Cân Chinh Truong
PRACTICE
MAKES
PERFEC T
Complete
French
Grammar
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PRACTICE
MAKES
PERFECT
Complete
French
Grammar
Annie Heminway
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DOI: 10.1036/0071482849
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Contents
Introduction ix
1
The present tense of regular -er verbs
1
Regular -er verbs in the present 1
-er verbs with spelling and stem changes 4
When is the present tense used in French? 9
2
The present tense of -ir and -re verbs
-ir verbs in the present
13
-re verbs in the present
16
13
The interrogative form 19
The negative form 21
3
To be and to have
24
The verb être (to be) 24
The verb avoir (to have) 26
The -oir verbs 28
4
More irregular verbs
The verb aller (to go)
34
34
The immediate future tense 35
The verb venir (to come) 36
The immediate past 37
The verb faire (to do, to make) 40
The causative form 41
5
Devoir and its many facets
43
The verb devoir (to have to, must) 43
Il y a (there is, there are) 46
Il s’agit de (it is a matter of, it’s about) 46
Verbs ending in -eindre and -aindre 46
v
6
Pronominal verbs
49
Reflexive verbs 49
Reciprocal verbs 50
Passive pronominals 51
Subjective pronominals 51
Pronominals in the imperative and the infinitive 52
7
The passé composé
55
The past participle of regular verbs 55
The passé composé with avoir 56
Irregular past participles 58
The passé composé with être 60
Pronominal verbs in the passé composé 62
Verbs conjugated with avoir and être 63
8
The imparfait
65
The imparfait 65
The imparfait versus the passé composé 67
The imparfait with special constructions 70
9
The futur simple and the futur antérieur
72
The futur simple 72
The futur antérieur 77
Conjunctions used with the indicative mood 79
10 The plus-que-parfait
81
Formation of the plus-que-parfait 81
Use of the plus-que-parfait 83
11 The present conditional and the past conditional
87
The present conditional 87
The past conditional 92
12 Could, should, would?
97
Could 97
Should 99
Would 100
13 The present subjunctive and the past subjunctive
The present subjunctive 104
Uses of the subjunctive 106
The past subjunctive 112
vi
Contents
104
14 The infinitive mood
115
The infinitif présent 115
The infinitif passé 118
Verbs with their prepositions 120
15 The present participle and the gerund
126
The present participle 126
The gerund 129
16 The passé simple
131
Formation of the passé simple 131
The passé simple of irregular verbs 132
17 The passive voice
136
Formation of the passive voice 136
Uses of the passive voice 139
Avoiding the passive voice in French 139
18 Indirect speech
141
Direct speech versus indirect speech 141
Balancing tenses: la concordance des temps 142
19 The imperative mood
147
Formation of the imperative 147
The imperative of pronominal verbs 150
20 Articles and nouns
152
The definite article with nouns 152
The indefinite and partitive articles with nouns 153
The gender of nouns 155
The plural of nouns 158
The gender of countries 160
Geographical names with prepositions 161
21 All the pronouns
166
Subject pronouns 166
Direct object pronouns 167
Indirect object pronouns 170
The order of object pronouns 176
Disjunctive pronouns 178
22 Adjectives and comparisons
183
Agreement of adjectives 183
The placement of adjectives 184
Contents
vii
Adjectives of color 185
Comparatives and superlatives 187
23 Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
191
Demonstrative adjectives 191
Possessive adjectives 193
Possessive pronouns 195
Demonstrative pronouns 198
24 Relative pronouns
202
Qui 202
Que 203
Lequel 205
Où 206
Dont 207
Ce que, ce qui, ce dont, ce à quoi 209
25 Adverbs and expressions of time, frequency, and location
Adverbs and expressions of time 212
Interrogative forms; question words 219
Adverbs and expressions of location 219
26 Numbers
221
The numbers 0 to 50 221
Ordinal numbers 222
The numbers 50 to 99 224
The numbers 100 to 999 225
The numbers 1,000 and greater 227
27 Pot pourri
230
Verbs that use different prepositions 230
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever 233
Avoir beau and quitte à 234
Verb tables
236
Regular verbs 236
Verbs with spelling changes 238
Verbs with stem changes 238
Irregular verbs 239
French-English glossary 240
English-French glossary 250
Answer key 260
viii
Contents
212
Introduction
Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar is designed as a review and
study tool for the advanced beginner and intermediate student of French. The
grammar explanations given in each unit include comparisons that provide ample
practice of the material along with appropriate, useful vocabulary. Instructions
for each exercise are given in French, enabling the student to anticipate the task
that follows while, at the same time, practicing vocabulary in context. The variety
of exercises makes them suitable for a range of different learning styles; openended exercises are included to encourage creative answers and to increase confidence in using French for normal everyday communication.
Each unit can be studied independently to suit individual needs in a specific
area. For the student seeking additional practice at the high school or college level,
these units, taken individually or as a whole, provide an opportunity to learn and
review French grammar using contemporary language and examples.
New vocabulary is incorporated within the exercises or is highlighted in
boxes. The glossaries include words appropriate to this level and make it easy to
quickly review or learn new vocabulary. Finally, the verb charts serve as a quick
grammar reference.
Learning another language requires dedication, time, and ultimately, frequent practice. By using what the students already know, by making connections
with their first language, and by building on that base, the foundation for their
future learning is strengthened. By including a number of cognates of English
words in the vocabulary, both advanced beginners and intermediate students are
given numerous opportunities to reinforce what they already know as they continue to advance their knowledge of French.
ix
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PRACTICE
MAKES
PERFEC T
Complete
French
Grammar
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The present tense of
regular -er verbs
·1·
Before studying the present tense in French, you need to be familiar with the
grammatical terms in chapters presenting verbs. To conjugate a verb in the present tense, you’ll need to find the root (or stem) of a verb to which you’ll add the
ending corresponding to the desired tense. The root of the verb is found in its
infinitive form. In English, the infinitive is preceded by the preposition to: to say,
to wear. Infinitives in French are not preceded by an equivalent of the preposition
to. They are identified according to groups by their endings: -er, -ir, -re, -oir.
Regular -er verbs in the present
Let’s start with the infinitives of verbs of the first group, ending in -er, such as
regarder (to look at) and chanter (to sing). Most verbs that end in -er in the infinitive follow the same conjugation. The pattern is easy. You remove the -er ending
of the verb to get the root: parler (to speak) parl-. Then, you add the endings
corresponding to the subject pronoun.
The endings for the -er regular verbs are: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. The -e,
-es, and -ent endings of the verbs are all silent. The final -s of nous, vous, ils, elles
links with verbs beginning with a vowel sound, making a z sound. This is called a
liaison.
Let’s conjugate the verb parler (to speak). Note that, as in English, conjugated
forms are preceded by a subject pronoun:
je parle
tu parles
il parle
elle parle
on parle
I speak
you speak
he speaks
she speaks
one/they/we speak
nous parlons
vous parlez
ils parlent
elles parlent
we speak
you speak
they (m., m./f.) speak
they (f.) speak
Here are some questions using parler:
Parlez-vous italien?
Combien de langues parles-tu?
Do you speak Italian?
How many languages do you speak?
Chanter (to sing) follows the same pattern:
je chante
tu chantes
il chante
elle chante
on chante
I sing
you sing
he sings
she sings
one/they/we sing
nous chantons
vous chantez
ils chantent
elles chantent
we sing
you sing
they (m., m./f.) sing
they (f.) sing
1
Copyright © 2008 by Annie Heminway. Click here for terms of use.
To recapitulate, here are the subject pronouns with their English equivalents:
je
tu
il
elle
on
nous
vous
ils
elles
I
you (singular familiar)
he, it (masculine)
she, it (feminine)
one, we, they
we
you (singular formal and all plurals)
they (masculine or mixed masculine and feminine)
they (feminine)
There are two ways of saying you in French. Use tu to talk to friends, family members, children, and animals. Use vous when you are addressing a stranger, someone you don’t know well,
or to maintain a certain degree of distance or respect.
The pronoun on takes on different meanings. It may mean one, we, or they depending on
how it is used. See the examples below.
Ici, on parle japonais.
On ne devrait pas se comporter ainsi.
On va au cinéma ce soir? (familiar)
En Espagne, on mange des tapas.
On est tous d’accord. (familiar)
Japanese is spoken here.
One should not behave this way.
Shall we go to the movies tonight?
In Spain, they eat tapas.
We all agree.
Here are some common regular -er verbs:
accepter
aimer
annuler
apporter
attraper
augmenter
bavarder
casser
chercher
commander
couper
danser
déjeuner
demander
dessiner
donner
emprunter
enlever
étudier
exprimer
gagner
garder
habiter
laver
manger
mériter
oublier
porter
prêter
2
practice makes perfect Complete French Grammar
to accept
to like, to love
to cancel
to bring
to catch
to increase
to chat
to break
to look for
to order
to cut
to dance
to have lunch
to ask
to draw
to give
to borrow
to remove
to study
to express
to win, to earn
to keep
to live
to wash
to eat
to deserve
to forget
to carry
to lend
refuser
regarder
saluer
sauter
tomber
travailler
visiter
to refuse
to watch
to greet
to jump
to fall
to work
to visit (a place)
EXERCICE
1·1
Mettre les verbes entre parenthèses au présent.
1. Lucie
(travailler) à Lyon.
2. Mon frère et moi, nous
(accepter) votre invitation.
3. M. et Mme Benoît
4. Tu
(chercher) un appartement.
(apporter) toujours des fleurs.
5. Vous
(bavarder) sur la terrasse.
6. Je
(commander) une soupe de légumes.
7. Ils
(habiter) en Normandie.
8. Elle
(déjeuner) avec sa belle-sœur.
9. Vous
(dessiner) très bien.
10. Nous
(visiter) le château de Fontainebleau.
EXERCICE
1·2
Traduire en français.
1. We refuse the invitation.
2. She cancels the trip.
3. He speaks French.
4. You bring some flowers. (formal)
5. I cut the bread.
The present tense of regular -er verbs
3
6. They are having lunch with Julie.
7. He borrows ten euros.
8. I order a dessert.
9. You study Russian. (informal)
10. They are looking for a good restaurant.
VOCABULAIRE
à midi
à minuit
aujourd’hui
demain
hier
après-demain
avant-hier
le matin
l’après-midi
le soir
toujours
souvent
at noon
at midnight
today
tomorrow
yesterday
the day after tomorrow
the day before yesterday
in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
always
often
le samedi,
le dimanche
cette semaine
le mois prochain
le mois dernier
à la fin du mois
au début de l’année
de temps en temps
parfois
on Saturdays, on
Sundays
this week
next month
last month
at the end of the
month
at the beginning of
the year
from time to time
sometimes
-er verbs with spelling and stem changes
Some -er verbs, otherwise regular, show spelling or stem changes in the present tense, largely to
maintain pronunciation. These can be learned according to their groups.
Verbs ending in -cer
Some spelling changes occur with some -er regular verbs. With verbs ending in -cer, such as prononcer (to pronounce) the -c- becomes -ç- before the letter o. The cedilla (ç) under the c is needed
to keep the soft pronunciation of the c in the infinitive form.
je prononce
tu prononces
il/elle prononce
I pronounce
you pronounce
he/she pronounces
nous prononçons
vous prononcez
ils/elles prononcent
Here are a few examples of other -cer verbs:
nous annonçons
nous avançons
4
practice makes perfect Complete French Grammar
we announce
we move forward
we pronounce
you pronounce
they pronounce
nous balançons
nous commençons
nous défonçons
nous déplaçons
nous devançons
nous effaçons
nous épiçons
nous façonnons
nous finançons
nous grimaçons
nous influençons
nous laçons
nous menaçons
nous perçons
nous plaçons
nous ponçons
nous remplaçons
nous renonçons
we swing
we start
we smash in
we move
we get ahead of
we erase
we spice
we craft, we manufacture
we finance
we make faces
we influence
we lace up, we tie
we threaten
we pierce
we place
we sand
we replace
we give up
EXERCICE
1·3
Mettre au présent les verbes entre parenthèses.
1. Nous
(commencer) à huit heures le matin.
2. Vous
(avancer) rapidement.
3. Je
(déplacer) les meubles du salon.
4. Nous
(devancer) nos concurrents.
5. Nous
(annoncer) une augmentation de salaire au début de l’année.
6. Tu
(effacer) le tableau.
7. Nous
(remplacer) toute l’équipe.
8. Ils
(exercer) une grande influence.
9. Nous
(financer) ce projet.
10. Elle
(menacer) de partir.
Verbs ending in -ger
With verbs ending in -ger, such as voyager (to travel), the -g- becomes -ge- before the letter o.
je voyage
tu voyages
il/elle voyage
I travel
you travel
he/she travels
nous voyageons
vous voyagez
ils/elles voyagent
we travel
you travel
they travel
Here are other common -ger verbs:
nous bougeons
nous changeons
we move
we change
The present tense of regular -er verbs
5
nous corrigeons
nous dégageons
nous déménageons
nous encourageons
nous exigeons
nous hébergeons
nous mangeons
nous mélangeons
nous nageons
nous négligeons
nous partageons
nous plongeons
nous protégeons
nous rangeons
nous vengeons
we correct
we release, we free
we move (house)
we encourage
we demand
we host
we eat
we mix
we swim
we neglect
we share
we dive
we protect
we put away
we avenge
EXERCICE
1·4
Mettre au présent les verbes entre parenthèses.
1. Vous
(mélanger) les ingrédients.
2. Je
(ranger) mes affaires.
3. Nous
(exiger) votre présence à la réunion.
4. Ils
(déménager) demain.
5. Elle
(héberger) ses amis.
6. Vous
(corriger) les exercices.
7. Nous
(manger) sur la terrasse à midi.
8. Tu
(nager) dans la piscine.
9. Nous
(encourager) ces jeunes talents.
10. Souvent, il
(changer) d’avis.
Verbs ending in -e + consonant + -er
With some verbs composed of -e consonant -er, such as acheter (to buy), some accent changes
occur. An accent grave is added in all but the first- and the second-person plural.
j’achète
tu achètes
il/elle achète
I buy
you buy
he/she buys
nous achetons
vous achetez
ils/elles achètent
Here are a few other verbs following the same pattern:
achever
emmener
enlever
lever
6
j’achève
j’emmène
j’enlève
je lève
I complete
I take along, I escort
I remove
I raise
practice makes perfect Complete French Grammar
we buy
you buy
they buy
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