recognising ‘noun groups’ - tree genietree-genie.co.uk/grammar handouts/nouns and...the...

If you understand the roles nouns (and their accompanying baggage) play in a sentence ...

... you can use pronouns with ease (words like lui, leur, le/la/les, eux and elles) ...

... understand complicated grammatical trickery such as past participle agreement ...

... and write complex sentences using relative pronouns (words like qui and que, lequel, auquel, duquel, dont).

As a result, your French will be ACCURATE, ADVENTUROUS and ATTRACT HIGHER MARKS (A A A !).

In the previous slideshows, you learnt how to identify the NOUN GROUP or GROUPS in a sentence, and how to recognise prepositions.

Then, we started looking at the ROLES noun groups play in a sentence – starting with the SUBJECT.

Now, we are moving on to the different kinds of OBJECTS (compléments) that a verb can have.

We have already seen that the NOUN GROUP SUBJECT performs the action of the verb.

Here, I have highlighted the verbs in blue and the subjects in pink.

La France a battu l’Angleterre

Le vieil homme parlait à son frère aîné.

Sur la petite place se trouvait une jolie fontaine.

Now, I have highlighted the remaining NOUN GROUPS in purple

These are the OBJECTS (compléments) of their respective verbs.

Here is the IMPORTANT BIT – I haven’t highlighted the PREPOSITIONS.

La France a battu

l’Angleterre.

Le vieil homme parlait à son frère aîné.

Sur la petite place se trouvait une jolie fontaine.

Some verbs do not need objects at all, only subjects. I am using the symbol to mark these verbs.

› La toute petite fille tremblait .

› Jean-Pierre travaille .

These are called INTRANSITIVE VERBS.

Most verbs require objects. The verbs on this slide have NO preposition before their object. I have marked them with the + symbol:

› Cette vieille femme possédait + une petite

maison délabrée.

› Marie a trouvé + son portefeuille.

› Le soldat connaissait + les dernières victimes.

Other verbs require a preposition BEFORE their

object. I have marked them with the ++ symbol

(putting the ++ round the prepositions):

› Ma voisine parle +à+ son fils.

› Le chat dormait +sous+ la chaise.

Underline the NOUN GROUP OBJECT in each sentence. If there is no preposition in front of the OBJECT, write +. If there IS a preposition, write ++. If there is no OBJECT, write .

1. Henri a mangé une grosse pomme rouge. 2. Ma mère réfléchit.

3. Sur la petite place se trouvait une jolie fontaine.

4. La France a battu l’Angleterre.

5. Le policier blessé parlait à son collègue.

6. Mon copain s’intéresse à la lecture.

7. La femme donne des poires mûres à son voisin.

1. Henri a mangé + une grosse pomme rouge.

› Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT

(Henri)

› And a NOUN GROUP OBJECT (une grosse pomme rouge)

› There is no preposition before the OBJECT +

2. Ma mère réfléchit .

› Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT

(ma mère)

› However, there is no NOUN GROUP

OBJECT at all .

3. +Sur+ la petite place se trouvait une jolie fontaine. › Here, the verb has a subject in an unusual

position (une jolie fontaine)

› It has a NOUN GROUP OBJECT before it.

› The OBJECT has a preposition in front of it +sur+

4. La France a battu + l’Angleterre.

› Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT

(La France)

› And a NOUN GROUP OBJECT (l’Angleterre)

› There is no preposition before the OBJECT +

Le policier blessé parlait +à+ son

collègue.

› Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT (le

policier)

› It has a NOUN GROUP OBJECT (son collègue)

› The OBJECT has a preposition in front of it +à+

Mon copain s’intéresse +à+ la lecture.

› Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT

(mon copain)

› It has a NOUN GROUP OBJECT (la lecture)

› The OBJECT has a preposition in front of it

+à+

1. La femme donne + des poires mûres +à+ son voisin. › Here, the verb has a NOUN GROUP SUBJECT (La

femme)

› It has TWO noun group OBJECTS

› One has no preposition (+ des poires mûres)

› One has the preposition +à+ (son voisin)

Is it a (+) ?

(ie no preposition)

YES

It’s a DIRECT OBJECT

(COD in French)

NO, it is a (++)

(ie it has a preposition in front of it)

The preposition is

à

It is an INDIRECT OBJECT (COI in French)

The preposition is

NOT à

It is the OBJECT OF A

PREPOSITION (CC in French) NB, this table simplifies things to a certain

extent. You will find more detail in the Aim

Higher section, if you feel ready for more.

Bernard rencontrera + son ami.

La France a battu + l’Angleterre.

Les rats mangent + les œufs.

The NOUN GROUP OBJECT is a person or a thing

There is no preposition in front of it

In French, it is called a complément d’objet DIRECT

The NOUN GROUP OBJECT is a person or a thing

It has the preposition +À+ in front of it

In French, it is called a complément d’objet INDIRECT

Le vieil homme parlait +à+ son frère aîné.

Mon copain s’intéresse +à+ la lecture.

Le chat dormait +sous+ la chaise.

+Sur+ la petite place se trouvait une jolie fontaine.

These are the trickiest to understand, not least because of their name in English (indirect objects have a preposition too!)

They are introduced by prepositions

They are called compléments circonstanciels in French.

They behave like adverbs , telling you:

› Where

› When

› How

› Why (etc)

the verb is being done.

On annoncera le résultat +pendant+ le dîner.

Jean s’était garé +devant+ la poste.

Il poussa la porte +d’+ un air impatient.

+Depuis+ ce matin,

un vieux monsieur lit

son journal +sur+ le

banc.

A single verb can

have more than one CC, either in front or

after it.

[it can never have

more than one DIRECT

or INDIRECT object,

although it can have one of each]

Find the DIRECT objects, the INDIRECT objects, and the OBJECTS OF A PREPOSTION:

1. Le président a reçu une lettre menaçante.

2. Les enfants jouaient aux billes [marbles].

3. La France apporte son soutien au nouveau gouvernement tunisien.

4. Cherche les clés dans tes poches.

5. L’avenir appartient aux audacieux.

6. Le caissier rend la monnaie aux clients.

7. Le chat dort sur le buffet depuis ce matin.

Le président a reçu + une lettre menaçante.

› (DIRECT OBJECT / COD)

Les enfants jouaient +À+ les billes.

› (INDIRECT OBJECT / COI)

La France apporte

› + son soutien (DIRECT OBJECT / COD)

› +À+ le nouveau gouvernement tunisien.

(INDIRECT OBJECT / COI)

Cherche

› + les clés (DIRECT OBJECT / COD)

› +dans+ tes poches. (OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION - dans)

L’avenir appartient › +À+ les audacieux. (INDIRECT OBJECT / COI)

Le caissier rend

› + la monnaie (DIRECT OBJECT / COD)

› +À+ les clients (INDIRECT OBJECT / COI)

Le chat dort

› +sur+ le buffet (OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION - sur)

› +depuis+ ce matin. (OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION - depuis)

You should now understand how to identify the NOUN GROUP(S) in a sentence, and establish :

› Which NOUN GROUP is the subject of each verb

› Whether there are any NOUN GROUP OBJECTS

› Work out whether these are DIRECT OBJECTS (COD), INDIRECT OBJECTS (COI), OR OBJECTS OF A PREPOSITION (CC).

For those interested in learning more on this topic, there follow another few Aim Higher slides.

Sometimes an INDIRECT OBJECT

can have DE instead of À in front

of it.

However, you don’t need to understand this is an INDIRECT

OBJECT to select the right

pronouns to use – an object

introduced by DE is always

replaced by the pronoun EN (more under pronouns).

Catherine parlait

+de+ ses vacances

Je parle +d’+ un

ouvrage écrit par

Flaubert.

Nous partons +à+ huit

heures (WHEN)

Je vais +à+ Londres

(WHERE)

Le projet avance +à+

toute vitesse (HOW)

We have seen that an object

introduced by À is an

INDIRECT OBJECT (COI).

However, sometimes À

introduces an OBJECT OF A

PREPOSITION (CC)

Nous partons +à+ huit

heures (WHEN)

Je vais +à+ Londres

(WHERE)

Le projet avance +à+

toute vitesse (HOW)

This is a tricky one –

because these objects

cannot be replaced by an

indirect object pronoun.

Remember an object of a

preposition (CC) tells you

when / where/ why/ how

(like an adverb).