Download French for Independent Learners Questions and Answers dealing

French for Independent Learners
Questions and Answers dealing with all areas of
French Grammar
This section consolidates previous learning and also deals with new
grammar from the two sections:
All Grammar Grid 1
All Grammar Grid 2
1
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) A to D
A. Adjectives and Adjectival agreement
1. When I was watching the news I saw three green cats and three green fish
________________________________________________________________________
2. A blue mouse and two grey mice came into (entrer dans) my bedroom
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B. Adjectives listed in opposites
1. The girls are chatty but the boys are quiet
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2. Last year we went to Paris but last weekend we went to Madrid
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3. She is a grudge-holding girls but her father is not grudge-holding
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4. They should be kind even if they are not kind people (des gens-people)
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C. Adjectives that come before the noun
1. She is a very bad girl
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2. The fat mouse ate the old spider
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3. Thankfully (Heureusement) the tall man was smaller than the young boy
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D. Adjectives with verbs
1. It wasn’t easy to understand
________________________________________________________________________
2. It was good to finish the work (le travail)
________________________________________________________________________
3. It was difficult to hear
________________________________________________________________________
2
Answers AGG A to D
A. Adjectives and Adjectival agreement
1. When I was watching the news I saw three green cats and three green fish
Quand je regardais les infos, j’ai vu trois chats verts et trois poissons verts
________________________________________________________________________
2. A blue mouse and two grey mice came into (entrer dans) my bedroom
Une souris bleue et deux souris grises sont entrées dans ma chambre
________________________________________________________________________
B. Adjectives listed in opposites
1. The girls are chatty but the boys are quiet
Les filles sont bavardes mais les garçons sont taciturnes
________________________________________________________________________
2. Last year we went to Paris but last weekend we went to Madrid
L’année dernière nous sommes allés à Paris mais le weekend dernier nous sommes allés à
Madrid
________________________________________________________________________
3. She is a grudge-holding girl but her father is not grudge-holding
C’est une fille rancunière mais son père n’est pas rancunier
________________________________________________________________________
4. They should be kind (sympathique) even if they are not kind people (des gens-people)
Ils devraient être sympathiques même s’ils ne sont pas des gens sympathiques
________________________________________________________________________
C. Adjectives that come before the noun
1. She is a very bad girl
C’est une très mauvaise fille
________________________________________________________________________
2. The fat mouse ate the old spider
La grosse souris a mangé la vieille araignée
________________________________________________________________________
3. Thankfully (Heureusement que) the tall man was smaller than the young boy
Heureusement que le grand homme était plus petit que le jeune garçon
________________________________________________________________________
D. Adjectives with verbs
1. It wasn’t easy to understand
Ce n’était pas facile à comprendre
________________________________________________________________________
2. It was good to finish the work (le travail)
C’était bien de finir le travail
________________________________________________________________________
3. It was difficult to hear
C’était difficile à entendre
3
________________________________________________________________________
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) E to F
E. Before and After doing
1. After falling, I got up
________________________________________________________________________
2. Before eating, I washed my hands (in French, literally, “I washed to myself the hands”)
________________________________________________________________________
3. After getting up, I made the breakfast
________________________________________________________________________
4. Before getting up, I turned off the alarm clock (éteindre le réveil)
________________________________________________________________________
5. After studying for my A levels, I was tired
________________________________________________________________________
F. Comparatives
1. She is happier than me
________________________________________________________________________
2. She has more money than me.
________________________________________________________________________
3. He is less motivated than them
________________________________________________________________________
4. We are as intelligent as you (plural)
________________________________________________________________________
5. He has as much strength (force) as her
________________________________________________________________________
6. There are less and less kind people in the world (gens sympatiques dans le monde)
________________________________________________________________________
7. He is more and more annoying every day
________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you have less motivation than her
4
________________________________________________________________________
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) E to F
E. Before and After doing
1. After falling, I got up
Après être tombé, je me suis levé
________________________________________________________________________
2. Before eating, I washed my hands (in French, literally, “I washed to myself the hands”)
Avant de manger, je me suis lavé les mains
________________________________________________________________________
3. After getting up, I made the breakfast
Après m’être levé, j’ai fait le petit déjeuner
________________________________________________________________________
4. Before getting up, I turned off the alarm clock (éteindre le réveil)
Avant de me lever, j’ai éteint le réveil
________________________________________________________________________
5. After studying for my A levels, I was tired
Après avoir étudié pour mes A levels, j’étais fatigué
________________________________________________________________________
F. Comparatives
1. She is happier than me
Elle est plus contente (heureuse) que moi
________________________________________________________________________
2. She has more money than me.
Elle a plus d’argent que moi
________________________________________________________________________
3. He is less motivated than them
Il est moins motivé qu’eux
________________________________________________________________________
4. We are as intelligent as you (plural)
Nous sommes aussi intelligents que vous
________________________________________________________________________
5. He has as much strength (force) as her
Il a autant de force qu’elle
________________________________________________________________________
6. There are less and less kind people in the world (gens sympatiques dans le monde)
Il y a de moins en moins de gens sympathiques dans le monde
________________________________________________________________________
7. He is more and more annoying every day
Il est de plus en plus pénible chaque jour
________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you have less motivation than her
Est-ce que tu as moins de motivation qu’elle?
5
________________________________________________________________________
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) G to H
G Superlatives
1. Are you the strongest girl in the class?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. He is not the strongest boy in the class, he is the weakest
______________________________________________________________________________
3. We are the most interesting people in the world
______________________________________________________________________________
4. They are the most chatty girls in Belfast
______________________________________________________________________________
5. The cheese is nice (good) but the ham is better and the chocolate is the best
______________________________________________________________________________
6. He is the least annoying boy but they are the most annoying girls
______________________________________________________________________________
7. They are the most effective people who are in the company.
______________________________________________________________________________
Gi,ii,iii, iv
1. The drinks were very nice but the food (la cuisine) was better.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. I think that the films we saw were the best in the cinema.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. She is a bad singer but at least she tries. He is worse but Georges is the worst singer.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. They (f) are worse than her but they look nice (are beautiful).
______________________________________________________________________________
5. She speaks French well but he speaks better than her.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. They work the best out of (sur=out of) all the girls who are here.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. He eats badly. Half of his food ends up in his ear. (half-la moitié, end up-finir)
______________________________________________________________________________
8. She sings worse than him but George sings the worst of all (of al-de tous)
6
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French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) G
G Superlatives
1. Are you the strongest girl in the class?
Est-ce que tu es la fille la plus forte dans la classe?
2. He is not the strongest boy in the class, he is the weakest
Il n’est pas le garcon le plus fort dans la classe. Il est le plus faible.
3. We are the most interesting people in the world
Nous sommes les personnes les plus intéressantes dans le monde (au monde)
4. They are the most chatty girls in Belfast
Elles sont les filles les plus bavardes à Belfast.
5. The cheese is nice (good) but the ham is better and the chocolate is the best
Le fromage est bon mais le jambon est meilleur et le chocolat est le meilleur.
6. He is the least annoying boy but they are the most annoying girls
Il est le garçon le moins pénible, mais elles sont les filles les plus pénibles.
7. They are the most effective people who are in the company.
Ils sont les gens les plus efficaces qui soient dans la compagnie.
Gi,ii,iii, iv
1. The drinks were very nice but the food (la cuisine) was better.
Les boissons étaient très bonnes, mais la cuisine était meilleure.
2. I think that the films we saw were the best in the cinema.
Je pense que les films que nous avons vus étaient les meilleurs au cinema.
3. She is a bad singer but at least she tries. He is worse but Georges is the worst singer.
Elle est mauvaise chanteuse, mais au moins elle essaie. Il est pire, mais Georges est le chanteur le
pire (le plus mauvais chanteur).
4. They (f) are worse than her but they look nice (are beautiful).
Elles sont pires qu’elle, mais elles sont belles.
5. She speaks French well but he speaks better than her.
Elle parle bien le français, mais il parle mieux qu’elle.
6. They work the best out of (sur=out of) all the girls who are here.
Elles travaillent le mieux de toutes les filles qui sont ici.
7. He eats badly. Half of his food ends up in his ear. (half-la moitié, end up-finir)
Il mange mal. La moitié de sa nourriture finit dans son oreille.
8. She sings worse than him but George sings the worst of all (of al-de tous)
7
Elle chante plus mal / pire que lui mais Georges chante le plus mal / le pire de tous.
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) H
1. How old are you? You look 20. (use faire, literally, you make 20)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. I feel like (feel like-avoir l’impression que) I am 70 but I am actually 50.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Are you allowed to eat chewing gum in class?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Poor Jane had to go to hospital because she was so cold (si froid-so cold)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I think that she is not very happy. She is always down in the dumps.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. She is fed up but she isn’t allowed to show it.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Are you warm enough? I can put on the heating if you want.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Is Peter hungry because I don’t think that he ate is breakfast?
______________________________________________________________________________
9. What are you intending to do now?
______________________________________________________________________________
10. If you hadn’t gone to the toilet before leaving, you would have needed to pee now.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. You always think that you are right.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. Are you in pain? Do you have a sore leg?
______________________________________________________________________________
13. I have eaten too many crisps and now I am very thirsty.
______________________________________________________________________________
14. I think that she reacted in that way because she has had enough.
______________________________________________________________________________
15. I am dying to go on holiday. I can’t wait to relax. (use avoir très envie for both phrases)
______________________________________________________________________________
16. Do you think that I was wrong when I said that?
______________________________________________________________________________
8
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) H
1. How old are you? (informal) You look 20. (use faire, literally, you make 20)
Quel âge as-tu? Tu fais 20 ans.
2. I feel like (feel like-avoir l’impression que) I am 70 but I am actually 50.
J’ai l’impression que j’ai soixante-dix ans mais en fait, j’ai cinquante ans.
3. Are you (pl) allowed to eat chewing gum in class?
Est-ce que vous avez le droit de manger du chewing gum en classe?
4. Poor Jane had to go to hospital because she was so cold (si froid-so cold)
Pauvre Jane a dû aller à l’hôpital parce qu’elle avait si froid.
5. I think that she is not very happy. She is always down in the dumps.
Je pense qu’elle n’est pas très heureuse (contente). Elle a toujours le cafard.
6. She is fed up but she isn’t allowed to show it.
Elle en a marre mais elle n’a pas le droit de le montrer.
7. Are you warm enough? I can put on the heating if you want.
Est-ce que tu as assez chaud? Je peux mettre le chauffage si tu veux.
8. Is Peter hungry because I don’t think that he ate is breakfast?
Est-ce que Peter a faim, parce que je ne pense pas qu’il ait mangé son petit déjeuner?
9. What are you intending to do now?
Qu’est-ce que tu as l’intention de faire maintenant?
10. If you hadn’t gone to the toilet before leaving, you would have needed to pee now.
Si tu n’étais pas allé aux toilettes avant de partir, tu aurais eu besoin de faire pipi maintenant.
11. You always think that you are right.
Tu penses toujours que tu as raison.
12. Are you in pain? Do you have a sore leg?
Est-ce que tu as mal? Est-ce que tu as mal à la jambe?
13. I have eaten too many crisps and now I am very thirsty.
J’ai mangé trop de chips et maintenant j’ai très soif.
14. I think that she reacted in that way because she has had enough.
Je pense qu’elle a réagi comme ça parce qu’elle en a assez.
15. I am dying to go on holiday. I can’t wait to relax. (use avoir très envie for both phrases)
J’ai très envie d’aller en vacances. J’ai très envie de me reposer.
16. Do you think that I was wrong when I said that?
Est-ce que tu penses que j’avais tort quand j’ai dit ça.
9
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) F-K
1. I made Peter understand.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Peter made leave.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. You (pl) made George think!
______________________________________________________________________________
4. I had to make the headmaster listen.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. They made James explain the question.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I made her sell the car.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. They made the family take the plane.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. They made them finish (terminer) the dinner.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. I am going to make you eat it (le diner-this is what I am going to make you eat)
______________________________________________________________________________
10. You make me want to cry.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Some boys make me want to scream (hurler-to scream)
______________________________________________________________________________
12. You ought to make me understand it. (le problème)
______________________________________________________________________________
13. He made me open it (the cage)
______________________________________________________________________________
14. She made us eat some chips.
______________________________________________________________________________
15. She made them eat some.
______________________________________________________________________________
16. What do these mean?: Fais-moi sourire!; Ne me fais pas sourire!; Fais-moi sortir d’ici!
______________________________________________________________________________
10
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) F-K
1. I made Peter understand.
J’ai fait comprendre Peter.
2. Peter made George leave.
Peter a fait partir George.
3. You (pl) made George think!
Tu as fait penser George.
4. I had to make the headmaster listen.
J’ai dû faire écouter le directeur.
5. They made James explain the question.
Ils ont fait expliquer la question à James.
6. I made her sell the car.
Je lui ai fait vendre la voiture.
7. They made the family take the plane.
Ils ont fait prendre l’avion à la famille.
8. They made them finish (terminer) the dinner.
Ils leur ont fait terminer le diner.
9. I am going to make you eat it (le dîner-this is what I am going to make you eat)
Je vais te le faire manger.
10. You make me want to cry.
Tu me fais vouloir pleurer.
11. Some boys make me want to scream (hurler-to scream)
Quelques garcons veulent me faire hurler.
12. You ought to make me understand it. (le problème)
Tu devrais me le faire comprendre.
13. He made me open it (the cage)
Il me l’a fait ouvrir.
14. She made us eat some chips.
Elle nous a fait manger des frites (quelques frites).
15. She made them eat some.
Elle leur en a fait manger.
16. What do these mean?: 1.Fais-moi sourire!; 2.Ne me fais pas rire!; 3.Fais-moi sortir d’ici!
1. Make me smile!
2. Don’t make me laugh!
3. Make me go out of here (Get me out of here!)
11
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) L
1. While eating my dinner, I swallowed a big pip.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. While finishing my book, I came upon (fell on) a word that I didn’t know.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. While getting up, I realised that I wanted to go back (retourner) to bed.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. While going there, she understood that it was important to go there.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. By working I was able to understand everything.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. By practising, one can do whatever (tout ce que) one wants.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. By trying, it is possible to succeed.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. By shaving, beardy (barbu-beardy) men can make a good impression (faire bonne impression)
______________________________________________________________________________
9. On arrival, I suddenly understood that I had a problem.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. On leaving, I couldn’t help (don’t use “aider”) crying.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Having stolen my car, she decided to drive it to Paris.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. Having left on time, we couldn’t find the right road!
______________________________________________________________________________
13. Having shaved, I knew that I had prepared myself properly (properly-“comme il faut”)
______________________________________________________________________________
14. Having understood how it worked, I was able to use the drill (the drill-la perceuse)
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Having talked to each other, we decided to do it.
______________________________________________________________________________
16. By smoking, you can end up killing yourself.
______________________________________________________________________________
12
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) L
1. While eating my dinner, I swallowed a big pip.
En mangeant mon diner, j’ai avalé un gros pépin.
2. While finishing my book, I came upon (fell on) a word that I didn’t know.
En finissant mon livre, je suis tombé sur un mot que je ne connaissais pas.
3. While getting up, I realised that I wanted to go back (retourner) to bed.
En me levant, je me suis rendu compte que je voulais retourner au lit.
4. While going there, she understood that it was important to go there.
En y allant, elle a compris que c’était important d’y aller.
5. By working I was able to understand everything.
En travaillant, j’ai pu tout comprendre.
6. By practising, one can do whatever (tout ce que) one wants.
En pratiquant, on peut faire tout ce qu’on veut.
7. By trying, it is possible to succeed.
En essayant, c’est possible de réussir.
8. By shaving, beardy (barbu-beardy) men can make a good impression (faire bonne impression)
En se rasant, les hommes barbus peuvent faire bonne impression.
9. On arrival, I suddenly understood that I had a problem.
En arrivant, J’ai soudain compris que j’avais un problème.
10. On leaving, I couldn’t help (don’t use “aider”) crying.
En partant, je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de pleurer.
11. Having stolen my car, she decided to drive it to Paris.
Ayant volé ma voiture, elle a décidé de la conduire à Paris.
12. Having left on time, we couldn’t find the right road!
Étant parti à temps, on n’a pas pu trouver le bon chemin.
13. Having shaved, I knew that I had prepared myself properly (properly-“comme il fallait”)
M’étant rasé, je savais que je m’étais preparé comme il fallait
.
14. Having understood how it worked, I was able to use the drill (the drill-la perceuse)
Ayant compris comment elle marchait, j’ai pu utiliser la perceuse.
15. Having talked to each other, we decided to do it.
S’étant parlé, on a décidé de le faire.
16. By smoking, you can end up killing yourself.
En fumant, tu peux finir par te tuer.
13
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / friends 1
1. I used to know a lot about French grammar
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you know about soups?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Have you been working here for long?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. She hasn’t spoken to me for 3 days, since I shouted at her.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I have been living 2 miles from Bangor for three years.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I just haven’t managed to organise my life.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. She used to be a nurse. (done 2 ways)
______________________________________________________________________________
8. All that he would have said is that he loves you.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. I don’t know what is going on.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. I am sure that they were sitting at the table when I arrived.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. She had arrived and she had sat down and then she had understood.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. Why are you lying on the table?
______________________________________________________________________________
13. We laid down on the bed because we were tired.
______________________________________________________________________________
14. Do you miss your girlfriend (ta petite amie)?
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Actually, we think that it is important not to miss anyone.
______________________________________________________________________________
16. What is she doing right now?
14
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / friends 1
1. I used to know a lot about French grammar
Je m’y connaissais beaucoup en grammaire française.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you know about soups?
Est-ce que tu t’y connais en soupes?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Have you been working here for long?
Est-ce que tu travailles ici depuis longtemps?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. She hasn’t spoken to me for 3 days, since I shouted at her.
Elle ne m’a pas parlé depuis 3 jours, depuis que je lui ai crié dessus.
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. I have been living 2 miles from Bangor for three years.
J’habite à deux miles de Bangor depuis deux ans.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I just can’t manage my life.
Je n’arrive pas à gérer ma vie.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. She used to be a nurse. (done 2 ways)
Elle était infirmière / C’était une infirmière.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. All that he would have said is that he loves you.
Tout ce qu’il aurait dit, c’est qu’il t’aime.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. I don’t know what is going on.
Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe?
______________________________________________________________________________
10. I am sure that they were sitting at the table when I arrived.
Je suis sûr qu’ils étaient assis à la table quand je suis arrivé.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. She had arrived and she had sat down and then she had understood.
Elle était arrivée et elle s’était assise et alors elle avait compris.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. Why are you lying on the table?
Pourquoi est-ce que tu es couché sur la table?
______________________________________________________________________________
13. We laid down on the bed because we were tired.
On s’est couché sur le lit parce qu’on était fatigue.
______________________________________________________________________________
14. Do you miss your girlfriend (ta petite amie)?
Est-ce que ta copine te manque?
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Actually, we think that it is important not to miss anyone.
En fait, je pense qu’il est important que personne ne te manque.
______________________________________________________________________________
16. What is she doing at this moment in time?
Qu’est-ce qu’elle fait actuellement
15
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / friends 2
1. We might possibly finish before midnight.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. He will understand it eventually.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. When we get there, we will look for some accommodation.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. As soon as they have arrived, we will be able to make her pay.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. As soon as they had left Paris, she realised she had left her bag on the train leaving for Rome.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I am completely fed up with all this homework.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. I knew that I had to be on that train I drove fast in that car.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. I thought that you had prepared everything at it would all be ok. I wanted you to finish it!
______________________________________________________________________________
9. My Dad, who was standing in the doorway said, “Get up now!”
______________________________________________________________________________
10. The reason why I did it was to please you. That’s why I did it!
______________________________________________________________________________
11. I could have taken it and I should have taken it but I didn’t want to.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. The way he left, saying, “I’ve got to go”, was annoying so I said, “Clear off!”
______________________________________________________________________________
13. Now they are annoyed at me and I am annoyed at them. I hate the things they have done!
______________________________________________________________________________
14. He was only lying when he said he liked being naked in the sun and in the rain.
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Just stop talking and just listen to me!
______________________________________________________________________________
16. The thing is that I would never know what to do if she wasn’t my wife!
______________________________________________________________________________
16
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2
1. We might possibly finish before midnight.
On pourrait éventuellement finir avant minuit.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. He will understand it eventually.
Il le comprendra, un jour (finalement)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. When we get there, we will look for some accommodation.
Quand on y arrivera, on cherchera un logement.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. As soon as they have arrived, we will be able to make her pay.
Dès qu’ils seront arrivés, on pourra la faire payer. (as soon as-could also be aussitôt que)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. As soon as he had left Pau, he knew he had left the bag on a train which was leaving for Rome.
Dès qu’il avait quitté Pau, il a su qu’il avait laissé le sac dans un train qui partait pour Rome.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I am completely fed up with all these homeworks.
J’en ai marre de tous ces devoirs.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. I knew that I had to be on that train so I drove fast as fast as I knew how.
Je savais que je devais être dans ce train donc j’ai conduit aussi vite que je savais.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. I thought that you had prepared everything and it would all be ok. I wanted you to finish it!
Je croyais que tu avais tout preparé et que tout irait bien. Je voulais que tu le finisses!
______________________________________________________________________________
9. My Dad, who was standing in the doorway said, “Get up now!”
Mon père qui se tenait sur le seuil de la porte a dit, “Debout maintenant!”
______________________________________________________________________________
10. The reason why I did it was to please you. That’s why I did it!
La raison pour laquelle je l’ai fait était de te faire plaisir. C’est pour ça que je l’ai fait!
______________________________________________________________________________
11. I could have taken it and I should have taken it but I didn’t want to.
J’aurais pu le prendre et j’aurais dû le prendre mais je ne voulais pas.
______________________________________________________________________________
12. The way he left, saying, “I’ve got to go”, was annoying so I said, “Clear off!”
La façon dont il est parti, disant “Il faut que je m’en aille!” était pénible, donc j’ai dit “va-t-en!
______________________________________________________________________________
13. Now they are annoyed at me and I am annoyed at them. I hate the things they have done!
Maintenant ils m’en veulent et je leur en veux. Je déteste les choses qu’ils ont faites!
______________________________________________________________________________
14. He was only lying when he said he liked being naked in the sun and in the rain.
Il ne faisait que mentir quand il a dit qu’il aimait être nu au soleil et sous la pluie.
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Just stop talking and just listen to me!
Tu n’as qu’à arrêter de parler et tu n’as qu’à m’écouter! (T’as qu’à arrêter de parler et t’as qu’à m’écouter!)
______________________________________________________________________________
16. The thing is that I would never know what to do if she wasn’t my wife!
Ce qu’il y a c’est que je ne saurais jamais que faire si elle n’était pas ma femme!
17
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2
1. She would have gone to the museum (le musée) if she had been able.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. As soon as I get to the church, I will be able to get married (se marier-to get married)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. At the markets in the United States, you can get stuff that you can’t get elsewhere.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. We went to the skating rink because we wanted to watch the couple skate.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. She has been complaining about it for days because she comes from the Kingdom of Moans
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I would have loved you (informal) to come to the party and to make some music.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. She was really annoyed at me because I didn’t want her to eat any chocolate.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. When I knew that she came from Portugal (le Portugal), I asked her to get me some port (le porto).
______________________________________________________________________________
9. “Clear off”, he said. She said, “I come from the Netherlands and we don’t speak like that!”
______________________________________________________________________________
10. What is wrong with you two? Do you want some chocolates or not?
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Where are you going to, my friend that I have known for ages?
______________________________________________________________________________
12. We need it and we need it now (you can’t use “nous”) so we are going to Italy to get it.
______________________________________________________________________________
13. The way he told her was very brutal so she left to live in the United States.
______________________________________________________________________________
14. I should have listened to my Mummy because she comes from Canada.
______________________________________________________________________________
15. I don’t know anything about French grammar. Ok, I am lying!
______________________________________________________________________________
16. All the roads are blocked so I am staying in Paris!
______________________________________________________________________________
18
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2
1. She would have gone to the museum (le musée) if she had been able.
Elle serait allée au musée si elle avait pu.
2. As soon as I get to the church, I will be able to get married (se marier-to get married)
Aussitôt que j’arriverai à l’église, je pourrai me marier.
3. At the markets in the United States, you can get stuff that you can’t get elsewhere.
Aux marchés aux États Unis, on peut avoir des choses qu’on ne peut pas avoir ailleurs.
4. We went to the skating rink because we wanted to watch the couple skate.
On est allé à la patinoire parce qu’on voulait regarder le couple patiner.
5. She has been complaining about it for days because she comes from the Kingdom of Moans
Elle s’en plaint depuis des jours car elle vient du Royaume des Grognes.
6. I would have loved you (informal) to come to the party and to make some music.
J’aurais aimé que tu viennes à la fête et que tu fasses de la musique.
7. She was really annoyed at me because I didn’t want her to eat any chocolate.
Elle m’en voulait vraiment parce que je ne voulais pas qu’elle mange du chocolat.
8. When I knew that she came from Portugal (le Portugal), I asked her to get me some port (le porto).
Quand j’ai su qu’elle venait du Portugal, je lui ai demandé de me prendre du porto.
9. “Clear off”, he said. She said, “I come from the Netherlands and we don’t speak like that!”
“Va-t-en”, a-t-il dit (il a dit). Elle a dit, “Je viens des Pays Bas et on ne parle pas comme ça.
10. What is wrong with you two? Do you want some chocolates or not?
Qu’est-ce que vous avez vous deux? Est-ce que vous voulez des chocolats ou pas?
11. Where are you going to, my friend that I have known for ages?
Où est-ce que tu vas, ami que je connais depuis longtemps?
12. We need it and we need it now (you can’t use “nous”) so we are going to Italy to get it.
On en a besoin et on en a besoin maintenant donc on va aller en Italie pour le chercher.
13. The way he told her was very brutal so she left to live in the United States.
La façon il lui a dit était très brutale donc elle est partie vivre aux États-Unis.
14. I should have listened to my Mummy because she comes from Canada.
J’aurais dû écouter ma mère parce qu’elle vient du Canada.
15. I don’t know anything about French grammar. Ok, I am lying!
Je ne connais rien à la grammaire française. D’accord, je mens.
16. All the roads are blocked so I am staying in Paris!
Toutes les routes sont bloquées donc je reste à Paris.
19
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2.‘That’, ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘what’, connecting words
“That” can be a word that is used before a noun as a demonstrative pronoun (eg. that
dog) or as an object pronoun, “ça” (eg. J’aime ça = I like that). “Which”, “what”, “who”
can be questions. We are not dealing with these uses here.
Instead, we are looking at their use as connecting words, which help to create a sentence.
Firstly, let us look at “that/who/which” (“qui” or “que”)
To translate “that”, you must choose between “qui” or “que”
1. The boy that (which, who)* eats crisps
2. The boy that (which, who)* I know
= Le garcon qui mange les frites
= Le garcon que je connais
*Note that, in English, we could use “which” or “”who” instead of “that”. The translation
will still be “que” or “qui”.
Here is another pair of sentences to analyse to allow you to suggest what situation
provokes “qui” and which situation provokes “que”
3. The dog that (which) has a bone
4. The dog that (which) I walk
= Le chien qui a un os
= Le chien que je promène
Can you suggest why “qui” is chosen in 1 and 3, and “que” in 2 and 4?
The choice, “qui or que” depends on the word that follows “that” in English.
If the word that follows “that” is a do-er of action like “je”, “tu”, “Burt”, you use “que”
If the word that follows “that” is a verb like “mange”, “a”, you use “qui”
So, in the following sentences, choose the appropriate word in order to translate. It’s a
choice between “que” or “qui”.
A. The man that likes cigars:
B. The trout that swims in the lake:
C. The man that I admire
D. The trout that I caught
E. The girl that works with me
F. The computer that we have
G. The girl that I saw
H. The computer that calculates
20
L’homme _______ aime les cigars.
La truite _______ nage dans le lac
L’homme _______ j’admire
La truite _______ j’ai attrapée
La fille _______ travaille avec moi
L’ordinateur _______ nous avons
La fille ________ j’ai vue
L’ordinateur _______ calcule
A qui, B qui, C que, D que, E qui, F que, G que, H qui
“That”, “what” and “which” inside a sentence. – “what” where what isn’t a question word
Now, let us look at “what” (“ce qui” or “ ce que”)
To translate “what”, as a connector, you must choose between “ce qui” or “ce que”
Here are two phrases to analyse in order to figure out when you use “ce qui” or “ce que”
1. Je n’aime pas ce que tu as fait
I don’t like what you have done
2. Je n’aime pas ce qui tombe du ciel
I don’t like what is falling from the sky
If you remember,
que was used if « that » was followed by a do-er of action
qui was used if « that » was followed by a verb
The same logic applies when choosing between ce que and ce qui
3. C’est ce que je pense !
That’s what I think!
4. C’est ce qui compte !
That’s what counts!
The choice, “ce qui or ce que” depends on the word that follows “what” in English.
If the word that follows “what” is a do-er of action like “je”, “tu”, “Burt”, use “ce que”
If the word that follows “what” is a verb like “pense”, “compte”, use “ce qui”
So, in the following sentences, choose the appropriate word in order to translate. It’s a
choice between “ce que” or “ce qui”.
A. ________ est important est que tu travailles !
B. ________ je ne comprends pas est le prix !
C. Il croit _______ je dis !
D. Je ne sais pas _______ va arriver
What is important is that you work!
What I don’t understand is the price!
He believes what I say
I don’t know what is going to happen
A, ce qui B, ce que, C ce que, D ce qui
Have a look at these sentences and note when an apostrophe is used and when not.
1. Je ne sais pas ce qu’il a fait
2. Je ne sais pas ce qui a causé l’accident
3. Est-ce que tu sais ce qui est tombé ?
4. Elle sait ce qu’elle a fait tomber
21
I don’t know what he has done
I don’t know what caused the accident
Do you know what fell?
She knows what she made fall
Answer: Apostrophe used when “que” precedes a vowel but not when “qui” precedes
Specific use of “ce qui” meaning, “which”. Also, some revision phrases
Have a look at these phrases, and see if you can translate them into English:
In these examples, “which” (ce qui) refers back to a stated fact. Eg. “I revised”
1. J’ai revisé pour les examens, ce qui est bien parce qu’ils étaient difficiles.
2. Il a joué pour notre équipe, ce qui a beaucoup aidé et nous avons gagné
3. Ils sont arrivés en retard, ce qui leur a fait rater le train (rater-to miss)
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check :
1. I revised for the exams, which is good because they were difficult.
2. He played for our team, which helped a lot and we won
3. They arrived late, which made them miss the train
Here are some phrases to translate to prove that you have understood this section:
1. What you (singular) have done is terrible
2. What arrived in the post (dans le courier-in the post) was astonishing (étonnant)
3. I don’t like what you (singular) have done
4. He finished on time (à temps) which was good
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
Check against these:
1. Ce que tu as fait est terrible
2. Ce qui est arrivé dans le courrier était étonnant
3. Je n’aime pas ce que tu as fait
4. Il a fini à temps, ce qui était bien
22
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2.This and that, these and those, the one and the ones
In English, the words “this and that” can be used before a noun or as pronouns
themselves.(used like this, we are dealing with something called demonstrative pronouns)
A. Before a noun, example: This/that boy is happy
B. As a noun itself:
This/that is fun
When we want to say a phrase similar to phrase B, we use, “c’est”
C’est is actually “Ceci (this as a noun itself) est” but it is now written as C’est
C’est can also be “Cela (that as a noun itself) est” but it is now written as C’est
However, during this section, we wish to deal with phrases like phrase A.
Reminder of phrase A:
“This boy is happy”
There are three words for this type of “this/that”:
ce, cette, cet
In this instance, the translation is “Ce garcon est heureux”
BUT, in order to translate,
“This girl is happy” we get “Cette fille est heureuse”
Why do you think that “ce” is used before “garcon” and “cette” before “fille”?
The answer is that ce is used before masculine singular nouns and cette before feminine
singular nouns.
Ce and Cette also mean “that” when used in front of a noun.
Therefore, “that boy is happy” is also translated as “ce garcon est heureux”
And “that girl is happy” is translated by “cette fille est heureuse”
Cet is the remaining word in this category, which also means this or that. See if you can
work out when “cet” is used by analyzing the words below and the sentences after them.
Un ours – a bear
un arbre – a tree
un hôtel (h seen as vowel)
Cet ours grogne
That bear growls
cet arbre se courbe
that tree bends
cet hôtel est bien
this hotel is good
un homme
cet homme m’aime
this man loves me
Answer: “Cet” is used to mean this or that before a noun when the noun is masculine /
feminine and starts with a vowel / consonant. Delete as appropriate!!
Answer overleaf
23
This and that, these and those, the one and the ones – demonstrative pronouns
The answer is that “cet” is used to express this / that before a noun which is masculine
singular and starts with a vowel!!
Now we have looked at this and that, we must turn to their plurals, those and these!
Those and these, like this and that can be used before nouns or as nouns themselves.
A. These/Those dogs are scary
B. These/Those are the best
Phrase B.
In order to express phrase B. in French, we say,
“Ce sont les meilleurs!”
Phrase A.
The “these” or “those” in phrase A are translated by one of two words.
Have a look at these phrases and attempt to establish the rules:
1. Ces filles sont tendres et sympathiques – These girls are tender and kind
2. Ces garçons sont embétants – Those boys are annoying
You must have noticed that the word for “these” or “those” does not change when it
comes before a noun.
Translate to re-cap:
1. This boy is sad
________________________________________________
2. Those girls are sad
________________________________________________
3. That girl is happy
________________________________________________
4. These boys are angry
________________________________________________
5. That boy is lucky
________________________________________________
6. This girl is in love
________________________________________________
7. This tree is tall
Check:
1. Ce garcon est triste
________________________________________________
2. Ces filles sont tristes
3. Cette fille est heureuse
4. Ces garçons sont fâchés
5. Ce garçon est chanceux
6. Cette fille est amoureuse
7. Cet arbre est grand
24
To emphasise demonstrative pronouns – this girl here, that boy there, these people here
etc.
Have a look at the following phrases and attempt to translate:
1. Ce garcon-ci est fiable (reliable) mais ce garcon-là est trompeur (deceitful)
Where « ci » means « here »
and « là » means « there »
Your answer:
________________________________________________________________________
2. Cet homme-ci est sympathique mais ces filles-là sont méchantes (nasty)
Your answer :
________________________________________________________________________
Check :
1. This boy here is reliable but that boy there is deceitful
2. This man here is kind but those girls there are nasty
When –“ci” is tacked on to the noun, the translation HAS TO BE, “this/these…” and
When –“là” is tacked on to the noun, the translation HAS TO BE, “that/those…”
Translate:
1. That girl there is annoying and those boys there are annoying too.
2. These boys here are working but those girls there are very lazy (paresseuses)
3. This dog here likes eating but that dog there prefers barking (aboyer-to bark)
4. This girl here is more beautiful (CFB10) than you (informal) (see how to use pronouns p10)
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. Cette fille-là est embêtante (pénible/agaçante) et ces garçons-là sont embêtants aussi
2. Ces garçons-ci travaillent mais ces filles-là sont très paresseuses
3. Ce chien-ci aime manger mais ce chien-là préfère aboyer
4. Cette fille-ci est plus belle que toi !
25
This boy (this one); This girl (this one); These girls (these ones) and also Bob’s
Have a look at the following and try to translate:
1. Cette fille-là est sympa mais celle-ci est horrible
2. Ce garçon est pénible mais celui-là est encore pire (even worse)
3. Ces filles-là ont pris la voiture mais celles-ci l’ont retrouvée (retrouver-to find again)
4. Ces garçons-ci ne travaillent pas mais ceux-là travaillent tout le temps (all the time)
Your answers :
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. That girl there is kind but this one is horrible
2. This boy is annoying but that one there is even worse
3. Those girls there took the car but these ones here found it again
4. These boys here don’t work but those there work all the time
Having translated these phrases, can you fill in the blanks below :
This one here (m):_______________________
This one here (f): _________________________
That one there (m):_______________________
That one there (f): _________________________
These ones here (m): _____________________
These ones here (f): _______________________
Those ones there (m): _____________________
Those ones there (f): _______________________
Based on this new knowledge, attempt to translate the following:
1. These girls here work more (plus) than those there (girls)
2. That boy there eats less (moins) than this one here (a boy)
3. That girl there is happier (plus contente que) these ones here
4. Those boys there are sadder (plus tristes que) that these ones here
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
Check with these:
1. Ces filles-ci travaillent plus que celles-là
2. Ce garcon-là mange moins que celui-ci
3. Cette fille-là est plus contente que celles-ci
4. Ces garçons-là sont plus tristes que ceux-ci
26
Celui, celle, ceux, celles-ci/là minus the “ci/là” > the one(s)
Without the suffix (an add-on), -“ci” or –“là” these words change meaning as follows:
Celui minus “ci” or “là” just means “the one” (masculine singular)
Celle minus “ci” or “là” just means “the one” (feminine singular)
Ceux minus “ci” or “là” just means “the ones” (masculine plural)
Celles minus “ci” or “là” just means “the ones” (feminine plural)
Have a look at these and try to translate :
1. Celui que j’aime s’appelle Burt
2. Parmi (Amongst) les livres que j’ai lus était celui qui s’appelle « The Help »
3. Ceux qui aiment le tennis aiment Wimbledon
4. La Reine est celle qui habite à Buckingham Palace
5. Tu aimes les voitures italiennes ou celles qu’on fabrique ici ?
Answers :
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
Check against these :
1. The one that I love is called Burt
2. Amongst the books that I have read was the one that is called “The Help”
3. The ones (in eng. we might say ‘those’) who like tennis like Wimbledon
4. The Queen is the one who lives in Buckingham Palace
5. Do you like Italian cars or the ones that we make here?
Now try to create some phrases using these words, in French:
1. Do you want to meet the one who works in Belfast (a man)?
2. Do you prefer the ones who are French or the ones who are German (ladies)?
3. Where are the other computers because I don’t like the ones that are here?
Yours answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check :
1. Est-ce que tu veux rencontrer celui qui travaille à Belfast?
2. Est-ce que tu préfères celles qui sont françaises ou celles qui sont allemandes ?
3. Où sont les autres ordinateurs parce que je n’aime pas ceux qui sont ici.
27
Revision of this section PLUS a use of « celui » to denote possession !
Translate the following phrases:
1. Cet arbre-là est beau mais celui qui est en face est plus beau.
2. J’adore cette voiture-là mais celle de John est plus belle
3. Les équipes de foot de Belfast sont bien mais celles de Londres sont meilleures
4. Ces garçons-là sont horribles mais ces filles-là sont pires
5. Mon livre est intéressant mais celui de mon ami est plus intéressant
Translate :
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
Check against these :
1. That tree there is beautiful but the one that is opposite is more beautiful
2. I love that car there but John’s is more beautiful
3. Belfast’s football teams are good but London’s are better
4. Those boys there are horrible but those girls there are worse
5. My book is interesting but my friend’s is more interesting
Now create:
1. I love those boys there but the one with the blue hair is nasty (les cheveux bleus)
2. Do you want to go to that restaurant there or the one that is less expensive (moins
cher)?
3. I don’t like yours or his or theirs but I love John’s (car)
4. My horse talks but Peter’s is very shy (timide)
5. Do you want to (informal) see my office – the one where I will work next year?
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. J’adore ces garçons-là mais celui avec les cheveux bleus est méchant
2. Est-ce que tu veux aller à ce restaurant-là ou celui qui est moins cher?
3. Je n’aime pas la tienne ou la sienne ou la leur mais j’adore celle de John
4. Mon cheval parle mais celui de Peter est très timide
28
5. Est-ce que tu veux voir mon bureau – celui où je travaillerai l’année prochaine ?
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2.Possession – my and mine.
Have a look at the following phrases and see if you work out the meaning:
1. Je vais manger mon dîner: ________________________________________________
2. J’ai mangé ma banane : __________________________________________________
3. Je mangerai mes bananes : ________________________________________________
Hopefully, you translated as follows :
1. I am going to eat my dinner
2. I ate my banana
3. I will eat my bananas
Why do you think there are different words in French to translate the word, “my”?
Here is a clue:
le dîner =the dinner
la banane=the banana
Hopefully, you have worked out that there are different words used to express “my” and
that the difference depends on the gender of the word..
La banane > ma banana
Le dîner > mon dîner
In order to express « my » when talking about something plural, you use « mes » whether
the thing is masculine or feminine.
So, translate:
1. I will eat my dinners
2. I see my mouse (une souris, f)
3. Do you see my mice?
4. Do you (singular) have my dog? (un chien, m)
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
Check with these:
1. Je mangerai mes dîners
2. Je vois ma souris
29
3. Est-ce que tu vois mes souris ?
4. Est-ce que tu as mon chien ?
In order to show possession, there are some words that we need to know! –“your, his/her”
There are three words for “your” (belonging to you singular): “ton”, “ta”, “tes”.
The word for “your” when you are referring to a masculine singular object is “ton”
How, therefore, do you say:
1. I like your dog (le chien)
2. I see your mouse
3. I want your mice
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. J’aime ton chien;
2. Je vois ta souris
3. Je veux tes souris
There are also three words for his/her: “son”, “sa”, “ses”.
The word for “his/her” when you are referring to a masculine singular object is “son”
How, therefore, would you say:
1. I like her dog
2. She bought (acheter) his mouse
3. They wanted her mice
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. J’aime son chien;
2. Elle a acheté sa souris
3. Ils ont voulu ses souris
The idea of son/sa/ses can be confusing for an English speaker because in English, we
change the word depending on the owner (eg his sister or her sister).
30
In French, the word changes depending on the thing that is owned (eg sa soeur, sa soeur –
these can mean his sister or her sister – you work out which one from the context, ie who
you are talking about)
Possession – your (formal and plural) & our
Have a look at these phrases and see if you can work out the two words that are used to
express “your” (formal or plural)
1. Est-ce que je peux emprunter (to borrow) votre voiture?
2. Est-ce que je peux emprunter vos voitures ?
A. In order to express the idea of your (formal or plural) when referring to a singular
object, whether it is feminine or masculine we use :
“____________”
B. In order to express the idea of your (formal or plural) when referring to something
plural, we use :
“____________”
A: votre
B: vos
Our is rather similar. Can you guess which 1 letter one must change to express “our”
The answer is the “v” and it should be changed to an “n”.
C. So, “our” singular is “___________”
D. And, “our” plural is “ ___________”
C: notre
D: nos
Therefore, how do we say, in French:
1. Yes, you (formal) can borrow our car
2. Yes, you (formal) can borrow our cars
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
31
Check:
1. Oui, vous pouvez emprunter notre voiture.
2. Oui, vous pouvez emprunter nos voitures
Possession – “their” and a review of my, your, his/her, our, your, their
Have a look at these phrases and see if you can work out the two words that are used to
express “their”.
1. Ils vont manger leur dîner à 8 heures
2. Ils aiment manger leurs bonbons avant d’aller au lit (avant d’aller au lit-before going to bed)
A. In order to express the idea of their when referring to a singular object, we use :
“____________”
B. In order to express the idea of their when referring to something plural, we use :
“____________”
E: leur
F: leurs
Translate the following :
1. Where did you put (mettre) their socks? (chaussettes, f)
2. He had seen our socks
3. She would have finished your (formal) homework (devoir, m)
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. Où est-ce que tu as mis leurs chaussettes ?
2. Il avait vu nos chaussettes
3. Elle aurait fini votre devoir
Translate these (a mixture of the words of possession that we have covered)
1. She has my car
2. They saw our houses
3. She likes your (formal) brother
4. It’s your (singular) sister!
5. Give me his car! (see p11, how to use pronouns)
Check:
1. Elle a ma voiture
32
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
2. Ils ont vu nos maisons
3. Elle aime votre frère
4. C’est ta sœur !
5. Donne-moi sa voiture !
Possession – indicating possession by a named person & possession before a vowel (mon,
ton, son)
We have looked at how to use possessive pronouns, words that replace the person about
whom we are talking.
Instead of saying, “It is John’s dog!” we learned to say, “It’s his dog!” (C’est son chien)
However, if we actually want to say, “It’s John’s dog” we say,
“C’est le chien de John”.
Word for word, this means, « It’s the dog of John »
So, given this information, can you translate the following:
1. It’s Peter’s car
2. It’s my dog’s bed (le lit-the bed)
3. They are (we say, “ce sont” instead of “c’est”) Bill & Ben’s flowerpots (le pot de
fleurs)
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. C’est la voiture de Peter ;
B&B
2. C’est le lit de mon chien ;
3. Ce sont les pots de fleurs de
How many times have we heard of the term, « exception » ? Lots! Before a noun, we use
the masculine form (mon, ton, son) even if the object is feminine!
1. My car = Ma voiture because the word, voiture is feminine BUT
“amie” is also feminine, meaning “friend who is a girl” and to say “my friend”,
We say MON amie!
Try these:
1. My scarf (une écharpe):
but my house (une maison)
2. Your church (une église)
but your ruler (une règle)
3. His starter (une entrée)
but his party (une fête)
Your answers:
1. __________________________________but_________________________________
2. __________________________________but_________________________________
33
3. __________________________________but_________________________________
Check:
1. Mon écharpe
mais ma maison
2. Ton église
mais ta règle
3. Son entrée
mais sa fête
Possession – moving from « my » to « mine »
If you understand the idea that words change depending on gender (feminine or
masculine) and number (plural or singular), you will have no problem understanding this
section.
These are the ways that you say, “mine” in French.
Le mien
La mienne
Les miens
Les miennes
Can you work out which to use in the following contexts :
Masculine singular:
________________
Feminine singular:
__________________
Masculine plural:
________________
Feminine plural:
__________________
Masculine singular:
Le mien
Feminine singular:
La mienne
Masculine plural:
Les miens
Feminine plural:
Les miennes
Answers:
Given this pattern, how do you think one would say, « yours » (singular) :
Masculine singular:
________________
Feminine singular:
__________________
Masculine plural:
________________
Feminine plural:
__________________
Masculine singular:
Le tien
Feminine singular:
La tienne
Masculine plural:
Les tiens
Feminine plural:
Les tiennes
Answers:
Given this pattern, how do you think one would say, « his/hers »:
Masculine singular:
________________
Feminine singular:
__________________
Masculine plural:
________________
Feminine plural:
__________________
Answers:
34
Masculine singular:
Le sien
Feminine singular:
La sienne
Masculine plural:
Les siens
Feminine plural:
Les siennes
NB: In spoken French you may hear: “c’est à moi”, toi etc to express “c’est le mien”
Possession – “yours” (plural or formal), “ours”, “theirs”, “Bob’s”
Here is how we say: “It’s mine!”
>
“Le mien!”
So, how do you think one would say: “It’s yours!” (formal or plural)
You would expect, “le/la votre” BUT you get, le/la vôtre!
Not a big change but one that you should remember!
In order to change “c’est le/la vôtre” into the plural form, we write: ce sont ____ ______
We need to add two words, two “s”s but where do we need to add them?
Answer: Ce sont les vôtres!
You know how this works for “yours” (formal or plural) so how do you say “ours”?
It is ours! > A . C’est le ___________or B. C’est la __________or ce sont les _________
Answers : A : C’est le nôtre
B C’est la nôtre
C Ce sont les nôtres
The same logic applies when we wish to say, « It’s theirs ! » or “They’re theirs!”
It is theirs! > A . C’est le ___________or B. C’est la __________or ce sont les ________
Answers : A : C’est le leur
B C’est la leur
C Ce sont les leurs
So, translate these :
1. It is not my house, it’s theirs
2. I don’t have your car but where is mine
3. I have his apples (pommes f) but I don’t have yours (formal)
Your answers:
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. Ce n’est pas ma maison, c’est la leur
35
2. Je n’ai pas ta voiture, mais où est la mienne ?
3. J’ai ses pommes mais je n’ai pas les vôtres
NB : « It’s Bob’s » and « they’re Bob’s » are translated as follows: (see “this&that” section)
Masculine singular : c’est celui de Bob
Feminine singular : c’est celle de Bob
Masculine plural :
ce sont ceux de Bob Feminine plural : ce sont celles de Bob
French for Independent Learners. Translations based on learning to date and the All Grammar
Grid (AGG) Sneaky grammar / phrases / false friends 2.Prepositions and lequel, auquel, duquel, don’t.
You cannot end a French phrase with a preposition. Eg. The plane I flew in. In is a preposition
and you can’t end a phrase with it.
In English too, it is better to avoid ending a phrase with a preposition.
Eg. Better to say, “The concert to which I went” rather than, “The concert I went to.”
So, here we go. Using prepositions in phrases.
1. The plane I flew in > The plane in which I flew > L’avion dans lequel j’ai volé
I had to choose:
Lequel (m,s) (plane, avion is masculine singular)
Laquelle (f, s)
Lesquels (m, pl)
Lesquelles (f, pl)
So, try these:
1. The planes I travelled in.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. The carriage I travelled in. (une carriole, f-carriage)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. The rockets they worked on. (une fusée, f-rocket)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. The cinema I stayed behind. (un cinéma-m-cinema)
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Les avions dans lesquels j’ai voyagé.
2. La carriole dans laquelle j’ai voyagé.
3. Les fusées sur lesquelles ils ont travaillé
4. Le cinéma derrière lequel je suis resté
You can use a form of lequel or qui if you are referring to a person. (qui doesn’t change)
1. The man I worked with.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. The girls I sat down between.
36
______________________________________________________________________________
1. L’homme avec qui (or avec lequel) j’ai travaillé.
2. Les filles entre qui (or entre lesquelles) je me suis assis.
À is also a preposition and you can’t end a phrase with it either. Therefore,
“The concert I went to.” is translated as follows: “Le concert auquel je suis allé”
À + lequel = (à+le=au) auquel.
(plural, à + les m = auxquels)
“The party I went to.” is translated as follows: “La fête à laquelle je suis allé.”
À + laquelle = (à+la=à la) à laquelle
(plural, à + les f = auxquelles)
Let’s try these:
1. The march (Le defilé) I took part in (participer à=to take part in)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. The cities we went to.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers overleaf
Some French prepositions use the word ‘de’ and when this happens, the following examples are
created:
Eg. 1
The tree I sat beside (beside = à côté de)
So, L’arbre à côté duquel je me suis assis.
(de + le =du, the word ‘arbre’ is masc. singular)
And, The trees I sat beside
Is, Les arbres à côté desquels je me suis assis
(de + les=des)
Eg. 2
The factory I work near (near= près de)
(de + la =de la, the word ‘usine’ is fem. singular)
So, L’usine près de laquelle je travaille.
And, The factories I work near
Is, Les usines près desquelles je travaille
Let’s try these:
3. The shops I live opposite.
37
(de + les=des)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. The mountain that the castle is beyond.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers overleaf
À + lequel, DE + lequel
1. The march (Le défilé) I took part in (participer à=to take part in)
Le défilé auquel j’ai participé.
2. The cities we went to.
Les villes auxquelles nous sommes allés.
3. The shops I live opposite.
Les magasins en face desquels je vis.
4. The mountain that the castle is beyond.
La montagne au delà de laquelle le château se trouve (est).
DONT
We have looked at using prepositions that use DE (eg à côté de) and we have shown how you can
use them, 3 & 4 above.
Sometimes DE is used in a phrase without a preposition and in order to not end a phrase with DE
in this situation, we use DONT (of which, of whom, whose).
Take a look at these examples:
1. ‘I was talking about (of) the problem.’ > ‘Je parlais du problème.’
I want to say: “The problem that I was talking about.”
BUT I can’t say, “Le problème que je parlais de” because “de” can’t come at end.
So, when I have que + ............ de (as above) I can do this: “Le problème dont je parlais.”
It means “The problems of which I was talking”.
How, therefore do we say:
1. The poverty (la pauvreté) she was singing about:
______________________________________________________________________________
2. The way of which (English, ‘in which’, French, ‘of which’) he worked
_______ _______________________________________________________________________
3. The car he depended of (English, depend on, French, depend of)
_______ _______________________________________________________________________
38
4. The boys whose parents (of whom the parents) were ill
_______ _______________________________________________________________________
5. The problems of which two were serious.
_______ _______________________________________________________________________
(answers overleaf)
DONT (of which, of whom, whose)
Answers:
1. The poverty (la pauvreté) she was singing about:
La pauvreté dont elle chantait.
2. The way of which (English, ‘in which’, French, ‘of which’) he worked
La façon dont il travaillait.
3. The car he depended of (English, depend on, French, depend of)
La voiture dont il dépendait.
4. The boys whose parents (of whom the parents) were ill
Les garçons dont les parents étaient malades.
5. The problems of which two were serious.
Les problèmes dont deux étaient sérieux.
RECAP of lequel, à+lequel, de+lequel, dont
Atttempt to translate the following:
1. The car the ball rolled under.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Did you like the concert you went to?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. The boys we went to the cinema with.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. The manner in which (of which) he laughed.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. The train station that we stayed beside.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers:
1. The car the ball rolled under.
La voiture sous laquelle la balle a roulé
2. Did you like the concert you went to?
Est-ce que tu as aimé le concert auquel tu es allé?
3. The boys we went to the cinema with.
39
Les garcons avec qui nous sommes allés au cinéma.
4. The manner in which (of which) he laughed.
La manière dont il a ri.
5. The train station that we stayed beside.
La gare à côté de laquelle nous sommes restés.
PRONOUNS: Referring to the Senior Tense Grid and its columns, it is easy to use pronouns.
Also don’t forget that the JTGP12 and JTGP3 are useful for using pronouns in any tense
The order of the pronouns in any given phrase is as follows from left to right:
Me
le
lui
y
en
Te
la
leur
Se
les
Nous
Vous
This order allows us to see which pronoun is placed first in a phrase where more than one is used.
For example, Je le leur ai expliqué – I explained it to them. Le (it) and Leur (to them) are in the
phrase and, referring to the table above, we see that le comes before leur. More on this later.
A quick explanation of the pronouns and their meanings
Me (me, to me, myself, to myself)
Te (you, to you, yourself, to yourself)
Se (himself/herself, to himself/herself, themselves/ves, to themself/selves)
Nous (us, ourselves, to us, to ourselves)
Vous (you (pl), yourselves, to you (pl), to yourselves)
Le (him, it)
La (her, it)
Les (them)
Lui (to him, her + rarely for/from him,her)
Leur (to them + rarely for/from them)
Y – there, also replaces à + noun
En – of it/them – also replaces de + noun
Let’s have a look at a couple of phrases which use object pronouns, to get us started
Je les mange tous les jours (tous les jours-every day)
Je les ai mangées hier (hier-yesterday)
Je vais les manger demain (tomorrow)
Have a go at translating these :
Your answers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
40
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check with the correct answers:
1. I eat them everyday
2. I ate them yesterday
3. I am going to eat them tomorrow
The impact of a direct object pronoun
Which one of the phrases that have been translated is the odd-one out and why?
Je les mange tous les jours (tous les jours-every day)
Je les ai mangés hier (hier-yesterday)
Je vais les manger demain (tomorrow)
- I eat them every day
- I ate them yesterday
- I am going to eat them tomorrow
The answer is number 2 because of the following:
1. Je mange les bonbons tous les jours >
2. J’ai mangé les bonbons hier >
3. Je vais les manger demain >
Je les mange tous les jours (with pronoun)
Je les ai mangés hier (with pronoun)
Je vais les manger demain (with pronoun)
Number 2 uses the perfect tense (column 3) and when using this column (and col 7 & 8), IF you
are using a DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN that is PLURAL OR FEMININE, there is an
impact on the past participle.
Look at the impact: J’ai mangé les bonbons >
J’ai détruit les maisons >
Je les ai mangés
Je les ai détruites
To summarise:
DOP in Col 3,7,8 means “impact” on the PP if DOP is f. or pl.
which means:
(A Direct Object Pronoun in Column 3,7,8 means “impact” on the Past Participle if the
Direct Object Pronoun is feminine or plural)
The first piece of information that you must understand clearly is what is the difference between a
direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun.
Here are a few examples of the differences. Can you look at these and, using the translations into
English, explain where the difference lies.
Examples of direct and indirect object pronouns
Direct object pronouns (DOP)
Indirect object pronouns (IOP)
1. Je l’ai vue – I saw her
Je lui ai expliqué – I explain to her
2. Je les ai embrassées – I kissed them(girls)
Je leur ai parlé – I talked to them(girls)
3. Je me suis frappée – I hit myself(girl)
Je me suis chanté–I sang to myself( girl)
Analyse the columns and, using the translations, indicate the difference between DOP and IOP:
41
The difference between the direct object pronoun & the indirect object pronoun is that, in English, the DOP
means, for example:
______________________________________________________________________________
And the IOP means, :
______________________________________________________________________________
The impact of a direct object pronoun and creating that impact > quite a BIG DEAL!
The difference between the direct object pronoun & the indirect object pronoun is that, in English, the DOP
means, for example:
“it” or “them” or “myself
And the IOP means:
“to it” or “to them” or “to myself
Sometimes the IOP is translated as, for example, “for it” or “of them” but in general it can be
recognized as the pronoun which is translated as “to” him, them, it, her, myself etc.
Here is our list of examples again. This time, can you try to summarize the impact on the past
participle of feminine and plural DOPs. What is the impact on the past participle?
Examples of direct and indirect object pronouns
Direct object pronouns (DOP)
Indirect object pronouns (IOP)
1. Je l’ai vue – I saw her
Je lui ai expliqué – I explain to her
2. Je les ai embrassées – I kissed them(girls)
Je leur ai parlé – I talked to them(girls)
3. Je me suis frappée – I hit myself(girl)
Je me suis chanté–I sang to myself( girl)
The impact of a feminine DOP is that you add an ________________to the past particple
The impact of a plural DOP is that you add an ___________________ to the past participle
Teachers call this impact “agreement”. The past participle agrees with the DOP by taking
an “e” if the DOP is feminine and an “s” if it is plural and both if it is feminine plural.
The past participle does not agree with IOPs. We can see this by looking at the examples above.
In the phrases using IOPs there are now “e”s or “s” s on the past participles.
Phrase number 3 above is different from the other 2. Can you see why?
Some of the pronouns are used as direct and indirect pronouns. In no.3. “me” is used for both
Me
42
le
lui
y
en
Te
Se
Nous
Vous
la
les
leur
I have highlighted the pronouns that can be used as indirect OR direct object pronouns.
The impact of a direct object pronoun and creating that impact > quite a BIG DEAL!
In the following phrases, the past participles have not been made to agree. This means that no
“e”s or “s”s have been added to them.
For some of the phrases this is correct. You should correct those that need corrected.
1. He spoke to them (girls)
> Il leur a parlé________________
2. He tickled her
> Il l’a chatouillé_______________
3. I scratched myself (where “I” is a girl)
> Je me suis gratté_______________
Compare your answers with these correct ones:
1. Il leur a parlé
2. Il l’a chatouillée
3. Je me suis grattée
1. No impact (agreement) because “leur” (to them) is an IOP. No impact needed.
2. Impact required because a DOP, “la” (her) is used. Impact for singular, feminine is “e”.
3. Impact required because a DOP, “me” (myself) is used. The myself is about a girl. “e” needed.
This is the same exercise again. See how you do.
1. They had spoken to us (girls)
> Ils nous avaient parlé____________
2. They would have noticed us (girls)
> Ils nous auraient remarqué________
3. She would have whistled to herself
> Elle se serait sifflé_______________
Compare your answers with these correct ones:
1. Ils nous avaient parlé
2. Il nous auraient remarquées
3. Elle se serait sifflé
> no impact because nous (to us) is an IOP(indirect)
> impact ! nous (us) is DOP(direct)
> no impact because se (to herself) is IOP(indirect)
See if you can create your own phrases using a pronoun. The phrase will come from col 3,7 or 8
1. He talked to me (where “me” is a girl)
2. I saw them (boys)
3. We spoke to ourselves (where “ourselves” is girls)
Your answers:
______________________________________________________________________________
43
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Correct answers:
Il m’a parlé
> no impact because “me” means “to me” and is indirect
Je les ai vus
> impact ! les is direct. “s” is required as impact
Nous nous sommes parlé
> no impact because “nous” is “to ourselves”
Two pronouns used in the same phrase
Let’s look again at the table which shows us the order in which to place pronouns when two occur
in the same phrase
Me
Te
Se
Nous
Vous
le
la
les
lui
leur
y
en
This order allows us to see which pronoun is placed first in a phrase where more than one is used.
For example, Je le leur ai expliqué – I explained it to them.
Le (it) and Leur (to them) are in the phrase and, referring to the table above, we see that le comes
before leur.
The same rules apply about impact or lack of it when two pronouns are used in the same phrase.
Attempt to translate the following phrases:
1. Elle nous l’a expliqué (where the l’ is le and refers to the problem, le problème)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Je la lui ai présentée (where la refers to the flower, la fleur and lui refers to a boy)
______________________________________________________________________________
Check your answers with the correct ones below:
1. She explained it to us
2. I presented it to him
Now attempt to translate into French
1. They would have given it (the car, la voiture) to us (a group of girls)
2. She had thrown it to him (“it” is la balle, the ball)
3. Did you tell it to yourself? (“it” is the story, l’histoire (f) and “you” is singular, a girl)
Your answers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
44
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check with these :
1. Ils nous l’auraient donnée
2. Elle la lui avait lancée
3. Est-ce que tu te l’es dite?
2 pronouns in the 1 phrase. Agreement of past participle. Making phrases with pronouns negative
So that you fully understand, here is a fuller explanation of each one of these phrases :
Challenge : They would have given it (the car) to us (girls)
1. They would have given >
col 8. , donner-to give
2. Ils auraient donné = they would have given
3. « it » = « la » (la voiture), “to us” = “nous”
4. « la » will have an impact because it is direct, “nous” (to us) will not because it is indirect
5. We need to put these in the right order. Checking the table, nous comes before la.
The answer: Ils nous l’auraient donnée
Challenge : She had thrown it to him
1. She had thrown >
col 7., lancer-to throw
2. Elle avait lancé = She had thrown
3. “it” = “la” (la balle), “to him” = lui
4. “la” will have an impact because it is direct, “lui” (to him) will not because it is indirect
5. We need to put these in the right order. Checking the table, la comes before lui
The answer: Elle la lui avait lancée
Challenge : Did you tell it to yourself ?
1. You told yourself > col 3., dire-to tell, irregular past part: “dit”
2. Tu t’es dit
3. Make it a question : Est-ce que tu t’es dit ?
4. “it” = “la” (l’histoire f), “to yourself” = « te »
5. “la” will have an impact because it is direct, “te” (to yourself) will not because it is indirect
6. We need to put these in the right order. Checking the table, te comes before la
The answer: Est-ce que tu te l’es dite?
If you wish to make a phrase negative, remember this :
Ne ………. Pas
The Ne always comes directly after the do-er of action
The Pas comes after the part of être or avoir in col. 3,7,8. Otherwise it just comes after the verb.
Eg(col 8)Je NE les lui aurais PAS expliqués=I wouldn’t have explained them to him (les problèmes m)
Eg(col 6)Je NE les lui expliquerais PAS=I wouldn’t explain them to him
Translate the following into French and check with the answers below
1. I wouldn’t have chosen them (flowers, fleurs (f) (col 8)
2. She wasn’t liking it (col 6)
Your answers:
45
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
Correct:
1. Je ne les aurais pas choisies
2. Elle ne l’aimait pas
The two pronouns at which we haven’t really looked yet are Y and EN.
These are indirect pronouns and have no impact on the past participle.
Y – normally means “there” but can have other meanings. Y replaces “à” & noun
EN – normally means “of it/of them” but can have other meanings. En replaces “de” & noun
Given the above information, what do these phrases mean:
1. J’y vais le samedi
2. J’en ai essayé un peu (un peu= a bit, essayer-to try)
3. Elle en avait pris cinq (“pris” is the past part of “prendre”, “to take”)
4. Elle y est allée en vacances
Your answers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check with these:
1. I go there on Saturday
2. I tried a bit of it
3. She took five of them
4. She went there on holiday
À + NOUN is sometimes clear to see. Eg. Je vais à Paris.
As the JTG (line 5,6,7) indicates, À + NOUN is sometimes hidden. You need to be able to spot
phrases where the à is hidden, in order to use “Y”.
DE + NOUN is sometimes clear to see. Eg. J’ai dépensé un peu de l’argent
As the JTG (line 8,9,10) indicates, DE + NOUN is sometimes hidden. You need to be able to
spot phrases where the de is hidden, in order to use “EN”.
Below are two easy phrases, where you can spot à + noun and de + noun.
Je vais à Paris = I am going to Paris
> = J’y vais (à & Paris) = I am going there
J’ai un peu de l’argent=I have some of the money >J’en ai un peu (de+l’argent)–I have some of it
However:
The following phrase contains à + noun > Je pense au problème (I’m thinking about the problem)
The à is hidden in “au” (à + le) JTG (line 5,6,7)
“I’m thinking about it” is therefore: “J’y pense”
46
However:
The following phrase contains de + noun > Je mange du fromage (I’m eating some cheese)
The de is hidden in “du” (de + le) JTG (line 8,9,10)
“I’m eating some” is therefore: “J’en mange”
Re-capping on the use of Y and EN as opposed to le, la, les
When choosing when to use Y or EN instead of LE, LA, LES, it is vital to remember that:
Y replaces À + NOUN
And
EN replaces DE + NOUN
So, attempt the following where you should attempt to replace the nouns in the phrases with the
correct pronouns.
1. Je mange des frites >
I’m eating (some) chips
2. J’ai pris les clefs (f) >
I took the keys
3. Il allait au cinéma >
He was going to the cinema
4. Ils ont bu du jus >
They drank some juice
Compare your answers with these :
1. Je mange des frites:
2. J’ai pris les clefs (f)
3. Il allait au cinéma
4. Ils ont bu du jus
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
J’en mange (“de” is hidden in “des”)
Je les ai prises (no à or de, impact from DOP, « es » )
Il y allait (« à » is hidden in « au »)
Ils en ont bu (« de » is hidden in « du »)
Try these, just to consolidate your understanding. Same system:
1. Je vois les filles (girls) >
I see the girls
2. Elle est allée au marché >
She went to the market
3. Il aurait fini les devoirs (h/works) >
He would have finished the h/works
4. Nous avons fait du travail >
We did some work
Compare your answers with these :
1. Je vois les filles:
2. Elle est allée au marché
3. Il aurait fini les devoirs
4. Nous avons fait du travail
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Je les vois (no hidden à or de)
Elle y est allée (à + le marché, hidden à, so use « y »)
Il les aurait finis (s because « les » is masc pl, devoir m)
Nous en avons fait (de is hidden in du (de + le)
Y and EN are often used in expressions and these are worth learning off :
47
For example:
J’en ai marre – I’m fed up (literally, I of it have annoyance)
Je n’y peux rien – I can’t do anything about it (literally, I at it can do nothing)
For more, see the one a day learn ‘em off section
The following explanation recaps how pronouns are used in the 8 cols of the Senior Tense
Grid
ANALYSE PHRASE
IDENTIFY STG COLUMN,
GET TO THE RIGHT AREA!
AREA 1
Columns 1,4,5,6 – EASY ! – example with col 1 but works the same for 4,5,6
Used positively
Je la regarde
I watch it (tv, f)
Je la regardais
I was watching it
Used negatively
Je ne la regarde pas
Je ne la regardais pas
I don’t watch it (tv, f) I wasn’t watching it
Je la regarderai
I will watch it
Je la regarderais
I would watch it
Je ne la regarderai pas Je ne la regarderais pas
I won’t watch it
I wouldn’t watch it
NO IMPACT ON THE PAST PARTICIPLE – there isn’t one!
THE NE COMES DIRECTLY AFTER THE DO-ER OF ACTION
THE PAS COMES AFTER THE VERB
AREA 2
Column 2 – when you get two verbs coming together (and therefore an infinitive as 2nd verb)
Used positively
Je vais le faire
I’m going to do it
Je peux le faire
I can do it
Used negatively
Je ne vais pas le faire
I’m not going to do it
Je ne peux pas le faire Je ne devais pas le faire Je ne voulais pas le faire
I can’t do it
I didn’t have to do it
I didn’t want to do it
Je dois le faire
I have to do it
Je veux le faire
I want to do it
NO IMPACT ON THE PAST PARTICIPLE – there isn’t one!
THE NE COMES DIRECTLY AFTER THE DO-ER OF ACTION
THE PAS COMES AFTER THE MODAL (first) VERB
AREA 3
Columns 3,7,8, example with col 3 but works the same for 7 and 8
Used positively
Je l’ai vendue
I sold it
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Je l’avais vendue
I had sold it (tv,f)
Je l’aurais vendue
I would have sold it
Used negatively
Je ne les ai pas vendues
I didn’t sell them
Je ne les avais pas vendues
I hadn’t sold them
Je ne les aurais pas vendues
I wouldn’t have sold them
IMPACT ON THE PAST PARTICIPLE if a direct object pronoun is used (la>e, les>(e)s)
THE NE COMES DIRECTLY AFTER THE DO-ER OF ACTION
THE PAS COMES AFTER THE AUXILIARY VERB (part of être of avoir)
Prepositions and connecting words MAKE THE personal pronoun CHANGE
Changes as indicated for PREPOSITIONAL PRONOUNS
From:
Me > Moi
Te > Toi
Se > Soi
Nous (no change)
Vous (no change)
Le > Lui
La > Elle
Les > Eux (m) / Elles (f)
Lui (no change)
Leur (no change)
y > là en > ça
Here is a list of prepositions and connecting words.
The same rule applies to any preposition or connecting word so if you can think of another but it
isn’t on the list, the rule still applies to your word!
After – après
And – et
At the end of – au bout de
Before - avant
Behind - Derrière
Beside - À côté de
Between - entre
Far from - Loin de
In front - Devant
Instead of – au lieu de
Near to - Près de
Of / From / about – De
On - sur
Than - que
With - Avec
Without - sans
Examples:
J’aime lui parler quand il est ici sans elle – I like speaking to him when he is here without her
J’adore sortir avec eux – I love going out with them
Try these:
1. He jumped on her
2. She went before them (mpl)
3. She is speaking about me
49
4. They are going to go out without you (plural)
5. He is far from us
6. We are behind him
7. After you! (singular)
8. Between me and you (singular)
9. Sell to them
10. Speak to him
answers overleaf
Imperatives. Giving orders positively provokes the same change as prepositions
Answers from previous page:
1. Il a sauté sur elle
2. Elle est allée avant eux
3. Elle parle de moi
4. Ils vont sortir sans vous (note that you pl doesn’t change)
5. Il est loin de nous (no change)
6. Nous sommes derrière lui
7. Après toi
8. Entre moi et toi
9. Vends-leur ! (no change)
10. Parle-lui ! (no change)
Ordering positively and pronouns
If we look at the last two phrases, 9 & 10, we can see two positive orders. The pronouns used (to
them-leur and to him-lui) never change.
However, if we wish to use different personal pronouns after a positive order, changes happen:
Here is the table to show you which pronouns change after a positive order:
Me > Moi
Te > Toi
Se >
Nous (no change)
Vous (no change)
Le >
La >
Les >
Lui (no change)
Leur (no change)
y>
For example:
POSITIVE ORDER
NEGATIVE ORDER
Chante-moi !
Sing to me! (informal)
Ne me chante pas!
Don’t sing to me!
Demande-moi !
Ask me !
Ne me demande pas!
Don’t ask me !
So: translate, all “you singular”!
1. Bring me to the party (emmener-to bring a person, à la fête-to the party)
2. Wake yourself up (réveiller)
3. Wash your hands ! (laver) literally “wash yourself the hands”
50
en >
4. Brush your teeth literally, “brush yourself the teeth”
5. Don’t ask yourself! (demander-to ask)
6. Don’t worry yourself (inquiéter-to worry)
7. Let’s listen to ourselves (écouter)
8. Sit yourselves down (asseoir)
Answers next page:
Imperatives. Correct translations & prepositions after some exceptional verbs, two pronouns
Answers:
1. Emmène-moi à la fête!
2. Réveille-toi!
3. Lave-toi les mains!
4. Brosse-toi les dents!
5. Ne te demande pas!
6. Ne t’inquiète pas !
7. Écoutons-nous!
8. Asseyez-vous!
After some exceptional verbs PREPOSITIONAL PRONOUNS are used & put after an à or de
There aren’t that many but they are quite common. This list is what you need to know:
Penser à – to think about someone/thing
S’intéresser à – to interest oneself in someone (really means “to fancy someone)
Tenir à – to care for someone
Rêver de – to dream about someone
Dépendre de – to depend on someone
Se passer de – to do without someone
Me > Moi
Le > Lui
Lui (no change)
y > là en > ça
Te > Toi
La > Elle
Leur (no change)
Se > Soi
Les > Eux (m) / Elles (f)
Nous (no change)
Vous (no change)
So, translate:
1. I fancy her
2. Do you care about him ?
3. She depends on you
Your answers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check :
1. Je m’intéresse à elle
2. Est-ce que tu tiens à lui ?
3. Elle dépend de toi !
NB: More than 1 pronoun may be used in an order. If positive, pronouns change order as follows:
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
Donne-les moi! - Give them to me!
Ne me les donne pas! – Don’t give them to me
Translate (you singular)
1. Explain it (le) to yourself! & Don’t explain it to yourself!
2. Describe them to me! & Don’t describe them to me !
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Your answer:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. Explique le-toi! (normally le comes after “te” (toi)
& Ne te l’explique pas !
2. Décris les-moi (normally les before me (moi)
& Ne me les décris pas !
Revision of the pronoun section
Translate :
1. When are you going to talk to him ? (you plural)
2. How did you speak to her?
3. I wouldn’t have met her (retrouver-to meet)
4. He was in front of her
5. Don’t accuse me of it (accuser-to accuse) (me is a boy)
6. He was going to have to see her
7. Wash yourselves!
8. She had to give them to him (them is two cars)
9. Was he wanting to see me? (me is a girl)
10. Give them to him (ordering one person)
11. He was there before them (m)
12. Don’t relax (singular) (se reposer-to relax)
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________________
11. _____________________________________________________________________
12. _____________________________________________________________________
Check:
1. Quand est-ce que vous allez lui parler?
2. Comment est-ce que tu lui as parlé ?
3. Je ne l’aurais pas retrouvée
4. Il était devant elle
5. Ne m’en accuse pas !
52
6. Il allait devoir la voir
7. Lavez-vous !
8. Elle a dû les lui donner
9. Est-ce qu’il voulait me voir ?
10. Donne-les lui !
11. Il y était avant eux
12. Ne te repose pas !
Verbs that use “à”, in French, when referring to an object BUT don’t use “to” in English
There are a few verbs which can cause real problems when using pronouns. They are verbs
which, in French, use “à” before an object BUT, in English, don’t use the equivalent “to”
Here is what I mean:
English:I
French: Je
tell
dis
à
my
mes
friends
amis
to
de
eat
manger
If we look carefully at this phrase, we can see that in English you simply tell a person to do
something whereas in French you tell “to” “à” a person to do something.
This has an impact in terms of the pronoun that you use if you want to say, for eg: “I told him”
In fact, in French, you will say “I told to him”
Here is a reminder of the object pronouns in French and their meanings
Me
Te
Se
Nous
Vous
le
la
les
lui
leur
y
en
Me (me, to me, myself, to myself)
Te (you, to you, yourself, to yourself)
Se (him/herself, to himself/herself, themselves/ves, to themself/selves)
Nous (us, ourselves, to us, to ourselves)
Vous (you (pl), yourselves, to you (pl), to yourselves)
Le (him, it)
La (her, it)
Les (them)
Lui (to him, her + rarely for/from him,her)
Leur (to them + rarely for/from them)
Y – there, also replaces à + noun
En – of it/them – also replaces de + noun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The translation of “I told him” is therefore, “Je lui ai dit”
Some more verbs that take “à” before an object (generally a person) in French but don’t use “to” in English
53
Apprendre-to teach (apprendre quelque chose à quelqu’un=to teach someone something)
Conseiller-to advise (conseiller à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose=to advise someone to do something)
Donner-to give (donner quelque chose à quelqu’un=to give something to someone)
Interdire-to forbid (interdire à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose=to forbid someone from doing something)
Permettre-to allow (permettre à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose=to allow someone to do something)
Faire mal-to hurt (faire mal à quelqu’un=to hurt someone)
Faire peur-to scare (faire peur à quelqu’un=to scare someone)
Practice with verbs that take « à » in French but don’t take « to » in English – refer to p5,6 from
“how to use pronouns”
The challenge:
She permitted him to travel alone (alone-seul)
1. to allow-the dictionary will show “permettre à qn de faire qch”
(qn=quelqu’un=someone; qch=quelque chose=something)
2. Referring to STG, you will locate the correct column, col 3 and equivalent co-ordinate, c3
3. Referring to IVG, you will note the irregular past part of permettre: permis
4. Referring to the dictionary, you will note that to permit is noted as “permettre à qn de faire qch”
5. This means that even though there is no “to” before “him” in the challenge phrase, we need to
use “lui” . “Lui” is the pronoun that replaces à + person.
6. Therefore we have the phrase, “elle lui a permis” for “she permitted him”
7. The structure noted in the dictionary is “permettre à qn de faire qch” so we must stick to this
8. Therefore, “voyager” meaning “to travel”, we have:
The answer: Elle lui a permis de voyager seul
Negative : Elle NE lui a PAS permis de voyager seul = She didn’t permit him to travel alone
Translate the following :
1. He scared her
2. They advised him to leave
3. We would have taught them to speak
4. She hurt him
5. I wouldn’t forbid her from smoking
6. I gave her a present (un cadeau=a present)
Your answers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________________
Check against these:
54
1. Il lui a fait peur
2. Ils lui ont conseillé de partir
3. On leur aurait appris à parler
4. Elle lui a fait mal
5. Je ne lui interdirais pas de fumer
6. Je lui ai donné un cadeau
Negatives – Working with negatives in columns 1,2,4,5,6 Have a look at the & try these :
Negatives – using cols, 1,2,4,5,6 from the Senior Gobi
1. I don’t drink alcohol
______________________________________________________________________________
2. He doesn’t want to go to the cinema any more
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Don’t you think that it is too late ? (refer to Colle française)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. I like not smoking and I like not getting up early.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I never speak English because I never want to speak English.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. I neither eat sweets nor crisps
______________________________________________________________________________
7. I only eat apples and she only eats meat.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you only speak English ?
______________________________________________________________________________
9. They say nothing and they do nothing.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. I am no longer going to eat.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. They will not like the book
______________________________________________________________________________
12. He won’t see the girl any more
______________________________________________________________________________
13. She would never speak
______________________________________________________________________________
14. We were going nowhere.
55
______________________________________________________________________________
15. She will see noone and speak to noone.
______________________________________________________________________________
16. They have no talent
______________________________________________________________________________
Negatives – using cols, 1,2,4,5,6 from the Senior Gobi
1. I don’t drink alcohol
Je ne bois pas d’alcool.
2. He doesn’t want to go to the cinema any more
Il ne veut plus aller au cinéma.
3. Don’t you think that it is too late ? (refer to Colle française)
Est-ce que tu ne penses pas que ce soit trop tard ? (after negative thought : subjunctive)
4. I like not smoking and I like not getting up early.
J’aime ne pas fumer et j’aime ne pas me lever tôt.
5. I never speak English because I never want to speak English.
Je ne parle jamais l’anglais parce que je ne veux jamais parler anglais.
6. I neither eat sweets nor crisps
Je ne mange ni des bonbons ni des chips.
7. I only eat apples and she only eats meat.
Je ne mange que des pommes et elle ne mange que de la viande
8. Do you only speak English ?
Est-ce que tu ne parles que l’anglais ?
9. They say nothing and they do nothing.
Ils ne disent rien et ils ne font rien.
10. I am no longer going to eat.
Je ne vais plus manger.
11. They will not like the book
Ils n’aimeront pas le livre.
12. He won’t see the girl any more
Il ne verra plus la fille.
13. She would never speak
Elle ne parlerait jamais.
14. We were going nowhere.
Nous n’allions nulle part.
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15. She will see noone and speak to noone.
Elle ne verra personne et elle ne parlera à personne.
16. They have no talent
Ils n’ont aucun talent.
Negatives inverted
1. Nothing is working (marcher – to work)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Never will I understand why he does that.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Nobody will ever understand why.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. No dog deserves what that dog has had.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Never does she take me to the cinema (emmener)
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Nothing will convince me to support Man Utd. (supporter)
______________________________________________________________________________
7. No doubt exists.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Nobody loves me.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers below :
1. Nothing is working (marcher – to work)
Rien ne marche.
2. Never will I understand why he does that.
Jamais je ne comprendrai pourquoi il fait ça.
3. Nobody will ever understand why.
Personne ne comprendra jamais pourquoi.
4. No dog deserves what that dog has had.
Aucun chien ne mérite ce que ce chien a eu.
5. Never does she take me to the cinema (emmener)
Jamais elle ne m’emmène au cinéma.
6. Nothing will convince me to support Man Utd. (supporter)
Rien ne me convaincra de supporter Man Utd.
57
7. No doubt exists.
Aucun doûte n’existe.
8. Nobody loves me.
Personne ne m’aime.
Negatives with compound tenses (col 3, 7, 8) ne…pas, ne…rien, ne…jamais, ne…plus
1. I didn’t eat
________ ______________________________________________________________________
2. They didn’t do anything
______________________________________________________________________________
3. I have never spoken French (le français)
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. I have not returned any more (big row 2 verb, retourner)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. They hadn’t seen anything
______________________________________________________________________________
6. She would never have left (partir)
______________________________________________________________________________
7. He didn’t know Peter.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. We didn’t eat any more.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers :
1. I didn’t eat
Je n’ai pas mangé
2. They didn’t do anything
Ils n’ont rien fait.
3. I have never spoken French (le français)
Je n’ai jamais parlé le français
4. I have not returned any more (big row 2 verb, retourner)
Je ne suis plus retourné
5. They hadn’t seen anything
Ils n’avaient rien vu.
6. She would never have left (partir)
Elle ne serait jamais partie.
58
7. He didn’t know Peter.
Il n’a pas connu Peter
8. We didn’t eat any more.
On n’a plus mangé
Negatives with compound tenses (col 3, 7, 8) ne..nulle part, ne..personne, ne..que, ne..aucun, ne..ni..ni.
1. We didn’t go anywhere.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. They wouldn’t have helped anyone.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. She only kissed George (She only kissed him – use pronouns that come after prepositions)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. If I had taken no photo , we would have had no proof (preuve f)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. He would have done neither his homework nor the dishes.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Didn’t you go anywhere for Christmas ?
______________________________________________________________________________
7. She hadn’t seen anyone that she used to know when she went there.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Unfortunately, I have only been able to send one card.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. They had had no intention of helping me but I had had no intention of helping them.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. She has spoken neither to her friends nor to her family.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers below :
1. On n’est allé nulle part (Nous ne sommes allés nulle part)
2. Ils n’auraient aidé personne
3. Elle n’a embrassé que George (Elle n’a embrassé que lui)
4. Si je n’avais pris aucune photo, on n’aurait eu aucune preuve.
5. Il n’aurait fait ni son devoir, ni la vaisselle.
6. Est-ce que tu n’es allé nulle part pour Noël ?
59
7. Elle n’avait vu personne qu’elle connaissait quand elle y est allée.
8. Malheureusement, je n’ai pu envoyer qu’une carte. (note if modal verb used w/inf., que is after inf.)
9. Ils n’avaient eu aucune intention de m’aider mais je n’avais eu aucune intention de les aider.
10. Elle n’a parlé ni à ses amis, ni à sa famille.
U time expressions – part 1
1. (using depuis) I’ve been learning French for 3 years, I’ve been learning since I started school.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. (using depuis) She hasn’t spoken French for a decade (une décennie)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. (use depuis) I haven’t kissed her since her birthday (specific point in time, must use ‘depuis’. )
______________________________________________________________________________
4. (using il y a) They have been singing for 5 minutes
______________________________________________________________________________
5. (using ça fait …. que) I have been trying to chat her up for a year.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. (using il y a) She hasn’t seen him for a week (une semaine)
______________________________________________________________________________
7. (using ça fait …. que) I haven’t wanted to play for a year (un an)
______________________________________________________________________________
8. I had been talking for an hour when he arrived.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. She hadn’t seen a hairdresser for six years when she finally decided to go the hairdressers.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. This is the first time I have enjoyed being with you.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. It was the first time I had eaten snails (les escargots)
______________________________________________________________________________
12. It was the first time I’d been on a boat. (dans un bateau)
______________________________________________________________________________
13, It’s the first time I’ve seen the Mona Lisa (la Joconde)
______________________________________________________________________________
14. I’ve just seen him !
______________________________________________________________________________
60
15. They’ve just finished the song
______________________________________________________________________________
16. I had just eaten when she arrived.
______________________________________________________________________________
Answers overleaf
U time expressions part 1 - answers
1. J’apprends le français depuis trois ans (use present tense with depuis when phrase is positive)
1a I’ve been learning since + a phrase is depuis que + phrase. Eg, depuis que j’ai commencé….
2. Elle n’a pas parlé le français depuis une décennie (phrase is negative, so use perfect tense)
3. Je ne l’ai pas embrassée depuis son anniversaire. (specific point in time, use depuis, neg>perf)
4 Il y a cinq minutes qu’ils chantent (for positive phrase, use il y a ……. que + present)
5. Ça fait un an que j’essaie de la draguer. (for positive phrase, use ça fait ……. que + present)
6. Il y a une semaine qu’elle ne l’a pas vu (negative, use il y a ……. que + perfect)
7. Ça fait un an que je n’ai pas voulu jouer (negative, use ça fait ……. que + perfect)
8. Je parlais depuis une heure quand il est arrivé (had been doing > imperfect + depuis)
9. Elle n’avait pas vu de coiffeuse depuis 6 ans quand elle a finalement décidé d’aller chez la
coiffeuse. (negative so pluperfect plus depuis)
10. C’est la première fois que j’aime être avec toi.
(in English, we express this idea in the perfect tense, even though it is currently happening. In
French, we use the present tense.)
11. C’était la première fois que je mangeais des escargots
(in English, we use the pluperfect to express this idea, even though it is something that was
happening. In French, we use the imperfect tense)
12. C’était la première fois que j’étais dans un bateau. (Note, we use on a boat in English but, the
translation of on is dans in this situation. In English, we say, I was on a train. In French, we will
say, dans un train. If you think about it, it makes sense. On a train, a bit windy maybe !
13. C’est la première fois que je vois la Joconde.
14. Je viens de le voir (have just done – present of venir + infinitive)
15. Ils viennent de finir la chanson
16. Je venais de manger quand elle est arrivée (had just done – imperfect of venir + infinitive)
61
Using time expressions, contd.
17. She had just done the dishes
______________________________________________________________________________
18. I am busy fixing the sink (réparer l’évier)
______________________________________________________________________________
19. They are in the middle of (busy) preparing the dinner
______________________________________________________________________________
20. Shhh, I am about to put the baby to bed (coucher le bébé)
______________________________________________________________________________
21. I was about to leave when they arrived.
______________________________________________________________________________
22. After eating, I like to have a coffee.
______________________________________________________________________________
23. After leaving, we went to the shops.
______________________________________________________________________________
24. After getting up, I got a shower
______________________________________________________________________________
Using the present participle of être or avoir + a past participle – see section L in this booklet
22. After eating, I like to have a coffee.
______________________________________________________________________________
23. After leaving, we went to the shops.
______________________________________________________________________________
24. After getting up, I got a shower
______________________________________________________________________________
25. Before going out, I got dressed
______________________________________________________________________________
26. Before getting up, I switched off my alarm clock
______________________________________________________________________________
27. I stayed in Paris for a week. Next year I will stay for a month.
62
______________________________________________________________________________
28. That race, I’ll do it in an hour.
______________________________________________________________________________
29. That race, I’ll do it in three months.
Using time expressions, contd.
17. Elle venait de faire la vaiselle ( had just done – imperfect of venir de + inf)
18. Je suis en train de réparer l’évier.
19. Ils sont en train de préparer le dîner.
20. Shhh, Je suis sur le point de coucher le bébé.
21. J’étais sur le point de partir quand ils sont arrivés.
22. Après avoir mangé, j’aime prendre un café (note have is translated here by ‘take’, prendre)
23. Après être partis, nous sommes allés aux magasins.
24. Après m’être levé, j’ai pris une douche (lit. I took a shower)
Using the present participle of être or avoir + a past participle – see section L in this booklet
22. Ayant mangé, j’aime prendre un café.
23. Étant partis, nous sommes allés aux magasins.
24. M’étant levé, j’ai pris une douche.
25. Avant de sortir, je me suis habillé.
26. Avant de me lever, j’ai éteint mon réveil.
27. Je suis resté à Paris pendant une semaine. L’année prochaine je resterai pendant un mois.
28. Cette course, je la ferai en une heure (here we are talking duration, an hour to complete it)
29. Cette course, je la ferai dans trois mois (here we are referring to a point in the future, three
months away.
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T Passive statements – where something happens rather than active statements where subjects
(also called ‘do-ers of action’) complete actions.
(often translated by « One » does or did or will do something – when the event has not been
provoked by the narrator.)
1. It was said
____________________________.__________________________________________________
2. It was lost
______________________________________________________________________________
3. It is felt (ressentir-to feel an emotion)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. I was hit
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I am going to be hit
______________________________________________________________________________
6. It can be translated
______________________________________________________________________________
(these can also be translated more literally, using a part of être + a past participle)
1. It was said
____________________________.__________________________________________________
2. It was lost
______________________________________________________________________________
3. It is felt
______________________________________________________________________________
4. I was hit
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I am going to be hit
______________________________________________________________________________
6. It can be translated
______________________________________________________________________________
(if the sentence includes by whom the action was done, we must use être + past part)
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1. It was said by Bill
______________________________________________________________________________
2. I was hit by Franck
______________________________________________________________________________
V Passive statements – where something happens rather than active statements where subjects
(also called ‘do-ers of action’, complete actions.
(often translated by « One » does or did or will do something – when the event has not been
provoked by the narrator.)
1. On l’a dit (lit. One said it….)
2. On l’a perdu
3. On le ressent
4. On m’a frappé
5. On va me frapper (lit. One is going to hit me)
6. On peut le traduire (lit. One can translate it)
(these can also be translated more literally, using the appropriate tense of être + a past participle)
1. Il a été dit
2. Il a été perdu (or Elle a été perdue) – notice, past part, ‘perdue’ agrees with the noun on whom
the action happened.
3. Il est ressenti
4. J’ai été frappé(e) – if Je was a girl, extra ‘e’ required
5. Je vais être frappé(e) – if Je was a girl, extra ‘e’
6. Ça peut être traduit
(if the sentence includes by whom the action was done, we must use être + past part)
1. Il a été dit par Bill
2. J’ai été frappé(e) par Franck
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Passive continued. (some recapping, also se faire faire (getting eg.eaten) and also use of the
reflexive (action on self) to express the idea, ‘is done’, eg, ‘French is spoken’
1. The cars were stolen (voler) (two ways of doing this)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. The cars were stolen by Burt (one way only)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. The door was knocked (toquer à) (2 ways)
__________ ____________________________________________________________________
4. The door was knocked by Pierre (one only)
______________________________________________________________________________
Using se faire faire – here, we feel that, ‘he’, ‘they’, ‘you’ have incurred the action
5. He gets told off (gronder) by his Mum (what did he do to deserve it ?)
______________________________________________________________________________
6. They got knocked down (renverser) by a car (they should have looked before crossing)
______________________________________________________________________________
7. You are going to get scolded when you get home. (why?, what did you do ?)
______________________________________________________________________________
Using reflexive verbs
8. Spaghetti is eaten in Italy
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Dogs are eaten elsewhere (ailleurs)
______________________________________________________________________________
10. A long time ago (il y a longtemps) irish was spoken in Dublin.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. In times gone by (Dans le temps) seaweed was sold in Warren’s shop
______________________________________________________________________________
These sentences can also be translated using, On…… Try to do this :
8. Spaghetti is eaten in Italy
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Dogs are eaten elsewhere (ailleurs)
______________________________________________________________________________
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10. A long time ago (il y a longtemps) irish was spoken in Dublin.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. In times gone by (Dans le temps) seaweed was sold in Warren’s shop
______________________________________________________________________________
Passive continued. (some recapping, also se faire faire (getting eg.eaten) and also use of the
reflexive (action on self) to express the idea, ‘is done’, eg, ‘French is spoken’
1. On a volé les voitures / Les voitures ont été volées
2. Les voitures ont été volées par Burt
3. On a toqué à la porte / La porte a été toquée
4. La porte a été toquée par Pierre.
Using se faire faire,
5. Il se fait gronder par sa mère
6. Ils se sont fait renverser par une voiture (note, no ‘s’ on ‘fait’ because the infinitive comes
directly after ‘fait’)
7. Tu vas te faire gronder quand tu rentreras à la maison. (note, in French, you say, when I will
get home in order to express the idea that the getting home is in the future.)
Using reflexive verbs
8. Les spaghettis se mangent en Italie. Note, the French talk about spaghettis in the plural.
9. Les chiens se mangent ailleurs
10. Il y a longtemps, l’irlandais se parlait à Dublin.
11. Dans le temps, le dulse (une algue) se vendait chez Warren. Note at Warrens (chez Warren)
These sentences can also be translated using, On…… Try to do this :
8. On mange les spaghettis en Italie
9. On mange les chiens ailleurs
10. Il y a longtemps, on parlait l’irlandais à Dublin
11. Dans le temps, le dulse (une algue) se vendait chez Warren
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W Dealing with ‘get’, (when ‘get’ + verb means doing an action on oneself)
1. I got hurt (meaning, ‘I hurt myself) (se faire mal)
______________________________________________________________________________
(when ‘get’ means obtaining)
2. I got a dog for my birthday (mon anniversaire)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. I’ve got it (I’ve got the right answer)
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is getting away with it)
4. She forgot her homework but the teacher forgot to ask for it so she got away with it.
______________________________ ________________________________________________
(when get is getting over a trauma)
5. He didn’t get the A he needed but soon he got over it
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is not being able to get one’s head round a piece of news, ie. I can’t get over it)
6. My Granny has won the lottery and I can’t get over it
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is the idea of obtaining something for someone else- using- prendre)
7. Can you get me a packet of crisps please ?
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is boarding a form of transport)
8. She is going to get the bus
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is receiving)
9. I got a letter today
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is understanding)
10. I’ve got it ! (Eureka !)
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is surviving, to get through
11. They lost all their money but they got through it
______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is getting round a problem, avoiding)
12. She had a problem but she got round it
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______________________________________________________________________________
(when get is getting ‘verbed’, eg. I got eaten/ I get fooled)
13. He got flattened by an elephant (aplatir-to flatten)
______________________________________________________________________________
W Dealing with ‘get’,
(when ‘get’ + verb means doing an action on oneself)
1. Je me suis fait mal
(when ‘get’ means obtaining)
2. J’ai eu un chien pour mon anniversaire
3. Je l’ai eu
(when get is getting away with it)
4. Elle a oublié son devoir mais la prof a oublié de le demander donc elle s’en est tirée blanche…
(when get is getting over a trauma)
5. Il n’a pas eu le A dont il avait besoin mais bientôt il s’en est remis.
(when get is not being able to get one’s head round a piece of news, ie. I can’t get over it)
6. Ma grand-mère a gagné au lotto et je n’en reviens pas. (notice no need for pouvoir, lit. I don’t
get back from it)
(when get is the idea of obtaining something for someone else- using- prendre)
7. Est-ce que tu peux me prendre un paquet de chips ?
(when get is boarding a form of transport)
8. Elle va prendre le bus
(when get is receiving)
9. J’ai reçu une lettre aujourd’hui
(when get is understanding)
10. Je l’ai eu !
(when get is surviving, to get through
11. Ils ont perdu tout leur argent mais ils l’ont survécu
(when get is getting round a problem, avoiding)
12. Elle a eu un problème mais elle l’a contourné
(when get is getting ‘verbed’, eg. I got eaten/ I get fooled)
13. Il s’est fait aplatir par un éléphant.
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X – The Past Historic (in French, the passé simple, used in literary contexts to replace the perfect
tense when narrating, not when quoting in speech marks. It is used in novels). Endings don’t change
Regular verbs – er, ir, re
1. He listened
______________________________________________________________________________
2. They watched
______________________________________________________________________________
3. She failed (échouer)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. He left
______________________________________________________________________________
5. She left
______________________________________________________________________________
6. They sold
______________________________________________________________________________
7. The shoes that he polished
______________________________________________________________________________
8. He got up
______________________________________________________________________________
Irregular verbs
9. He had an accident
______________________________________________________________________________
10. She had an accident
______________________________________________________________________________
11. They had to go
______________________________________________________________________________
12. She was happy
______________________________________________________________________________
13. She made a sign to him
______________________________________________________________________________
14. He came to the party
______________________________________________________________________________
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15. She wanted a cake
______________________________________________________________________________
16. « She wanted a cake », he added (ajouter)
______________________________________________________________________________
X – The Past Historic (in French, the passé simple, used in literary contexts to replace the perfect
tense when narrating, not when quoting in speech marks. It is used in novels).
Regular verbs – er, ir, re
1. Il écouta
2. Ils regardèrent
3. Elle échoua
4. Il partit
5. Elle partit
6. Ils vendirent
7. Les chaussures qu’il polit
8. Il se leva
Irregular verbs
9. Il eut un accident
10. Elle eut un accident
11. Ils durent aller
12. Elle fut contente
13. Elle lui fit un signe
14. Il vint à la fête
15. Elle voulut un gâteau
16. « Elle a voulu un gâteau », il ajouta.
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