Table des Matiéres

GRAMMAR

INTRODUCTION

Having had the priviledge of living in France for nine months and recieving some formal training in the French language; I am trying to continue my French education. I am in the process of finishing a French I video course(High school level) from Bob Jones University along with reading and writing as time allows.

GRAMMAR

Articles

- Definite -

The Definite Article is used as the English word: the

• le - for masculine singular nouns
• la - for feminine singular nouns
• l' - for singular nouns beginning with a vowel or "h"
• les - for plural nouns

 Use the DA before each common noun in a series.

J'ai decide d'enregistrer les reflexions, les idees, les reactions.

 Use the DA before nouns used in a general sense(Americans, foreigners, considered as groups). Use the DA before abstract nouns (life, ambition, energy).

La vie ici me plait. (I like life here.)

Les Americans sont vraiment tolerants de erreurs que font les etrangers.

 Use the DA before the names of languages. Names of languages are masculine. Omit the article when the name follows en or when the name directly follows the verb parler. In current usage the article may be omitted even if an adverb comes between the verb parler and the name.

Le Francais est bien difficile. (French is really difficult.)

J'ai tendance a traduire litteralement en francais. (I tend to translate word for word into French.)

Il parle bien Francais. (He speaks French well.)

  Use the DA before titles of profession, nobility, and military rank when followed by a proper name. Do not use the DA before monsieur, madame, or mademoiselle.

Voila le docteur Pascal. (There's Doctor Pascal.)

Voila monsieur Reumeau. (There's Mr. Reumeau.)

  Use either the short or longer form of greeting (which includes the title of the profession) in direct address. Do not use the family name in direct address in French even though you might use it in English.

Bonjour, monsieur le professeur. (Good morning, professor.)

Bonsoir, monsieur. (Good evening, Mr. Reumeau)

  Use the DA instead of the possessive adjective before parts of the body and articles of clothing belonging to the subject of the sentence.

Il a besoin de se laver les mains et la figure. (He needs to wash his hands and face.)

Elle a un chapeau sur la tete. (She's wearing a hat.)

  Use the DA before names of seasons, before days of the week when a regular occurrence is implied, and before dates.

Le printemps, l`ete, l`automne et l` hiver sont les quatre saisons de l'annee. (Spring, summer, fall, and winter are the four seasons of the year.)

  Use the DA before names of continents, countries, provinces, mountains, and rivers. Use the DA before cities only if it is a part of the name of the city. Names of all continents are feminine. Names of all countries ending in a mute -e except le Mexique are feminine; names of other countries are masculine.

- Indefinite -

The Indefinite Article is used for the English words: a or an

• un - for masculine singular nouns that can be counted
• une- for feminine singular nouns that can be counted
• des - for plural nouns

  Use the IA before modified abstract nouns.

Elle a une patience extraordinaire. (She has extraodinary patience.)

  Do not use IAs when telling someone's nationality or profession. EXCEPTION: When there is an adjective included or when "C'est" is used instead of a personal pronoun.

Il est dentist. (He is a dentist.)

Il est une excellent dentist. OR C'est un dentist.

- Partitive -

• du - for masculine singular nouns
• de la - for feminine singular nouns
• de l' - for singular nouns beginning with a vowel or "h"
• des - for plural nouns

  The partitive refers to an unspecified number of objects of the same type (e.g. some students) or to an unspecified part of a total supply of any substance(e.g. some coffee). Although some or any may be ommitted in English, the partitive must always be expressed in French.

  Reduce the partitive to a de alone after a general negation (one which categorically denies that something exists, is wanted, possessed, available, and so on). Omit the indefinite or partitive article with ne... ni... ni. Retain the definite with ne... que; this is not a general negation. Retain the definite article with a negation that clarifies or chooses between two objects. Retain the definite article with ne... ni... ni if the definite article is used in English.

Vous n'avez pas de chance. (You don't have any luck.)

Ils n'ont ni argent ni ambition. (They have neither money nor ambition.) BUT

Ce cinema n'a que des films en francais. (This movie house has only French films.)

Je ne bois pas du cafe, mais de l`eau. (I'm not drinking coffee, but water.)

  Reduce the partitive to de alone when an adjective precedes a plural noun. Retain the definite article as usual in the partitive construction when an adjective precedes a singular noun and when an adjective follows a plural noun. Retain the definite article in the partitive construction before compound nouns (fixed expressions composed of an adjective and a noun), such as jeune fille or petits pois.

 Omit the definite article after....

 Use de but no article after a noun expressing a quantity.......

 Omit the article after verbs or expressions which require de before.......

Noms

Nouns ending in ade, ance, ee, ence, esse, sion, te, tion, and ure are almost always feminine. A few exceptions: grade, stade, centigrade, coryphee, lycee, silence, decollete, ete, doigte, feuillete, cote, saute, pate, comte, himation, ligure, bromure, mercure, and tellure. For additional information you can refer to the Webpage Le Truc de Genres. If you are really stuck and the word ends in e, feminine is a good guess, which works about 66% of the time.

Adjectives

The following is a list of most common adjectives that come before nouns along with a helpful way to remember them - the acronym bags:

• beauty - beau(belle),joli(e)
• age - vieux(vielle),nouveau(nouvelle),jeune
• goodness - bon(ne),mauvais(e)
• size - grand(e),gros(se),petit(e)

Most adjectives have two pronunciations; one when they refer to feminine noun and one when they refer to a masculine noun. From an oral point of view, it is usually better to learn the feminine form first as the masculine pronunciation can usually be found by dropping the last consonant sound of the feminine. The feminine adjective almost always ends in a written -e. A number of masculine adjectives end in -e also. In this case, masculine and feminine forms are pronounced and spelled identically. Some common French adjectives: petit(e), grand(e), joli(e), beau(belle), laid(e), jeune, vieux(vieille), mince, gros(se)

- Demonstrative -

Adverbs

Adverbs of place: ici, a coté, devant, derriere, dessus, dessous, dedans, dehors, partout, nulle part, loin, pres, ou, y, ailleurs, la-haut, la-bas

Adverbs of time: actuellement(at present), ne...jamais(never), quelquefois(sometimes), souvent(often), rarement(rarely), toujours(always) Adverbs of manner: bien mal, ainsi, de meme, autrement, ensemble, fort, volontiers, surtout, expres

Adverbs of time generally follow the verb they modify:
  Je vais souvent au restaurant.
  Nous mangeons quelquefois chez nous.

The adverb jamais requires the ne of negation before the verb when it means never.
  Ma femme ne mange jamais d`escargots.

The adverb jamais without the ne means ever in questions. If the response is affirmative, another adverb is used, jamais is not used. The negative of toujours is jamais.
  Tu mange jamais de la soupe?

Adverbs of quantity or degree: assez(enough), beaucoup(many,alot), (un) peu(a) little), tant(so much,so many), trop(too much,too many) Like the adverbs of time, the adverbs of quantity generally follow the verb they modify.
  Mon chien mange trop.

These adverbs can be used alone, or they can be used with a noun to tell the amount.
  Je prends beaucoup de café.

Adverbs of quantity will change the partitve to just de or d'
  du jus(some juice) --> trop de juice(too much juice)

Pronoms

- Suject -

Tu is informal. It is used to address one person with whom you have a close relationship . Vous is the singular form used in other cases. To address more than one person, one always uses vous. Note: Whether vous is singular or plural, the verb form is always plural.
On is a suject pronoun used to express generalities or unknowns, much as do the English forms one, someone, you, people. In informal situations, on can sometimes be used to mean we.

- Stress -

Stress pronouns (pronoms toniques) refer to people and are used only in certain grammatical contexts . As follows:

• to emphasize the subject
    Moi, j'ai visité l'école de Jean-Luc. (I visited Jean-Luc's school.)
• as the object of a preposistion
    Ils vont à l'école avec eux. (They go to school with them.)
    Nous allons chez lui. (We are going to his place.)
• when used without a verb
    Qui est là? Moi.
    Marie donne cinq francs à son frère. Et toi?

- Possessif -

- Direct Object -

A Direct Object receives the action of the verb it follows and answers the questions: whom or what. The direct object (i.e. the noun or noun phrase that immediately follows the verb) is replaced by a pronoun.

• me
• te
• la - her or it
• le - him or it
• nous
• vous
• les - them

The direct object pronoun is placed immediately before the verb. If the verb begins with a vowel, le and la become l` and les is pronounced /lez/. In negative sentences ne procedes the direct object pronoun and pas follows the conjugated verb or the auxillary verb.
  Non, je ne la regardé pas.

If the verb tense is passé composé, the object pronoun is placed before the auxiliary verb:
  Est-ce que Daniel a trouvé son stylo. -> Oui, il l`a trouvé.
  Non, je ne l'ai pas mangé.

If the verb phrase involves an infinitive, the Direct Object pronoun precedes the infinitive:
  Tu vas porter ce pull-over? -> Oui, je vais le porter.

The past participle agrees in number and gender with the preceding direct object pronoun:
  Claude a trouvé ses livres? -> Oui, il les a trouvés.
  Est-ce qu`il a perdu sa cravate? -> Oui, il l`a perdue.
  Il a acheté ses chaussures? -> Oui, il les a achetées.

- Indirect Object -

An Indirect Object receives the action of the verb it follows and answers the questions: to whom or for whom. The Indirect Object pronoun precedes the verb that refers to it: the verb may be either a conjugated form or an infinitive. Me and te become m`, t` before a verb starting with a vowel sound.

• me
• te
• lui - him or her
• nous
• vous
• leur - them

The pronouns me, te, nous, and vous can serve as either direct or indirect object pronous, depending on the grammatical context.
  Dieu nous aime. (us is a direct object)
  Dieu nous donne la vie éternelle. (us is a indirect object)

Third person indirect object pronouns replace à + a person, which in French grammer is considered an indirect object(in English it is considered a prepositional phrase). The singular lui (to him or to her) does not distinguish between the masculine and the feminine:
  J`ai envoyé une lettre à mon grand-pére. -> Je lui ai envoyé une lettre
  J`ai envoyé une carte postale à ma tante. -> Je lui ai envoyé une carte postale.

Note that the past participle does not agree with an indirect object pronoun as it would with a direct object pronoun.

- En -

Here the meaning of en is any, any of it or any of them.
  Je ne prends pas de pain. -> Je n`en prends pas. (I`ll not have any)
  Il ne mange jamais d`oeufs. -> Il n`en mange jamais (He never eats any)

In this context, the meaning of en is of it or of them.
  Il mange un peu de fromage. -> Il en mange un peu. (He eats a little of it)
  Je prends une tasse de café au lait. -> J`en prends une tasse. (I`ll have a cup of it)

The pronoun en also replaces the preposition de plus a noun referring to a thing:
   Est-ce que les Vissers viennent de Chicago? -> Oui, ils en viennent.
  Paul joue du piano? -> Oui, il en joue.

- Y -

The pronoun y also replaces the preposition à plus a noun referring to a thing:
  Répondez-vous à sa lettre? -> Oui, j`y réponds.
  Elle sait jouer au rugby? -> Oui, elle sait y jouer.

If the verb tense is PC:   Nous pouvons aller à Paris. -> Nous pouvons y aller.

- Relative -

For example, the two sentences:  Il y a un rapide. Ce rapide part tous les jours à 13 heures.
could be expressed as: Il y a un rapide qui part tous les jours à 13 heures.

The relative pronoun que is the direct object of its clause. It represents the noun or pronoun that precedes it. Likewise these sentences: Nous voyons le professeur. Tu préfères ce professeur.
could be expressed as: Nous voyons le professeur que tu préfères

Notice that the past participle must agree with the preceding direct object.
  Les gouttes qu'il m'a données m'ont aidé à respirer. The drops(that) he gave me helped me to breathe.

- Demonstrative -

Preposistions

à - used to mean at, to, or in with the name of a city. Some frequently used proposistions: de(from), en(in), prés de(near), loin de(far)

Conjunctions

Contractions

Negation

The negative in French consists of two parts: ne, which precedes the verb, and pas which follows the verb.

In the compound tenses the negative elements are place before and after the auxiliary verb.

Miscellaneous

When the verb avoir is followed by the indefinite article un/une/des (in an affirmative sentence, these articles will be replaced by de in a negative sentence.
   Nous avons un rendez-vous --> Nous n'avons pas de rendez-vous.

When two verbs follow in a sentence, the second one will be in the infinitive.
   Je veux voir les resultats. (I want to see the results.)

When the verb ends in a vowel, a t must be inserted between the verb and the pronoun il/s or elle/s.
   Parle-t-elle francais?

When used with an infinitive, the construction is ne pas + infinitive.
   Je prefere ne pas repondre. (I prefer not to reply.)

il y a vs. voilà: The expression il y a means there is or there are and denotes the existence of a particular noun.
   Il y a un garçon français dans ma class. (There is a French boy in my class.)

Voilà denotes the actual presence of a particular noun somewhere within sight.
   Voilà mon frère.

C'est vs. il est/elle est: Both of the following answers are correct; however, when the name of a profession is preceded by il est or elle est, the article is dropped.
   Quelle est la profession de M. Visser? C'est un pasteur. or Il est pasteur.

Information Questions

There are three categories of question words: adverbs, pronouns, and adjectives.
 Interrogative adverbs
In conversational French questions with interrogative adverbs are often formed with the words in the following order: question word + (est-ce que) + subject + verb + (complement, if any) (This use of est-ce que is optional)

 Interrogative pronouns
Qui can be either a subject or an object pronoun. When qui is the subject, the verb form is always third person singular.
  Qui a mangé ma soupe? Moi, j'ai mangé ta soupe.

When qui is the direct object, the verb agrees, of course, with the the subject of the sentence, as it does in sentences with interrogative adverbs.
  Qui est-ce que tu aimes? (Whom do you love?)
In either case the interrogative pronoun qui always refers to a person.

Que, on the other hand, refers to a thing and is used only as a direct object. Que is never used as a subject.
  Qu'est-ce que tu as dis? (What are you saying?)

  Interrogative adjective quel
As an adjective, quel is always used with a noun and agrees with that noun in number and gender, just as other adjectives.

Quel temps fait-il?

Quels cours est-ce que tu as?.

Quelle heure est-il?

Quelles villes est-ce que tu visites?

Sometimes quel may be separated from the noun that it modifies by a form of the verb être:
  Quelle est la date aujourd`hui?

The following table summarizes question formation with interrogative adverbs and pronouns.

VERBS

 Future Proche(Near Future) - consists of the present tense of aller + infinitive.

Je vais partir ce soir.

Je ne vais pas prendre l'autobus.

 Passé Composé - corresponds to either the past tense or the present perfect tense in English and consists of the present tense of avoir or être + a past participle.

J'ai toussé toute la nuit.(I coughed all nite or I have coughed...)

Tu as trouvé ton chien?

Je suis allé au Mont Saint Michel.

Adverb placement: Short adverbs(i.e. tant) are generally placed between the auxillary verb and the past participle.

    Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde.

In negation ne precedes the auxillary verb and pas(also jamais,point) follows it.

    Je n'ai pas pris ma température.

     Il n'a pas téléphone au medecin. (He did not call the doctor/He has not called...)

Object pronouns(en, y, IO, DO) always precede the auxillary verb.

    Ils ont étudiée la Bible a l'église -> Ils y ont étudiée la Bible.

     Elle a pris du beurre. -> Elle en a pris.

     J'ai posé la question au prof. -> Je l'ai posé au prof.

     Je n'ai pas posé la question a mes amis. -> Je ne leur ai pas posé la question.

Aller

 Aller + Infinitive is often used for near future(future proche) actions. The following will often be found in the sentence; bientot, demain, or l'annee prochaine.

Nous allons partir demain à 16 heures. (We are going to leave tommorrow at 4:00pm.)

Avoir

 Avoir can be used to mean ago.

Elle est rentrée il y a trois minutes. (She came home three minutes ago.)

 Avoir can be used in the il y a expression to mean "for, since+time period.

Il y a trois mois qu'il travaille a cette entreprise. (He has been working for that company for three months.)

 The same il y a expression is used to ask and answer questions about distance.

Combien y a-t-il d'ici au restaurant? (How far is it from here to the restautant?)

 Avoir is also used with en to express the idea of how long something will take.

J'en ai pour une minute. I'll just be a minute/It will just take a minute.)

 Avoir + a expresses obligation, just as in English when we say "We have to" do something.

J'ai a finir mes devoirs. (I have to finish my homework.)

Etre

 Etre is often used with Impersonal Pronouns, il and Ce to express the idea It is.

Il est 10h. It is 10:00.

C'est la soeur de Jean qui arrive. (It is John's sister who is arriving.)

 Il est can more stylistically be used to mean, there is/are.

Il est des gens qui ne s'engagent jamais. (There are people who never become involved.)

 Etre a + infinitive means, to be busy doing something.

Je suis a preparer le repas. (I am busy fixing dinner.)

 Etre a can also indicate turn.

C'est a vous. (It's your turn.)

 Etre is the auxilliary verb when reflexive verbs are conjugated in Passé Composé.

Elle s'est trompee. She made a mistake NOTE: verb ending agrees with the noun.

 With verbs of motion and change of condition(e.g. aller, venir, montrer, etc. 13 in all) etre is used in Passé Composé EXCEPT if the verb takes a Direct Object.

Je suis descendu du train. (I got off the train.)

J'ai descendu le carton du placard. (I got the box down from the cupboard.)

Idioms
   Je suis d'accord avec lui. (I agree with him.)
   Elle est en train d'ecrire sa these. (She is in the process of writing her thesis.)
   On est au courant de la situation. (We are aware of the situation.)

Devoir

 Devoir + infinitive

Les enfants doivent apprendre à être independants. (Children must learn to be independent.)

 Faire has casual power to make things happen.

J'ai fait venir le medecin. (I had the doctor come.)

Je me suis fait faire une robe en soie. (I had a silk dress made for myself.)

 If the infinitive used with faire has a Direct Object, then the personal object of faire must be indirect.

J'ai fait ecouter la radio aux enfants. (I had the children listen to the radio.)

Je leur ai fait ecouter la radio. (I had them listen to the radio.)

Je la leur ai fait ecouter. (I had them listen to it.)

 Faire is used to tell the weather.

Il fait beau. (It is nice out.)

 Faire is used to tell weight and height.

Elle fait 2 metres. (She is (roughly) six feet tall.)

 ne faire que de = just

Elle ne fait que de partir. She just left OU Elle vient juste de partir.

Je vient juste de faire cela. (I just did that.)

Idioms
   faire semblant de - to pretend + infinitive
   faire partie de - to belong to + infinitive
   faire de mal a - to harm someone/something
   se faire que - to happen, Comment se fait-it que tu es si riche? How is it that you are so rich?
   faire attention a- to pay attention to
   faire l'objet de - to be the subject of something
   Cet auteur fait l'objet d'une etude fascinante. That author is the subject of a fascinating study.
   faire l'impression de - to create the impression of
   se faire - to make for oneself
   faire part a - to inform, Ils nous ont fait part du marriage de leur fille. They announced to us the wedding of their daughter.

Falloir

 Falloir is ONLY conjugated with il(it).

 Il faut que + infinitive translates as it is necessary that...

 Adding an indirect object pronoun to this expression specifies who must do something(in any tense).

Il lui faudra finir ce projet. He will have to finish that project.

 Falloir in Conditional translates as should

Il me faudrait rendre ce livre au professuer. I should give this book back to the professor.

 Falloir in the Past Conditional translates as would have been necessary or should have

Il aurait fallu rentrer avant minuit si on voulait voir ce film. It would have been necessary to come home before midnight if we wanted to see that film.

 Falloir can also indicate lack of something.

Il me faut un crayon. I need a pencil.

 Certain expressions use "s'en falloir" to express lack.

Peu s'en faut que Paul ne soit aussi habille que sa soeur. It would only take a little for Paul to be as skillful as his sister.

Tant s'en faut. Far from it.

Il s'en faut de beaucoup que je gagne autant que toi. It would take alot for me to earn as much as you.

Mettre

Idioms
   se mettre a - to begin
   se mettre en route - to get started, to start on a trip
   mettre quelque chose au point - to perfect something
   mettre au courant - to inform, to bring up to date
   mettre + length of time - to take time to do something
   mettre la table - to set the table
   se mettre a table - to sit down to eat
   mettre des vetements - to put on/try on cloths

Pouvoir and Vouloir

 If the verbs pouvoir and vouloir are used with another verb, that verb will be in the infinitive form.

Denis peut devenir pasteur. Dennis can become a pastor.

Anne et Eric veulent visiter les classes. Anne and Eric want to visit the classes.

Savoir

 savoir means to know or to know how to

Elle sait nager. She knows how to swim.

 ne + savoir in the Conditional means cannot/would not know how to

Je ne saurais vous dire la verite. I cannot tell you the truth.

 savoir vs. connaître: savoir is used with knowing facts; connaître is used with knowing people or places. Savoir, unlike connaître, may be used alone:
  Je ne sais pas.

Suivre

 suivre translates as to follow or to take[a course] BUT in the "je" form, the conjugation looks like the verb "to be".

Je suis un cours de biologie. I am taking a biology course.

Venir

 venir de (in present tense) + infinitive means "just did something"; in imperfect, "had just done something...". These are the only 2 tenses used in this expression.

Je viens de voir ce film. I just saw that film.

Je venais de lire ce roman, quand le film est sorti. I had just read the novel when the film came out.

 venir uses etre in ALL compound tenses.

il est venu/il sera venu/il serait venu/il etait venu - he came/he will have come/he would have come/he had come

Idioms
   venir a + infinitive - to happen to, Si tu viens a trouver cette robe, dis-le-moi. If you happen to find that dress, let me know.
   en venir a + infinitive - to be reduced to,to come to
   Il en vient a baisser les bras, car il a trouve le travail trop difficile. He was reduced to giving up, because he found the work too difficult