoir means to possess, to own. What is a pronominal verb / un verbe pronominal? Un verbe pronominal is a verb that is built with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) : se laver, s’endormir Page 8 Booklet II Le Présent de l’Indicatif Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Présent de l’Indicatif : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le présent in French is the equivalent of the present tense in English. When is the present tense used? 1. For on-going actions or current situations. Je suis malade. I’m sick. 2. To state general truths. Le soleil se lève à l’Est. The sun rises at the east. 3. To describe a habitual action. Je prends le train tous les matins. I take the train every morning. 4. For an action that is going to happen immediately. Je descends! I am going downstairs! How do you conjugate at the present tense a regular verb of the -ER group (premier groupe)? The first group verbs are all the ones which end up with -ER at the infinitive. To conjugate an -ER verb at the present tense, remove the ending -ER and add the appropriate endings: -e -es -e -ons -ez -ent Page 16 Simplified Grammar e-Book TIP: When the subject is tu, the verb always ends with an S (Exceptions: tu vaux you are worth, tu veux you want, tu peux you can) Let’s take the verb louer (to rent): remove the infinitive ending –ER to get lou and add the endings: LOUER 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne ère Singulier Je loue Tu loues Il/ Elle/On loue Pluriel Nous louons Vous louez Ils/Elles louent How do you conjugate at the present tense a regular verb of the -IR group (deuxième groupe)? The second group verbs are all the ones which end up with -IR at the infinitive and that have a present participle ending in -issant. To conjugate an -IR verb at the present tense, remove the ending -IR and add the appropriate endings: -is -is -it issons -issez -issent Let’s take the verb grandir (to grow up): remove the infinitive ending -IR to get grand and add the endings: GRANDIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je grandis Tu grandis Il/ Elle/On grandit Pluriel Nous grandissons Vous grandissez Ils/Elles grandissent Page 17 Simplified Grammar e-Book How do you conjugate at the present tense a regular verb of the -RE group (troisième groupe)? The third group verbs are all the verbs not belonging either to the first or the second group and that are not auxiliary verbs (être & avoir). Most of them are irregular verbs. The verbs that end with -DRE have the following endings: -ds -ds -d ons -ez ent Let’s take the verb vendre (to sell): VENDRE 1 personne ème 2 personne Singulier Je vends Tu vends Pluriel Nous vendons Vous vendez Il/ Elle/On vend Ils/Elles vendent ère ème 3 personne Exceptions with the following irregular verbs: Prendre (to take): nous prenons, vous prenez, ils ou elles prennent Coudre (to sew): nous cousons, vous cousez, ils ou elles cousent The verbs that end with -TRE have the following endings: -ts ts -t tons -tez tent Booklet III Le Passé-Composé Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Passé-Composé : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le passé-composé in French is the equivalent of the past tense in English and is the past tense the most used in French. When is the passé-composé used? Action completed in the past. As-tu beaucoup étudié ce weekend? Did you study a lot this weekend? A series of action completed in the past. Samedi, il a vu sa mère, a parlé au médecin et a trouvé un chat. Saturday he saw his mother, talked to the doctor, and found a cat. An action repeated a few times in the past. Je t’ai téléphoné cinq fois hier. I phoned you 5 times yesterday. How is the passé-composé formed? 2 elements: 1 auxiliary (être or avoir) at the present tense. 1 past participle/ participe passé of the verb. What is a past participle? The French Participe-Passé is quite similar to the English past participle. In English -ed is added at the end of the regular verbs to form the past participle. I have worked all my life. Page 28 Simplified Grammar e-Book In French we will add : st -é for the 1 group verb ending in -ER : J’ai rêvé (verbe rêver) -i for the 2ng group verbs ending in -IR : J’ai fini (verbe finir) -u for the 3rd group verbs ending in -RE : j’ai bu (verbe boire) Notice some exceptions though: j’ai pris (verbe prendre) j’ai mis (verbe mettre) etc… 4 Roles for the Past Participle 1. To form the passé-composé with an auxiliary être or avoir. Je suis devenu(e). I have become. 2. To form other compound tenses with auxiliaries (e.g. plus que perfect). J’étais parti(e) au Canada. I was gone to Canada. 3. To form the passive voice with the auxiliary être. Le chat est nourri tous les matins. The cat is fed every morning. 4. On its own as an adjective alone. Appeuré, il s’enfuit en courant. Frightened, he ran away. Page 29 Simplified Grammar e-Book How do you form the passé-composé with the auxiliaire avoir? The past participle stays neutral and doesn’t need to agree with the subject of the sentence. Exception: the past participle will have to agree with its direct object. The direct object will often be a pronoun le, la, les and will be before the verb. Je te rends ta robe, je l’ai portée hier soir. (l’ stands for ta robe, to avoid repetition) Je te rends tes chaussures, je les ai mises au mariage de mon cousin. (les stands for tes chaussures, to avoid repetition) The direct object answers to the question WHAT? Here’s your dress back; I wore it Saturday night. → I wore WHAT? It (your dress) → it is a direct object/ un complément d’object direct. Un complément d’objet direct represents the people or things in a sentence which receive the action of the verb. To find the direct object in a sentence, ask the questions What? or Who? Un complément d’objet indirect represents the people or things in a sentence to or for whom/what the action of the verb occurs. How do you conjugate at the passé-composé a regular verb of the -ER group (premier groupe)? Let’s take the verb louer (to rent): add the auxiliary avoir + remove the infinitive ending -ER to get lou and add the ending -é: LOUER ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier J’ai loué Tu as loué Il/ Elle/On a loué Pluriel Nous avons loué Vous avez loué Ils/Elles ont loué Page 30 Simplified Grammar e-Book Booklet IV L’Imparfait Qu’est-ce Que C’est? L’Imparfait : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? When is the imperfect used? 1. Translated in English by was or was + V-ing. 2. It is more used written than spoken. It is the tense used in literature to describe past actions. 3. To describe a repeated or incomplete action at the past tense. Tous les étés, je travaillais dans un hôtel. Every summer, I used to work in a hotel. 4. The beginning and end of the action are often not specified. Je marchais pendant des heures sans retrouver mon chemin. I was walking for hours without finding my way back. 5. To describe feelings, weather, time, age in the past. Tous les étés, il pleuvait. Every summer, it was raining. 6. To express wishes. Ah! Si j’étais président! Ah! If I were president! 7. To express suggestions. Si tu venais demain soir, nous pourrions aller au cinéma. If you come tomorrow evening, we could go to the cinema. Page 41 Simplified Grammar e-Book 8. To express the condition (if…) Si je pouvais, je le ferais. If I could, I would. How do you conjugate at the imperfect a regular verb of the -ER group (premier groupe)? The first group verbs are all the ones which end up with -ER at the infinitive. To conjugate an -ER verb at the imperfect, remove the ending -ER and add the appropriate endings: -ais ais ait ions iez aient TIP: When the subject is tu, the verb always ends with an S Let’s take the verb louer (to rent) remove the infinitive ending -ER to get lou and add the endings: LOUER ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je louais Tu louais Il/ Elle/On louait Pluriel Nous louions Vous louiez Ils/Elles louaient Page 42 Simplified Grammar e-Book How do you conjugate at the imperfect a regular verb of the IR group (deuxième groupe)? The second group verbs are all the ones which end up with -IR at the infinitive and that have a present participle ending in –issant. To conjugate an -IR verb at the present tense, remove the ending -IR and add -ISS and then the appropriate endings. Let’s take the verb grandir (to grow up) remove the infinitive ending -IR to get grand and add the endings: GRANDIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je grandissais Tu grandissais Il/ Elle/On grandissait Pluriel Nous grandissions Vous grandissiez Ils/Elles grandissaient How do you conjugate at the imperfect a verb of the -RE group (troisième groupe)? The third group verbs are all the verbs not belonging either to the first or the second group and that are not auxiliary verbs (être & avoir). Most of them are irregular verbs. Let’s take the verb vendre (to sell) VENDRE ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je vendais Tu vendais Il/ Elle/On vendait Pluriel Nous vendions Vous vendiez Ils/Elles vendaient Page 43 Booklet V Le Futur Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Futur : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Now that you know how to recognise an infinitive verb (a full verb) that ends in -ER, -IR or RE this is going to make things easier for you when you need to use the future tense. The future is, in my opinion, the simplest French tense ever. There is only one set of endings for it, and most verbs use their infinitive as the root. When is the future used? 1. To express projects. Je viendrai te voir demain. I’ll come and see you tomorrow. 2. To give orders (less harsh than using the imperative). Tu rangeras ta chambre avant de partir. You will tidy up your room before going. 3. To describe historical events. Creuser le tunnel du Mont-Blanc prendra 4 ans. Digging the Mont-Blanc tunnel will take 4 years. How is the future formed? 1ST STEP To form the future tense of -ER and -IR verbs: keep -ER or -IR, and then add the appropriate endings to the infinitive. Finir → je finirai To form the future tense of -RE verbs, drop the final E and then add the appropriate endings. Prendre →je prendrai Page 51 Simplified Grammar e-Book 2ND STEP Add the following endings: -ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont How do you conjugate at the future tense a regular verb of the -ER group (premier groupe)? The first group verbs are all the ones which end up with -ER at the infinitive. To conjugate an -ER verb at the future tense, keep the ending -ER and add the appropriate endings: -ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont TIP: When the subject is tu, the verb always ends with an S Let’s take the verb louer (to rent) Keep the infinitive ending -ER and add the endings: LOUER 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne ère Singulier Je louerai Tu loueras Il/ Elle/On louera Pluriel Nous louerons Vous louerez Ils/Elles loueront Page 52 Simplified Grammar e-Book How do you conjugate at the future tense a regular verb of the -IR group (deuxième groupe)? The second group verbs are all the ones which end up with -IR at the infinitive and that have a present participle ending in -issant. To conjugate an -IR verb at the present tense, keep the ending -IR and add the appropriate endings: -ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont Let’s take the verb grandir (to grow up) keep the infinitive ending -IR and add the endings: GRANDIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je grandirai Tu grandiras Il/ Elle/On grandira Pluriel Nous grandirons Vous grandirez Ils/Elles grandiront How do you conjugate at the future tense a verb of the RE group (troisième groupe)? The third group verbs are all the verbs not belonging either to the first or the second group and that are not auxiliary verbs (être & avoir). Most of them are irregular verbs. To form the future tense of -RE verbs, drop the final E then add the appropriate endings. Page 53 Booklet VI Le Conditionnel Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Conditionnel : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Now that you know how to recognise an infinitive verb (a full verb) that ends in -ER, -IR or -RE this is going to make things easier for you when you need to use the conditional tense. Once you master the future tense, understanding and using the conditional tense will be easy. When is the conditional used? 1. To talk about events with no guarantee to happen. 2. In English, you will use would to form the conditional tense. 3. When there is a IF condition, SI Si je pouvais, je viendrais. If I could, I would come. When is the verb aimer (to love) used? 1. To express a wish, a desire in a polite way. J’aimerais de la glace à la vanille. I would love some vanilla ice cream. 2. To express a wish that might never occur. J’aimerais tant aller à San Francisco. I would love to go to San Francisco so much. When is the verb vouloir (to want) used? 1. To express a wish, a desire in a polite way. Je voudrais de la glace à la vanille. I would like some vanilla ice cream. Page 63 Simplified Grammar e-Book Page 64 Simplified Grammar e-Book When is the verb pouvoir (to be able to) used? 1. To express a suggestion, a possibility of doing something. 2. Translated by could in English. Je pourrais venir te voir demain. I could come and see you tomorrow. Pourrais-je venir te venir te voir demain? Could I come and see you tomorrow? When is the verb devoir (to have to) used? 1. To express something that should be done. 2. Translated by should in English. Tu devrais réviser ton bac. You should revise for your leaving cert. How is the conditional formed? 1ST STEP To form the conditional tense of -ER and -IR verbs: keep -ER or -IR and then add the appropriate endings to the infinitive. Finir → je finirais To form the conditional tense of -RE verbs, drop the final E then add the appropriate endings. Prendre →je prendrais 2ND STEP Add the following endings: -ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient Page 65 Simplified Grammar e-Book How do you conjugate at the conditional tense a regular verb of the -ER group (premier groupe)? The first group verbs are all the ones which end up with -ER at the infinitive. To conjugate an -ER verb at the conditional tense, keep the ending -ER and add the appropriate endings: -ais -ais -ait ions -iez aien t TIP: When the subject is tu, the verb always ends with an S (exceptions: tu vaux you are worth, tu veux you want, tu peux you can) Let’s take the verb louer (to rent) keep the infinitive ending -ER and add the endings: LOUER ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Je louerais Tu louerais Il/ Elle/On louerait Pluriel Nous louerions Vous loueriez Ils/Elles loueraient How do you conjugate at the conditional tense a regular verb of the - IR group (deuxième groupe)? The second group verbs are all the ones which end up with -IR at the infinitive and that have a present participle ending in -issant. Booklet VII Le Subjonctif Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Subjonctif : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? The subjunctive is a difficult tense that you need to be able to recognise in a text and to use it from time to time. When is the subjunctive used? 1. Unfortunately there is no equivalent in English. 2. It is kind of the present tense but needs to be used with some specific verbs or following some specific words like que or qui 3. To express subjective actions: necessities, emotion, will, judgment doubt, possibility…. 4. There is no future subjunctive. The present subjunctive will be used. However, there is a past subjunctive. How is the subjunctive formed? For all the regular verbs ending with -ER, -IR, and -RE, take the 3rd person plural form (ils) of the present tense of the verb, drop the -ent, and add the subjunctive endings as follows: -e -es -e -ions -iez Page 75 Simplified Grammar e-Book -ent VERB 3RD PERSONN PLURAL PRESENT DROP THE -ENT SUBJONCTIF PARLER ILS/ELLES PARLENT PARL QUE JE PARLE CHOISISS QUE TU CHOISISSES PRENN QU’IL PRENNE CHOISIR PRENDRE ILS/ELLES CHOISISSENT ILS/ELLES PRENNENT Note that -IR verbs like sortir and partir and -RE verbs like mettre which are irregular in the present tense are regular in the subjunctive. Irregular Verbs at the Subjunctive Tense Let’s take the verb aller (to go) ALLER ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que j’aille Que tu ailles Qu’Il/ Elle/On aille Pluriel Que nous allions Que vous alliez Qu’Ils/Elles aillent Let’s take the verb faire (to do) FAIRE ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que je fasse Que tu fasses Qu’Il/ Elle/On fasse Pluriel Que nous fassions Que vous fassiez Qu’Ils/Elles fassent Page 76 Simplified Grammar e-Book Page 77 Simplified Grammar e-Book Let’s take the verb pouvoir (to be able to) POUVOIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que je puisse Que tu puisses Qu’Il/ Elle/On puisse Pluriel Que nous puissions Que vous puissiez Qu’Ils/Elles puissent Let’s take the verb savoir (to know) SAVOIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que je sache Que tu saches Qu’Il/ Elle/On sache Pluriel Que nous sachions Que vous sachiez Qu’Ils/Elles sachent Let’s take the verb vouloir (to want) VOULOIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que je veuille Que tu veuilles Qu’Il/ Elle/On veuille Pluriel Que nous voulions Que vous vouliez Qu’Ils/Elles veuillent Let’s take the verb être (to be) ETRE 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne ère Singulier Que je sois Que tu sois Qu’Il/ Elle/On soit Pluriel Que nous soyons Que vous soyez Qu’Ils/Elles soient Let’s take the verb avoir (to have) AVOIR ère 1 personne ème 2 personne ème 3 personne Singulier Que j’aie Que tu aies Qu’Il/ Elle/On ait Pluriel Que nous ayons Que vous ayez Qu’Ils/Elles aient Page 78 Booklet VIII Le Nom Qu’est-ce Que C’est? Le Nom : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? What is a noun? In French, a noun is either called un nom or un substantif. 1. A noun is a word. (chat) 2. A noun can be a common noun / un nom commun. It defines individuals of the same species (les hommes, les chevaux…) or represents a concept (la psychologie de l’enfant). It is the opposite of the proper noun that does not have a specific definition. (Paul) 3. A noun can be a proper noun / un nom propre. It defines a person, a place, a unique thing. This kind of noun requires a capital letter: Monet (le peintre / the painter), la ville de Toulouse 4. Any word preceded by a determiner (un déterminant : un, une, la, le, les, des, ce, son...) is a noun. 5. A noun varies in gender: le chat (masculine form) la chatte (feminine form) 6. A nouns varies in number: le chat (singular form) les chats (plural form) What is gender in French? (le genre) 1. Gender or le genre defines if the noun is masculine or feminine. A noun preceded by un or le is masculine. A noun preceded by une or la is feminine. For someone studying French, picking the right gender to use is a nightmare because there is no logic or even a rule to refer to. The only way is to learn the gender for each word. Page 82 Simplified Grammar e-Book 2 Techniques to Learn French Gender 1. When you make a list of vocabulary that you need to learn off, always include the gender with the noun. Do not write a noun without its determiner (le, la, un, une…). 2. Listen and read as much French as you can and the gender will automatically stay imprinted in your brain. Without thinking or learning it, you will get familiar to the language. For this to happen, you need to read French or listen to French podcasts, radio programmes, etc… at least once a day. This is how the French children learn the gender without realising it, just by immersion. What is number in French? Number indicates if articles, adjectives or pronouns that modify nouns must be singular or plural. L’enfant Les enfants singular (one child) / singulier plural (many children) / pluriel What are the different functions of a noun? 1. A noun can be a subject /un sujet. Les enfants jouent dans la cour de l’école. Children play in the school yard. The subject of a verb is the thing or the person who performs the action of that verb. 2. A noun can be an attribute /un attribut. Paris est la capitale de la France. Paris is the capital of France. Thanks to the verb, the attribute of the subject indicate a way of being, a characteristic of the subject. 3. A noun can be a complement / un complément. Je fais mes courses au supermarché, le lundi. I do my food shopping at the supermarket, on Mondays. Page 83 Simplified Grammar e-Book En Résumé: 5 Things You Need to Know about French Nouns 1. A noun indicates a person, an animal or a thing. 2. A noun is most of the time preceded by a determiner (le, la, les, un, une…). 3. A proper noun always takes a capital letter (Marseille). 4. A commun noun always takes a small letter (l’aéroport). 5. There are concrete nouns (une table) and abstract noun (la volonté/ the will). Page 84 Booklet IX L’Adjectif Qu’est-ce Que C’est? L’Adjectif : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? What is an adjective? L’adjectif is a word that modifies a noun by describing it about its: Shape Colour Size How do I form a French adjective? The French adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they are describing. Le joli tableau the lovely painting La jolie maison the lovely house Les jolis bateaux the lovely boats Les jolies filles the lovely girls → masculine singular → feminine singular → masculine plural → feminine plural You have to make sure that you know the gender and number of the noun and then form the adjective accordingly. How do I find the adjective in the sentence? Most French adjectives will be found after the noun they describe. la maison jaune the yellow house Exceptions: Some French adjectives are found before the noun: joli, beau, petit, grand… Page 88 Simplified Grammar e-Book When do I place the adjective before the noun? This is not very common. The types of adjectives that go before the noun describe the age, the beauty, the size and “good & bad”. To remember them, think of BAGS (Beauty, Age; Good & bad, Size) une jolie fille a pretty girl un jeune chien a young dog une nouvelle voiture a new car un bon élève a good student When do I place the adjective after the noun? This is the most common place for the adjectives. They describe shape, religion, nationality, social class, colour, mood, personality and taste. une cravate rouge et noire a red and black tie une femme irlandaise an Irish woman un mariage catholique a Catholic wedding le bureau oval the oval office What is a possessive adjective / un adjectif possessif? 1. Un adjectif possessif indicates to whom the noun belongs. 2. The gender and number will determine which adjective to use. Page 89 Simplified Grammar e-Book SINGULAR SUBJECTS : MY/ YOUR / HIS / HER / ITS ADJECTIF POSSESSIF MY YOUR HIS HER ITS Masculine : un bébé mon bébé ton bébé son bébé son bébé son bébé Feminine : une sœur ma sœur ta sœur sa sœur sa sœur sa sœur In front of vowel : un ami / une amie mon ami ton amie son ami son amie son ami Pluriel : les enfants mes enfants tes enfants ses enfants ses enfants ses enfants As you can see, the adjective agrees with the noun. The adjective is not determined by the person to whom the object belongs. PLURAL SUBJECTS: OUR/ YOUR / THEIR ADJECTIF POSSESSIF OUR YOUR THEIR Masculine : un bébé notre bébé votre bébé leur bébé Feminine : une sœur notre sœur votre sœur leur sœur In front of vowel : un ami / une amie notre ami votre amie leur ami Pluriel : les enfants nos enfants vos enfants leurs enfants What is a negative adjective / un adjectif négatif? ADJECTIF NEGATIF Negative Adjective NE PAS ….. UN /UNE no, not one NE PAS ….. UN/ UNE SEULE no,not a single NE PAS ….. AUCUN/ AUCUNE no, not any NE PAS ….. NUL/NULLE no, not any 1. They refuse on a quality about the noun that they modify. OR 2. They give a doubt on a quality about the noun that they modify. Je n'ai aucune confiance en lui. I don't have any trust in him. Page 90 Booklet X L’Adverbe Qu’est-ce Que C’est? L’Adverbe : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? What is an adverb? It is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It is invariable : doesn’t change because of number or gender. How is an adverb formed? Most of a time, a word finishing with -ment is an adverb. In English, the adverb ends with -ly. Eventuellement → Eventually Where do you place the adverb in the sentence? The placement rule for French adverbs could be quite strict according to either the verb modifies a verb or an adjective. If modifying an adjective or another adverb, it will be placed in front of them. Il est extrêmement énervé. He is extremely stressed. If modifying a verb, the adverb will be after the conjugated verb. Je pleure fréquemment. I cry frequently. Page 97 Simplified Grammar e-Book What are the different types of adverb? Adverbs of manner (explains how something happens) Absolument and most of the ones that end in –ment FRENCH ADVERB Bien Vite Mal MANNER ENGLISH ADVERB well quickly badly Adverbs of quantity (explains how many, how much) FRENCH ADVERB Très Trop Assez beaucoup Peu QUANTITY ENGLISH ADVERB very too much quite a lot few Adverbs of time (explains when something happens) FRENCH ADVERB Hier aujourd’hui Demain Maintenant Tot Tard Bientôt Ensuite TIME ENGLISH ADVERB yesterday today tomorrow now early late soon next, then Page 98 Simplified Grammar e-Book Longtemps Enfin Déjà Actuellement for a long time finally already currently Adverbs of frequency (explains often something happens) FRENCH ADVERB Souvent Parfois Toujours rarement FREQUENCY ENGLISH ADVERB often sometimes always rarely Adverbs of place (explains where something happens) FRENCH ADVERB Ici là-bas Là quelque part Partout PLACE ENGLISH ADVERB here over there there somewhere everywhere Page 99 Booklet XI La Préposition Qu’est-ce Que C’est? La Préposition : Qu’est-ce Que C’est? What is a French preposition? 1. Une préposition is a word used to indicate position and placement. 2. It describes when one thing is on top of another, next to it, etc. 3. It describes relations between things or people. 4. It describes movement to and from places. Where do we find the preposition in a French sentence? Like in English they usually precede the noun they act upon. What are the different types of preposition? 1. Prepositions of position Le chien est sous la table. The dog is under the table POSITION FRENCH PREPOSITION à à coté de au-dessus au-dessous autour de de devant derrière loin de en face de ENGLISH PREPOSITION to next to above below around from in front of behind far from in front of Page 102 Simplified Grammar e-Book vers sur sous toward on under 2. Prepositions of relation (incomplete list) They indicate a relation between people or things. Je sors avec mes copains tous les samedis soirs. I go out with my friends every Saturday night. FRENCH PREPOSITION à avec pour grace parmi RELATION ENGLISH PREPOSITION to with to, for thanks to among 3. Prepositions of place 1. Before names of cities, à or de is used to indicate movement toward or away Je vais à Paris. I am going to Paris. Je viens de Toulouse. I am coming from Toulouse. 2. Before countries with a name that ends in E like Espagne (feminine), en indicates movement toward or within, de movement from. Je vais en Belgique. I am going to Belgium. Je pars de France demain matin. I leave France tomorrow morning. 3. Before other countries (that do not end with E) au ( aux) is used to indicate movement toward or within, du (des) movement from. Je déménage au Portugal. I am moving to Portugal. Je vais aux Etats-Unis. I’m going to the USA. Il a fui du Danemark. He ran away from Denmark. Page 103 Appendix Solutions aux Activités Le Verbe ACTIVITE 1 1. Il y a de plus en plus de criminalité à Lyon. a : auxiliaire avoir, présent, to have 2. La drogue a été le plus grand fléau des années 80. a été : auxiliaire être, passé-composé, to be 3. Il est parti sans laisser d’adresse. est parti : -IR verbe, passé-composé, to go laisser : infinitif, to leave 4. Si j’étais à Paris, je visiterais le Château de Versailles. étais : auxiliaire être, imparfait, to be visiterais : –ER verbe, conditionnel, to visit 5. Je prends l’avion demain pour Milan. prends : -RE verbe irrégulier prendre, présent, to take 6. Je t’enverrai une lettre dès mon arrivée ! enverrai : -ER verbe irrégulier envoyer, futur, to send 7. Elle marchait dans la forêt. Elle cria. marchait : -ER verbe régulier marcher, imparfait, to walk cria : -ER verbe régulier crier, passe-simple, to shout 8. Quand il sera grand, il veut être avocat. sera : auxiliaire être, futur, to be veut : verbe irrégulier vouloir, présent, to want 9. Ils sont allés faire les vendanges. sont allés : verbe irrégulier aller, passé-composé, to go faire : infinitif, to do Page 107 Simplified Grammar e-Book ACTIVITE 2 1. Make a list of all the verbs at the present tense with their meaning. 1. couvre, verbe couvrir = to cover 2. abrite, verbe abriter = to shelter 3. ombrage, verbe ombrager = to overshadow 4. aime, verbe aimer = to like 5. ai, verbe avoir = to have 6. attachent, verbe attacher = to link, to connect 7. pense, verbe penser = to think 8. mange, verbe manger = to eat 9. vois, verbe voir = to see 10. va, verbe aller = to go 11. sonnent, verbe sonner = to ring 12. apporte, verbe apporter = to bring 13. s'éveille, verbe s’éveiller = to be become aware of, to wake up to 14. s'assoupit, verbe s’assoupir = to nod off 2. Find all the pronominal verbs and their meaning. 1. s'éveille, verbe s’éveiller = to be become aware of, to wake up to 2. s'assoupit, verbe s’assoupir = to nod off Page 108 ACTIVITE 2 Texte adapté du roman de George Sand La petite Fadette (1849) http://abu.cnam.fr/cgi-bin/go?fadette1 Bonheur ou malheur, cette amitié-là augmentait toujours avec l'âge, et le jour où ils surent raisonner un peu, ces enfants se dirent qu'ils ne pouvaient pas s'amuser avec d'autres enfants quand un des deux ne s'y trouvait pas ; et le père ayant essayé d'en garder un toute la journée avec lui, tandis que l'autre restait avec la mère, tous les deux furent si tristes, si pâles et si lâches au travail, qu'on les crut malades. Et puis quand ils se retrouvèrent le soir, ils s'en allèrent tous deux par les chemins, se tenant par la main et ne voulant plus rentrer, tant ils avaient d'aise d'être ensemble, et aussi parce qu'ils boudaient un peu leurs parents de leur avoir fait ce chagrin-là. On n'essaya plus guère de recommencer, car il faut dire que le père et la mère, mêmement les oncles et les tantes, les frères et les sœurs avaient pour les Bessons une amitié qui tournait un peu en faiblesse. Ils en étaient fiers, à force d'en recevoir des compliments, et aussi parce que c'était, de vrai, deux enfants qui n'étaient ni laids, ni sots, ni méchants. De temps en temps, le père Barbeau s'inquiétait bien un peu de ce que deviendrait cette accoutumance d'être toujours ensemble quand ils seraient en âge d'homme, et se remémorant les paroles de la Sagette il essayait de les taquiner pour les rendre jaloux l'un de l'autre. S'ils faisaient une petite faute, il tirait les oreilles de Sylvinet, par exemple, disant à Landry : Pour cette fois, je te pardonne à toi, parce que tu es ordinairement le plus raisonnable. Mais cela consolait Sylvinet d'avoir chaud aux oreilles, de voir qu'on avait épargné son frère, et Landry pleurait comme si c'était lui qui avait reçu la correction. On tenta aussi de donner, à l'un seulement, quelque chose dont tous deux avaient envie ; mais tout aussitôt, si c'était chose bonne à manger, ils partageaient ; ou si c'était toute autre amusette ou épelette à leur usage, ils le Page 115 Simplified Grammar e-Book mettaient en commun, ou se le donnaient et redonnaient l'un à l'autre, sans distinction du tien et du mien. Faisait-on à l'un un compliment de sa conduite, en ayant l'air de ne pas rendre justice à l'autre, cet autre était content et fier de voir encourager et caresser son besson, et se mettait à le flatter et à le caresser aussi. Enfin, c'était peine perdue que de vouloir les diviser d'esprit ou de corps, et comme on n'aime guère à contrarier des enfants qu'on chérit, même quand c'est pour leur bien, on laissa vite aller les choses comme Dieu voulut ; ou bien on se fit de ces petites picoteries un jeu dont les deux bessons n'étaient point dupes, Ils étaient fort malins, et quelquefois, pour qu'on les laissât tranquilles, ils faisaient mine de se disputer et de se battre ; mais ce n'était qu'un amusement de leur part, et ils n'avaient garde, en se roulant l'un sur l'autre, de se faire le moindre mal ; si quelque badaud s'étonnait de les voir en bisbille, ils se cachaient pour rire de lui, et on les entendait babiller et chantonner ensemble comme deux merles dans une branche. Pick up all the verbs and auxiliaries at the imperfect tense and write down their identity card: infinitive, group and meaning. Augmentait, augmenter, verbe Groupe 1 = to increase Pouvaient, pouvoir, verbe Groupe 3 = to be able to Trouvait, trouver, verbe Groupe 1 = to find Restait, rester, verbe Groupe 1 = to stay Avaient, avoir, auxiliaire = to have Boudaient, bouder, verbe Groupe I = to sulk Tournait, tourner, verbe Groupe I = to turn Etaient, être, auxiliaire = to be s'inquiétait, s’inquiéter, verbe Groupe I = to worry essayait, essayer, verbe Group I = to try Page 116 ACTIVITE 2 Attention, mesdames et messieurs, dans un instant on va commencer Installez-vous dans votre fauteuil bien gentiment 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, partez, tous les projecteurs vont s'allumer Et tous les acteurs vont s'animer en même temps Attention, mesdames et messieurs, c'est important, on va commencer C'est toujours la même histoire depuis la nuit des temps L'histoire de la vie et de la mort, mais nous allons changer le décor Espérons qu'on la jouera encore dans 2000 ans Nous avons 20 ans et plein de chansons Comme le printemps, nous allons danser dans votre maison Notre pain est blanc, notre vin est bon Si vous le voulez, c'est de bon cœur que nous partagerons Texte tiré de la chanson Attention mesdames et messieurs de Michel Fugain 1. Pick up all the verbs at the futur proche. 2. Translate them. on va commencer = we are going to start tous les projecteurs vont s'allumer = all the spotlights are going to light up les acteurs vont s'animer = the actors are going to come to life nous allons changer = we are going to change nous allons danser = we are going to dance