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FRENCH IIGrammar
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
General Grammar - How it works in French
Nouns
Verbs and verb conjugation
Adjectives
Articles
Unit 1 – Clothing and Shopping
Lesson 1.1 I can talk about clothing
Lesson 1.2 I can shop for clothes and plan appropriate outfits for events or weather
Unit 2 – My Daily Routine
Lesson 2.1 I can describe my daily routine
Lesson 2.2 I can describe my house
Lesson 2.3 I can talk about my chores
Unit 3 – Healthy Eating
Lesson 3.1 I can talk about food
Lesson 3.2 I can talk about healthy eating
Lesson 3.3 I can talk about recipes
Unit 4 – Entertain Me
Lesson 4.1 I can compare/contrast events and respond to invitations
Lesson 4.2 I can talk about past activities and events
Unit 5 – Getting Around Town
Lesson 5.1 I can describe places in town and give directions
Lesson 5.2 I can talk about where I went and how I got there
Lesson 5.3 I can plan a trip by plane or train
Unit 6 – I Need a Doctor
Lesson 6.1 I can talk about how I feel
Lesson 6.2 I can talk to a doctor about an accident
Unit 1 Quizlet Unit 2 Quizlet Unit 3 Quizlet
Unit 4 Quizlet Unit 5 Quizlet Unit 6 Quizlet
Grammar: NounsNOUNS
https://french.kwiziq.com/blog/nouns-pronouns-grammar-without-grief/#2-testmy-french
One of the eight parts of speech, a noun is commonly defined as "a person, place, or thing." If that seems vague, that’s because it is: nouns can be visible (water) or invisible (air), they can be concrete (books) or abstract (ideas). Some are commonplace (stones), some are rare (diamonds), and others are non-existent (unobtainium). Generally speaking, if you can use "a," "the," "some," or "this" in front of any stand-alone word, it’s a noun.GenderIn French, all nouns have a gender. Stones and ideas are feminine, while books and diamonds are masculine. This can be hard to wrap your mind around, but it might help to think about gender in English, limited as it is. Girls and women are feminine, which is reflected grammatically in the use of "she" and "her," while boys and men are masculine: "he" and "his." The difference is that in French, grammatical gender has nothing to do with biological gender. It is absolutely essential to learn the gender of a noun at the same time as you learn the noun. The best way to do this is by learning an article with every noun, rather than just the noun itself. Don’t make vocabulary lists like this:
livre – bookidée – idea
pierre – stonediamant – diamond
But rather, like this:un livre – bookune idée – idea
une pierre – stoneun diamant – diamond
That way, the article will be attached to the noun in your brain, and you won’t spend the next several years asking people (as those of us who did not learn genders and nouns together constantly do) "is ___ masculine or feminine?" Gender is an intrinsic part of French grammar – adjectives, certain pronouns, and even some verbs change to agree with the gender of the nouns they are used with, so by learning gender and nouns together, you’ll make all of these other
Grammar: Nounsaspects of French grammar that much easier.
Feminine Forms and PluralsSome nouns referring to people and animals have different forms for masculine and feminine, and most nouns have different forms for singular and plural, which means there can be up to 4 forms of any given noun.
masculine singular masculine plural
feminine singular feminine plural
Feminine and/or plural endings are added to the default masculine singular form. For regular nouns, these endings are e for feminine and s for plural.
Par exemple…
un étudiant (student)
un étudiant des étudiants
une étudiante des étudiantes
When the default form of the noun ends in s, x, or z, the singular and plural forms are the same.
Par exemple…
une brebis des brebis ewe(s)
un choix des choix choice(s)
un nez des nez nose(s)
When the default form of the adjective ends in e, the masculine and feminine forms are the same.
Par exemple…
un artiste (artist)
un artiste des artistes
une artiste des artistes
Grammar: NounsA few nouns have completely different masculine and feminine equivalents.
Par exemple…
un hommeman
une femmewoman
un garçonboy
une fillegirl
un taureaubull
une vachecow
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
The subject of a verb is the person or thing, which performs the action of that verb: Tom travaille. Tom is working.
Mes parents habitent en Espagne. My parents live in Spain.
La voiture ne veut pas démarrer. The car won't start.
Subject pronouns replace this person or thing: Il travaille. He is working.
Ils habitent en Espagne. They live in Spain.
Elle ne veut pas démarrer. It won't start.
When studying French, you must understand subject pronouns before you can begin learning how to conjugate verbs, because the forms of verbs change for each subject pronoun.
Click below for detailed information about how to use each French subject pronoun:
Grammar: NounsSingular 1st person je I 2nd person tu you 3rd person il he, it elle she, it on onePlural 1st person nous we 2nd person vous you 3rd person ils they (m) elles they (f)
French subject pronoun: je = IThe first person singular French subject pronoun je is used a lot like its English equivalent "I": Je travaille tous les jours. I work every day.
Je veux voir ce film. I want to see this movie.
Je sais ce qui s'est passé. I know what happened.Notes1. Unlike "I," je is only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence.
Hier, je suis allé à la plage. Yesterday, I went to the beach.
Non, je ne veux pas voir ce film. No, I don't want to see this movie.
Dois-je commencer maintenant ? Do I have to start now?
2. Je must contract to j' when followed by a vowel or mute h.
J'aime danser. I like to dance.
Tu sais, j'ai le même problème. You know, I have the same problem.
Oui, j'habite en France. Yes, I live in France.
Grammar: NounsFrench subject pronouns: tu, vous = youLesson |
In English, the second person subject pronoun is always "you," no matter how many people you're talking to, and regardless of whether you know them. But French has two different words for "you": tu and vous.
The difference in meaning between these two words is very important* - you must understand when and why to use each of them. Otherwise, you may inadvertently insult someone by using the wrong "you."
Tu is the familiar "you," which demonstrates a certain closeness and informality. Use tu when speaking to oneI. friendII. peer / colleagueIII. relativeIV. childV. pet
Vous is the formal "you." It is used to show respect or maintain a certain distance or formality with someone. Use vous when speaking toI. someone you don't know wellII. an older personIII. an authority figureIV. anyone to whom you wish to show respect
Vous is also the plural "you" - you have to use it when talking to more than one person, no matter how close you are.
Summary familiar and singular: tu familiar and plural: vous formal and singular: vous formal and plural: vous
Because the tu / vous distinction doesn't exist in English, beginning French students often have trouble with it. Some people follow the guideline of using whatever the other person uses with them. This can be misleading: someone in authority may use tu with you, but that certainly doesn't mean that you can respond in kind. You can try asking On peut se tutoyer ?, but when in doubt, I tend to use vous. I'd rather show someone too much respect than not enough!
*There are even verbs to indicate which pronoun you're using: tutoyer = to use tu
Grammar: Nouns vouvoyer = to use vous
French subject pronouns: il, elle = he, she, itThe French third person singular subject pronouns il and elle are used just like their English equivalents "he" and "she" when talking about people:
Il aime skier. He likes to ski.
Elle veut être médecin. She wants to be a doctor.
In addition, both il and elle can also mean "it." In French, all nouns are either masculine or feminine, so to replace them, you use the subject pronouns corresponding to that gender.
Je vais au musée - il est ouvert jusqu'à 20h00. I'm going to the museum - it's open until 8pm.
Où est la voiture ? Elle est chez Jean. Where's the car? It's at Jean's place.
SummaryI. Il can refer to a male, "he," as well a masculine noun, "it."II. Elle can indicate a female, "she," or a feminine noun, "it."
French subject pronoun: on = one, we, you, theyOn is the indefinite pronoun and literally means "one." It's often equivalent to the English passive voice.
On ne devrait pas poser cette question. One shouldn't ask that question.
On demande : caissier. Cashier wanted.
On ne dit pas ça. That isn't said.
Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.
In addition, on is an informal replacement for "we," "you," "they," "someone," or "people in general."
Grammar: Nouns
On va sortir ce soir. We're going out tonight.
Alors les enfants, que veut-on faire ? OK kids, what do you want to do?
On dit que ce resto est bon. They say that this restaurant is good.
On a trouvé mon portefeuille. Someone found my wallet.
On est fou ! People are crazy!
On ne sait jamais You never know
French subject pronoun: nous = weThe first person plural French subject pronoun nous is used exactly like "we" in English.
Nous allons en Égypte. We're going to Egypt.
J'espère que nous arriverons à temps. I hope we arrive in time.
Devons-nous travailler ensemble ? Do we have to work together?
Quand pouvons-nous commencer ? When can we begin?
French subject pronouns: ils, elles = theyFrench has two third person plural subject pronouns, ils and elles, and they both mean "they."
Ils is used for groups of men as well as mixed-gender groups.
Je ne vois pas mes frères. Sont-ils déjà partis ? I don't see my brothers. Did they already leave?
Grammar: Nouns
Paul et Anne viennent, mais ils sont en retard. Paul and Anne are coming, but they're running late.
Ils is also used for groups of all masculine nouns and groups of mixed masculine-feminine nouns.
J'ai trouvé tes livres - ils sont sur la table. I found your books - they're on the table.
Le stylo et la plume ? Ils sont tombés par terre. The pen and pencil? They fell on the floor.
Elles can be used only when every single person or thing you're referring to is female or feminine.
Où sont Annette et Marie ? Elles arrivent. Where are Annette and Marie? They're on their way.
J'ai acheté des pommes - elles sont dans la cuisine. I bought some apples - they're in the kitchen.
NotesEven when talking about a room full of a hundred women and one man, you have to use ils.Ils and elles are pronounced exactly like il and elle, respectively, except in a liaison.
Grammar: Verbs
VERBS
“Why, oh why do we have to conjugate verbs?” Almost every student I teach asks this question at some point. So if you feel like conjugating a verb is frustrating, unnecessary, redundant, etc., you are not alone! Regardless of your feelings about verb conjugation, it is one of THE most important concepts you MUST learn in order to communicate in French.
FIRST, let’s take a look at a French verb and what it really is. A verb is an action word and therefore communicates that something is happening (has happened, will happen, etc.). For our purposes today, the verb has two main forms: infinitive and conjugated.
In its infinitive state (not conjugated) a verb simply denotes an action, but no one is doing the action.
AIMER = to like Who likes something? No one!FINIR = to finish Who is finishing? No one!VENDRE = to sellWho sells? No one!
In its conjugated state (changed from the infinitive) someone is doing the action.
J’AIME = I like , I do like, I am likingTU FINIS = You finish, you do finish, you are finishingELLE VEND = She sells, she does sell, she is selling
So what changes between the infinitive and conjugated states?
AIMER – J’AIME : aimer changes its spelling to aime and j’ is added (not je because of the vowel)
FINIR – TU FINIS : finir changes its spelling to finis and tu is addedVENDRE – ELLE VEND : vendre changes its spelling to vend and elle is added
Those changes are what conjugation is all about! Without the changes we get this:
J’aimer = I to likeTu finir = You to finishElle vendre = She to sell
Without conjugation, you will sound like the young child, who doesn’t quite have a grasp on the language:I to like pizza! You to finish the game? She to sell ice cream.
So how do we get from the infinitive to the conjugated state? It’s easy!! Just follow the steps!
Grammar: Verbs
Step #1Drop the ending. aimER = aim
finIR = finvendRE = vend
(-er, -ir, -re are the equivalent of “to” for us- TO like)
Step #2Decide who is doing the action.
Je = I Nous = WeTu = You (singular/informal) Vous = You (plural, formal)Il = He Ils = They (males or males/females)Elle = She Elles = They (all females)On = One/people (one must eat more vegetables to be healthy)
Step #3Add the NEW ending. Whenever you remove letters from the verb infinitive, you must
add new letters to match the person doing the action. This will typically follow a pattern connected with the letters removed from the infinitive (the –ER, -IR, -RE).
For most –ER verbs, you will add the following:
Je + verb + E Nous + verb + ONSJ’aimE Nous aimONS
Tu + verb + ES Vous + verb + EZTu aimES Vous aimEZ
Il/Elle/On + verb + E Ils/Elles + verb + ENTIl aimE Ils aimENT
For most –IR verbs, you will add the following:
Je + verb + IS Nous + verb + ISSONSJe finIS Nous finISSONS
Tu + verb + IS Vous + verb + ISSEZTu finIS Vous finISSEZ
Il/Elle/On + verb + IT Ils/Elles + verb + ISSENTIl finIT Ils finISSENT
For most –RE verbs, you will add the following:
Je + verb + S Nous + verb + ONS
Grammar: VerbsJe vendS Nous vendONS
Tu + verb + S Vous + verb + EZTu vendS Vous vendEZ
Il/Elle/On + verb + nothing Ils/Elles + verb + ENTIl vend Ils vendENT
There you have it! Follow the steps! 1 – Drop the –ER, -IR, or –RE. 2 – Decide who is doing the action. 3 – Add the new letters.
What happens if you DON’T do the steps or miss match the patterns? Your sentences WON’T make sense!
*It is important to note that in English we have three different ways to say the same thing:
You sell / You are selling / You do sell - These essentially mean the same thing, but we use them in different situations. Not so in French!
Tu vends = you sell / Tu vends = you are selling / Tu vends = you do sell
To say that something IS NOT happening, ne…pas is added around the verb.
I don’t like = Je n’aime pas We aren’t finishing = Nous ne finissons pas
You don’t sell = Tu ne vends pas You guys do not like = Vous n’aimez pas
She isn’t finishing = Elle ne finit pas They aren’t selling = Ils ne vendent pas
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/Introduction-To-French-Verbs.htm
Grammar: Verbs
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/fl/French-Verb-Conjugator-How-To-Conjugate-French-Verbs.htm
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-conjugate-regular-french-verbs.html
Grammar: AdjectivesADJECTIVES
http://www.fluentu.com/french/blog/advanced-french-adjectives/?lang=en
Part 1. FRENCH VS. ENGLISH ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are words which describe a subject and answer the question: what kind of..?
The main difference between English and French adjectives are:
a. The changes in form. English adjectives change only when used to compare (she is prettier than Claire) while French adjectives have to “agree” with the word they are describing according to its gender and quantity (il est joli, elle est jolie).
b. The placement in a sentence. French adjectives are usually placed AFTER the noun (the cat black), while English adjectives come BEFORE it (the black cat).
Part 2. HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ADJECTIVES “AGREE”
The basic rule in changing a masculine adjective into its feminine form is simply to add an -e to its ending. If it already ends with an -e, usually you do not need to add another one. (
A lot of adjectives that end in a consonant can be changed to feminine by doubling the consonant and adding an -e towards the end.
Some irregular masculine adjectives have another set of masculine forms which are used when describing words that begin with a vowel or an h.
To change an adjective into its plural form, the basic rule is to add an -s. But if it already ends in -s or -x, no additional suffix is needed.
For adjectives that end in -eau or -al, the plural form is -eaux or -aux.
A few adjectives never change their form no matter what kind of noun they are describing
Grammar: AdjectivesPart 3. WHERE TO PLACE FRENCH ADJECTIVES IN A SENTENCE
There are four kinds of adjectives in French based on where they appear in a sentence:
Adjectives that come AFTER the subject they are describing – this is the most common case.
A small group of adjectives come BEFORE the subject. (BANGS1)
Multiple adjectives can be connected using et which means and in English.
1 See 4.3
Grammar: ArticlesARTICLES
https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-to-french-articles-1368810
One of the eight parts of speech, an article is a word that modifies a noun in a particular way, by stating whether the noun is specific, unspecific, or partial. French articles agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify, and there are three types:
Definite / Défini
The definite article indicates that the speaker is referring to either a specific noun or to a class of nouns in a general sense. The English definite article, the, has four equivalent forms in French, depending on the gender and number of the noun as well as what letter it begins with.
Singular Plural
Masculine le le livre the book
les
les livres the books
Feminine la la table the table les tables the tables
Vowel or h muet l’ l’abricot the apricot les abricots the apricots
Learn more about definite articles.
Indefinite / Indéfini
The indefinite article indicates that the speaker is referring to either an unspecific noun or to one/some of something. The English indefinite article has two forms, a and an, while the French has three, depending on the gender and number of the noun.
The English equivalent of des is some, which is not considered an article in English.
Singular Plural
Grammar: Articles
Masculine un un abricot an apricotdes
des livres some books
Feminine une une table a table des tables some tables
Unit 1.1
UNIT 1: Clothing
Lesson 1.1 I can talk about clothing
Essential Standards:
1. Specific questions/answers2. IR verbs3. Prices4. Clothing
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. IR Verbs
Like -ER verbs, regular -IR verbs follow a pattern. To conjugate the verb(change it to say that someone is doing the action), follow these steps:
1. Remove the -IR
2. Add the right letters according to who is doing the action
je + is nous + issonstu + is vous + issezil + it ils + issentelle + it elles + issenton + it
Here are some regular IR verbs:
finirchoisirgrosser
maigrirgrandiraccomplir
réfléchirobéirréussir
3. Prices
Unit 1.1
To review the numbers in French, go here: http://blogs.transparent.com/french/french-numbers-learn-how-to-count-from-1-to-1000/
4. Clothing
When talking about clothing items, don’t forget to make the adjectives agree. See “Adjectives” in the grammar section for a review
Unit 1.2Lesson 1.2 I can shop for clothing and plan appropriate outfits for events or weather
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. RE verbs3. Pronouns: le, la, les, l’4. Futur proche5. Adjectif demonstratif et interrogatif6. Useful expressions – il faut7. Weather – faire – add more expressions - link
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. RE Verbs
Like -ER and -IR verbs, regular -RE verbs follow a pattern. To conjugate the verb (change it to say that someone is doing the action), follow these steps:
1. Remove the -RE
2. Add the right letters according to who is doing the action
je + s nous + onstu + s vous + ezil + ils + entelle + elles + enton +
Here are some regular IR verbs:
attendreconfondredéfendreentendre
perdrerendre visite àvendrerépondre à
Here are some irregular RE verbs:
mettre lire
Unit 1.2dire courir
Check your irregular verbs list for their conjugations
3. Direct object pronounsA direct object is a noun, whether person or thing, that someone or something acts upon. In the simplest sentences, the direct object directly follows the verb, so it’s very easy to see the effect that the verb has on the noun. In order to avoid repeating nouns in a series of sentences or when answering questions, both French and English replace direct objects with direct object pronouns.
En comparaison…
Elle voit Grégoire. Elle connaît Grégoire depuis 2 ans.
She sees Grégoire. She’s known Grégoire for 2 years.
Elle voit Grégoire. Elle le connaît depuis 2 ans.
She sees Grégoire. She’s known him for 2 years.
French has seven direct object pronouns (DOPs) — and three more when you count the forms with an apostrophe. Here are the direct object pronouns and their English equivalents.
me (m’ in front of a vowel or mute -h) (me) te (t’ in front of a vowel or mute -h) (you [singular informal]) le (l’ in front of a vowel or mute -h) (him/it [masculine]) la (l’ in front of a vowel or mute -h) (her/it [feminine]) nous (us) vous (you [singular formal or plural informal and formal]) les (them)
Because it replaces a noun, a pronoun takes the appearance of the noun as much as possible, kind of like a chameleon! The pronoun must match the noun in gender and number.
If the noun to be replaced is masculine (such as le père, which means the father), the pronoun must be masculine (le).
If the noun to be replaced is feminine (such as la voiture, which means the car), the pronoun must be feminine (la).
If the noun to be replaced is plural masculine or feminine (such as ses enfants, which means his/her children), the pronoun must be plural (les).
Unit 1.2KNOW WHEN TO USE A FRENCH DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
When you can go directly from a verb to its object (what the verb acts upon), you are dealing with a direct object (I give money). If there is a preposition (I give to charity) between the verb and an object, then you have an indirect object.You can use a direct object pronoun to replace any noun, as long as the following two conditions are met:
The noun to be replaced refers to a person or a thing. For example:
Elle aime ses enfants. (She likes her kids.) → Elle les aime. (She likes them.)
Il aime le fromage. (He likes cheese.) → Il l’aime. (He likes it.)
The noun you want to replace is specific — that is, it’s preceded by a specific determiner such as a definite article (le, la, or les [the]), a possessive (mon [my], ton [your], and so on), or a demonstrative (ce [this]). If the noun you want to replace is preceded by an indefinite determiner such as un, une, or des (a, an, some), don’t use the DOP.Here’s a little trick that will really make the process of deciding if the object is specific easier for you. Proceed like this:
Question: Is the object I’m considering an “it/them” or a “some”?Answer: It’s an “it/them” → Use the DOP.Answer: It’s a “some” → Don’t use the DOP, and read the later section about the pronouns en and y.
For example, in I like my comfort (J’aime mon confort), “my comfort” is definitely an “it,” but in I want some comfort (Je veux du confort), you would not be able to use the direct object pronoun to replace it because of the word some (du).
HOW TO WRITING A SENTENCE WITH A DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
Now you’re ready to start building sentences that include a DOP. Here’s how to proceed:1. Find the noun or phrase that is the direct object of the verb.For example, Paul aime les
pommes. (Paul likes apples.)
2. Choose the DOP that matches the direct object in number (singular or plural) and gender (feminine or masculine).Les pommes is feminine plural, so the corresponding DOP is les.
3. Remove the entire direct object from your sentence.In this example, you’re left with Paul aime.
Unit 1.2
4. Replace the direct object with the pronoun and place the pronoun properly in the sentence.In most sentences, you place the pronoun before the verb, but exceptions exist. In this example, you wind up with Paul les aime.
http://www.dummies.com/languages/french/how-to-use-french-direct-object-pronouns/
https://www.thoughtco.com/direct-object-pronouns-1368838
4. Near future review
To talk about things that will happen in the future, use the following sentence structure:
Subject + aller + infinitive
Je vais ranger = I’m going to clean (in the future)
Nous allons laver = We are going to wash (in the future)
See the irregular verb list for the conjugation of aller
5. Demonstrative and interrogative adjectives
Adjectifs démonstratifsDemonstrative adjectives are used to indicate a specific noun or nouns. In French, they must agree with the noun(s) in number and sometimes gender.
Par exemple…Ce livre est très bon. This/That book is really good.
Je vais acheter ces chaises. I’m going to buy these/those chairs.
Characteristics of demonstrative adjectives Used in place of an article, not with one Placed directly in front of a noun or an adjective + noun Agree with the demonstrated noun in number and sometimes gender Demonstrative adjective + noun can be replaced by a demonstrative pronoun
Unit 1.2
French demonstrative adjectivesMasculine Before vowel Feminine
this, that ce cet cette
these, those ces ces ces
There are three singular adjectives:Masculine: ce
Masculine in front of a vowel: cetFeminine: cette
When a singular demonstrative adjective precedes a masculine noun or adjective that begins with a vowel or h muet, cet is used to avoid a hiatus.
Par exemple…
ce homme cet homme this/that man
ce ancien château cet ancien château this/that former château+ There is only one plural demonstrative adjective: ces.
Cettes does not exist, and neither does cets.
Par exemple…
ces femmes these/those women
ces hommes these/those men
French vs English
French demonstrative pronouns make no distinction between "this" and "that" – ce, cet, and cette can each mean either one. Likewise, ces can mean "these" or "those." When you need to make the distinction, you can attach a suffix to the noun:
–ci = "this" or "these"–là = "that" or "those"
Par exemple…
Unit 1.2
cette chaise-ci this chair
ces chaises-là those chairs
Je vais à cet hôtel-ci, pas à cette maison-là. I’m going to this hotel, not that house.
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/demonstrative-adjectives/
https://www.thoughtco.com/french-demonstrative-adjectives-1368790
Adjectifs interrogatifs
When asking someone to make a choice between two or more things, you need the interrogative adjective quel, meaning "which" or "what."
Par exemple…
Quel film veux-tu voir ? Which movie do you want to see?
Quelle ville est plus jolie : Annecy ou Besançon ? Which city is prettier: Annecy or Besançon?
Characteristics of interrogative adjectives
Used in place of an article, not with one Placed directly in front of a noun Must agree with the noun in gender and number Are identical to French exclamative adjectives Quel + noun can be replaced by lequel
French interrogative adjectives
Singular Plural
Unit 1.2
Masculine quel quels
Feminine quelle quelles
All four words are pronounced identically in front of consonants: the s in the plural forms is silent. In front of a vowel or mute h, a liaison is required.
Asking questionsYou can ask questions with either est-ce que or inversion.
Par exemple…
Quel film est-ce que tu préfères ?Quel film préfères-tu?
Which movie do you prefer?
Quels livres est-ce qu’elle doit acheter ?Quels livres doit-elle acheter ?
What books does she need to buy?
Informally, you can put quel and the noun at the end of the question:
Tu préfères quel film ? You prefer which movie?
Elle doit acheter quels livres ? She needs to buy what books?
When asking a question with a verb that needs a preposition, the preposition precedes quel.
Par exemple…
À quel voyage est-ce que tu penses ?À quel voyage penses-tu ?
Which trip are you thinking about?
Sur quelle table est-ce que tu as mis ton sac ?Sur quelle table as-tu mis ton sac ?
Which table did you leave your bag on?
Quel + être
Quel est … ? means "what is … ?" Quels sont … ? means "what are … ?"
Par exemple…
Unit 1.2
Quelle est la solution ? What’s the solution?
Quels sont les cours les plus intéressants? What are the most interesting classes?
Set expressions
Quelle heure est-il ? What time is it? telling time
Quelle est la date? What’s the date? dates
Quel jour sommes-nous / est-il ? What day is it? days
Beyond questions
Despite the name, the interrogative adjective quel is not limited to questions.Par exemple…
Je ne sais pas quelle chemise acheter. I don’t know which shirt to buy.
Il ne m’a pas dit à quelle heure il va arriver. He didn’t tell me what time he’s arriving.
To say "which one?" you need the interrogative pronoun lequel.
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/interrogative-adjectives/
https://www.thoughtco.com/french-interrogative-adjectives-1368795
6. Useful Expressions
Please see your vocab list
Here are a few extra:http://www.fluentu.com/french/blog/french-shopping-vocabulary-words-phrases-list/?lang=en
Unit 1.2
7. Weather
Weather in French is often expressed using faire:
il fait beauil fait chaud
il fait mauvaisil fait du soleil
etc.
Neiger and pleuvoir, however, are verbs themselves and do not use faire:
il neige il pleut
Unit 2.1UNIT 2: My Daily Routine
Lesson 2.1 I can describe my daily routine.
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Reflexive verbs3. Expressions with faire (faire la toilette)4. Hygiene vocabulary5. sortir/partir/dormir- present
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs are conjugated just like other verbs (-er, -ir, -re), but have an added reflexive pronoun. They are used to indicate that an action is done to oneself. In English, we express this in 2 ways:
I wash myself.I’m washing my face.
In French the reflexive pronoun indicates both of those meanings for us. Notice the difference:
je lave la voiture - I am washing the carje me lave - I am washing myself
The pronouns are:
je ME lave nous NOUS lavonstu TE laves vous VOUS lavezil SE lave ils SE laventelle SE lave elles SE laventon SE lave
Unit 2.1Because the pronouns indicate “myself, yourself, ourselves, etc.” we do NOT use the possessive adjective to describe what we are doing the action to; instead, we use the definite article.
For example:
English: I’m washing MY face.French: Je me lave LA visage.
English: We are brushing OUR teeth.French: Nous nous brossons LES dents.
See your vocabulary list for a list of reflexive verbs
3. Expressions with Faire
Certain sayings/expressions do not translate literally from English to French and vice versa.
Faire = to do/make
Je fais nous faisonstu fais vous faitesil/elle fait ils/elles font
Here are some common expressions with faire:
faire beau/mauvais - nice/bad weatherfaire le ménage - to do houseworksee your vocab list for more in this unit
Here are some additional fun ones:
faire la fête - to partyfaire attention - to be carefulfaire la grasse matinée - being lazy at homefaire la tête - to be in a bad mood
4. Hygiene vocabulary
Please see your vocab list
Unit 2.1Here are a few extra:https://www.talkinfrench.com/french-vocabulary-health-hygiene/
5. Sortir, partir, dormir
Dormir ("to sleep"), partir (“to leave”), and sortir (“to go out”) are very common irregular -ir verbs in the French language. These verbs are part of an important set of irregular -ir verbs that share conjugation patterns.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON OF PRESENT-TENSE CONJUGATIONS
Dormir (to sleep) Sortir (to go out) Partir (to leave)Je dors sur un matelas dur. I sleep on a hard mattress.
Je sors tous les soirs.I go out every night.
Je pars à midi.I'm leaving at noon.
Dormez-vous d'un sommeilléger ?Do you sleep lightly?
Sortez-vous maintenant?Are you going out now?
Partez-vous bientôt?Are you leaving soon?
je dors sors parttu dors sors parsil dort sort partnous dormons sortons partonsvous dormez sortez partonsils dorment sortent partent
https://www.thoughtco.com/partir-sortir-dormir-french-verbs-1368888
Unit 2.2Lesson 2.2 I can describe my house
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Prepositions of location3. House vocabulary
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Prepositions of location
To describe where something is located, you will need the prepositions of location:
surentresousderrière
dansdevantprès de*à côté de*
*The important thing to remember about these is that the ‘de’ may combine with the following article.
près de la chaise près du lità côté de l’évier à côté des escaliers
3. House vocabulary
See your vocabulary list Here are a few extra:https://www.thoughtco.com/french-home-vocabulary-a-la-maison-1371263
Unit 2.3
Lesson 2.3 I can talk about my chores
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Idiomatic expressions (with faire 3. Devoir, il faut4. Near future review5. Chore vocabulary
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Idiomatic expresions – expressions that don’t change literally
Just like with the expressions with faire, not all sentences translate literally. See your vocab list for those with this unit, here are a few more:
Propre Clean
Sale Dirty
Nettoyer le lavabo To clean the sink
Ranger les magazines To put away the magazines
dépoussiérer / épousseter to dust
Unit 2.3
Nettoyer les vitres To clean the windows
Vider la corbeille To empty the wastepaper basket
Mettre le couvert Set the silverware
Couper le pain To cut the bread
Laver les légumes To wash the vegetables
Éplucher les carottes To peel the carrots
Essuyer les verres To dry the glasses
Essuyer la table To wipe the table
Vider les ordures To empty the garbage
Laver le linge Laundry
Repasser les chemises To iron the shirts
Un fer à repasser Iron
Le jardinage Gardening
Unit 2.3
Arroser les plantes To water the plants
Arroser les fleurs To water the flowers
Un sécateur pruner / secateurs
Couper l'herbe To cut the grass
planter des fleurs to plant flower
Une tondeuse Lawn mower
Un tuyau d'arrosage Hose
Tailler les arbustes To prune the shrubs
M'aider à nettoyer le salon Help me clean the living room
Me donner un coup de main Give me a hand
Me rendre service Do me a favor
Promener le chien To walk the dog
Vider l’aquarium To empty the aquarium
Unit 2.33. Ought to, should, have to
There are several ways to express these in French:
Il faut2 + infinitive - Il faut passer l’aspirateur = You ought/should/have to vacuum
Tu devrais3 + infinitive - Tu devrais passer l’aspirateur = You ought/should/have to vacuum
Tu dois4 + infinitive- Tu dios passer l’aspirateur = You ought/should/have to vacuum
4. The near future review
To talk about things that will happen in the future, use the following sentence structure:
Subject + aller + infinitive
Je vais ranger = I’m going to clean (in the future)
Nous allons laver = We are going to wash (in the future)
See the irregular verb list for the conjugation of aller
5. Chore vocabulary
Please see your vocabulary list
2 Il never changes to ‘tu,’ ‘je’ etc. It is always il faut3 This is the conditional mood - you can use this only in the je and tu forms4 This is the verb devoir - see your irregular verb list for how to conjugate it
Unit 3.1UNIT 3: Healthy Eating
Lesson 3.1 I can talk about food
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. The pronoun “en” – present, position3. Passé compose – bu/mangé/pris4. Articles: definite, indefinite, partitive5. prendre6. Food groups
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. The pronoun “en”
1 – En Is Linked to a Notion of QUANTITY
The pronoun “en” replaces a noun. Unfortunately in French, there are many French pronouns to chose from according to the grammatical value of the noun, or the way it’s being used.
We use “en” to replace a noun modified by a notion of quantity.
This quantity is likely to be introduce by a partitive article “De, du, de la, de l’, des” , or a French number such as “un, une, trois, vingt-huit”… or a fraction “un quart”… or an adverb of quantity “beaucoup de, un peu de”… or an expression of quantity “un kilo de, un litre de, une boîte de…”.
Je veux 6 pommes = j’en veux 6. (“en” replaces pommes, and we choose “en” because of the notion of quantity: here the number”6″, which is then repeated)
So, if you translate into English, you could say: “I would like 6 apples – I would like 6 (of them)”… but who would say “of them” in English?? This is a situation where translating is not going to be very useful. You need to understand the French logic and remember to apply it = when you replace a noun modified by a notion of quantity, you need to use “en” in French.
Je bois de l’eau = j’en bois. (“en replaces “eau”, and we choose “en” because of the notion of quantity, here the partitive article “de l'”)
Unit 3.1
Je mange du gâteau = j’en mange. (because of the “du”)
J’achète des pommes = j’en achète (plusieurs) – (because of the “des”). Note, you don’t have to say the “plusieurs” part (meaning several), but you can.
J’ai deux enfants = j’en ai deux. (because of the “deux”)
Note that you will always repeat a number and also an adverb of quantity or expression of quantity:
Je voudrais beaucoup de sucre = j’en voudrais beaucoup. (“en” replaces “sucre”, “beaucoup” is an adverb of quantity and you need to repeat it in your answer)
J’achète un litre de vin = j’en achète un litre. (“en” replaces “vin”, “un litre” is an expression of quantity and needs to be repeated in the answer)
Je mange un paquet de petits-gâteaux = j’en mange un paquet. (“en” replaces “petits-gâteaux”, “un paquet”is an expression of quantity and needs to be repeated in the answer)
Remember that PAS is also a quantity, so you’d use “en” and repeat the “pas”:
Je ne veux pas de lait = je n’en veux pas.
Watch out, students of French tend to forget that one…
And “un, une” are also numbers, so they need to be repeated in the answer:
Tu as un chien ? oui, j’en ai un.
Same remark. This is tricky for students of French who often forget to repeat the “one”.
https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-to-use-the-pronoun-en-in-french
3. Passé composé
The passé composé is a composed formation, meaning it needs more than 1 thing for it to work. In this case, you need a verb and a past participle.
Verb: avoirPast participle: bu (for boire), mangé (for manger)
Put the two together with a subject and you have a sentence in the past tense:
Unit 3.1Elle a bu du lait = She drank, did drink, was drinking some milk
Nous avons mangé = We ate, we did eat, we were eating
Ils ont bu de l’eau = they drank, did drink, were drinking some water
4. Articles
Definite articles in French are:
le = the masculinela = the femininel’ = the + vowelles = the plural
These articles are used in the following situations:
1. Referring to a specific item (LE stylo bleu est grand)2. To show possession (c’est LE stylo de ma mère)3. To express preference (j’aime LA glace, je déteste LE pain, etc.)
The French indefinite article is the equivalent to a/an and some (but English often skips it). Do you ask about one thing, describe a couple of things that happened, and make plans for an outing that hasn’t yet been defined? If so, you’re an indefinite article kind of person, like the French! And as such, you should treat the article indéfini as the default article in French.
French Indefinite Articles
French Article Usage in French English Equivalent
Example
un Before masculine singular nouns
a/an un chat (a cat)
une Before feminine singular nouns
a/an une maison(a house)
des Before masculine or feminine plural nouns
some des enfants (some children)
de, or d’ before nouns beginning with a
Instead of any indefinite article, after a negative
no or not any pas d’ordinateur(no computer)
Unit 3.1
vowel or a mute -h verb
Use the indefinite article when you talk about one or several individual things that you can count, as opposed to an entire category of things.
Il y a un livre sur la table. (There is a book on the table.)Tu as mangé une banane. (You ate a/one banana.)Il a vu des lions au zoo. (He saw (some) lions at the zoo.)
You also can use the indefinite articles un and une before an expression of quantity, like une tranche de (a slice of), un morceau de (a piece of), and un peu de (a little bit of).
In a sentence with a negative verb, un, une, and des are replaced by de, even if the noun it introduces is plural. Here are some examples.
Il n’y a pas de souris dans notre garage. (There is not a mouse in our garage.)Elle ne veut pas d’enfants. (She doesn’t want any children.)
This rule has one exception. Don’t use de when the negative verb is être (to be). Just use the indefinite article as if the sentence was affirmative. Here are some examples:
Cet animal n’est pas un chien. C’est un renard. (This animal is not a dog. It’s a fox.)— C’est une voiture rouge, n’est-ce pas? — Non ce n’est pas une voiture rouge! C’est une voiture noire. (— It’s a red car, right? — No, it’s not a red car! It’s a black car.)
Partitive ArticlesThe partitive articles in French correspond to "some" or "any" in English. There are four forms of the French partitive article:
du masculine singular de la feminine singular de l' m or f in front of a vowel or h muet des m or f plural
The form of the partitive article to use depends on three things: the noun's number, gender, and first letter:
If the noun is plural, use desIf it's singular starting with a vowel or h muet, use de l'If it's a singular noun and starts with a consonant or h aspiré, use du for a masculine noun
and de la for a feminine noun
Unit 3.1
MEANING AND USAGE OF THE FRENCH PARTITIVE ARTICLE
The partitive article indicates an unknown quantity of something, usually food or drink. It is often omitted in English. Avez-vous bu du thé ? Did you drink some tea?
J'ai mangé de la salade hier. I ate salad yesterday.
Nous allons prendre de la glace. We're going to have some ice cream.
After adverbs of quantity, use de instead of the partitive article.
Il y a beaucoup de thé. There is a lot of tea.
J'ai moins de glace que Thierry. I have less ice cream than Thierry.
In a negative construction, the partitive article changes to de, meaning "(not) any":
J'ai mangé de la soupe. > Je n'ai pas mangé de soupe. I ate some soup. > I didn't eat any soup.
PARTITIVE ARTICLE
The partitive is usually used when discussing eating or drinking, because one normally only eats some butter, cheese, etc., not all of it. J'ai mangé du gâteau. I ate some cake (one slice, or a few bites).
Je cherche de l'eau. I'm looking for some water.
PARTITIVE ARTICLE VS INDEFINITE ARTICLE
The partitive indicates that the quantity is unknown or uncountable. When the quantity is known/countable, use the indefinite article (or a number): Il a mangé du gâteau. He ate some cake.
Unit 3.1
Il a mangé un gâteau. He ate a cake.
http://www.dummies.com/languages/french/french-indefinite-articles/
5. Prendre – to take
Prendre is another irregular verb.
je prends I take, do take, am taking
nous prenons We take, do take, are taking
tu prends You take, do take, are taking
vous prenez You take, do take, are taking
il prend he takes, does take, is taking
ils prennent They take, do take, are taking
elle prend She takes, does take, is taking
elles prennent They take, do take, are taking
on prend One takes, does take, is taking
Other verbs that are conjugated like prendre include:
apprendre – to learn
comprendre – to understand
surprendre – to surprise
6. Food Groups
Please see your vocab list
Here are a few extra:
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/07/14/100-french-fooddrink-words-and-phrases/
Unit 3.1
https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-to-comment-about-food-in-french
Unit 3.2Lesson 3.2 I can talk about healthy eating
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Placement of pronouns in the present and future proche3. Health and nutrition vocabulary – devrais/il faut4. avoir faim/soif, 5. maigrir, grossir
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Placement of object pronouns
Object pronouns go in front of the verb in all5 tenses, simple and compound. In compound tenses, the pronouns precede the auxiliary verb. But in dual-verb constructions, where there are two different verbs, the object pronouns go in front of the second verb.
Simple tenses
Je lui parle. - I'm talking to him. Il t'aime. - He loves you. Nous le faisions. - We were making it.
Dual-verb constructions
Je dois lui parler. - I have to talk to him. Il va t'aimer. - He is going to love you. Nous détestons le faire. - We hate doing that.
Basically, the pronoun will go infront of whichever verb it is connected to. What are you doing to him? Talking. So the pronoun will go before the verb to talk (parler).
3. Health and Nutrition Vocabulary
Please see your vocab list 5 Except the affirmative imperative Fais-le. - Make it. Aime-moi. - Love me.
Unit 3.2
Here are a few extra:https://www.thoughtco.com/french-food-vocabulary-la-nourriture-1371252
4. Avoir faim/soif
You already know that language does not transfer directly word for word. For example, in English we say we “are” a certain age, while in French they say they “have” a certain age.
In English we say we “are” hungry or thirsty, but in French they say they “have” hunger or thirst. Remember to use the verb avoir instead of être
5. Maigrir (to lose weight), grosser (to gain weight)
These verbs are IR verbs and will follow the IR verb conjugation pattern:
je -is nous -issons
tu -is vous -issez
il -it ils -issent
elle -it elles -issent
on -it
Unit 3.3Lesson 3.3 I can talk about recipes
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Expressions of quantity3. The pronoun “en” with expressions of quantity
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Expressions of quantity
Expressions of quantity express how much or how many of a given noun.
Adverbs of quantity
assez de quite, fairly, enough
autant de as much, as many
beaucoup de a lot of
bien de quite a few
combien de how many, much
encore de more
la majorité de* the majority of
un maximum de a lot
un minimum de a little
la minorité de* the minority of
moins de less, fewer
un nombre de a number of
pas mal de quite a few
Unit 3.3
(un) peu de few, little, not very
la plupart de* most
plus de more
une quantité de a lot of
tant de so much, so many
trop de too much, too many
Approximate amounts
une bouchée de a mouthful of
une gorgée de a sip, gulp of
une poignée de a handful of
etc.
Approximate numbers
une douzaine de a dozen
une centaine de about a hundred
milliers de thousands
etc.
Containers
une boîte de a can of
une bouteille de a bottle of
un carton de a box of
un pot de a jar/cup of
Unit 3.3
une tasse de a cup of
un verre de a glass of
Weights and measures
un litre de a liter of
un kilo de a kilo of
un mètre de a meter of
Most of the above expressions are followed by de plus a noun with no article .*
Il va lire une douzaine de livres. He’s going to read a dozen books.
J’ai acheté plus de dix bouteilles de vin. I bought more than ten bottles of wine.
Combien d’argent as-tu dépensé ? How much money did you spend?
However, when the noun is specific, the article is needed (in both French and English).
Il va lire une douzaine des livres que tu as recommandés. He’s going to read a dozen of the books
you recommended.
J’ai acheté dix bouteilles du vin que tu aimes. I bought ten bottles of the wine you like.
Combien de l’argent que je t’ai prêté as-tu dépensé ? How much of the money I loaned you did
you spend?
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/expressions-of-quantity/
3. En with expressions of quantity
Unit 3.3See 3.1 for the pronoun “en”
As you know, en is used to represent a quantity/amount of something. It is only natural that it would therefore be use with expressions of quantity.
Examples:
Je veux beaucoup de légumes I want a lot of vegetables
J’en veux beaucoup I want a lot of them
Elle achète une boîte de thon She is buying a can of tuna
Elle en achète une She is buying one
Nous avons mangé tant de fromage We ate so much cheese
Nous en avons mangé tant We ate so much
Just as you previously learned with ‘en,’ you need to repeat the quantity, just not the item.
Unit 4.1UNIT 4: Entertain me
Lesson 4.1 I can compare/contrast events and respond to invitations
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Comparative3. Indirect object pronouns – review direct4. Expressions of opinion
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Comparative
Comparative adverbs are used to compare the relative superiority or inferiority of two or more things. This superior lesson will keep you from getting an inferiority complex.
There are three types of comparisons:
1) Superiority indicates that something is "___er" (bigger, faster, stronger) or "more ___" (more purple, more tired, more important). The French equivalent is plus ___.
2) Inferiority indicates that something is "less ___" (less hungry, less exciting, less complete). The French equivalent is moins ___.
3) Equality indicates that two or more things are "as ___" (as happy, as thirsty, as interesting).
The French equivalents are aussi and autant.
The grammar involved in using comparative adverbs is slightly different depending on whether
Unit 4.1you’re comparing adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or verbs.
Comparing AdjectivesThe simplest comparison is with adjectives: just put plus, moins, or aussi in front of the adjective. The comparative itself is invariable, but, as always, the adjective has to agree with its noun in gender and number.
a) Compare two nouns with one adjective
Cet arbre est plus grand. This tree is taller.
Ta voiture est moins bruyante. Your car is less noisy.
Ils sont aussi contents. They’re just as happy.
In the above examples, the comparison is implied – there’s some antecedent that these comparatives are referring back to. When there is no antecedent, you need que after the adjective, followed by the other noun or pronoun you’re comparing to.
Cet arbre est plus grand que l’autre. This tree is taller than the other one.
Ta voiture est moins bruyante que la mienne. Your car is less noisy than mine.
Ils sont aussi contents que moi. They’re as happy as I am.
Note that in the final example, the stressed pronoun is required in French, whereas the subject pronoun is used in English.
b) Compare two adjectives in relation to one noun
Tu es aussi intelligente que belle. You’re as smart as (you are) beautiful.
Je suis plus curieux que courageux. I’m more curious than (I am) brave.
c) Compare an adjective over time
Je suis moins sportif qu’avant. I’m less athletic than before.
Il est plus obsédé que jamais. He’s more obsessed than ever.
The adjectives bon and mauvais have special comparative forms: meilleur and pire. More about this in a future lesson.
Unit 4.1Comparing Adverbs
Comparing adverbs is much the same, but you don’t have to worry about agreement, since adverbs are invariable. Once again, there are three types of comparisons.
a) Compare two nouns with one adverb
Il parle plus lentement que moi. He speaks more slowly than I (do).
Elle pleure moins souvent que sa sœur. She cries less often than her sister.
Je travaille aussi dur que toi. I work as hard as you do.
b) Compare two adverbs in relation to one noun
Tu écris plus vite que correctement. You write more quickly than (you do) correctly.
Il mange aussi sainement qu’abondamment. He eats as healthily as (he does) copiously.
c) Compare an adverb over time
Je cours plus lentement qu’hier. I’m running more slowly than (I was) yesterday.
Elle étudie moins souvent qu’avant. She studies less often than before.
The adverb bien has a special comparative form: mieux.
Comparing NounsWhen comparing the quantity of nouns, the comparative adverbs are somewhat different:
Superiority = plus de Inferiority = moins de Equality = autant de
a) Compare a noun between two subjects
J’ai plus d’idées que toi. I have more ideas than you.
Tu fais moins d’erreurs que moi. You make fewer errors than I (do).
Elle a écrit autant de livres que son père. She’s written as many books as her father.
Unit 4.1b) Compare two (or more) nouns for one subject/verb
Il y a moins de pommes que d’oranges. There are fewer apples than oranges.
J’ai plus d’idées que de temps ou d’énergie. I have more ideas than time or energy. Note that de must be repeated in front of each noun being compared.
c) Compare a noun over time
Il y a moins de travail que la semaine dernière. There’s less work than (there was) last week.
Je bois autant d’eau que jamais. I drink as much water as ever.
Comparing Verbs
When comparing verbs, the comparative adverbs are slightly different again: Superiority = plus que Inferiority = moins que Equality = autant que
a) Compare a verb between two subjects
Je travaille plus que ma sœur. I work more than my sister (does).
Il étudie moins que toi. He studies less than you.
Nous mangeons autant que nos enfants. We eat as much as our children.
Note the word order: the comparative adverb goes after the verb.
b) Compare two verbs
Je lis plus que je ne regarde la télé. I read more than I watch TV.
Anne chante autant qu’elle parle. Anne sings as much as she speaks.
Notes The subject must be repeated in front of the second verb. Ne explétif is required with plus and moins.
c) Compare a verb over time
Je travaille plus maintenant. I work more now.
Unit 4.1
Elle étudie moins qu’avant. She studies less than before.
En résumé
Superiority Inferiority Equality
Adjectives plus (… que) moins (… que) aussi (… que)
Adverbs plus (… que) moins (… que) aussi (… que)
Nouns plus de moins de autant de
Verbs plus que moins que autant que
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/comparative-adverbs/
3. Indirect object pronouns
Indirect Objects - Compléments d’objet indirect (COI)
An indirect object is a person that someone or something does something to indirectly. In the simplest sentences, the indirect object directly follows a verb + preposition, so it’s very easy to see the effect that the verb has on that person.
Par exemple…
Je lis à mes enfants. I read to my children.
Il l’achète pour Grégoire. He’s buying it for Grégoire.
Characteristics of indirect objects Are connected to the verb with a preposition Cannot be removed without altering the meaning of the sentence Can be found by asking "to whom?" or "for whom?"*
Par exemple…
To whom am I reading? To my children.
For whom is he buying it? For Grégoire.
*The person following "for" is only an indirect object when s/he is a recipient, as in "I bought it
Unit 4.1for you." When "for" means "on behalf of," as in "I think I speak for everyone when I say this," the noun after it is called an object of the preposition.
Indirect object pronounsIn order to avoid repeating nouns in a series of sentences or when answering questions, both French and English replace indirect objects with indirect object pronouns.
En comparaison…
Je lis à mes enfants. Je lis à mes enfants chaque soir.
I’m reading to my kids. I read to my kids every evening.
Je lis à mes enfants. Je leur lis chaque soir. I’m reading to my kids. I read to them every evening.
As you can see, the second version sounds much more natural, in both languages.
French indirect object pronouns
me (m’, moi) me nous us
te (t’, toi) you vous you
lui him, her leur them
+ The first and second person singular pronouns have three forms each: Normal forms: me and te Contracted forms: m’ and t’, for use in front of a vowel or h muet Stressed forms: moi and toi, for use in a particular imperative construction
+ There’s no distinction between "to him" and "to her" in French; use lui for both. If you need to make a distinction, you can add à lui or à elle: Je lui ai donné le livre, à elle.
+ The first and second plural indirect object pronouns are identical to the first and second person direct object pronouns. The difference between them will be addressed in a future lesson.
Word order
In French, indirect object pronouns generally precede the verb, whereas in English they follow it – learn more.
In addition, the French indirect object pronoun replaces both the preposition and the noun, but
Unit 4.1in English, some verbs have to keep the preposition, while other verbs have the option of keeping it.
Par exemple…
Il me parle. He’s talking to me.
Je t’achète une chemise. I’m buying you a shirt, I’m buying a shirt for you.
Elle nous donne son canapé. She’s giving us her couch, She’s giving her couch to us.
Fais gaffe !
Some French indirect objects are equivalent to direct objects in English, and vice versa.
Nous lui téléphonons une fois par semaine. We call him once a week.
Lui is an indirect object because the French verb is téléphoner à. However, "him" is a direct object because "call" is not followed by a preposition.
Où est Luc ? Je le cherche depuis midi. Where’s Luc? I’ve been looking for him since noon.
Le is a direct object because the French verb is chercher with no preposition. But "him" is indirect because the English verb is "to look for."
4. Expressions of opinion
Please see your vocab list
Here are a few extra:
https://www.thoughtco.com/opinions-french-expressions-1368695
Unit 4.1
Unit 4.2Lesson 4.2 I can talk about past events and activities
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Passé composé with avoir3. Irregular verbs/past participles4. Accepting/refusing invitations
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Passé Composé with avoir
Using avoir as the helping verb is a logical choice in a tense that expresses an action that has occurred. Although English usage often omits the use of “have” when it is implied (You may say, “I lost my keys” and not, “I have lost my keys”), in French, you must always use the helping verb: J'ai perdu mes clefs.
To form the passé composé of verbs using avoir, conjugate avoir in the present tense (j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont)
and add the past participle of the verb expressing the action. Put the words together this way:
subject + helping verb (usually avoir) + past participle.
The passé composé, a compound past tense, is formed by combining two elements: when (the action has taken place and, therefore, requires the helping verb avoir) and what (the action that has happened and, therefore, requires the past participle of the regular or irregular verb showing the particular action). See Figure 1.
Unit 4.2
Here are some examples of the passé composé.
Elle a expliqué son problème. (She explained her problem.) Ils ont réussi. (They succeeded.) J'ai entendu les nouvelles. (I heard the news.)
Forming the negative in the passé composé with avoir
In a negative sentence in the passé composé, ne precedes the helping verb, and the negative word (pas, rien, jamais, and so on follows it:
Je n'ai rien préparé. (I didn't prepare anything.) Nous n'avons pas fini le travail. (We didn't finish the work.) Il n'a jamais répondu à la lettre. (He never answered the letter.)
Questions in the passé composé with avoir
To form a question in the passé composé using inversion, invert the conjugated helping verb with the subject pronoun and add a hyphen. Then place the negative around the hyphenated helping verb and subject pronoun:
As‐tu mangé? (Did you eat?) N'as‐tu rien mangé? (Didn't you eat anything?) A‐t‐il attendu les autres? (Did he wait for the others?) N'a‐t‐il pas attendu? (Didn't he wait for the others?)
Regular verbs follow a prescribed set of rules for the formation of the past participle, whereas irregular verbs (discussed in the following section) must be memorized. Past participles of verbs conjugated with avoir agree in gender (masculine or feminine — add e) and number (singular
Unit 4.2or plural — add s) with a preceding direct object noun or pronoun:
Le(s) film(s)? (The film[s]?) Je l'(les)ai aimé(s). (I liked it [them].)
Quelle(s) robe(s) a‐t‐elle choisie(s)? (Which dress[es] did she choose?)
Il nous a vus. (He saw us.)
3. Irregular verbs and past participles
In many cases, irregular verbs have irregular past participles and can be grouped according to their endings, as shown in Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Unit 4.2
Irregular verbs that are contained within a larger verb are used as the basis of the past participle:
mettre (put) and mis (put); permettre (permit) and permis (permitted)
ouvrir (open) and ouvert (opened); couvrir (cover) and couvert (covered)
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/french/french-i/french-i-the-passe-compose/the-passe-compose-with-avoir
Unit 4.2
4. Accepting/refusing invitations Showing
Please see your vocab list
Here are a few extra:
https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-to-make-accept-and-refuse-an-invitation-in-french
http://www.thinklanguage.com/french/sites/thinklanguage.com.french/files/ThinkFrench_June2014_Grammar.pdf
Unit 5.1UNIT 5: Getting around town and planning a trip
Lesson 5.1 I can describe places in a city and give directions
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. À + places3. imperative (positive/vous)4. Places vocabulary
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. À + place
Use this to help you understand “to the” in French and how to use it correctly.
STEP #1 – What do these words mean?
à = in, at, to le/la/les/l’ = the (le = masculine the, la = feminine the, les = plural the, l’=vowel)
When we put these words together, they can combine to make a new word. Kind of like “do not” can combine in English to “don’t.”
When à is used with la = à la = to the (feminine place)*
When à is used with le = au = to the (masculine place)*
When à is used with les = aux = to the (more than one place)*
When à is used with l’ = à l’ = to the (next word starts with a vowel)*
*Remember that this can ALSO mean: “in the” and “at the”
STEP #2 – How do you know if you should use: le, la, or les?
Unit 5.1This is ALWAYS determined by whatever is following “the.” Which means that you have to know if the things/places are masculine, feminine, or more than one place.
3. Directions - Imperative
The imperative, (l'impératif in French) is used to give commands, orders, or express wishes, like 'Stop!', 'Listen!' You may recognize the imperative from commands such as 'Ecoutez' or 'Répétez'. The imperative, called l'impératif in French, is a verb mood which is used to
o give an ordero express a desireo offer adviceo recommend something
Unlike all other French verb tenses and personal moods, the subject pronoun is not used with the imperative:
Fermez la porte. Close the door.
Mangeons maintenant. Let's eat now.
Ayez la bonté de m'attendre. Please wait for me.
Veuillez m'excuser. Please excuse me.
formation There are three forms of the imperative: tu, nous and vous. For all verbs, the imperative is formed by taking the corresponding forms of the present tense, but without subject pronouns. The lack of a subject pronoun is what identifies the imperative mood.
The tu form is used to give an order to a child or when the speaker is on familiar terms with the person addressed. The vous form is used to give an order to a group of people or to address one person in the vous form. The nous form is used to give an order that involves oneself as well as others, though it often expresses a suggestion as its translation (Let's ... ) indicates. Drop the final s in the tu forms of the imperative for -er verbs, including aller, and -ir verbs like ouvrir and other verbs whose present conjugation form of tu ends in -es:
present imperative translationtu regardes regarde looktu ouvres ouvre open
tu vas va go
Unit 5.1
The above are called "affirmative commands," because they are telling someone to do something. "Negative commands," which tell someone not to do something, are made by placing ne in front of the verb and the appropriate negative adverb after the verb:
Ne parle pas ! Don't speak!
N'oublions pas les livres. Let's not forget the books.
N'ayez jamais peur. Never be afraid.
-ER verbs (regular, stem-changing, spelling change, and irregular)The imperative conjugations for nous and vous are the same as the present indicative, and the tu form of the imperative is the indicative minus the final s:
parler (tu) parle (nous) parlons (vous) parlez
lever (tu) lève
(nous) levons (vous) levez
aller (tu) va (nous) allons (vous) allez
Verbs which are conjugated like -ER verbs (meaning that in the indicative the tu form ends in -es), such as ouvrir and souffrir, follow the same rules as -ER verbs.
ouvrir (tu) ouvre (nous) ouvrons (vous) ouvrez
-IR verbs and -RE verbsThe imperative conjugations for all regular and most irregular -IR and -RE verbs are the same as the present indicative conjugations.
finir (tu) finis (nous) finissons
(vous) finissez
attendre
(tu) attends (nous) attendons (vous) attendez
Unit 5.1
faire (tu) fais (nous) faisons
(vous) faites
*Except for verbs conjugated like -ER verbs and the following four irregular imperative verbs:
avoir (tu) aie (nous) ayons (vous) ayez
être (tu) sois (nous) soyons (vous) soyez
savoir (tu) sache (nous) sachons (vous) sachez
vouloir (tu) veuille (nous) n/a (vous) veuillez
The order of words in a French sentence can be very confusing due to affirmative and negative imperative constructions and object and adverbial pronouns. This lesson will teach you exactly how to order your sentences when using the imperative. Remember that there are two kinds of imperatives, affirmative and negative, and the word order is different for each of them.
Negative imperatives are easier, because their word order is the same as that of all other simple verb conjugations: any object, reflexive, and/or adverbial pronouns precede the verb and the negative structure surrounds the pronoun(s) + verb:
Finis !- Finish! Ne finis pas ! - Don't finish! Ne le finis pas ! - Don't finish it!
Lisez ! - Read! Ne lisez pas ! - Don't read! Ne le lisez pas ! - Don't read it!
Affirmative commands are more complicated, for several reasons.
1. The word order is for affirmative commands is different from that of all other verb tenses/moods: any pronouns follow the verb and are connected to it and to each other with hyphens.
Finis-le ! - Finish it! Allons-y ! - Let's go! Mangez-les ! - Eat them!
Unit 5.12. The pronouns me and te change to the stressed pronouns moi and toi...
Lève-toi ! - Get up! Parlez-moi ! - Talk to me! Dis-moi ! - Tell me!
...unless they are followed by y or en, in which case they contract to m' and t'
Va-t'en ! - Go away! Faites-m'y penser. - Remind me about it.
https://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/tai1.htmlhttps://www.talkinfrench.com/learning-french-imperative-imperatif/
4. Places in town
Please see your vocab list
Here are a few extra:
http://bonjourmadame.weebly.com/places-around-town.html
Unit 5.1
Unit 5.2Lesson 5.2 I can tell where I went and how I got there
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Passé composé with être3. negation – ne …jamais4. pronom y
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Passé composé with être
The passé composé of 17 verbs is formed by combining the present tense of être (je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont) and then adding the past participle of the verb showing the action. Most of these verbs express motion or a change of place, state, or condition (that is, going up, going down, going in, going out, or remaining).Dr. and Mrs. Vandertrampp live in the house in Figure , as illustrated in Table 1. Their name may help you memorize the 17 verbs using être. An asterisk (*) in Table 6 denotes an irregular past participle.
Unit 5.2
Verbs whose helping verb is être must show agreement of their past participles in gender (masculine or feminine — add e) and number (singular or plural — add s) with the subject noun or pronoun, as shown in Table 2 :
Unit 5.2
Remember the following rules when using être as a helping verb in the passé composé:
Vous can be a singular or plural subject for both masculine and feminine subjects.
Singular Plural
Vous êtes entré. (You entered.) Vous êtes entrés. (You entered.)Vous êtes entrée. (You entered.) Vous êtes entrées. (You entered.)
For a mixed group, always use the masculine form.
Roger et Bernard sont revenus. (Roger and Bernard came back.) Louise et Mireille sont revenues. (Louise and Mireille came back.) Roger et Louise sont revenus. (Roger and Louise came back.)
If the masculine past participle ends in an unpronounced consonant, pronounce the consonant for the feminine singular and plural forms:
Il est mort. (He died.) Ils sont morts. (They died.) Elle est morte. (She died.) Elles sont mortes. (They died.)
Forming the negative in the passé composé with êtreIn the negative, put ne before the conjugated form of être and the negative word after it:
Il n'est pas sorti. (He didn't go out.)
Unit 5.2 Elles ne sont pas encore arrivées. (They didn't arrive yet.)
Questions in the passé composé with être
To form a question using inversion, invert the conjugated form of être with the subject pronoun and add a hyphen. The negatives surround the hyphenated verb and pronoun:
Sont‐ils partis? (Did they leave?) Ne sont‐ils pas partis? (Didn't they leave?)
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/french/french-i/french-i-the-passe-compose/the-passe-compose-with-etre
3. Negative
Negative adverbs turn affirmative statements and questions into negative statements and questions. The most common English negative adverb is the word "not," but French is a little more complicated – quelle surprise !
Par exemple…Nous sommes prêts. > Nous ne sommes pas prêts.
We’re ready. > We’re not ready.
J’aime le café. > Je n’aime pas le café.
I like coffee. > I don’t like coffee.
There are two main differences between French and English negative adverbs:1. The French adverb has two parts: ne, which precedes the verb, and pas (or another word or phrase, see below), which follows it. When the verb is inverted, pas follows the subject pronoun (je, il, nous, etc.)
2. In English negation, the helping verb "do" must be added to most verbs. This is not the case in French: if there’s one verb in the affirmative, there’s just one verb in the negative. Likewise, if there are two verbs in the affirmative, as in compound tenses/moods and dual-verb constructions, there are two in the negative.
When there are two verbs, ne and pas (or another word/phrase) go around the first (conjugated) verb, followed by the past participle or infinitive.
Par exemple…Il a mangé. He’s eaten.
Unit 5.2
> Il n’a pas mangé. > He hasn’t eaten.
Veux-tu sortir ? > Ne veux-tu pas sortir ?
Do you want to go out? > Don’t you want to go out?
However, when there’s just an infinitive being negated, ne and pas stay together in front of it.
Par exemple…Je t’ai dit de manger. > Je t’ai dit de ne pas manger.
I told you to eat. > I told you not to eat.
Il espère voir l’accident. > Il espère ne pas voir l’accident.
He hopes to see the accident. > Il espère ne pas voir l’accident.
When a partitive or indefinite article is negated, that article is replaced by de, similar to how English changes "some" to "any."
Par exemple…Je veux du pain. > Je ne veux pas de pain.
I want some bread. > I don’t want any bread.
Avez-vous un stylo ? > N’avez-vous pas de stylo ?
Do you have a pen? > Don’t you have a pen (any pens)?
Informally, ne is often dropped in spoken French.
Par exemple…Je ne sais pas. Je sais pas. I don’t know.
Il n’est jamais à l’heure. Il est jamais à l’heure. He’s never on time.
French negative adverbs
ne … pas du tout not at all
Il n’aime pas du tout l’école. He doesn’t like school at all.
ne … pas encore not yet
Je n’ai pas encore mangé. I haven’t eaten yet.
ne … pas non plus neither, not either
Unit 5.2
Elle n’aime pas non plus le voyage. She doesn’t like traveling either.
ne … pas toujours not always
Tu n’as pas toujours raison. You’re not always right.
ne … aucunement not at all, in no way
Nous n’en sommes aucunement responsables. We are in no way responsible for that.
ne … guère hardly, barely, scarcely
Vous n’avez guère mangé. You hardly ate anything.
ne … jamais never
Ils ne sont jamais en retard. They’re never late.
ne … nullement not at all, absolutely no
Je n’ai nullement l’intention de t’aider. I have absolutely no intention of helping you.
ne … nulle part nowhere
Tu n’as nulle part où aller ? Don’t you have anywhere to go?
ne … plus no more, not any more
Nous ne voulons plus de drame. We don’t want any more drama.
ne … point not (formal/literary equivalent of ne … pas)
Il ne fut point blessé. He wasn’t wounded.
ne … que only
Les trois sœurs n’ont qu’une chambre. The three sisters have only one bedroom.
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/negative-adverbs/
4. The pronom « y »
The French adverbial pronoun y is so tiny that one might think its role in a sentence is not very important, but in fact quite the opposite is true. It is extremely important in French.
Y refers to a previously mentioned or implied place; it is normally translated by "there" in
Unit 5.2English. Y usually replaces a prepositional phrase beginning with something like à, chez, or dans.
Are you going to the bank today? Tu vas à la banque aujourd'hui ? No, I'm going (there) tomorrow. Non, j'y vais demain.
We're going to the store. Nous allons au magasin. Do you want to go (there)? Tu veux y aller ?
He was at Jean's house. Il était chez Jean. He was there. Il y était.
Note that "there" can often be omitted in English, but y can never be omitted in French. Je vais (I'm going) is not a complete sentence in French; if you don't follow the verb with a place, you have to say J'y vais.
https://www.thoughtco.com/y-french-pronoun-1368924
Unit 5.3 Lesson 5.3 I can plan a trip by plane or train
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Passé composé with être and avoir3. Present vs future vs pc4. Travel vocabulary
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Passé composé with être and avoir
The passé composé is the most common French past tense, often used in conjunction with the imperfect. The passé composé can express any of the following:
I. An Action Completed in the Past
As-tu étudié ce weekend?Did you study this weekend?
Ils ont déjà mangé.They have already eaten.
II. An Action Repeated a Number of Times in the Past
Oui, j'ai mangé cinq fois hier.Yes, I did eat five times yesterday.
Learn French: How to Use Auxiliary Verbs Etre and Avoir
Nous avons visité Paris plusieurs fois.We've visited Paris several times.
III. A Series of Actions Completed in the Past
Quand je suis arrivé, j'ai vu les fleurs.When I arrived, I saw the flowers.
Unit 5.3
Samedi, il a vu sa mère, a parlé au médicin et a trouvé un chat.Saturday he saw his mother, talked to the doctor, and found a cat.
The passé composé has three possible English equivalents. For example, j'ai dansé can mean I danced (simple past) I have danced (present perfect) I did dance (past emphatic)
Learn how to conjugate the passé composé.
The passé composé is a compound conjugation, which means it has two parts:
present tense of the auxiliary verb (either avoir or être) past participle of the main verb
Note: Like all compound conjugations, the passé composé may be subject to grammatical agreement:
When the auxiliary verb is être, the past participle must agree with the subject When the auxiliary verb is avoir, the past participle may have to agree with its direct
object
French Passé Composé Conjugations
AIMER (auxiliary verb is avoir)
j' ai aimé nous avons aimé
tu as aimé vous avez aimé
Unit 5.3
il,elle a aimé ils,
elles
ont aimé
DEVENIR (être verb)
je suis devenu(e) nous sommes devenu(e)s
tu es devenu(e) vous êtes devenu(e)(s)
il est devenu ils sont devenus
elle est devenue elles sont devenues
https://www.thoughtco.com/passe-compose-french-compound-past-tense-1368891
3. Present, future, past
It is important that you are able to form the past, present, and future tenses and it is equally important that you can recognize them when you see or hear them. A few things to keep in mind:
1- The present tense can consist of 1 or more verbs:
I like - j’aime I like to travel- j’aime voyager
Hearing the subject (I) and the action taking place in the present (liking) should not be confused the with compound tenses of the passé composé and futur proche.
2- The passé composé always consists of 2 parts:
J’ai voyagé - (ai = avoir, voyagé = past participle) I travelled
Unit 5.3
Can you see how it might be easy to be confused by j’aime voyager and j’ai voyagé?
3- The futur proche always consists of 2 parts:
Je vais voyager- (vais = aller, voyager = infinitive) I’m going to travel
Do you see how all 3 can be similar?
PAST PRESENT FUTUREj’ai mangé J’aime manger je vais manger
il a acheté Il déteste acheter il va acheter
nous avons planifié nous voulons planifier nous allons planifier
It is important to practice these on paper and by listening!
4. Travel vocabulary
Please see your vocab list Here’s a little extra!
une compagnie aérienne airline
un avion airplane
un aéroport airport
un vol flight
les bagages baggage
la livraison des bagages baggage claim
les arrivées arrivals
Unit 5.3
les départs departures
la carte d'embarquement boarding pass
les bagages à main carry-on luggage
les bagages enregistrés/ un baggage en soute checked-in luggage
un chariot cart
un guichet d’embarquement check-in counter
l'enregistrement check-in
une boutique hors taxes / un duty-free duty-free
un passeport passport
un visa visa
le billet d'avion plane ticket
un billet simple one-way ticket
un billet aller-retour round trip ticket
le contrôle de sécurité security check
une porte gate
l'immigration immigration
Unit 5.3
Un terminal terminal
la douane customs
une escale stopover
Embarquer To board, embark
Débarquer To disembark, to deplane
Récupérer les bagages To recover your luggages
Décoller To take off
Atterrir To land
acheter un billet to buy a ticket
enregistrer (les bagages) to check bags
déclarer to declare
faire une réservation to make a reservation
la classe économique/ la classe éco economy class/ coach
un passager passenger
le pilote pilot
un steward steward
Unit 5.3
une hôtesse de l'air flight stewardess
vols intérieurs domestic/internal flights
vols internationaux international flights
l'atterrissage landing
le décollage takeoff
l'embarquement boarding
Le Hall de départ Departure hall
Le Hall d’arrivée Arrival hall
https://www.talkinfrench.com/french-vocabulary-at-the-airport/
http://www.dummies.com/languages/french/french-travel-related-words-and-phrases/
Unit 6.1UNIT 6: I need a doctor
Lesson 6.1 I can talk about how I feel
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Refelxive verbs in the passé composé3. Expressions with avoir
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Reflexive verbs in the passé composé
Reflexive verbs are used when the subject and object of a verb (action) are the same. The action “reflects back” onto the subject!
In French, there are ”normal” verbs and reflexive verbs. A reflexive verb is identified by the reflexive pronoun SE that precedes it in its infinitive form (SE laver, SE préparer, etc.). When conjugated, the endings of reflexive verbs follow the same pattern as standard ER, IR, and RE verbs.
The SE part of reflexive verbs means “to oneself”. We use reflexive verbs in English, too (for example: “He behaved himself.”). But there are many more reflexive verbs in French.The Passé Composé (Past Tense) is formed with a helper (also called “auxiliary”) verb followed by the past participle of the main verb. The helper verb is always either AVOIR or ÊTRE, depending on which main verb you’re using. With reflexive verbs, the helper verb is always going to be ÊTRE.
laver : to washJ’ai lavé le chien.I washed the dog.
In the above example, WASH is the verb (action). Note that the subject (I) and the object/recipient (DOG) of this verb are different. Therefore, we don’t use a reflexive verb here. And LAVER is a regular -ER verb that takes the helper verb AVOIR in the Passé
Composé.se laver : to wash oneself
Je me suis lavé.
Unit 6.1I washed myself.
In this second example, WASH is still the verb (action). But here, the subject (I) of the action and the object/recipient of the action are one in the same. Note that the SE becomes ME in order to indicate that the subject (I), and the action (WASH), is being done to myself (ME).
Here are some things to keep in mind when using reflexive verbs in the Passé Composé:
(1) The reflexive pronoun always comes before the helper verb. (Note that ME, TE, and SE become M’, T’, and S’ in front of any conjugated form of ÊTRE that begins with a vowel.)
Je me suis levé.I got (myself) up.
Tu t‘es préparé.You (informal) got (yourself) ready.
Il s’est rasé.He shaved (himself).
(2) In a negative sentence, ne always comes before the reflexive pronoun, and pas always comes right after the helper verb.
Je ne me suis pas levé.I did not get (myself) up.
Tu ne t’es pas préparé.You (informal) did not get (yourself) ready.
Il ne s’est pas rasé.He did not shave (himself).
(3) When asking a question in the Passé Composé using either Est-ce que or simple intonation, we use the same word order as in (1) or (2) above.
Je ne me suis pas levé?Didn’t I get (myself) up?
Est-ce que tu t’es préparé?Did you (informal) get (yourself) ready?
Unit 6.1Est-ce qu’il ne s’est pas rasé?
Didn’t he shave (himself)?
(4) When asking a question in the Passé Composé using inversion, the helper verb comes before the subject pronoun; the reflexive pronoun still comes before the helper verb. In a negative question using inversion, ne is still placed before the reflexive pronoun and pas comes right before the past participle.
T’es-tu préparé?Did you (informal) get (yourself) ready?
Ne s’est-il pas rasé?Didn’t he shave (himself)?
(5) The reflexive pronoun can be either a direct or an indirect object of the verb with which it is used.
In the Passé Composé, when the reflexive pronoun is a direct object of the verb, the past participle must agree in number and gender with that reflexive pronoun. (By extension, the past participle also agrees with the subject, which is of course the same person or thing to which the reflexive pronoun refers.)
Elle s’est baignée.She got (herself) bathed. (She took a bath.)
Nous nous sommes habillés.We got (ourselves) dressed.
Elles se sont déshabillées.They (feminine) got (themselves) undressed.
When the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object, the past participle doesn’t change. In this instance, it’s helpful to think of the reflexive pronoun as meaning “FOR oneself” or “OF oneself”.
Elle s’est brossé les cheveux.She brushed her hair (the hair OF herself).
Ils se sont acheté un chien.They bought themselves a dog. (They bought a dog FOR themselves.)
Unit 6.1
Here are some other tips for figuring out whether the reflexive pronoun is direct or indirect:
(a) With most reflexive verbs that aren’t followed by a noun, the reflexive pronoun is the direct object. For these verbs, the past participle must agree with the reflexive pronoun.
Suzanne s’est endormie.Suzanne fell asleep.
Vous vous êtes amusés.You all had fun.
Elles se sont blessées.They hurt themselves. (They got hurt.)
(b) When a reflexive verb is followed by a preposition + a noun, the reflexive pronoun is the direct object, so the past participle must agree with that reflexive pronoun.
Édith s’est échappée du bâtiment.Édith escaped from the building.
Les étudiants se sont inquiétés de l’examen.The students worried about the exam.
(c) When a noun directly follows a reflexive verb with no preposition in between, the reflexive pronoun is indirect; in this case, the past participle does not change its ending.
Elle s’est acheté une nouvelle jupe.She bought herself a new skirt. (She bought a new skirt FOR herself.)
Elles se sont lavé le visage.They washed their faces.
(d) In a sentence with a reflexive verb and a direct object pronoun, the reflexive pronoun is always the indirect object, so the past participle does not agree with the reflexive pronoun. BUT, the past participle must agree with the direct object pronoun, in keeping with the rules for direct object pronoun agreement.
Il s’est acheté le journal.He bought himself the newspaper. (“Newspaper” is masculine.)
Unit 6.1
Il se l’est acheté.He bought it (the newspaper).
BUT:
Il s’est acheté la revue.He bought himself the magazine. (“Magazine” is feminine.)
Il se l’est achetée.He bought it (the magazine).
(e) The reflexive pronoun for the following verbs is always an indirect object, so the past participle remains unchanged (unless there is also a direct object pronoun in the sentence, as seen in (d) above):
s’acheter : to buy (for) oneselfse demander : to wonderse dire : to say (to oneself)se faire mal : to hurt oneselfs’imaginer : to imagine, to thinkse parler : to talk (to oneself)se plaire (à faire…) : to enjoy (doing…)se procurer : to obtain (for oneself)se promettre : to promise (oneself)se rendre compte de: to realizese reprocher : to criticize, to blame (oneself)se rire (de qqun) : to mock (someone)
(f) The reflexive pronoun for the following reciprocal reflexive verbs is also always an indirect object, so the past participle remains unchanged (unless there is also a direct object pronoun in the sentence, as seen in (d) above):
se dire : to say (to each other)se donner : to give (to each other)s’écrire : to write (to each other)se parler : to talk (to each other)se promettre : to promise (each other)se raconter: to tell (each other)se rendre visit : to visit (each other)
Unit 6.1se reprocher : to criticize, to blame (each other)se ressembler : to resemble (each other)se sourire : to smile (at each other)se téléphoner : to call (each other)
Adapt:
À quelle heure est-ce que vous vous êtes réveillés?At what time did you all wake (yourselves) up?
Nous nous sommes réveillés à sept heures du matin.We woke (ourselves) up at seven in the morning.
Ils se sont douchés ce matin?Did they shower (themselves) this morning?
Non, ils se sont douchés hier soir.No, they showered (themselves) last night.
Combien de temps est-ce qu’elle a pris pour se maquiller?How much time did she take to put makeup on (herself)?
Elle s’est maquillée très vite.She put on her makeup very quickly.
Il ne s’est jamais rasé jamais avant aujourd’hui.He never shaved (himself) before today.
Se sont-elles reposées après la classe?Did they (feminine) rest after the class?
Elles se sont lavé les cheveux?Did they (feminine) wash their hair?
Oui, elles se les sont lavés.Yes, they (feminine) washed it.
http://www.leaflanguages.org/french-grammar-reflexive-verbs-passe-compose-past-tense/
3. Expressions with avoir
Have everything you need to start speaking French like a pro?
Unit 6.1Emphasis on the first word there.
If you’re looking to stock up on the basics, the verb avoir (to have) is, well…a must-have for your French language shopping list.
It’s especially important to practice it because the usage can be tough for a native English speaker to wrap their head around:
“I have hunger?”“I have sleepiness?”
Sometimes, where in English we use “to be,” the French use avoir!
But with the guide below, you’ll soon master these key phrases and be using them in day-to-day French conversation.
And once you’ve mastered the basics, there’s still plenty of territory to explore where avoir is concerned!
But first off, what exactly is an avoir expression? As you’ve probably noticed already in your French learning, many expressions are formed by using avoir paired with another word, often a noun.
This way of expressing concepts mirrors the English use of “to be.” Instead of saying “to be” with an adjective, the way we do in English, the French will use avoir with a noun to express the same idea.
The best way to understand the concept, however, is to get into some concrete examples.
The Only List of French Avoir Expressions You’ll Ever Need: 25+ EssentialsClassic Avoir Expressions
Let’s get things started with the classics. If you’ve already been learning French for a while, these are probably the avoir expressions that introduced you to the idea in the first place.
They’re a great way to get to understanding the expressions and how they work.
Let’s start with one of the most common, avoir faim. Literally translated, it means “to have hunger,” but in French it’s used as an equivalent of “to be hungry.”
The same is true for a few other basic expressions. Here they are with their literal translations followed by their true translations:
Unit 6.1Avoir faim — to have hunger (to be hungry)Avoir soif — to have thirst (to be thirsty)Avoir sommeil — to have sleepiness (to be sleepy)Avoir de la chance — to have luck (to be lucky)Avoir chaud — to have heat (to be hot)Avoir froid — to have cold (to be cold)Avoir mal — to have pain (to be in pain)Avoir tort — to have wrong (to be wrong)Avoir raison — to have right (to be right)avoir peur – to have fear (to be afraid)
With most of these expressions, if you make a mistake and use the anglicism être instead of avoir, you just end up making a linguistic error. But in some cases, your mistake could be misconstrued.
For example, if you were to say Je suis chaud instead of J’ai chaud, you could mean one of two things. The first is “I’m in heat,” which is used as a slang expression for being sexually excited. But more recently, the slang expression Je suis chaud means, “I’m into it” or “I’m game.”
As for the opposite, saying Je suis froid is implying that you are cold in character or personality, not in temperature.
There’s one other thing to bear in mind with these expressions, and that’s the ways in which avoir mal can be modified to express all sorts of different pain. Just saying J’ai mal means that you’re in general pain, but you can also say J’ai mal à la tête, for example, to say you have a headache, or J’ai mal au ventre to say that your stomach hurts.
Mastering these expressions will take some time, but once you get used to the idea of using avoir instead of être to express these ideas, you’ll be ready to move on to some more complex expressions.
http://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/french-expressions-with-avoir/
Unit 6.2Lesson 6.2 I can talk to the doctor about an accident
Grammatical points:
1. Specific questions/answers2. Imparfait3. Imparfait + passé composé
1. Questions/answers
Please see your vocabulary list
2. Imparfait
The imperfect ( l'imparfait) expresses or describes continued, repeated, habitual actions or incomplete actions, situations, or events in the past. The imperfect describes what was going on at an indefinite time in the past or what used to happen. The imperfect can be translated by “would” when it implies “used to.” The imperfect is a simple tense that does not require a helping verb.
The imperfect is formed by dropping the ‐ons ending from the present tense nous form of the verb and adding the following endings:
The imparfait of regular verbsTable 1 shows how the imparfait is formed with regular verbs.
Unit 6.2
Here are two examples:
Pendant mon enfance, je lisais beaucoup. (During my childhood I read [used to read, would read] a lot.)
Je regardais la télé quand le téléphone a sonné. (I was watching TV when the phone rang.)
Verbs such as étudier (to study), rire (to laugh), sourire (to smile), and vérifier (to check) already end in ‐ions in the present. In the imperfect, an extra i is necessary in the nous and vous forms:
Nous étudiions pendant des heures. (We were studying for hours.) Vous riiez trop. (You were laughing too much.)
The following verbs have spelling changes in the imperfect:
Verbs ending in ‐cer change ‐c to ‐ç before ‐a to maintain the soft c sound in the je, tu, il, and ils forms:
La voiture avançait lentement. (The car was advancing slowly.)
Unit 6.2 Commenciez‐vous à vous inquiéter? (Were you beginning to get worried?)
Verbs ending in ‐ger insert a silent ‐e between ‐g and ‐a to maintain the soft g sound in the je, tu, il, and ils forms:
Il mangeait si vite. (He was eating so quickly.) Nous mangions toujours dans ce restaurant. (We always ate at that restaurant.)
Irregular verbs follow the same rules for the formation of the imperfect as do regular verbs. The following is a list of the nous form of the most common irregular verbs. To form the imperfect, simply drop the ‐ons and add the imperfect endings given earlier:
aller (to go): nous allonsavoir (to have): nous avonsboire (to drink): nous buvonsconduire (to drive): nous conduisonsconnaître (to know): nous connaissonscourir (to run): nous couronscraindre (to fear): nous craignonscroire (to believe): nous croyonsdevoir (to have to): nous devonsdire (to say, to tell): nous disonsdormir (to sleep): nous dormonsécrire (to write): nous écrivonsfaire (to make, to do): nous faisonslire (to read): nous lisonsmettre (to put): nous mettonsoffrir (to offer): nous offronsouvrir (to open): nous ouvronsplaire (to please): nous plaisonspouvoir (to be able to): nous pouvonsprendre (to take): nous prenonsrecevoir (to receive): nous recevonssavoir (to know): nous savonssuivre (to follow): nous suivonstenir (to hold): nous tenonsvaloir (to be worth): nous valonsvenir (to come): nous venonsvivre (to live): nous vivonsvoir (to see): nous voyonsvouloir (to wish, to want): nous voulons
Unit 6.2Note: Falloir (to be necessary) and pleuvoir (to rain) are used only in the il form: il fallait (it was necessary) and il pleuvait (it was raining).
Note: The only verb that does not follow the rule for the formation of the imperfect is être (to be), whose imperfect stem is ét‐: j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient.
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/french/french-ii/french-ii-past-tenses/the-imparfait
3. Imparfait vs passé composé
The most important French past tenses are the passé composé and the imparfait, and they are troublesome for several reasons. While l’imparfait is more or less equivalent to the English past progressive, l’imparfait is more widely used, especially with verbs like avoir and être. As for the passé composé, it has three English equivalents. Be sure you fully understand these two French tenses before continuing with this lesson.
For French students, the trickiest aspect of these French verb forms is that they often work together, juxtaposed not only throughout stories, but even within individual sentences. Understanding the contrasting relationship between the passé composé and imparfait is essential to communicating in French.
Imparfait vs passé composé
In a nutshell, the imparfait is used for incomplete actions while the passé composé is reserved for completed ones, but of course it’s more complicated than that.
Incomplete vs Complete
Imparfait explains what was happening, with no indication of when or even if it ended.
Passé composé announces what happened, actions that were completed.
J’étais à l’école. I was at school. Je suis arrivé tôt. I arrived early.
Je faisais mes devoirs.
I was doing my homework.
J’ai fini mes devoirs.
I finished my homework.
Uncounted vs Counted
Imparfait details what used to happen on a regular basis, or happened an indefinite
Passé composé expresses what happened a specific number of times.
Unit 6.2
number of times.
J’étudiais le lundi. I used to study on Mondays. J’ai étudié lundi. I studied on (a
specific) Monday.
Je perdais constamment mon livre.
I was always losing my book.
J’ai perdu mon livre deux fois. I lost my book twice.
Ongoing vs New
Imparfait indicates an ongoing state of being or feeling.
Passé composé reports a change in a state of being, a new feeling.
J’aimais l’école. I liked school.En ce moment, j’ai détesté l’école.
At that moment, I hated school.
J’étais toujours inspiré par mes profs.
I was always inspired by my teachers.
J’ai été inspiré par ton succès.
I was (became) inspired by your success.
Background + Event
Imparfait describes what was happening or how something was when …
… the passé composé interrupted with news of some occurence.
J’étais à l’école quand …
I was at school when …
… il a commencé à pleuvoir.
… it started raining.
J’essayais d’étudier mais …
I was trying to study but …
… mon ami m’a posé une question.
… my friend asked me a question.
Imparfait and passé composé in actionTo give you an idea of how these tenses work, together and separately, here are three similar stories using each tense individually and then both together.
Unit 6.2
Histoire à l’imparfait
Quand j’étais lycéen, j’étudiais tous les jours. Je voulais être accepté dans une grande école parce que je souhaitais être politicien. Je lisais les journaux régulièrement et je commentais constamment l’actualité en compagnie de mes amis.
When I was in high school, I studied every day. I wanted to be accepted into a prestigious university because I hoped to be a politician. I read newspapers regularly and I talked about current events all the time to my friends.
Histoire au passé composé
Quand j’ai décidé d’être politicien, j’ai commencé à étudier tous les jours. J’ai fait des recherches et j’ai choisi une grande école. Cependant, je n’ai lu le journal que trois fois en un an, et, un soir, quand j’ai parlé de l’actualité pendant un dîner, je me suis rendu ridicule devant tout le monde.
When I decided to be a politician, I started studying every day. I did research and chose a prestigious university. However, I only read the newspaper three times in one year, and, one evening, when I talked about current events at a dinner party, I made a fool of myself in front of everyone.
Histoire aux temps passés mélangés
Quand j’étais lycéen, j’ai décidé que je voulais être politicien. J’étudiais tous les jours parce que je devais, pour cela, être accepté dans une grande école. Je lisais les journaux régulièrement, et, un soir, quand j’ai parlé de l’actualité pendant un dîner, j’ai impressionné tout le monde.
When I was in high school, I decided that I wanted to be a politician. I studied every day because for that I needed to be accepted into a prestigious university. I read newspapers regularly and one evening, when I talked about current events at a dinner party, I impressed everyone.
Imparfait and passé composé cluesSome words and phrases are virtually always used with the imparfait, while others seem to stick like glue to the passé composé. These lists can help you determine which tense you need in any given sentence.
Imparfait Passé composé
chaque semaine, mois, année
every week, month, year
une semaine, un mois, un an
one week, month, year
Unit 6.2
le week-end on the weekends un week-end one weekend
le lundi, le mardi… on Mondays, on Tuesdays… lundi, mardi… on Monday, on
Tuesday
tous les jours every day un jour one day
le matin, le soir in the mornings, in the evenings un matin, un soir one morning, one
evening
toujours always (in the past) toujours always (and still now)
normalement, d’habitude usually plusieurs fois several times
en général, généralement in general, generally une fois, deux fois… once, twice…
souvent often soudain, soudainement suddenly
parfois, quelquefois sometimes tout à coup all of a sudden
de temps en temps from time to time tout d’un coup in one fell swoop
rarement rarely d’abord first
autrefois formerly ensuite, puis next, then
enfin finally
finalement in the end
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/passe-compose-vs-imparfait/