French Grammar PDF

page: index
1. nouns
2. determiners
3. adverbs
4. adjectives
5. verbs
6. negation
7. prepositions
8. pronouns
9. conjunctions
10. tense/aspect/mood/voice
11. interrogative constructions
12. appendix : verb practice
13. appendix : testez-vous!
14. appendix : verb conjugation reference
15. etc.
16. pdf downloads
17. mp3 downloads
NOUNS
introduction
number: singular and plural
gender: masculine and feminine
voil vs. il y a: devices for introducing nouns
temps, heure, fois: different nouns for 'time'
DETERMINERS
introduction
definite articles
def. articles with physical characteristics, ex. elle a les cheveux longs
indefinite articles
partitive articles
possessive determiners: mon, ma, mes, etc.
demonstrative determiners: ce, cet, cette, ces
expressions of quantity: beaucoup de, un peu de, etc.
tout
indefinite determiners
ADVERBS
introduction
formation and placement
placement of adverbs with the pass compos
comparative and superlative of adverbs
il y a 'ago'
bon/meilleur vs. bien/mieux
tt, tard, en avance, en retard, l'heure
ADJECTIVES
page: no1
A noun is essentially a label for places, things, events, ideas, concepts and so on. Like English, nouns in French may
be categorized as common or proper, count or mass, singular or plural. However, unlike English, French nouns are
also categorized as either masculine or feminine.
common vs. proper

Common nouns in English and French are the generic term for something. Common nouns are never spelled with a
capital letter unless they begin a sentence.
un tatou an armadillo
Proper nouns are specific names and thus begin with capital letters.
Tex et Tammy Tex and Tammy
count vs. mass

Another way of classifying nouns is according to whether they can be counted or not. Count nouns identify
individual entities that can be counted, like armadillos.
un tatou, deux tatous one armadillo, two armadillos
In contrast, a mass noun refers to an entity as an uncountable unit. In the following example, the bread that Tex is
eating is conceived of as a mass, that is, an undefined quantity.
Tex mange du pain. Tex is eating bread.
The difference between count and mass nouns is usually clearcut. However, something that is typically countable
such as an animal (one armadillo, two armadillos, three armadillos) can nevertheless be conceived of in terms of a
mass, as in the following tasteless example.
Berk! Il y a du tatou cras partout sur les Yuck! There's squashed armadillo all over
autoroutes du Texas. the Texas highways.
singular vs. plural

All nouns in French and English are marked for number, that is, for singular (one) or plural (more than one).
French, like English, usually indicates plurality by adding an -s to the end of the base form, the singular noun.
Count nouns have both singular and plural forms:
le tatou, les tatous the armadillo, the armadillos
Mass nouns typically have only a singular form. Try saying the plural forms of the following English mass nouns:
sewage, mucus, plasma.
It sounds strange doesn't it? This shows that it is difficult to pluralize a mass noun.
masculine vs. feminine

In English, grammatical gender is based on biology and is only relevant for pronouns (he, she, it) and possessive
determiners (his, her, its). Gender in French, on the other hand, affects all nouns, pronouns, adjectives and articles.
A noun's gender is indicated by the article that precedes it. Masculine nouns are preceded by le and feminine nouns
by la. The use of articles in French is more widespread than in English.
le garon the boy

la fille the girl
Unlike English, the grammatical concept of gender in French has little to do with biological sex. Therefore, inanimate
objects such as tables and desks are categorized as either masculine or feminine (there is no neuter gender in
French grammar).
la table (feminine) the table

le bureau (masculine) the desk
Remember that gender in French, for the most part, is not about sex, but is simply an arbitrary category. The terms
'masculine' and 'feminine' really mean nothing more than 'noun class A' and 'noun class B'. Because grammatical
gender is fairly arbitrary, it is essential to memorize a noun's gender along with its spelling and pronunciation.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 27 May 04
page: no2
1. regular formation
2. nouns ending in -s, -x, -z
3. nouns ending in -al, -au, -eu, -eau, -ou
4. irregular plurals
In French, a noun is always either singular or plural. It is usually introduced by a determiner, which reflects the number
of the noun.
regular plural formation

As in English, the plural is formed by adding an -s to the singular form of the noun. Note, however, that the -s is not
pronounced. In spoken language, the determiner is often the only indication that a noun is singular or plural.
Tex est un tatou. Tex et Tammy sont des Tex is an armadillo. Tex and Tammy are
tatous. armadillos.
nouns ending in -s, -x, -z in the singular

Nouns ending in -s, -x, or -z do not change in the plural. For example:
Tex a un long nez. Les tatous ont toujours Tex has a long nose. Armadillos always
de longs nez. have long noses.
Joe-Bob est un cureuil. Les cureuils Joe-Bob is a squirrel. Squirrels adore nuts.
adorent les noix. Joe-Bob mange au moins Joe-Bob eats at least one nut every day.
une noix par jour.
Bette est une chatte. Les chats mangent Bette is a cat. Cats eat mice. Has Bette
des souris. Est-ce que Bette a jamais ever eaten a mouse?
mang une souris?
nouns ending in -al, -ail, -au, -eu, -eau, -ou in the singular
Nouns ending in -al, -ail, or -au in the singular end in -aux in the plural. For example:
Edouard est un animal distingu. Corey et Edouard is a distinguished animal. Corey et

Fiona ne sont pas des animaux, ce sont des Fiona are not animals. They are unsociable
insectes peu sociables! insects!
There are a few exceptions: un bal (ball, dance), des bals; un carnaval (carnival), des carnavals; un festival (festival),
des festivals; un rcital (recital), des rcitals.
Nouns ending in -eu or -eau in the singular add -x in the plural. For example:
Edouard n'a pas un seul cheveu. Bien sr, Edouard does not have one single hair. Of
c'est un escargot! Mais Tammy a les course, he's a snail. But Tammy has long
cheveux longs. C'est une tatou hair. She's an extraordinary armadillo!
extraordinaire!
Nouns ending in -ou end in -oux in the plural:
un bijou (jewel), des bijoux

un caillou (stone, pebble), des cailloux
un chou (cabbage), des choux
un genou (knee), des genoux
un hibou (owl), des hiboux
un pou (louse), des poux
Exceptions include: un clou (nail), des clous; un sou (money), des sous; un trou (hole), des trous.
irregular plurals
Some nouns have an alternate form in the plural:
un oeil (eye), des yeux

Madame (Madam), Mesdames
Monsieur (Sir), Messieurs
Mademoiselle (Miss), Mesdemoiselles
Note that some nouns follow the regular rule of plural formation but are pronounced differently in the plural. For
example, the -f is pronounced in the singular, but not in the plural. Listen:
un oeuf (egg), des oeufs
un boeuf (steer), des boeufs
un os (bone), des os
Listen to the dialogue:
Corey: Dis Bette, tu as dj mang une Corey: Bette, have you ever eaten a
souris? mouse?
Bette: Oh oui! J'aime les souris! Et aussi Bette: Oh yes! I love mice! And rats, birds
les rats, les oiseaux, les lzards. Je ne and lizards too! I never eat plants, but
mange jamais de vgtaux, mais sometimes insects ...
quelquefois des insectes ...
Corey: Des insectes! Allez, au revoir. Corey: Insects! Alright, bye-bye.
fill in the blanks

Give the plural form of the noun indicated in parentheses. Pay attention to both the article and the noun.
1. Bette aime ______ . (le bijoux)
2. Fiona aime ______ . (le cheval)

3. Joe-Bob aime ______ amricaines. (la bire)
4. Tex n'aime pas ______ . (le choix)
5. Joe-Bob n'aime pas ______ difficiles. (le cours)
6. Tammy n'aime pas ______ . (l'hpital)
7. Eduard aime ______. (le tableau)
8. Bette aime ______ de Tex. (l'oeil)
9. Tex aime ______ franais. (le pote)
10. Corey aime ______ fraches. (la boisson)
11. Tammy aime ______ amricains. (le campus)
12. Corey n'aime pas ______ . (l'examen)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 18 Oct 04
page: no3
1. people
2. animals
3. objects
In French, a noun is always feminine or masculine. It is introduced by a determiner, which usually indicates the gender
of the noun.
people
When a noun refers to a person, the gender is determined by the person's sex (although some exceptions do exist).
In general, the feminine form of the noun is formed by adding an -e to the masculine noun. Note that the addition of the
-e changes the pronunciation in some words:
Joe-Bob est tudiant, Tammy est aussi Joe-Bob is a student, Tammy is a student.
tudiante.
Tex est ami avec Joe-Bob, Tammy est aussi Tex is Joe-Bob's friend, Tammy is also Joe-
amie avec Joe-Bob. Bob's friend.
There are cases when the feminine form of the noun changes more drastically.
Edouard: Je suis serveur. Edouard: I'm a waiter.

Tammy: Je ne suis pas serveuse. Tammy: I'm not a waiter.
Trey: Je suis musicien. Trey: I'm a musician.

Tammy: Je ne suis pas musicienne. Tammy: I'm not a musician.
Tex: Je suis un sducteur. Tex: I'm a womanizer.

Bette: Je suis une sductrice. Bette: I'm a seductress.
Joe-Bob: Pour le travail, je ne suis pas Joe-Bob: I'm not a champion at working.
champion. Fiona: I'm the one who is a champion.
Fiona: C'est moi qui suis championne.
Tex: Je suis le copain de Tammy. Tex: I'm Tammy's pal.

Tammy: Je suis la copine de Tex. Tammy: I'm Tex's pal.
In general, when the masculine noun ends in -e, the feminine noun remains unchanged. Only the determiner or the
context indicates if it is a feminine or masculine noun.
Tex et Rita sont frre et soeur, mais ils ont Tex and Rita are brother and sister, but
des mtiers tout fait diffrents. they have completely different jobs.
Tex est pote. Rita est secrtaire. Tex is a poet. Rita is a secretary.
Tex n'est srement pas secrtaire et Rita Tex is certainly not a secretary and Rita is
n'est pas pote non plus. not a poet either.
animals
The gender of animals is often arbitrary. Some animals are always masculine (un escargot, a snail), others are feminine
(la fourmi, ant). However, for some animals there are irregular masculine and feminine forms.
le chat / la chatte, cat

le chien / la chienne, dog
le coq / la poule, chicken (rooster / hen)
le boeuf, le taureau / la vache, ox / bull / cow
objects and ideas

The gender of nouns referring to things and abstractions is arbitrary. However, it can often be inferred from the ending
of the word. Typically, words ending in -age, -ment, -eau, -phone, -scope, -isme are masculine and those ending in -tion,
-sion, -t, -ette, -ance, -ence, -ie, -ure, -ode/-ade/-ude are feminine.
masculine endings feminine endings

le fromage (cheese) la salade (salad, lettuce)
le monument (monument) la fourchette (fork)
le sentiment (feeling) la tlvision (television)
le couteau (knife) la culture (culture)
le tlphone (telephone) la situation (situation)
le microscope (microscope) la socit (society)
le romantisme (romanticism) la diffrence (difference)
la philosophie (philosophy)
Listen to the dialogue. Feminine nouns are in blue, masculine in black.
Tammy prsente Tex pour la premire fois Tammy introduces Tex for the first time to
Bette et Fiona. Bette and Fiona.
Tammy: Tex est un ami de Lyon. C'est un Tammy: Tex is a friend from Lyon. He is a
tuteur maintenant! Tex, la minette c'est tutor now! Tex, the kitty is my friend Bette
mon amie Bette, et la fourmi c'est ma and the ant is my pal Fiona. Bette and
copine Fiona. Bette et Fiona sont tudiantes. Fiona are students.
Bette: Enchante, Tex! J'adore la culture Bette: Nice to meet you, Tex. I adore
franaise. French culture.
Tex: Ah, donc tu, . . . tu aimes Tex: Ah, so you, . . . you like
l'existentialisme? existentialism?
Bette: Euh, oui, bien sr, Tex. Bette: Uh, yes, of course, Tex.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with 'le' (masculine) or 'la' (feminine).
1. Tammy adore ______ nature.
2. Bette: ______ beaut est importante.
3. Joe-Bob: ______ courage est essentiel.
4. Corey:______ btiment ('builiding') est impressionant.
5. Tammy: ______ chteau est grand.
6. Tammy: Bette, ______ minette tudiante UT.
7. Tex: ______ tornade est dangereuse.
8. Fiona: ______ pollution est terrible.
9. Tex: ______ racisme est abominable.
10. Corey: ______ tlescope est super.
11. Paw-Paw: Je suis ______ grand-pre (grandfather) de Tex.
12. Rita: Je suis ______ soeur (sister) de Tex.
page: no4
1. il y a
2. voil
Il y a and voil are two ways of introducing nouns. They are translated into English as 'there is / there are' or 'here is /
here are.'
il y a
Il y a + noun usually indicates the existence of a person or a thing in the context of a particular setting. It is commonly
translated as 'there is' or 'there are.' For example:
A Austin, il y a une grande universit. In Austin, there is a big university.
Dans cette universit, il y a plusieurs At this university, there are several animals
animaux qui parlent le franais! who speak French!
Parmi ces animaux, il y a des tatous, un Among these animals, there are armadillos,
escargot, une chatte, un cureuil, et a snail, a cat, a squirrel, and several
plusieurs insectes! Attention! insects! Careful!
The negation of 'il y a' is il n'y a pas, 'there is / are not'. You will also find these forms:
il n'y a plus, 'there is / are not anymore', il n'y a jamais, 'there is / are never'.
A Austin, il n'y a jamais de In Austin, there is never any
neige. snow.
Donc parmi ces animaux So, among these French-

francophones, il n'y a pas de speaking animals, there is no
pingouin! penguin!
The verb avoir in the expression il y a may be conjugated in any tense or mood, for
example, in the past (il y avait, 'there was') or in the future (il y aura, 'there will be.')
voil / voici
Voil + noun and voici + noun are commonly translated as 'here is/are'. They are used to indicate the sudden
appearance of something or someone, to introduce people or ideas. Alternating between voici and voil is common when
referring to more than one item.
Tammy montre le campus Tex: Voici la Tammy is showing the campus to Tex:
bibliothque et voil la clbre tour! Here is the library, and there is the famous
Tower.
Tex: Oui, oui ... Tex: Yes, yes ...
Tammy prsente Tex: Tex, voici Joe-Bob et Tammy introduces Tex: Tex, here is Joe-
Corey ... et voil Edouard qui arrive. Bob and Corey ... and there comes
Edouard.
Joe-Bob: Bonjour, Tex. Joe-Bob: Hello, Tex.
Corey: Salut, Tex. Corey: Hi, Tex.
Tex: Oh, la, la, de vrais Texans ... Tex: Oh, la, la, real Texans ...
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with either 'il y a' or 'voici'.
1. Tex: ______ une fte ('party') la semaine prochaine.
2. Joe-Bob: ______ une chaise confortable.
3. Tex: ______ un exercise trs difficile.
4. Joe-Bob: ______ beaucoup d'tudiants l'universit du Texas.
5. Tex: ______ mon premier livre: Guerre et amour.
6. Bette: ______ un ingrdient secret dans la tarte.
7. Tex: ______ beaucoup de musique country au Texas.
8. Trey: ______ mon skateboard prfr.
9. Bette: ______ le bret de Tex.
10. Tex: ______ un pome rotique. C'est pour toi, Tammy.
11. Joe-Bob: ______ une actrice dans ma classe.
12. ______ un jukebox au restaurant.
page: no5
1. temps
2. heure
3. fois
There are three nouns in French, temps, heure, and fois, which are translated as 'time' in English, but each has very
specific uses and nuances.
temps
Temps can mean either 'time' or 'weather' (in which case it is almost always accompanied by the verb faire).
Tex tlphone Paw-Paw. Tex telephones Paw-Paw.
Paw-Paw: Tex, tu es o? Tu es en retard! Paw-Paw: Tex, where are you? You are
late!
Tex: Mais non, j'ai le temps! Je suis en train Tex: But no, I have time! I'm packing my
de faire ma valise. Quel temps fait-il suitcase. What's the weather like in
Opelousas? Opelousas?
Temps is usually singular but may be used in the plural, especially in the following phrases:
Paw-Paw: Tex, tu es un petit-fils ingrat! Tu Paw-Paw: Tex, you're an ungrateful grand-

ne viens jamais me voir! Les temps changent son! You never come to visit me! Times
... change ...
Tex: Allons Paw-Paw, tu sais bien que je Tex: Oh, Paw-Paw, you know I'm coming
viens aujourd'hui. 'Laissez les bons temps today. 'Let the good times roll', as they say
rouler', comme on dit en Louisiane! Dis, tu in Louisiana! Do you know that nobody
sais que personne ne connat cette knows this expression in France?
expression en France?
Here are the most commonly used phrases with temps:
De temps en temps, Tex va voir Paw-Paw From time to time, Tex goes to see Paw-
Opelousas le week-end. Paw in Opelousas on the week-end.
Paw-Paw parle tout le temps de ses Paw-Paw talks about his rheumatism all the
rhumatismes. Il prend son temps. time. He takes his time.
Paw-Paw parle souvent du bon vieux temps: Paw-Paw often talks about the good old
De mon temps, les jeunes taient polis ... days: In my days, young people were polite
...
La plupart du temps, Tex s'ennuie. Il a Most of the time Tex gets bored. He feels
l'impression de perdre son temps. like he is wasting his time.
Pendant ce temps, Tammy, Edouard et Joe- In the meantime, Tammy, Edouard and
Bob sont Austin. Joe-Bob are in Austin.
Ils ont le temps de faire la fte. They have time to party.
Pauvre Tex! Il rentre Austin le lundi Poor Tex! He comes back to Austin on
matin, juste temps pour faire cours. Monday morning, just in time to teach.
heure
Heure is feminine and can be used in the singular or in the plural. It is used to refer to clock time.
page: adj1
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. The major differences between adjectives in French and
English concern agreement and placement. In French, an adjective is usually placed after the noun it modifies and
must agree in gender and number with the noun. In English, an adjective usually comes before the noun it modifies
and is invariable, that is, it does not agree.
Tex est un tatou philosophique. Tex is a philosophical armadillo.

Edouard est un escargot raffin. Edouard is a refined snail.
Joe-Bob est un cureuil aimable. Joe-Bob is a friendly squirrel.
Bette est une chatte capricieuse. Bette is a temperamental cat.
Corey est un cafard ivre. Corey is an intoxicated cockroach.
Fiona est travailleuse. (f) Fiona is hard-working.
Mais Joe-Bob n'est pas travailleur. (m) But Joe-Bob isn't hard-working.
adjective vs. adverb

It is common in nonstandard English for speakers to use adjectives in place of adverbs.
Joe-Bob says: "Gee, Tex writes real good." (instead of: "Tex writes well .")
Joe-Bob says "Gosh, Edouard, you walk real slow." (instead of: "Edouard, you talk
slowly.")
French adjectives are rarely used in place of the adverbial form. Remember that adjectives modify nouns and
adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs!
Tex crit bien. Tex writes well .

(adverb modifies verb)
La posie de Tex est bonne. Tex's poetry is good.

(adjective modifies noun)
page: adj2
1. formation
2. placement
formation
Adjectives agree in both number and gender with the noun or pronoun they modify. For regular adjectives the masculine
form is the base form to which endings are added. The feminine adjective is formed by adding an e. The plural adjective
is formed by adding s. Listen to the recorded examples to hear the pronunciation of the different adjective forms:
masculine feminine masculine feminine

singular singular plural plural
petit petite petits petites
Note how the singular and plural forms of the masculine adjective sound the same, and the singular and plural forms of
the feminine adjective also sound the same.
Tex est petit. Tex is little.

Tammy est petite. Tammy is little.
Tex et Trey sont petits. Tex and Trey are little.
Tammy et Bette sont petites. Tammy and Bette are little.
The adjective takes the masculine plural when the nouns it modifies are of different genders: Tammy et Tex sont petits.
(Tammy and Tex are little.)
Irregular adjectives do not follow the rules given above.
placement
In French, most adjectives follow the noun, unlike in English, where the the adjective precedes the noun. Here are some
examples of adjectives following the noun:
Tex porte toujours un bret rond, mme Tex always wears a round beret, even when
quand il fait du sport. Il aime les romans he exercises. He likes existentialist novels.
existentialistes. Dans son enfance, Tex a As a child, Tex lived with catholic nuns.
habit chez des nonnes catholiques.
Tammy a un nez pointu. C'est une tatou Tammy has a pointed nose. She is a slim
mince et sympathique. Elle apprend la and nice armadillo. She's learning the
langue franaise et fait des tudes French language and is studying literature.
littraires.
Bette est de caractre mfiant. Elle est Bette has a mistrustful personality. She has
d'humeur changeante. C'est une chatte trs changing moods. She's a very cunning cat.
maline.
Note that there is a small group of adjectives that normally precede the noun. Some adjectives can also be placed
before or after the noun but changing the position of the adjectives can modify their meaning.
Listen to this dialogue:
Tammy, Bette et Tex sont Gregory Gym. Tammy, Bette and Tex are at Gregory Gym.
Les deux filles parlent, puis se disputent, The two girls talk, then argue, while Tex
pendant que Tex fait son sport annuel . does his yearly workout.
Tammy: Regarde, Bette, comme ses ongles Tammy: Bette, would you look at those
jaunes tapent sur le tapis roulant quand il yellow nails of his clicking on the tread mill
court! Quel tatou adorable! Et ce museau when he runs! What an adorable armadillo!
fin et pointu, ces cailles tincelantes, ce And that snout, so fine and pointy! Those
corps souple, ces gestes et ces shiny scales, that supple body, his every
mouvements pleins de grce ... gesture and movement so full of grace ...
Bette: Berk! Tu aimes vraiment a!? Un Bette: Yuck! You like that!? That clammy
corps humide de sueur et un poil gris body, gray fur? Like a wad of paper mach!
comme une boule de papier mch! Oh Oh, Lord! And that awful smell! Like a
mon dieu! Et cette odeur dsagrable! drowned rat! You're not serious!
Comme un rat noy! Tu n'es pas srieuse!
Tammy: Bette, je ne suis pas idiote! Je Tammy: Bette, you don't fool me! I
connais tes intentions! Il est moi! understand your intentions! He's mine!
fill in the blanks

Give the correct form of the adjective indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy sont des tatous __________. (charmant, 'charming')
2. Bette est une chatte ________. (rus, 'cunning')
3. Fiona et Tammy sont ___________. (intelligent)
4. Bette a un stylo _______. (vert, 'green')
5. Tammy aime le vin _________. (franais, 'French')
6. Tammy a une robe ____________. (ravissant, 'ravishing')
7. Tex a un charme ________ (fou, 'incredible, crazy').

8. Ah, Tex a une allure _______! (sduisant, 'attractive')
9. Joe-Bob et Corey ne sont pas ___________! (dgourdi, 'resourceful')
10. Est-ce qu'Edouard est un serveur _________? (poli, 'polite')
11. Est-ce qu'Edouard et Tex sont des Franais __________? (typique, 'typical')
12. Tammy et Bette aiment les tatous _________. (muscl, 'muscular')
page: adj3
The placement of most adjectives in French is after the noun: un escargot parlant, une fourmi travailleuse, des tatous
intelligents, etc. There is a small group of adjectives, however, that normally precede the noun. These adjectives may be
categorized as adjectives of Beauty, Age, Numbers Goodness, and Size (BANGS).
autre, other beau (belle), beautiful bon (bonne), good

grand (grande), tall, big gros (grosse), big, fat jeune, young
joli (jolie), pretty mauvais (mauvaise), bad nouveau (nouvelle), new
petit (petite), little vieux (vieille), old
ordinal numbers:
premier (premire), first deuxime, second troisime, third, etc.
Tammy est une belle Amricaine. C'est Tammy is a beautiful American woman. She
aussi une bonne amie. C'est une petite is also a good friend. Tammy is a little
tatou. armadillo.
Trey est le jeune frre de Tex. C'est le Trey is Tex's young brother. He is the third
troisime enfant de la famille. child in the family.
beau, nouveau, vieux

Beau, nouveau, and vieux have irregular forms. Note the special forms in the masculine singular when they precede a
word that begins with a vowel or a silent h.
masculine masculine feminine masculine feminine

singular before vowel singular plural plural
beau bel belle beaux belles
nouveau nouvel nouvelle nouveaux nouvelles
vieux vieil vieille vieux vieilles
The adjectives which precede the noun must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify (see the regular
rule for adjective formation). Be aware that changing the position of some adjectives may change their meaning. Listen
to this dialogue:
Tex et Tammy regardent le nouvel album Tex and Tammy are looking at Rita's new
de famille de Rita. family album.
Tammy: Qui est cette belle femme? Tammy: Who is that beautiful woman?
Rita: C'est notre mre. Rita: That's our mother.
Tammy: Et qui sont ces autres personnes? Tammy: And who are these other people?
Rita: Le vieil homme, c'est Paw-Paw Louis. Rita: The old man, that's Paw-Paw Louis.
Et puis, ct, c'est moi. And then, next to him, that's me.
Tex: Et ce petit bb, qui est-ce? Comme il Tex: And the little baby, who is it? Boy is
est laid! he ugly!
Rita: C'est toi, Tex. C'est la premire photo Rita: That's you, Tex. It's the first picture
de toi. of you.
fill in the blanks

1. Tex est un ______ animal. (beau)
2. Tammy a un ________ oncle en Australie. (vieux)
3. Les _________ pomes de Tex sont nuls ('worthless'). (premier)
4. Fiona a toujours de ______ notes. (bon)
5. Bette n'a pas une ________ qualit. (seul)
6. Tex a de _________ oreilles. (grand)
7. Tex achte une ________ bague ('ring') pour Tammy. (beau)
8. Bette est une ______ chatte opportuniste. (jeune)
9. Joe-Bob a des _______ amis. (nouveau)
10. Edouard n'a pas de _______ amie. (petit)
11. Joe-Bob a une __________ influence sur Corey. (mauvais)
12. Joe-Bob a de __________ dents. (joli)
page: adj4
1. gender
2. number
Regular adjectives are formed by adding an e to the masculine form in the singular (content / contente), or by adding an
s to the masculine and feminine forms in the plural (Tex et Edouard sont contents / Tammy et Bette sont contentes).
This group of adjectives is by far the most common. There are, however, a number of adjectives which are called
irregular, because they do not have the normal -e, -s, or -es endings. The endings of these irregular adjectives vary
widely and often change the pronunciation.
gender
Some adjectives are completely irregular:
masculine feminine translation
doux douce soft
faux fausse false
favori favorite favorite
frais frache fresh
long longue long
public publique public
Other adjectives can be grouped in categories:
masculine ending feminine ending french english
-el -elle cruel cruelle cruel
-eil -eille pareil pareille similar
-il -ille gentil gentille kind, nice
-on -onne mignon mignonne cute
-s -sse gros grosse big, fat
-en -enne ancien ancienne old
-et -te secret secrte secretive
-er -re cher chre dear, expensive
-eux -euse heureux heureuse happy
-eur -euse trompeur trompeuse deceptive
-teur -trice crateur cratrice creative
-f -ve actif active active
-c -che franc franche frank
-ou -olle fou folle crazy
Some adjectives have identical masculine and feminine forms. This is generally the case with adjectives ending in e in
their masculine form and with foreign adjectives like 'snob', 'cool', etc. For example: Tex est un tatou imaginaire; Tammy
aussi est imaginaire. Ils sont imaginaires. (Tex is an imaginary armadillo; Tammy too is imaginary. They are imaginary.)
Here are a few of these adjectives:
pauvre (poor) difficile (difficult) sensible (sensitive)

riche (rich) calme (calm) semblable (similar)
mince (slim) minuscule (tiny) ridicule (ridiculous)
propre (clean) ironique (ironic) imaginaire (imaginary)
number
The majority of adjectives are regular in the plural; that is, an -s is added to the singular masculine or feminine forms.
There are two major exceptions to this rule:
1. Do not add an s to the masculine form of adjectives ending in s or x. The masculine singular and plural forms are
thus identical: un animal heureux (a happy animal), des animaux heureux (happy animals). However, the feminine
plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: une fille
heureuse (a happy girl), des filles heureuses (happy girls).
2. Adjectives ending in al in the masculine singular form change to aux in the masculine plural form.
Tex est un tatou international. Edouard et Tex is an international armadillo. Edouard

Tex sont des animaux internationaux. and Tex are international animals.
The feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form:
Tex aime lire la presse internationale. Tex aime aussi les revues internationales. (Tex likes to read international papers.
Tex also likes international magazines).
Tex: Mais, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Tex: But, what's wrong?
Tammy: C'est encore Bette! Elle n'est Tammy: It's Bette again! She is never
jamais sincre! Sois franc Tex. Tu ne la sincere! Be frank Tex. Don't you find her
trouves pas capricieuse et cruelle? capricious and cruel?
Tex: Non! Elle est gentille! C'est une bonne Tex: No! She is nice! She is a good friend!
amie! Qu'est-ce qu'elle a fait? What did she do?
Tammy: Comme tu es naf! Elle me raconte Tammy: You are so naive! She tells me
que tu me trouves ennuyeuse, que tu es that you think I'm boring, that you are in
amoureux d'une de tes tudiantes. C'est love with one of your students. Is that
vrai? true?
Tex: Tu es folle! C'est une fausse Tex: You're crazy! It's a false accusation!
accusation!
Tammy: Hmm ... Tu veux que je Tammy: Hmm ... Do you want me to
t'explique? C'est trs clair. Elle est jalouse! explain? It's very clear. She is jealous! It's
C'est le complot classique. Elle essaie de
nous sparer, nous des amis si loyaux! us, such loyal friends!
fill in the blanks

1. Tammy a une voix ______. (doux, 'soft')
2. Tammy, quelle est ta chanson ______ ? (favori, 'favorite')
3. Bette et Tammy sont ___________ de la mme personne. (amoureux, 'in love')
4. Tex et Tammy sont ________ d'amour. (fou, 'crazy')
5. Joe-Bob et Corey ne sont pas _______. (vif, 'quick, clever')
6. Fiona est trs __________. (gentil, 'kind')
7. Tex et Edouard sont des animaux _________. (cosmopolite, 'cosmopolitan')
8. Les derniers pomes de Tex sont _________! (gnial, 'great')
9. Bette est une chatte _________. (sensuel, 'sensuous')
10. Tammy a de belles lvres _________. (pulpeux, 'full, juicy')
11. Tammy et Bette sont __________ de peinture. (amateur, 'amateur')
12. Bette est ___________. (rancunier, 'resentful')
page: adj5
Some adjectives can be placed either before or after the noun they are describing. Their position determines their
meaning. When the adjective is placed before the noun it tends to carry a figurative, or metaphorical meaning. When it
follows the noun, it carries a more literal, or actual meaning. Consider the following examples:
literal sense figurative sense

adjective
following the noun before the noun
Paw-Paw adore les meubles Marianne est l'ancienne copine de Tex.

anciens.
ancien Marianne is Tex's former girlfriend.
Paw-Paw adores very old
furniture.
Tammy aime les parfums chers de Chers amis, je suis content de vous voir!
Paris.
cher Dear friends, I am happy to see you!
Tammy likes expensive perfumes
from Paris.
Tex a vu Marianne la semaine Tex dit Marianne: Pour la dernire fois, je ne

dernire. veux plus te voir.
dernier
Tex saw Marianne last [preceding] Tex says to Marianne: For the last [final] time, I
week. don't want to see you anymore.
En gnral, les tatous ne sont pas Tex est un grand philosophe.

grand grands.
Tex is a great philosopher.
In general, armadillos are not tall.
Bette est l'hypocrisie mme! Tammy et Bette adorent le mme petit tatou.
mme Bette is hypocrisy itself! Tammy and Bette adore the same little
armadillo.
A son arrive Austin, Tex tait un Le pauvre Tex tait malheureux quand il a quitt
tatou pauvre. la France.
pauvre
When he came to Austin, Tex was The unfortunate Tex was not happy when he
a financially poor armadillo. left France.
Mes chers tudiants, la semaine Tex dit Marianne: Et la prochaine fois que tu
prochaine vous avez un examen me suis, j'appelle la police!
prochain
My dear students, next [in a Tex says to Marianne: And the next [following]
series] week you have an exam. time that you follow me, I will call the police.
Mais oui, Edouard est un escargot Edouard veut son propre restaurant.
propre propre!
Edouard wants his own restaurant.
Yes, Edouard is a clean snail.
Corey est seul. C'est un cafard. Dans le coeur de Tex, Tammy est le seul tatou
qui compte.
seul Corey is alone. He's a cockroach.
In Tex's heart, Tammy is the only armadillo that
matters.
Bette n'est pas simple. Tex n'est pas un simple pote, c'est aussi un
simple philosophe.
Bette is not simple
[uncomplicated] Tex is not just a poet, he is also a philosopher.
Paw-Paw a racont des histoires Les aventures de Tex et ses copains, c'est une
vraies sur sa vie pendant la guerre. vraie histoire.
vrai
Paw-Paw told true stories about The adventures of Tex and his friends are a real
his life during the war. story!
Tammy attend Tex la bibliothque depuis Tammy has been waiting for Tex at the
une heure. Enfin il arrive. library for an hour. Finally, he arrives.
Tammy (ironique): Ne te presse pas mon Tammy (ironic): Take your time my dear
cher Tex! Tu oublies tes propres rendez- Tex! Are you forgetting your own
vous maintenant?! appointments now?!
Tex: Ah, Tammy, ma chrie! J'tais au caf Tex: Oh, Tammy, darling, I was at the cafe
avec mon grand ami Edouard, quand j'ai vu with my great friend Edouard, when I saw
une femme seule. Elle avait l'air triste. Elle a lonely woman. She looked sad. She was
tait le dsespoir mme. Et la beaut mme despair itself! Beauty itself also ...
...
Tammy (toujours furieuse): Et alors? Tammy (still furious): So what?
Tex: Eh bien? Tu me connais! Je suis un Tex: So? You know the way I am! I am a
brave tatou! Alors, je suis all lui offrir un good armadillo! So I went and bought her a
caf pour la consoler. coffee to console her.
Tammy: Ah oui? Tammy: Oh really?
Tex: Ae! Tex: Ouch!
fill in the blanks

Choose the correct English meaning for the adjective in capital letters between the two options given in parentheses.
1. Tammy est le SEUL amour de Tex. (unique/alone)
2. Corey dteste tre SEUL. (unique/alone)
3. Tammy a la MEME ambition que Bette : pouser Tex.(identical/itself)
4. Bette est l'opportunisme MEME! (identical/itself)
5. Nous sommes trs PAUVRES. (penniless/unfortunate)
6. Le PAUVRE Corey a encore perdu au loto.(penniless/unfortunate)
7. Le vin rouge est trs CHER aux USA. (expensive/dear)

8. Bette est une GRANDE amie de Machiavel. (tall/great)
9. La France est CHERE au coeur de Tex. (expensive/dear)
10. Tex n'a pas toujours les oreilles PROPRES. (own/clean)
11. Tex ne connat pas ses PROPRES parents. (own/clean)
12. Tex adore les livres ANCIENS. (antique/former)
page: adj6
1. comparative adjectives indicating more / less

2. comparative adjectives indicating similarity or equality
3. irregular adjectives
comparative adjectives indicating more or less

Adjectives are frequently used to compare things, people, events, ideas etc. Plus ... que conveys the idea of 'more ...
than', moins ... que the idea of 'less than.'
Tex est plus intelligent que Joe-Bob. Tex is more intelligent than Joe-Bob.
Mais Joe-Bob est moins prtentieux que But Joe-Bob is less pretentious than Tex.
Tex.
Bien sr, il est plus difficile d'tre pote que Of course, it is more difficult to be a poet
d'tre cureuil! than to be a squirrel.
comparative adjectives indicating similarity or equality

Aussi ... que conveys the idea of 'as ... as'.
Fiona est aussi belle que Tammy. Mais elles Fiona is as beautiful as Tammy. But they
ne sont pas aussi sduisantes que Bette. are not as seductive as Bette.
irregular adjectives
The adjectives bon and mauvais have irregular forms of comparison, meilleur and pire. However, the regular form plus
mauvais que has become commonly accepted. Note that this irregularity is found in English too with 'better' (not
*gooder) and 'worse' (not *badder).
D'aprs Tex, Tammy est un bon parti. Mais According to Tex, Tammy is a good match.
Bette pense qu'elle serait un meilleur parti But Bette thinks she would be a better
que Tammy. match than Tammy.
Mais il est vident que le caractre de Bette But it is obvious that Bette's personality is
est plus mauvais que celui de Tammy. worse than Tammy's.
Bette: Tex, as-tu jamais vu une fille aussi Bette: Tex, have you ever seen a girl as
jolie que moi? pretty as I am?
Tex philosophe: Euh! La beaut physique Tex the philosopher: Ah! Physical beauty is
est moins importante que la beaut de less important than the beauty of the soul.
l'me. Voyons Bette, je n'ai pas le temps Look Bette, I do not have time to think
de penser des choses aussi triviales que about things as trivial as that ...
celles-ci ...
Bette: D'accord, d'accord, mais je suis Bette: Ok, ok, but I am less stupid and
moins bte et plus sexy que Tammy, non? more sexy than Tammy, don't you think?
Tex: tre ou ne pas tre, l est la question Tex: To be or not to be, that is the
... question ...
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the appropriate comparative of the adjective in parentheses. '+' is for 'more...than', '-' for
'less...than', and '=' for 'as...as'. Do not forget to make the adjectives agree in number and gender with the nouns
they qualify.
1. L'accent amricain d'Edouard est ____________ que celui de Tex. (+, mauvais)
2. Tex a un _________ Q.I. ('I.Q.') qu'Edouard. (+, bon)
3. Tammy est __________ que Bette. (=, joli)
4. Fiona est __________ que Bette. (+, gentil)
5. Les Aggies sont __________ que les Longhorns. (-, fort)
6. Les tudiantes de UT sont _____________ que celles de Texas A&M. (+, sduisant)
7. Les Franais sont _____________ que les Texans. (+, raffin)
8. Les Texans sont ____________ que les Franais. (+, drle)
9. La France est ____________ que le Texas. (-, grand)
10. Tex est __________ que Tammy. (+, vieux)
11. Corey et Joe-Bob sont ___________ qu'Edouard. (-, snob)
12. Edouard et Tammy sont ___________ que Joe-Bob et Corey. (+, indpendant)
page: adj7
1. formation and placement

2. irregular superlatives

In French as in English, the superlative is a form of an adjective expressing 'the best', 'the smallest', 'the most
interesting'. To form the superlative, use the definite article (le, la, les) and the adverb plus or moins before the
adjective. Note that the superlative of an adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and in number. The
placement of the superlative corresponds to the usual placement of the adjective. In other words, if the adjective follows
the noun, then the superlative will follow the noun, too. And conversely, if the adjective precedes the noun, then the
superlative adjective will precede the noun, too. Note that if the adjective follows the noun, the definite article is used
twice.
superlative le (la, les) plus (the most) le (la, les) moins (the least)
Bette est la chatte la plus ruse du Tammy est la tatou la moins ruse du
monde. monde.
adjective after noun
Bette is the slickest cat in the world. Tammy is the least slick armadillo in
the world.
Tammy est la plus gentille tatou du Bette est la moins gentille chatte du
monde. monde.
adjective before noun
Tammy is the nicest armadillo in the Bette is the least nice cat in the
world. world.
Note that instead of the definite article, you may use a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes, etc.), so Tex might say:
'Edouard est mon ami le plus distingu' (Edouard is my most distinguished friend).
irregular superlatives
The adjectives bon and mauvais have irregular patterns in the superlative. Note there are two forms for expressing 'the
worst': the irregular form le (la) pire and the more commonly used le (la) plus mauvais(e).
superlative of bon (good) superlative of mauvais (bad)
the best the least good the worst the least bad
le meilleur campus le moins bon campus le pire campus le moins mauvais

le plus mauvais campus campus
la meilleure universit la moins bonne universit la pire universit la moins mauvaise

la plus mauvaise universit
universit
les meilleurs profs les moins bons profs les pires profs les moins mauvais profs
les plus mauvais profs
les meilleures notes les moins bonnes notes les pires notes les moins mauvaises
les plus mauvaises notes notes
The superlative of mauvais is always either le pire or le plus mauvais. But while you may
say 'la plus mauvaise universit' or 'la pire universit,' you may only say 'les pires
ploucs,' 'les pires catastrophes,' 'les pires crimes' etc. Why? Because 'plouc,'
'catastrophe,' 'crime' are already negative and it would be redundant to use 'mauvais' or
its superlative, 'le plus mauvais,' in front of them.
Tammy: Texas A&M est la plus mauvaise Tammy: Texas A&M is the worst university
universit du monde. Elle a la moins bonne in the world! It has the worst football team.
quipe de foot. Elle attire les pires ploucs! It attracts the worst rednecks! The best
Les meilleurs tudiants viennent UT parce students come to UT because Austin is the
qu'Austin est la ville la plus cool du Texas! coolest city in Texas!
Joe-Bob: Tu parles! UT craint! C'est la plus Joe-Bob: Go on! UT sucks! It's the largest
grande universit du Texas! En plus, les university in Texas! And, UT students are
tudiants de UT sont les plus snobs! the most snobbish! College Station is the
College Station est la plus belle ville du most beautiful city in the world!
monde!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the appropriate superlative of the adjective in parentheses. '+' is for 'the most', '-' for 'the
least'. Do not forget to make the adjectives agree in number and gender with the nouns they qualify.
1. Edouard a ________ accent d'Austin. (+, mauvais)
2. Le Q.I. ('I.Q.') de Tex est ___________ du Texas. (+, bon)
3. Bette est la chatte __________ du campus. (+, perfide, ='treacherous, dishonest')
4. Fiona est la fourmi _____________ de l'Etat. (+, travailleur)
5. Tex et Tammy sont les tatous _____________ du monde. (+, mignon)
6. Corey et Joe-Bob sont les animaux ____________ du groupe. (-, intelligent)
7. Tammy, Bette et Fiona sont les filles ____________ du campus. (+, dbrouillard)
8. Les blagues de Tex sont toujours ____________. (-, drle)
9. Pour Tex, la France est ____________ pays du monde. (+, beau)
10. Tammy et Bette ne sont pas toujours ______________ amies du monde. (+, bon)
11. Bette est la chatte ____________ du campus. (-, populaire)
12. La Tour d'UT est le monument ____________ de l'universit. (+, clbre)
page: adj8
1. bon/bien
2. meilleur/mieux
3. aussi bon/aussi bien
4. le meilleur/le mieux: superlative forms
bon/bien
Bon (good) is an adjective. Although it has an irregular feminine form, bonne, the plural is formed regularly by adding
an -s to the masculine or feminine adjective. Bien (well, really, very) is an adverb. The adjective bon modifies a noun,
whereas the adverb bien modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
adjective bon
La cuisine de Tammy est bonne. Tammy's cooking is good.

Tammy est une bonne cuisinire. Tammy is a good cook.
adverb bien
Mmm ... Tammy fait bien la cuisine. Mmm ... Tammy cooks well .
Tammy lit la recette bien attentivement. Tammy reads the recipe very attentively.
Ooh, la soupe de Tammy est bien Ooh, Tammy's soup is well -seasoned.
assaisonne.
meilleur/mieux
Comparisons with bon and bien are not formed regularly using 'plus ... que' (more ... than). Instead use meilleur(e)(s)
que, and mieux que:
adjective bon/meilleur
Tammy est une meilleure cuisinire que Tammy is a better cook than Fiona.
Fiona.
Les gteaux de Tammy sont meilleurs que Tammy's cakes are better than Fiona's
les gteaux de Fiona. cakes.
adverb bien/mieux
Mais si, Tammy cuisine mieux que Fiona. But yes, Tammy cooks better than Fiona.
Et la soupe de Tammy est mieux And Tammy's soup is better seasoned than
assaisonne que la soupe de Fiona. Fiona's soup.
The adverb bien is an intensifier and can be translatied as 'much' in English. Note that 'much better' is sometimes
translated as bien meilleur, sometimes as bien mieux.
Tammy est bien meilleure cuisinire que Tammy is a much better cook that Fiona.
Fiona.
Tammy fait bien mieux la cuisine qu Fiona. Tammy cooks much better than Fiona.
aussi bon/aussi bien

Aussi bon que (comparisons with adjectives) conveys the idea of 'as good as'. Aussi bien que (comparisons with adverbs)
conveys the idea of 'as well as.'
adjective bon/aussi bon que
Mais Bette est une aussi bonne cuisinire But Bette is as good a cook as Tammy.
que Tammy.
La cuisine de Bette est aussi bonne que la Bette's cooking is as good as Tammy's.
cuisine de Tammy.
adverb bien/aussi bien que
Bette cuisine aussi bien que Tammy. Bette cooks as well as Tammy.
le meilleur/le mieux : superlative forms

In French as in English, the superlative is a form expressing a maximum or minimum quality or capacity. In English,
'good' and 'well' have the same maximum superlative: 'the best'. In French, however, the maximum superlatives are
different; they are formed with the definite articles le (la, les) meilleur(s) (superlative adjectives) or le mieux (superlative
adverbs). The minimum superlatives (le moins bon, le moins bien) are formed regularly.
superlative adjectives
Qui fait la meilleure tarte? Who makes the best tart?
Qui fait les moins bonnes cuisses de Who makes the worst frog legs?
grenouilles?
superlative adverbs
Qui cuisine le mieux? Who cooks (the) best?

Et qui cuisine le moins bien? And who cooks (the) worst?
Edouard arbitre un concours de cuisine. Edouard is judging a cooking contest.

Tammy, Bette et Fiona prsentent des Tammy, Bette, and Fiona are presenting
tartes. their tarts.
Edouard gote d'abord la tarte de Tammy. First, Edouard tastes Tammy's tart.
Edouard: Une tarte aux pommes ... C'est Edouard: An apple tart ... It's very sweet,
trs sucr, mais dlicieux. Tammy est but delicious. Tammy is a good cook. Yes,
bonne cuisinire. Oui, oui, elle cuisine bien. yes, she cooks well .
Edouard gote ensuite la tarte de Fiona. Next, Edouard tastes Fiona's tart.
Edouard: Une tarte aux piments ... C'est Edouard: A pepper tart ... It's spicy, but
pic mais certainement original. Est-ce certainly original. Is this tart better than
que cette tarte est meilleure que celle de Tammy's? No, in my opionion, Fiona cooks
Tammy? Non, mon avis, Fiona cuisine as well as Tammy.
aussi bien que Tammy.
Enfin, Edouard gote la tarte de Bette. Finally, Edouard tastes Bette's tart.
Edouard: Une tarte aux fruits exotiques. Edouard: An exotic fruit tart. Hmm ... it's
Hmm ... c'est magnifique. Cette tarte me magnificent. This tart really seduces me. No
sduit terriblement. Aucun doute! C'est question about it! Bette's going to receive
Bette qui va recevoir le prix. C'est elle qui the prize. She's the one who cooks the
cuisine le mieux. C'est, comme c'est best. How delicious it is! Tell me, Bette,
dlicieux! Dites-moi, Bette, il y a un je ne there's an I don't know what in this tart.
sais quoi dans cette tarte. Quel est votre What is your secret?
secret?
Bette: Mais, c'est tout simple, Edouard. Bette: But it's very simple, Edouard. When
Quand je cuisine, j'ajoute toujours une I cook, I always add a pinch of Viagra!
pince de Viagra!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with one of the following: 'bien', 'mieux', 'bon(ne)(s)', 'meilleur(e)(s)'. Do not forget to make the
adjectives agree in number and gender with the nouns they qualify.
1. Edouard fait les ____________ crpes (fem.) de la ville.
2. Personne ne fait ________ les crpes qu'Edouard.
3. Tammy travaille _______.
4. Tex a le ___________ accent franais de UT.
5. Les crpes (fem.) de Tammy ne sont pas aussi ________ que les crpes d'Edouard.
6. Tammy est une ________ tudiante.
7. Bette et Tammy ne sont pas toujours les _____________ amies du monde.
8. Tammy cuisine aussi ________ qu'Edouard.
9. Tammy : Oh, Tex, mon chri, je me sens ('feel') si _______ avec toi!
10. Bette fait beaucoup ________ les tartes que Tammy et Fiona.
11. Edouard est serveur dans le ___________ restaurant d'Austin.
12. Bette est trs __________ cuisinire.
page: adj9
1. present participles
2. past participles
The present participles and past participles of verbs are often used as adjectives. So they agree in number and gender
with the noun they modify, just like regular adjectives. The distinction between adjectives derived from present and past
participles is similar to that between -ing and -ed adjectives in English: fatigant (tiring) / fatigu (tired).
Oh, la, la, Tex est fatigu aprs ses cours. Oh, la, la, Tex is tired after his classes.
Pff... quand il parle de philosophie, Tex est Pff... when he talks about philosophy, Tex
parfois fatigant. is sometimes tiring.
present participles used as adjectives

The present participle is formed by dropping the -ons ending from the nous form in the present tense and adding -ant.
Tex est un tatou intressant. (intresser) Tex is an interesting armadillo.
Tammy est une fille charmante. (charmer) Tammy is a charming girl.
Edouard et Corey sont des animaux Edouard and Corey are amusing animals.
amusants. (amuser)
Bette et Fiona sont des cratures Bette and Fiona are surprising creatures.
surprenantes. (surprendre)
past participles used as adjectives

Past participle formation depends on the verb class (-er, -ir, -re, or irregular).
Tex et Tammy forment un couple uni . (unir) Tex and Tammy form a united couple.
Pauvre Joe-Bob! Il est perdu. . . comme Poor Joe-Bob! He's lost ... as usual.
d'habitude. (perdre)
Edouard et Tex sont des Franais peu Edouard and Tex are not very Americanized
amricaniss. (amricaniser) French people.
Bette est trop gte. (gter) Bette is too spoiled.
Note that past participles used as adjectives may have a passive meaning, and thus be followed by an agent introduced
by par (by) or de (with):
Bette est une chatte entoure d'admirateurs. Bette is a cat surrounded by admirers.
Bette est trs gte par ses admirateurs. Bette is very spoiled by her admirers.
Joe-Bob: Corey, tu as vu? Il y a un article Joe-Bob: Corey, did you see? There's an
absolument choquant dans le Daily Texan. Il absolutely shocking article in the Daily
s'agit d'un prof qui a des personnalits Texan. It's about a prof who has multiple
multiples! personalities.
Corey: Ah oui, je l'ai eu le semestre pass. Corey: Ah, yes. I had him last semester. Of
Bien sr, j'ai rat mon examen, mais au course, I failed my exam, but at least his
moins ses confrences taient plus lectures were more amusing than the other
amusantes que celles des autres profs. profs'.
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with either the present participle or the past participle of the verb given in parentheses. Do not
forget to make the participle agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies.
1. Corey : J'ai trop travaill! Je suis __________. (puiser ='to tire')
2. Corey : Lire des livres, c'est __________ ! (puiser ='to tire')
3. Tammy : Ce film d'horreur est ___________ ! (effrayer = 'to frighten')
4. Tammy : J'ai mes examens en ce moment, je suis trs _________. (stresser = 'to stress')
5. Les examens, c'est __________. (stresser = 'to stress')
6. Tammy : Tex tu es insupportable! Tu es ___________! (exasprer = 'to exasperate')
7. Tammy est trs _____________ de tous ses amis. (apprcier = 'to appreciate')
8. Tex est un pote mal ____________. (comprendre = 'to understand')
9. Edouard et Tex ont bu trop de caf. Ils sont ___________. (nerver = 'to annoy')
10. Le livre de Tex est ______________! (captiver = 'to captivate')
11. Bette est ___________ que Tex soit amoureux de Tammy. (tonner = 'to astonish')
12. Tammy est une tatou ____________. (amuser)
page: adv1
An adverb is a word that qualifies the action of the verb, that is, it specifies how or when the action is performed. In
English, many adverbs are indicated by the -ly ending. In French, most adverbs end in -ment.
lentement slowly
attentivement carefully
souvent often
Adverbs answer questions about the action: how? how much? when? and where? While most adverbs in French and
English modify verbs, they can also modify other adverbs as well as adjectives.
verb modified by adverb Ecoute attentivement. Listen carefully.

adverb modified by adverb trop lentement too slowly
adjective modified by adverb extrmement silencieux extremely quiet
Adverb vs. Adjective

It is common in non-standard English for speakers to use adjectives in place of adverbs.
Tex writes good. (instead of 'well')

Aggies talk too slow. (instead of 'slowly')
While this alternation is common in English, it is not common in French where

adjectives are rarely used in place of the adverb. Remember that adverbs
modify verbs (as well as other adverbs and adjectives) and adjectives modify
nouns.
Tex crit bien. Tex writes well.

La posie de Tex est bonne. Tex's poetry is good.
page: adv2
1. uses
2. common adverbs
3. formation of regular adverbs
4. placement
uses
In French as in English, an adverb describes the action of a verb. It answers such
questions as 'where', 'when,' 'how,' 'how long,' or 'how often.' Adverbs are invariable
and may be used with almost all verbs. For example:
Edouard cuisine bien. Edouard cooks well.
Joe-Bob mange beaucoup. Joe-Bob eats a lot.
An adverb may also qualify an adjective or another adverb. Consider the sentence:
'Edouard cuisine trs bien' (Edouard cooks very well). Trs qualifies bien and both
describe the action of the verb 'cuisiner'.
common adverbs
Following is a list of frequently used adverbs, categorized by type:
manner bien, well mal, badly vite, quickly
time souvent, often quelquefois, toujours, always

sometimes
jamais, never tt, early tard, late
bientt, soon aujourd'hui , today hier, yesterday
maintenant, now dj, already demain, tomorrow
place dedans, inside dehors, outside ici , here
l, there partout, everywhere quelque part,

somewhere
quantity or degree beaucoup, a lot trs, very trop, too much
assez, enough peu, little, not peut-tre, maybe

much
sequence d'abord, at first puis, then, next alors, then, so
donc, thus enfin, finally
formation of regular adverbs

A large number of French adverbs are derived from adjectives.
They are usually formed by adding -ment to the feminine singular form of the adjective. Note the exception
'gentiment', which is derived from the adjective 'gentil' (nice).
lent(e), slow lentement, slowly
doux (douce), soft doucement, softly

heureux (heureuse), happy heureusement, happily, fortunately
franc (franche), frank franchement, frankly
However, -ment is added to the masculine singular form of adjectives that end with a vowel. Note the exception
'gaiement' which is derived from the adjective 'gai' (cheerful).
poli(e) polite poliment, politely
absolu(e), absolute absolument, absolutely
vrai(e), true, real vraiment, truly, really
modr(e), moderate modrment, moderately
Add -emment to the stem of adjectives that end in -ent; add -amment to the stem of adjectives ending in -ant. The
stem is what remains of the adjective when -ent or -ant have been removed. Note that the one-syllable adjective 'lent'
does not form its adverb, 'lentement', on this model.
rcent, recent rcemment, recently
frquent, frequent frquemment, frequently
suffisant, sufficient suffisamment, sufficiently
mchant, wicked, malicious mchamment, wickedly, nastily
Note the addition of an acute accent to form the following adverbs:
prcis(e), precise prcisment, precisely
profond(e), deep profondment, deeply
norme, huge, enormous normment, enormously
placement
Use the following guidelines for placement of adverbs.
adverbs that modify an adjective or another adverb

Adverbs are placed directly before the adjective or adverb that they modify.
Edouard: J'habite le Texas depuis trs Edouard: I've lived in Texas for a very long
longtemps, mais je trouve que le barbecue time, but I find that barbecue is truly
est vraiment dgueulasse! disgusting!
adverbs that modify a verb

Adverbs are usually placed immediately after the conjugated verb. If the verb is negative, the adverb is placed after the
negation.
Edouard comprend mal les habitudes Edouard understands poorly American
culinaires amricaines. culinary habits.
Edouard ne marche pas vite, parce qu'il sait Edouard is not walking fast, because he
dj ce que les clients vont commander. already knows what the customers are
going to order.
Edouard: Ils exigent toujours du ketchup, Edouard: They always demand ketchup, but
mais il n'y a pas de ketchup dans mon there is no ketchup in my restaurant.
restaurant.
Note that most common adverbs are placed directly after the verb before the objects.
Joe-Bob: J'aime beaucoup le ketchup! Joe-Bob: I like ketchup a lot!
Edouard: J'aime davantage le foie gras! Edouard: I like foie gras even more!
adverbs that modify a whole sentence

If an adverb is a comment on the entire sentence (malheureusement, en plus), it may be placed at the beginning or end
of the sentence. Adverbs of this type include adverbs of time and place. In the following dialogue, contrast the adverbs
that modify the whole sentence to those that modify just the verb.
Joe-Bob: Edouard, viens dner avec nous ce Joe-Bob: Edouard, come out to eat with us
soir! this evening!
Edouard: Je n'aime pas dner dans des Edouard: I don't like to eat in American
restaurants amricains parce que je trouve restaurants because I find ketchup
du ketchup partout. everywhere.
Vous allez srement au Salt Lick, et tu sais You're surely going to go to the Salt Lick
que je dteste le barbecue. and you know that I detest barbeque.
Joe-Bob: Malheureusement, on n'a pas Joe-Bob: Unfortunately, we don't have

assez d'argent pour aller dans un restaurant enough money to go to a snobby
snob! restaurant!
Edouard refuse obstinment l'invitation de Obstinately, Edouard refuses Joe-Bob's

Joe-Bob: Tu m'invites souvent, mais invitation: You invite me out to eat often,
toujours l'amricaine! but always in the American style.
See placement of adverbs with pass compos and the periphrastic future for further examples.
fill in the blanks
Adverb placement: Complete the answers to Tammy's questions using the adverb in parentheses.
1. Tammy : Tu comprends la posie de Tex? Trey : Non, je/j' _____________. (mal)
2. Tammy : Tu aimes le chocolat? Tex : Oui, je/j' __________________.(normment)
3. Tammy : Comment va Rita? Tex : Elle __________________. (trs bien)
4. Tammy : Tu aimes le caf? Tex : Oui, je/j'___________________. (beaucoup)
5. Tammy : Tu penses Bette? Trey : Oui, je/j' _________________. (toujours)
6. Tammy : Bette est sexy? Trey : Ah oui, elle _________________.(extraordinairement)
7. Tammy : Tu aimes les noix? Joe-Bob : Oui, je/j'___________________.(beaucoup)
8. Tammy : Tu manges du chili? Joe-Bob : Oui, je/j'___________________.(souvent)
9. Tammy : Tu aimes Sartre? Tex : Oh oui, je/j'____________________. (vraiment)
10. Tammy : Tex connat Trey? Tammy : Non, Tex ________________. (bien)
11. Tammy : Tex est gnial! Bette : Oui, Tex _________________. (absolument)
12. Tammy : Tex porte un bret? Edouard : Oui, Tex __________________.(frquemment)
page: adv3
The adverb in French usually follows the conjugated verb. Thus, in all
compound tenses (i.e. tenses where an auxiliary is required, such as the
pass compos), adverbs are placed right after the auxiliary and just
before the past participle. However, some longer adverbs ending in -ment
may follow the past participle. In a sentence in the periphrastic future
('futur proche'), adverbs are placed right before the infinitive. If the
conjugated verb is in the negative, the adverb follows the negation.
Tex: Oh, j'ai trop mang. Je ne vais pas Tex: Oh, I ate too much. I am not going to
bien dormir. sleep well.
Edouard: Mais tu n'as pas beaucoup mang! Edouard: But you didn't eat much! Just
Juste de la soupe! some soup!
Tex: Oui, mais il y avait une mouche dans Tex: Yes, but there was a fly in the soup!
la soupe!
Edouard: Quoi? Une mouche dans mon Edouard: What? A fly in my restaurant! It's
restaurant! Pas possible! not possible!
Je vais immdiatement te prparer une I'm going to prepare an herb tea for you
infusion. Oh, tu sais, les mouches, a se right away. Oh, you know, flies are easily
digre vite. digested.
fill in the blanks

Adverb placement : Complete the answers to Tammy's questions using the adverb in parentheses. The tense is the
same in the question and the answer, either pass compos or periphrastic future.
1. Tammy : Tu as achet mon cadeau? Tex : Non, je/j' _____________ ton cadeau. (encore)
2. Tammy : Tu as aim le film? Tex : Oui, je/j' __________________ le film.(beaucoup)
3. Tammy : Tu as lu ce livre ? Tex : Oui, je/j' __________________ ce livre.(dj)
4. Tammy : Tu es mont en haut de la Tour Eiffel? Tex : Oui, je/j'___________________ en haut de la Tour
Eiffel. (vraiment)
5. Tammy : Tu vas tre gentil? Tex : Oui, je/j' _________________. (trs)
6. Tammy : Tu vas aimer mon gteau? Trey : Oh oui, je/j' _________________ton gteau. (beaucoup)
7. Tammy : Tu as mang? Joe-Bob : Oui, je/j'___________________. (trop)
8. Tammy : Tu as russi tes examens? Joe-Bob : Non, je/j'___________________mes examens. (rarement)
9. Tammy : Trey va comprendre Sartre? Tex : Hmm, Trey ____________________Sartre. (difficilement)
10. Tammy : Tex a rencontr Edouard? Tex : Oui, Trey ________________Edouard. (dj)
11. Tammy : Tex va partir pour Paris? Bette : Oui, Tex _________________ pourParis. (immdiatement)
12. Tammy : Tex et Bette sont devenus amis? Edouard : Oui, Tex et Bette __________________ amis. (vite)
page: adv4
1. comparative of adverbs: indicating more, less, or equality

2. superlative of adverbs: indicating the most, the least
comparative of adverbs: indicating more, less, or equality

Plus + adverb + que conveys the idea of 'more ... than', moins + adverb + que the idea of 'less ... than'. Aussi +
adverb + que conveys the idea of 'as ... as.'
Joe-Bob court plus vite Joe-Bob runs faster than

qu'Edouard. Edouard.
Tex court moins vite que Tex runs slower (less fast)
Joe-Bob. than Joe-Bob.
Qui court aussi lentement Who runs as slowly as

qu'Edouard? Personne, bien Edouard? No one, of course!
sr!
Note that mieux (better) is the irregular comparative form of the adverb bien (well). The other comparative forms of bien
are regular (moins bien que, aussi bien que).
Joe-Bob: Vous allez bien aujourd'hui? Vous Joe-Bob: Are you doing ok today? Are you
tes en forme pour la course? in good shape for the race?
Tex: Ah, oui, je vais mieux qu'hier. Je n'ai Tex: Ah yes, I am better than yesterday. I
pas fum depuis 24 heures. haven't smoked for 24 hours.
Edouard: Moi, je vais moins bien qu'hier. Edouard: Oh no, I am less well than
J'ai tellement travaill que j'ai des yesterday. I've worked so much that I have
courbatures. aches and pains.
Corey: Oh, je vais aussi bien qu'hier. Je Corey: Oh I am doing as well as yesterday.
suis dop, comme d'habitude. I'm high (on insecticides), as usual.
superlative of adverbs: indicating the most, the least

In French as in English, the superlative is a way to express a maximum or minimum quality or capacity: 'the fastest',
'the least fast'. To form the superlative of an adverb, the masculine singular form of the definite article is always used:
le, followed by plus (more) or moins (less) before the adverb. Note that the superlative of an adverb has only one form.
Le mieux (the best) and le moins bien (the least well) are the superlative forms of the adverb bien (well).
Joe-Bob, Tex, Corey et Edouard se Joe-Bob, Tex, Corey and Edouard are about
prparent faire une course. to start a race.
Corey: Qui va gagner? Corey: Who's going to win?
Joe-Bob: Moi, bien sr! je cours le plus vite Joe-Bob: Me, of course! I run the fastest
et Edouard va tre le dernier parce qu'il and Edouard is going to be last, because he
court le moins vite! runs the least fast!
Edouard (vex): Tu dis a parce que je suis Edouard (offended): You say this because I
un escargot! Mais tout le monde sait que je am a snail! But everyone knows that I run
cours le plus lgamment! the most elegantly!
fill in the blanks

Complete Tammy's statements with the adverbs in between parentheses, using one of the French superlative forms
or one of the comparative forms, as indicated. '+' is for comparative indicating 'more... than', '-' is for comparative
indicating 'less...than'
1. Tammy : Tex explique ______________ Edouard. (+, clairement)
2. Tammy : Tex lit _____________ Joe-Bob. (+, rapidement)
3. Tammy : Je parle franais ________________ Bette. (=, bien)
4. Tammy : Tex est le tatou qui embrasse ('kisses') ______________. (superlative +, bien)
5. Tammy : Corey travaille _________________ Fiona. (-, frquemment)
6. Tammy : Tex mange _______________ moi. (-, poliment)
7. Tammy : Tex parle le franais ________________ moi. (+, couramment)
8. Tammy : Fiona est l'tudiante qui russit __________________ UT. (superlative +, brillamment)
9. Tammy : Joe-Bob chante _________________ Tex. (=, mal)
10. Tammy : Corey apprend ________________ Fiona. (-, vite)
11. Tammy : De toutes mes amies, Bette parle __________________. (superlative -, honntement)
12. Tammy : De toutes mes copines, Bette est ment ('lies') ________________. (superlative +, souvent)
page: adv5
When il y a is followed by a time expression (such as longtemps, quelque temps, une semaine, deux jours etc.), it
generally means 'ago': il y a une semaine (a week ago).
Tex: La mre suprieure m'a crit Tex: Mother Superior (Tex was raised by
rcemment. Elle veut un souvenir du Texas! nuns in France) wrote me recently. She
Il y a un an j'ai promis de lui envoyer wants a souvenir from Texas! A year ago I
quelque chose, mais en ce moment je n'ai promised to send her something, but now I
pas d'argent. Je viens de dpenser mes don't have any money. I just spent my last
derniers sous il y a 10 minutes. money 10 minutes ago.
Joe-Bob: Pense des souvenirs pas chers. Joe-Bob: Think of souvenirs that don't cost
Hmmm . . mon ancien berceau, peut-tre. much. Hmmm ... my old crib, maybe. It's
C'est parfait pour une mre! perfect for a mother!
See also il y a and Il y a ... que.
fill in the blanks

Complete Bette's statements with either 'il y a' to indicate how long it has been since the event occurred, or with
'en' to indicate the date of the event.
1. Bette : Corey est n _______________ 3 ans.
2. Bette : Je suis arrive UT_________________ un an.
3. Bette : J'ai rencontr Tammy ________________ 12 mois.
4. Bette : Je suis tombe amoureuse de Tex ______________ longtemps!
5. Bette : J'ai rencontr Corey ___________ 1998.
6. Bette : ___________ dcembre, je suis alle Paris.
7. Bette : ____________ trois jours, Tex m'a embrasse!
8. Bette : Je suis dispute avec Tammy __________ deux semaines.
9. Bette : Je suis ne ________ 1997.
10. Bette : J'ai vu Tammy _________ environ une heure.
11. Bette : J'ai fait du ski Purgatory ___________ janvier.
12. Bette : _________l'an 2005, je serai la femme de Tex!

2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
page: adv6
Tt and tard are irregular adverbs. Tt means early in a general, non-measurable sense: early in the day, or in one's life,
one's career, relationship, in a film, book, etc. Likewise, tard means late in the sense of late in the day (or in one's life,
career, etc.).
En avance (early), en retard (late), l'heure (on time) are invariable phrases, i.e. they have only one form. They always
refer to a schedule: en avance means early in the sense of ahead of schedule and en retard means late, behind schedule.
They are usually used with 'tre' and verbs of movement like 'arriver', 'partir', 'rentrer', 'revenir': in other words, the
verbs from the Alamo of tre. They are placed at the end of the sentence.
Tex et Bette sont devant PCL. Tex and Bette are outside PCL.
Bette: Qui est-ce que tu attends, Tex? Bette: Who are you waiting for Tex?
Tex: Oh, comme d'habitude, j'attends Tex: Oh, as usual, I'm waiting for Edouard.
Edouard. Il est en retard. Il n'est jamais He is late. He is never on time.
l'heure.
Bette: Moi, je suis toujours l'heure. Et Bette: I am always on time. And I even
j'arrive mme en avance quand j'ai rendez- arrive early when I'm meeting someone like
vous avec quelqu'un comme toi: digne, you: dignified, intelligent, sophisticated,
intelligent, sophistiqu, beau ... handsome ...
Tex: Bof ... Tu crois qu'il est trop tt pour Tex: Bof ... Do you think it is too early to
parler mariage avec Tammy? discuss marriage with Tammy?
Bette: Certainement! Il est beaucoup trop Bette: Certainly! It is much too early. You
tt. Tu dois attendre! Regarde l'heure. Il est have to wait! Look at the time. It is late.
tard. On y va? Shall we go?
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks with one of the following: en retard, l'heure, tt, tard.
1. Tex fait toujours la fte le soir : il se couche ___________.
2. Tammy ne sort pas le soir : elle se couche _____________.
3. Fiona se lve avec le soleil : elle se rveille __________.
4. Edouard n'a pas de montre : il arrive toujours ______________.
5. Fiona est trs ponctuelle : elle arrive toujours ______________.
6. Corey est trs lent. Il n'arrive jamais ____________.
7. Tammy est trs ponctuelle : elle n'arrive jamais __________.
8. Tammy : Tex, o tais-tu? Il est ________, j'tais inquite!
9. Tammy : Tu veux de la glace? Trop ________, je l'ai finie!

10. Bette : Tex n'est pas encore amoureux de moi, c'est trop _______, il ne me connat pas assez bien!
11. Bette : Mieux vaut _________ que jamais! (in English, 'Better _____ than never!')
12. Bette : Je suis juste _________, le film va commencer!
Je suis cadien. J'aime mon petit-fils Tex. Je suis une fourmi srieuse. Je suis de
Laredo. J'aime les pique-niques.
page: con1
A conjunction is a word used to link or 'conjoin' words or phrases into a coherent whole. There are two classes of
conjunctions: coordinate and subordinate.
coordinating conjunctions
A coordinating conjunction 'coordinates' two equivalent elements in a sentence, that is, words belonging to the same
grammatical category (nouns + nouns, verbs + verbs, independent clause + independent clause, etc.). The most
commonly used coordinating conjunctions in French are:
mais but
ou or
et and
donc so, thus
or so, now
ni ... ni neither ... nor
car for
puis then
Edouard n'aime ni le barbecue ni les Edouard likes neither barbecue nor

hamburgers. hamburgers.
Tex fume des cigarettes et boit du vin Tex smokes cigarettes and drinks red
rouge. wine.
subordinating conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction links an independent clause to a dependent
clause. In other words, a subordinating conjunction joins two
unequivalent clauses (independent and dependent). An independent
clause is any clause that can stand alone to form a grammatical
sentence. A dependent clause, on the other hand, cannot stand alone and
thus 'depends' on the main clause in order to form a complete thought.
The most commonly used subordinate conjunctions:
que that
pendant que as, while
quand when
lorsque when
depuis que since (indicating time)
tandis que while, whereas
puisque since
parce que because
Il est vident que Tex fume trop. It is obvious that Tex smokes too much.
(dependent) . ... .(independent)
page: con2
Coordinating conjunctions link words, phrases or independent sentences. The most commonly used are mais (but), ou
(or), et (and), donc (so, thus), or (so, now, but), ni . . . ni (neither ... nor), car (for), puis (then). These conjunctions
conjoin forms of the same grammatical category (adjective + adjective, noun + noun, clause + clause, etc.).
With the exception of or, all of these conjunctions can be used to link adjectives, nouns or verbs within a sentence.
Tex, puis Tammy, ont essay de Tex, then Tammy, tried to understand
comprendre les gots de Trey. Trey's tastes.
Ils trouvent que le rap est une musique They think that rap is interesting but / yet
intressante mais fatigante. tiring music.
Ils prfrent la musique franaise ou le They prefer French music or jazz.

jazz.
Trey est jeune donc curieux. Trey is young, thus curious.
Trey n'est ni intellectuel ni cultiv. Trey is neither intellectual nor cultivated.
Pour Trey, le saut l'lastique est fascinant For Trey, bungee jumping is fascinating
car dangereux. because (it's) dangerous.
In addition, ou, et, ni , car, mais, donc, and puis are also used to combine two clauses into one:
Tex parle de posie, de philosophie, ou il ne Tex talks about poetrey, philosophy, or he

parle pas du tout. does not talk at all.
Trey fait du skate-board et coute de la Trey does skate-boarding and listens to

musique. music.
Tex n'aime pas couter de la musique rap Tex does not like to listen to rap music nor
ni faire du skate-board. does he like to skate-board.
Tex ne veut certainement pas essayer le Tex certainly does not want to try bungee
saut l'lastique car c'est trs dangereux. jumping for it is very dangerous.
Tex aime bien son frre Trey mais ils n'ont Tex really likes his brother Trey but they
rien en commun. have nothing in common.
Ou, or, puis, donc, mais indicate a link between two separate sentences. Or, mais and puis are usually placed at the
very beginning of the second sentence. Donc is usually placed either at the beginning or right after the conjugated verb
of the second sentence.
En France, Tex ignorait l'existence de son In France, Tex did not know of the
frre. Puis, un jour, il a rencontr Trey. existence of his brother. Then, one day, he
met Trey.
Tex et Trey n'ont rien en commun. Ils ont Tex and Trey have nothing in common. So
donc quelques problmes de they have a few communication problems.
communication.
Or cela inquite Tex. Consequently, this worries Tex.
Mais que faire? But what can be done?
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with one of the following conjunctions: 'mais', 'ou', 'et', 'donc', 'ni', 'car'.
1. Tex, tu prfres Tammy ______ Bette?
2. Tex aime la France, ______ pas les Franais!
3. Tex a grandi en France, il parle ______ franais couramment.
4. Tammy n'aime pas le chili, ______ les tamales.
5. Tex aime Tammy ______ elle fait bien la cuisine.
6. Les Franais sont snobs. ______ Edouard est snob.
7. Tex est ami avec Corey ______ Joe-Bob.
8. Tex porte un bret ______ il n'a pas de cheveux.
9. Tammy : Tex, il faut que tu choisisses : c'est moi ______ Bette!
10. Bette adore le chocolat ______ les glaces Blue Bell.
11. Corey n'est pas un bon tudiant ______ il n'tudie pas.
12. Tex n'apprcie pas la musique rap ______ la musique techno.
page: con3
Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate, or dependent, clauses. The most commonly used are que (that),
pendant que (as, while), quand / lorsque (when), depuis que (since, indicating time), tandis que (while, whereas) puisque
(since), parce que (because).
Il est vident que Trey est un curieux It is evident that Trey is a curious
personnage. character.
Trey et Tex sont tous les deux des artistes, Trey and Tex are both artists, but while Tex
mais tandis que Tex est pote, Trey est is a poet, Trey is a musician.
musicien.
Depuis que Tex connat Trey, il a dcouvert Since Tex has known Trey, he has
le monde du rap. discovered the world of rap.
Trey se lve quand le soleil se couche. Il Trey gets up when the sun goes down. He
travaille pendant que Tex dort. works while Tex is alseep.
Puisque Tex et Trey sont frres et artistes, Since Tex and Trey are brothers and artists,
ils devraient se comprendre. Mais ce n'est they should understand each other. But this
pas le cas. is not case.
Some of these conjunctions may occur with other tenses besides the present, including the future, conditional, and
imperfect. There are other conjunctions which require the subjunctive.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the following conjunctions: depuis que, tandis que, que, quand, puisque, parce que.
1. Tex: ______ je connais Bette, ma vie a chang.
2. Joe-Bob est un cureuil ______ Corey est un cafard.
3. Tex: Je pense ______ Tammy est jolie.
4. Tammy: ______ Tex m'embrasse, je suis heureuse.
5. Tammy: ______ tu ne fais rien, viens m'aider!
6. Bette: J'aime Tex ______ il est beau.
7. Edouard est serveur ______ il adore la cuisine.
8. Il est clair ______ Bette aime Tex.
9. Tex: Tammy est gentille ______ Bette est seduisante.

10. ______ Tex sort avec Tammy, il fume de moins en moins.
11. Tammy: ______ Paw-Paw est ton grand-pre, tu dois le respecter.
12. ______ il fait beau, Tammy fait son jogging.
page: det1
A determiner is a word that determines or qualifies the meaning of a noun by expressing such concepts as quantity
or definiteness. There is never more than one determiner per noun and it is always placed before the noun.
Determiners always agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.
Articles are the main group of determiners in French. There are three categories of articles: definite, indefinite, and
partitive.
Definite articles (le, la,les) are used when the noun is specific. They are all translated as 'the' in English.
Le serveur donne la carte des vins Tex. The waiter gives the wine list to Tex.
Indefinite articles (un, une,des) introduce nouns that are not specific.
They are translated as 'a' or 'an' in English.
Tex choisit un vin. Tex chooses a wine.
Partitive articles (du, de la, del') are used to introduce mass nouns,
that is nouns that are conceived of as a mass of indeterminate quantity.
They are usually translated as 'some' in English.
Tex boit du vin. Tex drinks some wine.
Demonstrative determiners (ce,cet, cette, ces) point out something,

typically something within sight. They may be translated in English as
'this', 'that','these', 'those' depending on the number (singular or plural)
and proximity (near or far)
Tex explique: Ce bassin est Barton Spring. Tex explains: This pool is Barton Springs.
Cette piscine s'appelle Deep Eddy. This swimming pool is Deep Eddy.
Possessive determiners (mon, ma,mes, etc.) indicate ownership or possession like 'my', 'your' 'his', 'her', 'our',
'their'.
Tex prsente sa famille: Voici mon frre Trey, Tex introduces his family: Here is my brother,
ma soeur Rita avec ses enfants et leur chien Trey, my sister, Rita with her children and
Fido. Notre famille est formidable. their dog Fido. Our family is great.
page: det10
Indefinite determiners qualify nouns and express the indefinite idea of quality (certain, any) or quantity (not one, each,
different, several). They agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Some indefinite determiners may be
used as indefinite pronouns to replace a noun.
Here is a list of common indefinite determiners:
aucun (aucune), not one, not a single

certains (certaines), certain
chaque, each, every

diffrents (diffrentes), various, some
divers (diverses), various, some
plusieurs, several
quelques, a few
tout, all, every
Listen to the following dialogue:
Bette: Il n'y a aucun doute. Tu finiras mre Bette: There is no doubt. You'll end up a
au foyer! housewife!
Tammy: Chaque jour, tu trouves une Tammy: Every day, you find something
mchancet dire. Aucune chatte n'est nasty to say. No cat is as unpleasant as
aussi dsagrable que toi! you are!
Bette: Mais ouvre les yeux Tammy! Ton Bette: Open your eyes Tammy! Your future
futur mari a plusieurs dfauts. Il est snob, husband has several negative traits. He is
prtentieux et veut toujours avoir raison. snobbish, pretentious and always wants to
be right.
Tammy: Mais il a aussi quelques qualits: il Tammy: But he also has a few good points:
est beau et talentueux. Certains diteurs he is handsome and talented. Some
pensent qu'il est le prochain prix Goncourt! publishers think that he is the next
Goncourt prize winner.
Bette tout bas: Tu parles! Bette under her breath: Yeah, right!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with one of the following indefinite determiners: aucun, aucune, chaque, quelques.
1. Bette : ________ matin, je fais mon jogging.
2. Tex : Je n'ai __________ inspiration aujourd'hui!
3. Corey : Je n'ai ________ ami!
4. Edouard : Je connais _________ recettes texanes.
5. Tammy : J'ai _________ admirateurs!
6. Bette : _______ homme ne me rsiste!
7. Tex : J'cris un nouveau pome ________ semaine.

8. Bette : J'ai ________ doutes sur l'amour de Tex et Tammy.
9. Joe-Bob : _________ jour suffit sa peine!
10. Tammy : Tex a ________ amis en France.
11. Bette : Tammy n'a _________ charme!
12. Joe-Bob : Tex, tu me donnes _______ dollars?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 15 Nov 04
page: det2
1. forms
2. lision and liaison
3. to identify a specific noun
4. to express general truth or concepts
5. to express likes and dislikes
6. to indicate habitual recurrence
7. in a series
8. no article
forms
In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or 'determined' by an article. As in English, an article
is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an'). In addition, French articles are also masculine or
feminine, singular or plural , according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the definite
articles in French:
Masculine singular: le (l') Tex le tatou Tex the armadillo

Joe-Bob l'cureuil Joe-Bob the squirrel
Feminine singular: la (l') Bette la chatte Bette the cat (female)

l'Universit du Texas The University of Texas
Masculine and feminine plural: les les tatous the armadillos

les cureuils the squirrels
les chats the cats
les universits the universities
lision and liaison

In the examples above, note that le and la both become l' when they precede a noun beginning with a vowel or a silent
h: l'escargot, l'universit. This is called elision.
Unlike le and la, les does not have a contracted, reduced form. When les is followed by a word starting with a vowel,
the normally silent final s of les is pronounced, making a /z/ sound. This additional sound linking two words is called
liaison. Listen to the following examples:
Compulsory liaison with a vowel or No liaison with a consonant

silent h
les insectes les tatous

les animaux les fourmis
les hommes
Note that elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme,
les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers. Exceptions to this rule are words beginning with
an aspirate 'h'.
to identify a specific noun

The definite article is used to identify a specific noun or to refer to a noun that
has already been specified.
Corey: Tu connais la tour de l'Universit du Corey: Do you know the UT Tower?

Texas?
Tex: Bien sr, c'est le symbole de Tex: Of course, it is the symbol of the
l'Universit! University!
Corey: Et la Sixime rue? Corey: What about Sixth street?
Tex: Eh bien, c'est les Champs-Elyses Tex: Well, it's the Champs-Elysees of
d'Austin! Austin.
to express general truths or concepts

French uses the definite article to express general truths or concepts. English, in contrast, uses no article at all. Compare
the following sentences:
Tex: L'argent ne rend pas l'homme Tex: Money does not make man happy!
heureux!
Tammy: Tu as raison. L'amour et la sant Tammy: You are right. Love and health are
sont plus importants! more important!
Tex: Bien sr, pour les insectes et les Tex: Of course, for insects and animals,
animaux, l'argent n'existe pas! Mais money does not exist! But love is as
l'amour est aussi important pour nous que important for us as it is for humans. Ah,
pour les humains. Ah oui ... l'amour yes, love, love, love, always love!
l'amour, toujours l'amour!
to express likes and dislikes

The French also use the definite article with verbs of preference, such as aimer, prfrer, dtester. Once again, English
omits the article in such general statements. For example:
Tex adore les croissants. Tex loves croissants.
Joe-Bob prfre les doughnuts. Joe-Bob prefers doughnuts.
Tammy n'aime pas le caf. Tammy does not like coffee.
Edouard apprcie la bonne cuisine Edouard appreciates good French cuisine.

franaise.
to indicate habitual recurrence

The definite article is used in French with moments of the day, days of the week, and seasons to indicate habitual
recurrence. For example:
Le matin, Tammy va en cours. Every morning, Tammy goes to class.
L'aprs-midi, elle va la bibliothque. Every afternoon, she goes to the library.
Le lundi, Tex fait son jogging. On Mondays, Tex goes for a jog.
L't, il se baigne avec Tammy Barton Every summer, he bathes with Tammy at
Springs. L'hiver, il skie Purgatory. Barton Springs. Every winter, he skis in
Purgatory.
in a series
The article is usually repeated in a series, in contrast to English. For example:
Tammy: Tex, aide-moi mettre la table! Tex, help me set the table! Bring the
Apporte les assiettes, les couteaux, les plates, knives, glasses, napkins, and wine.
verres, les serviettes et le vin.
no article
Cities usually do not require an article in French. For example:
Tex habite Austin. Tex lives in Austin,
mais il prfre Paris. but he prefers Paris.
Continents, countries, states, regions, and oceans usually require an article (l'Afrique, la France, le Texas, la Bourgogne,
l'Atlantique etc.), but there are a few exceptions, usually islands: Hati, Isral, Madagascar. See prepositions with place
names for more information.
Months never require an article: janvier, fvrier, mars, etc.
Cependant Tex adore mars Austin. Nevertheless Tex adores March in Austin.
Days of the week do not require an article in instances where they do not indicate habitual recurrence. For example:
Lundi, il a rendez-vous avec Tammy. Monday he has a date with Tammy.
Tammy: J'aime beaucoup le franais. C'est Tammy: I like French a lot. It is the
la langue de Molire et de Hugo, et surtout language of Molire and of Hugo, and
c'est la langue maternelle de Tex! above all it is the mother tongue of Tex!
Bette: Alors comme a Tammy, tu aimes Bette: So Tammy, you really like French
bien les Franais? men?
Tammy: Oh oui! Surtout les Franais qui Tammy: I sure do! Especially French men
portent le bret! who wear a beret!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct definite article : le, la, l', or les.
1. Tex : J'adore ______ chattes!
2. Corey : J'adore _______ odeur des pesticides!
3. Tammy : ________ femmes sont sensibles.
4. Corey : Je dteste _____ professeur de maths.

5. Tammy : _______ salle de classe est romantique!
6. Tammy : ______ affiche de Paris est super!
7. Corey ______ tlvision.
8. Tex dteste _______ Texas.
9. Tammy : _______ tatous sont intelligents!
10. Tex : ____ dictionnaire est intressant!
11. Tammy est _____ amie de Tex.
12. Tex est prof _______ universit.
page: det3
The definite article (le, la, l', les) is often used with parts of the body instead of a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes,
etc.). Sentences with this structure always use the verb avoir to indicate that the possessor is the subject of the
sentence. The following French sentences are equivalent.
Tex rve: Ah, Tammy! Tu as les yeux brlants, la Tex is dreaming: Ah Tammy! You have fiery
bouche pulpeuse, les cheveux si doux ... eyes, full lips, such soft hair ...
Tex rve: Ah Tammy! Ton regard est brlant, ta Tex is dreaming: Ah Tammy! Your eyes are
bouche pulpeuse, tes cheveux si doux ... fiery, your lips full, your hair so soft ...
However, an indefinite article is used if an adjective comes before the part of the body:
Tex continue: Tammy, tu as un petit nez Tex continues: Tammy, you have a little
pointu et de grandes oreilles dcolles ... pointed nose and big ears which stick out ...
The definite article is also always used when pronominal verbs refer to parts of the body.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct article : le, la, les, un, une, or de. HINT: adjective agreement in the sentences may
help you discover the gender of each noun.
1. Corey a ________ yeux bleus. (blue eyes)
2. Tex a _______ poil gris. (grey coat)
3. Tammy a ______ jolie bouche. (pretty mouth)
4. Tex a _______ jolies jambes. (pretty legs)
5. Bette a ________ visage noir. (black face)
6. Tammy a ________ cheveux boucls. (curly hair)
7. Tex a toujours ________ corps luisant. (glistening body)
8. Joe-Bob a ________ joues joufflues. (plump cheeks)
9. Fiona a ________ taille fine. (thin waist)

10. Tammy a ________ teint rose. (rosy complexion)
11. Bette a ________ peau douce. (soft skin)
12. Tex a ________ beau nez texan. (beautiful Texan nose)
page: det4
1. forms
2. uses
3. 'de' after the negative
4. before a plural adjective
5. with adjectives of profession, nationality, and religion
forms
In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or 'determined' by an
article. As in English, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a',
'an'). In French, articles are also masculine or feminine, and singular or plural ,
according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the indefinite
articles in French:
masculine singular: un Tex est un tatou. Tex is an armadillo.

Joe-Bob est un cureuil. Joe-Bob is a squirrel.
feminine singular: une Bette est une chatte. Bette is a cat. (female)
UT est une universit UT is a university.
plural: des des tatous (some) armadillos

des cureuils (some) squirrels
des chats (some) cats
des universits (some) universities
In the examples above, listen carefully to the difference in pronunciation of un and

des before words beginning with a consonant (un tatou, des tatous) and before a
words beginning with a vowel sound (un cureuil, des cureuils). These are examples
of liaison.
uses
As the English 'a' 'an' or 'some', the indefinite articles un, une, des refer to nouns
which are non-specific. Un or une may also indicate quantity, 'a' or 'an' in the sense
of 'one.' Contrast the use of the indefinite and definite articles in the first two
sentences below. The indefinite plural des is always expressed in French, but its
English equivalent 'some' is often omitted.
Joe-Bob et Corey ont une chambre dans Joe-Bob and Corey have a (one) room in a
une rsidence universitaire Austin. residence hall in Austin.
Ils ont la chambre numro 1735 dans la They have the room #1735 in the Jester
rsidence Jester. residence hall.
Joe-Bob et Corey sont des camarades de Joe-Bob and Corey are roommates!
chambre.
'de' after the negative

In a negative sentence, the indefinite articles un, une, des are replaced by de or d':
Tex: Joe-Bob, tu as un chien? Tex: Joe-Bob, do you have a dog?'
Joe-Bob: Mais non! Je n'ai pas de chien. Je Joe-Bob: No, I don't have a dog. I'm a
suis un cureuil. squirrel.
Tex: Corey, tu as des amis? Tex: Corey, do you have friends?

Corey: Mais non! Je n'ai pas d'amis. Je suis Corey: No, I don't have any friends. I'm a
un cafard. cockroach.
However, following the verb tre, the indefinite articles un, une, des remain unchanged in the negative:
Edouard: Joe-Bob, c'est un cureuil. Ce Edouard: Joe-Bob is a squirrel. He is not an

n'est pas un tatou! armadillo.
Tex et Tammy, ce sont des tatous. Ce ne Tex and Tammy are armadillos. They are
sont pas des escargots. not snails.
before a plural adjective

Before a plural adjective which precedes a noun, des usually becomes de. If the adjective comes after the noun, des does
not change to de.
Edouard: Tex et Tammy sont de charmants Edouard: Tex and Tammy are charming
amoureux. lovers.
Bette: Ah bon? Ce ne sont pas seulement Bette: Really? They are not just good
de bons amis? friends?
Edouard: Tu ne trouves pas que Tex et Edouard: Don't you think that Tex and
Tammy sont des tatous parfaits l'un pour Tammy are armadillos who are perfect for
l'autre? each other?
Bette: Absolument pas! Bette: Absolutely not!
with adjectives of profession, nationality, and religion

Professions, nationalities and religions are considered adjectives in French and need no article after the verbs tre and
devenir.
Edouard: Tex devient professeur; il est Edouard: Tex is becoming a professor. He is

amricain; il n'est pas catholique. American. He is not Catholic.
Bette et Tammy parlent entre femmes. Bette and Tammy are talking woman-to-
woman.
Bette: Je n'ai pas de vritables amis! Tout Bette: I have no real friends! Everybody
le monde pense que je suis une mchante thinks that I am a wicked cat.
chatte.
Tammy: Mais non Bette! Toi et moi nous Tammy: That's not true Bette! You and I
sommes de vieilles amies! are old friends!'
Bette: Oui, mais toi tu as un petit ami Bette: Yes, but you have a boyfriend
tandis que moi je n'ai pas de petit ami! whereas I don't have any boyfriend!
Tammy: Tu sais Bette, avoir un petit ami Tammy: You know Bette, having a
ce n'est pas toujours une partie de plaisir, boyfriend is not always a fun thing,
surtout quand il s'appelle Tex! especially when he's called Tex!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct indefinite article: un, une, des, de.
1. Tex : Je voudrais ______ caf (masc.).
2. Tammy et Tex sont ________ amis.
3. Tammy et Fiona sont _________ bonnes amies.
4. Tammy est _________ fille (fem.) merveilleuse.
5. Tex est ______ prof. intelligent.
6. Fiona est ________ fourmi (fem.) loyale.
7. Joe-Bob et Corey sont ________ animaux ridicules.
8. Tex, Trey, et Rita sont _____ tatous typiques au Texas.
9. Corey est ______ ami de Tex.
10. Tex est ______ tatou (masc.) amusant.
11. Bette est _________ tudiante UT.
12. Joe-Bob est ________ tudiant A&M.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 10 Nov 04
page: det5
1. forms
2. uses
3. after the negative
forms
There are three partitive articles in French.
Masculine: du du pain (some) bread
Feminine: de la de la viande (some) meat
Masculine or feminine before a de l'ail (m.) (some) garlic

vowel: de l' de l'eau (f.) (some) water
uses
Partitive articles are used both in English and in French to express
quantities that cannot be counted. While the indefinite article (un, une, des) is
used with countable quantities (un oeuf, deux oeufs ...), the partitive article is
used before mass nouns, nouns that are indivisible or uncountable. In English
the article 'some' is often omitted.
Edouard: Comme dessert, Edouard: For dessert, we

nous avons de la mousse have (some) chocolate
au chocolat, de la glace mousse, vanilla ice cream,
parfume la vanille et du and pineapple sorbet.
sorbet l'ananas.
While the definite article designates something in its totality, or as a whole, the partitive article designates a part of the
whole. Note that depending on what you want to say, the same noun may be introduced by a definite, indefinite, or a
partitive article. Compare these examples:
Edouard: Vous prenez du vin, partitive Edouard: You are having (some)
n'est-ce pas? article wine, aren't you?
(a quantity that is not specified)
Le vin rouge est bon pour la definite Red wine is healthy!

sant! article ('wine' in general)
En fait, nous avons un Beaujolais indefinite In fact, we have a Beaujolais

nouveau ou un Chambertin, un article nouveau, or a Chambertin, a
Chteauneuf-du-Pape, ou j'ai un Chteauneuf-du-Pape, or I have
excellent Mdoc pour vous, ou un an excellent Mdoc for you, or a
tout petit vin gris de Savoie. little grey wine from Savoy.
(These are items on the wine list,
a countable quantity)
after the negative

In negative sentences, du, de la, des, de l' change to de:
Joe-Bob mange de la Tammy ne mange pas de Joe-Bob eats meat.

viande. viande. Tammy does not eat meat.
Tex boit du caf. Tammy ne boit jamais de Tex drinks coffee.

caf. Tammy never drinks coffee.
Il y a encore du vin. Il n'y a plus de vin. There is some wine left.

There is not any wine left.
The partitive and indefinite articles may be used in negative

sentences, however, to emphasize the contrasting positive noun.
For example:
Entre Tex et Tammy, ce n'est pas de Between Tex and Tammy, it is not
l'amiti, c'est de l'amour! friendship, it is love!
Edouard sert du poulet, pas des escargots! Edouard serves chicken, not snails!
Notice the use of the partitive articles in the following dialogue.
Tammy est au tlphone: All, Edouard? Je Tammy is on the phone: Hello, Edouard?
reois des amis ce soir. Je voudrais faire I'm having some friends over tonight. I
des crpes, mais j'ai oubli la recette. Tu would like to make some crpes, but I've
peux m'aider? forgotten the recipe. Can you help me?
Edouard: Rien de plus facile! Tu mlanges Edouard: No problem! Mix some flour and
de la farine et des oeufs. Tu ajoutes ensuite eggs. Add some milk, some salt and some
du lait, du sel et de l'huile. Tu verses cette oil. Pour this batter in a pan. When the
pte dans une pole. Quand la pte est batter is cooked, fill the crpe with some
cuite, tu garnis la crpe avec du fromage grated cheese, some ham, or cepes
rp, du jambon, ou des cpes. Mais (mushrooms). But don't forget Tammy,
n'oublie pas Tammy, avec des crpes, on with crpes, you don't drink wine. You have
ne boit pas de vin. Il faut boire du cidre et to drink cider and wear a Breton hat!
porter une coiffe bretonne!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct partitive article: du, de la, or de l'
1. Tex : Je voudrais _______ vin rouge.
2. Tammy : Je vais prendre _________ soupe aux oignons.
3. Tex : Tammy, est-ce qu'il reste _________ omelette?
4. Tammy : Je vais acheter ________ pain.
5. Tammy : Tex, je vais boire __________ eau.
6. Tammy : Je vais faire ________ crme brle (fem.).
7. Joe-Bob boit _________ bire.
8. Corey : Tex, tu as ________ pesticide (masc.)?
9. Tammy : Tex, tu fais ______ sport aujourd'hui?
10. Tex : Tammy, tu fais ______ arobic aujourd'hui?
11. Bette prend _________ thon le matin.
12. Fiona a _______ chance ('luck', fem.).

page: det6
1. forms and uses

2. liaison
forms and uses

The possessive determiners serve to express ownership or possession (hence the name). They are also often called
possessive adjectives because they agree in gender and number with the noun they introduce.
Masculine Feminine Plural Translation

singular singular
mon ma mes my
ton ta tes your (familiar)
son sa ses his or her or its
notre notre nos our
votre votre vos your (formal or

plural)
leur leur leurs their
Possessive articles, like all articles, must agree with the noun they modify. Thus, if
the noun is feminine, the possessive article must be feminine, too. In the following
example, the feminine noun famille requires a feminine form sa. Note that sa has
three potential translations in English: 'his,' 'her,' or 'its.' So, how do you know which
meaning is intended? Context! Since the following example sentence refers to Tex,
we know that sa means 'his.'
Tex prsente sa famille: Voici mon frre, Tex introduces his family. Here is my
Trey, et ma soeur, Rita, avec ses enfants et brother, Trey, and my sister, Rita with her
leur chien Fido. Notre famille est formidable! children and their dog Fido. Our family is
great!
liaison
Do not forget to make the liaison between the plural forms of the possessive determiners and words that begin with a
vowel sound. Ma, ta, sa become mon, ton, son in front of feminine nouns beginning with a vowel sound.
Tex continues his introductions:
Tex: Voici Tammy, mon amie, et ses amies Tex: Here is Tammy, my friend, and her
Bette et Fiona, c'est--dire nos amies. friends, Bette and Fiona, that is to say, our
friends.
Tammy parle avec Bette: Tex Tammy is talking with Bette:

n'est plus mon ami! Il a Tex is not my friend any more!
compltement oubli mon He competely forgot my present
cadeau et notre anniversaire! Il and our anniversary! He forgot
a oubli toutes ses promesses! all his promises. What a loser!
Quel nul!
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with the correct possessive determiner.
1. Tex : _______ famille est intressante.
2. Tammy : Tex, _______ neveux sont ici.
3. Tex et Tammy : Bette, Corey et Joe-Bob sont ______ amis.
4. Tammy et Tex : _______ amour est ternel.
5. Paw-Paw : Bonjour Tex, bonjour Tammy! ________ visite me fait plaisir ('pleases me').
6. Tammy : Tex oublie souvent ________ livre.
7. Tammy : Ah Tex, ________ amour!
8. Tex : Tammy est ________ amie.
9. Tammy: Tex, Trey, et Rita? _______ grand-pre est adorable.
10. Corey et Joe-Bob aiment Tammy et Tex. Ils sont ______ amis.
11. Tammy : J'aime la soeur de Tex, mais ______ frre est bizarre.
12. Bette : La famille de Tammy aime Tex beaucoup, surtout _____ parents.
page: det7
1. forms
2. uses
2. -ci and -l
forms
Demonstrative determiners ('this', 'these', 'that' or 'those') are used to point out things or people. They are also
sometimes called demonstrative adjectives (in French 'adjectifs dmonstratifs'); they agree in number and gender with
the noun they introduce.
Masculine singular: ce ce tatou this armadillo

Masculine singular cet cureuil this squirrel
before a vowel sound: cet
Feminine singular: cette cette chatte this cat (female)
Plural (masculine or feminine): ces tatous these armadillos

ces ces cureuils these squirrels
Note that liaison is compulsory between ces and words starting with a vowel or a
silent h.
uses
In general, demonstrative determiners designate something one can see or show:
Tex explique: Ce bassin, Tex explains: This pool is

c'est Barton Springs. Cette Barton Springs. This
piscine s'appelle Deep Eddy. swimming pool is Deep Eddy.
-ci and -l
Demonstrative determiners can designate something close or far away: in order to distinguish between two or more
elements, you can add the suffixes -ci or -l to the demonstrative determiner. The suffix -ci indicates that the item is
relatively near to the speaker; -l suggests that something is farther away. In English, they are generally translated by
'this' and 'that':
Tex: Tu vois Tammy, cette toile-ci Tex: See Tammy, this star (here) is called
s'appelle Vnus. Mais ces toiles-l, c'est la Venus. But those stars (there), are the
Voie lacte. Milky Way.
Tammy: Venus ... la voie lacte ... oh Tex, Tammy: Venus ... the Milky Way ... oh,
j'aime bien quand tu me parles Tex, I like it when you talk to me about
d'astronomie! astronomy!
Tex et Tammy sont dans le rayon femmes Tex and Tammy are in the women's section
de J. C. Penney. of J. C. Penney.
Tammy: Qu'est-ce que tu penses de ce Tammy: What do you think of this bathing
maillot-ci ? suit?
Tex: Ah non! Je n'aime pas du tout cette Tex: Oh no! I don't like this color at all.
couleur.
Tammy: Et ce bikini? Ce sera parfait pour Tammy: What about this bikini? It will be
cet t. Tu ne trouves pas? perfect for this summer, don't you think?
Tex: Quelle horreur! Ce tissu est Tex: It's horrible! This fabric is completely
compltement dmod! outdated!
Tammy: Mais Tex, tu n'as aucun got! Tu Tammy: Tex, you have no taste
crois que ce vieux bret que tu portes est whatsoever! You think that this old beret
la mode? you wear is fashionable?
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct demonstrative determiner: ce, cet, cette, or ces.
1. Tex : Tammy, tu as vu le journal _____ matin?
2. Tammy : Tex est beau! Je suis folle de ('crazy about') _____ animal!
3. Corey : Qui est ______ jolie fille?
4. Edouard : Que faites-vous ______ aprs-midi?
5. Paw-Paw : _____ enfants sont nafs!
6. Tammy : _______ bonbons sont dlicieux!
7. Edouard : Hmm... _______ glace au chocolat est trs bonne.
8. Tex : _____ week-end, Tammy et moi allons San Antonio.
9. Bette : Tex, que penses-tu de _______ mini-jupe (fem.)?
10. Tammy : _______ escargot est snob.
11. Tammy : ________ Franais sont vraiment sexy.
12. Tammy : Tex,_____ cadeau est pour toi.
page: det8
There are many ways of expressing quantity: numbers (deux crpes), the indefinite
article (un tatou, an armadillo), and the partitive article (du lait, some milk).
Quantities may also be expressed using adverbs and adverbial expressions, such as
assez (enough), beaucoup (a lot), or trop (too much).
When used with nouns, expressions of quantity are always followed by de (d' if the
noun begins with a vowel sound).
Tammy et Tex reoivent des amis ce soir. Tammy and Tex are having some friends
Tammy est dans la cuisine. Tex regarde la over tonight. Tammy is in the kitchen. Tex
tlvision. is watching television.
Tammy: Une douzaine de crpes, c'est trop Tammy: A dozen crepes, that's too much
pour quatre personnes? for four people?
Tex: Mais non, Tammy, ce n'est pas assez. Tex: No, Tammy, it's not too much. You
Il faut prparer beaucoup de crpes. can never prepare too many crepes.
Here is a list of common adverbial expressions of quantity:
assez de, enough plein de, many
beaucoup de, a lot un tas de, a lot of

un peu de, a little trop de, too many
Note that these expressions of quantity do not change in negative sentences:
Tex: On ne prpare jamais trop de crpes. Tex: One never prepares too many crepes!
One can express quantity by using specific nouns or adverbs of quantity, as well as measures of weight, distance, or
volume, especially in reference to food. For example:
une bote de, a can (box) of un litre de, a liter of

un bol de, a bowl of une livre de, a pound of
un bout de, a piece (end) of un morceau de, a piece of
une bouteille de, a bottle of une part de, a serving of

une cuillre de, a teaspoon of une pince de, a pinch of
une douzaine de, a dozen une tasse de, a cup of
50 grammes de, 50 grams of une tranche de, a slice of
un kilo de, a kilo of un verre de, a glass of
The definite article (le, la, les) may be used with these expressions to indicate a quantity of a specific item. Remember
that de + le and de + les form the contractions du and des respectively.
un morceau du gteau qu'Edouard a prpar a piece of the cake that Edouard made
un verre du vin rouge, pas du blanc a glass of the red wine, not the white one
beaucoup des invits parlent franais many of the guests speak French
Tammy lit la recette: Pour une douzaine de Tammy reads the recipe: For a dozen
crpes, mlanger 400 grammes de farine et crpes, mix 400 grams of flour and two
deux oeufs. Ajouter ensuite un demi litre de eggs. Then add half a liter of milk, a
lait, une cuillre de sel et une cuillre spoonful of salt and a spoonful of oil.
d'huile.
Tammy: Dis, Tex! Arrte de faire le lgume Tammy: Hey, Tex! Stop vegging out in
devant la tl! Viens m'aider! front of the TV! Come and help me!
Tex: Comment? J'ai fait mon travail, moi! Tex: What? I did my job! The bouquet of
Le bouquet de roses et la bouteille de cidre flowers and the bottle of cider are on the
sont sur la table! table!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with one of the following expressions of quantity : un bouquet de, assez de, une tasse de, peu de,
trop de, beaucoup de, un verre de. Some expressions may be used more than once.
1. Joe-Bob : Tu as 1 dollar Tex? Je n'ai pas _______ argent pour acheter mon doughnut!
2. Tex : Je suis un grand pote. J'ai ___________ talent.
3. Corey : Je suis seul ('alone'). J'ai ___________ amis.
4. Edouard : Je prends toujours ___________ caf aprs le repas.
5. Paw-Paw : Je bois _________ vin tous les repas.
6. Tammy : Je suis grosse parce que je mange ______ bonbons.
7. Tex : ___________ roses s'il vous plat.
8. Tammy : Tex, quand tu bois ________ vin, tu es arrogant!
9. Tammy : J'ai __________ chance d'tre la copine de Tex!
10. Tammy : Tex, tu n'aimes pas la maison? Tu passes _______ temps sur le campus!
11. Bette : Tex est original. Il y a ________ tatous comme lui!
12. Joe-Bob : Ce hamburger manque ('lacks') de ketchup! Il n'y a pas ________ ketchup dans ce hamburger!
page: det9
1. tout as an adjective
2. tout as a pronoun
3. tout as an adverb
4. tout in common idiomatic phrases
'tout' as an adjective
Tout means 'all' or 'every' when it modifies a noun. It agrees in number and gender with the noun that follows.
Masculine Masculine Feminine Feminine

singular plural singular plural
tout tous toute toutes
These forms of tout are most often used with the definite articles le, les, la, l', but they may also be used with a
possessive determiner: tous mes pomes (all my poems), toute sa vie (all his/her life) etc. Listen as Tex recites one of
his poems:
Malgr toutes les filles que j'ai connues, In spite of all the girls (or all of the girls)
that I have known,
je pense toi ... I think of you ...
tout le temps, all the time,
toute la journe, all day long,
tous* les soirs, every evening,
toutes les nuits. every night.
*Note that the final s of tous is not pronounced when it is used as an adjective.
Tout or toute may also be used without an article to mean 'every.'
Tex: Tout tatou est pote! Every armadillo is a poet!
'tout' as a pronoun
Tout is invariable when it functions as the indefinite pronoun meaning 'everything' or 'all', as in the first sentence
below.
The plural pronouns tous and toutes agree with the nouns they replace. Compare the examples below.
Indefinite singular 'everything' Tammy: Tex, tu as vu ton Tammy: Tex, did you see
diteur? Tout s'est bien your publisher? Did
pass? everything go well?
To replace a plural noun Tex: Les diteurs sont des Tex: Publishers are fools, I
idiots, je les dteste tous!* hate them all! Publishing
Les maisons d'ditions ne houses don't understand my
comprennent pas mon art. art. All refuse my erotic
Toutes refusent mes pomes poems!
rotiques!
*Note that the final s in the pronoun tous is pronounced, in contrast to the unpronounced s in tous as an adjective.
'tout' as an adverb
Tout may also be an adverb meaning 'all,' 'completely,' or 'quite' when it modifies another adverb, a preposition, or an
adjective. Although tout is invariable before an adverb, a preposition or a masculine adjective, the feminine forms toute
and toutes are used before feminine adjectives beginning with a consonant.
Invariable Tex: Les diteurs ne Tex: Editors don't understand

comprennent rien. Mes anything. My themes are
thmes sont tout nouveaux. completely new.
Before a feminine adjective Tex: Et ma posie est toute Tex: And my poetry is very
beginning with a consonant moderne. modern.
tout in common idiomatic phrases

Here is a list of common idiomatic phrases with tout:
pas du tout, not at all en tout cas, in any case
tout de suite, right away malgr tout, in spite of everything
tout le monde, everyone tout l'heure, in a little while
tout le temps, all the time tout coup, all of a sudden
tous les jours, every day tout fait, completely
tous (toutes) les deux, both tout droit, straight ahead
tous les deux jours, every other day tout de mme, just the same
tous les trois jours ... , every three days
toutes les deux semaines, every other week tout en + participe prsent, all the while ...
Tammy: Alors Tex, tu as bientt fini ton Tammy: So Tex, have you almost finished
recueil de pomes? writing your collection of poems?
Tex: Oh ne m'en parle pas! J'ai perdu tout Tex: Oh don't ask! I have lost all my
mon enthousiasme! J'ai toutes sortes de enthusiasm! I have all sorts of problems
problmes avec mon diteur. Il refuse tous with my publisher. He refuses to publish all
mes pomes rcents. my recent poems.
Tammy: Ne t'inquite pas! Tous les grands Tammy: Don't worry! All great poets are
potes sont incompris! misunderstood!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of tout.
1. Tex : ________ les Amricaines sont jolies!
2. Tex : Les amis, je vous invite ________ mon anniversaire.
3. Corey : Je m'ennuie _______ le temps.
4. Edouard : A Austin, il fait beau ________ les jours.
5. Tammy : Je suis ________ excite!
6. Tex : _______ pote est sensible.
7. Tex : Je me rase ________ les quatre jours.
8. Bette : _________ le monde aime Tex!
9. Joe-Bob : Je ne parle pas du ________ franais!
10. Tammy : Bette, regarde _________ mes photos de Tex!
11. Bette : __________ les chattes dtestent l'eau.
12. Joe-Bob : Je t'ai cherch _________ la journe!
troubleshooting faq
1. When I try to view a movie, I see a broken plug-in icon.
2. I've installed QuickTime, but movies aren't playing.
3. I can't receive streaming video.
4. How do I troubleshoot QuickTime problems on Windows computers?
5. How do I troubleshoot browser plug-in problems?
1. When I try to view a movie, I see a broken plug-in icon.

Have you installed QuickTime? If not, please visit the QuickTime web site to download and install. Accessing
QuickTime media on this site without a browser plug-in should direct you automatically to the download page.
2. I've installed QuickTime, but movies aren't playing.

Are you connected to the Internet? If you have confirmed your Internet connection and are still having problems,
access Apple's QuickTime installation check web page. This page will automatically detect if QuickTime is installed
correctly. Also, check additional help resources at the Apple QuickTime support web site.
3. I can't receive streaming video.

There currently is no streaming audio or video content in Franais Interactif and Tex's French Grammar; information
concerning streaming media is included here, in the event of future implementation.
There are QuickTime issues re: accessing streaming audio and video from behind a firewall. You might have this
problem at home, for example, if you use access the Internet through a hardware router. A router is a device that
allows multiple computers to share a single, high-speed Internet connection. The router's firewall software
sometimes blocks the default port on which QuickTime streaming operates.
You will need to change the port on which you receive streaming video. Go to your QuickTime Settings control
panel:
Windows: Start Menu - Settings - Control Panels
MacOS X: System Preferences
MacOS: Apple Menu - Control Panels
Choose "Streaming Transport" popup menu selection. You can click the "Auto Configure" button, or if you already
know there is an issue with your firewall you can simply click the "Use HTTP, Port ID: (80)" radio button. Doing so
will allow QuickTime streaming on port 80.
Apple web site info on streaming from behind a firewall:

Start: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60688
More technical info: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/resources/qt4/us/proxy/
4. How do I troubleshoot QuickTime problems on Windows computers?

Errors are usually related to software conflicts, unusable files, or incompatibilities. They can also be related to
specific hardware combinations, and sometimes the way in which the hardware is configured. Check the technical
hardware requirements on this page [listed above]. Also, check the Apple knowledge base article on this topic.
5. How do I troubleshoot browser plug-in problems?

Apple's web site has information on how to troubleshoot your browser plug-in.
Entering accented characters

Different computer operating systems MacOS X (Apple Macintosh) and Windows (XP, 2000, etc.) offer differing
approaches for entering accented characters. Techniques are explained below.
Windows PC
Method 1: Alt + key sequence
Make sure the Num Lock key is down. Hold down the Alt key while entering a number sequence on the keypad.
Release the Alt key: you should see the accented character.
Number sequences for specific characters are listed in the character table below.
Method 2: Windows Character Map tool

Use the Windows Character Map tool a small pop-up accessory that allows you to cut and paste special characters
into any application (such as a web browser). On your Windows PC, access
Start Menu > Programs > Accesories > System Tools > Character Map
Click on and copy the character you need from the Character Map tool. Then, click back in the browser form field
and paste the character (ctrl-v or 'Paste' via browser menu selection).
Apple Macintosh
Method: option + key [+ key]
Hold down the option key while entering the first letter of a sequence (e.g., option ` or option e).
Release the option key and enter the second character of the sequence (e.g., a, e, i, n, o, or u): you should see
the accented character.
Exceptions: A few special characters (, , ) are produced by simply entering option + key. The character is
produced by simultaneously entering 'opt shift ?'
Character Table
character Macintosh PC character Macintosh PC
opt ` + a alt + 0224 opt n + n alt + 0241
opt e + a alt + 0225 opt ` + o alt + 0242
opt i + a alt + 0226 opt e + o alt + 0243
opt u + a alt + 0228 opt i + o alt + 0244
opt c alt + 0231 opt u + o alt + 0245
opt ` + e alt + 0232 opt + s alt + 0223
opt e + e alt + 0233 opt ` + u alt + 0249
opt i + e alt + 0234 opt e + u alt + 0250
opt u + e alt + 0235 opt i + u alt + 0251
opt ` + i alt + 0236 opt u + u alt + 0252
opt e + i alt + 0237 opt 1 alt + 0161
opt i + i alt + 0238 opt shift ? alt + 0191
2005 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 9 Mar 05
introduction
adjectives before the noun
irregular adjectives
adjectives whose meaning varies with placement
comparison of adjectives
superlative of adjectives
bon/meilleur (adjectives) vs. bien/mieux (adverbs)
participles as adjectives
VERBS
introduction
regular verbs
-er verbs
-er verbs (regular)
-er verbs (stem changing)
-ir verbs
-ir verbs (regular)
-ir verbs (irreg) like ouvrir 'to open'
-ir verbs (irreg) like partir 'to leave,' sortir 'to go out,' dormir 'to sleep'
-re verbs
-re verbs (regular)
-re verbs (irregular) like prendre 'to take'
-re verbs (irregular) like mettre 'to put, to place'
-re verbs (irregular) like suivre 'to follow', vivre 'to live'
common irregular verbs
tre 'to be'
avoir 'to have'
avoir expressions, ex. il y a, avoir besoin de, etc.
aller 'to go'
faire 'to do,' 'to make'
faire expressions
venir 'to come'
boire, croire, voir: 'to drink', 'to believe', 'to see'
savoir vs. connatre: two ways of knowing
dire, lire, crire: 'to say', 'to read', 'to write'
pronominal verbs: se raser, se lever, se disputer
modal verbs: vouloir 'to want to,' pouvoir 'to be able to,' devoir 'to have to'
impersonal verbs and expressions: il faut, il est important de ...
quitter, partir, sortir, laisser: different verbs for 'to leave'
infinitive constructions, including past and negative
causative faire (faire+infinitif)
transitive vs. intransitive constructions
present participle
NEGATION
introduction
basic negation: ne ... pas (don't, not)
alternate forms (1):
ne ... jamais (never)
ne ... rien (nothing)
ne ... personne (nobody, no one)
ne ... pas du tout (not at all)
ne ... plus (no more, any longer)
alternate forms (2):
ne ... aucun(e) (not one)
ne ... ni ... ni (neither ... nor)
ne ... que (only)
one word negative responses: si, jamais, personne, rien
PREPOSITIONS
introduction
common prepositions
contractions of and de with definite article
depuis vs il y a ... que
depuis with imperfect
depuis, pendant, pour
prepositions with place names
prepositions with infinitives
PRONOUNS
introduction
subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
c'est vs. il/elle est
disjunctive pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, elles, eux
direct object pronouns: me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les
indirect object pronouns: me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur
pronoun: y
pronoun: en
relative pronouns: qui and que
relative pronouns: ce qui and ce que
relative pronouns: dont, ce dont, o, lequel
order of object pronouns
indefinite pronouns: chacun and quelqu'un
demonstrative pronouns: celui, celle, ceux, celles
possessive pronouns: le mien, la mienne, etc.
CONJUNCTIONS
introduction
coordinating conjunctions: et, mais, ou, puis, car, etc.
subordinating conjunctions: pendant que, quand, depuis que, etc.
conjunctions that take the subjunctive
TENSE/ASPECT/MOOD/VOICE
introduction
present tense
past tenses
pass immdiat (venir de+infinitive)
pass compos with avoir
pass compos with tre
pass compos of pronominal verbs
imparfait: formation
imparfait: states of being, habitual actions
imparfait: idiomatic uses (suggestions, wishes, depuis, venir de)
narration: pass compos vs. imparfait
plus-que-parfait
pass simple (literary tense)
pass antrieur (literary tense)
future tenses
futur proche (aller+infinitive)
simple future (regular)
simple future (irregular)
future: usage
futur antrieur
imperative mood (regular and pronominal)
subjunctive mood
regular subjunctive formation
irregular subjunctive formation
usage: obligation
usage: doubt
usage: will, emotion, desire
conjunctions that take the subjunctive
past subjunctive
summary
ways to avoid the subjunctive
conditional mood
conditional
past conditional
si clauses summary
reported speech in present
reported speech in past
active voice vs. passive voice
INTERROGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
introduction
yes/no questions: est-ce que, n'est-ce pas
questions with subject/verb inversion
interrogative adjective quel (with exclamative usage)
interrogative pronouns: qui, qui est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, qu'est-ce que
interrogative pronoun lequel
interrogative words
ETC
site overview
cast of characters
credits
search this site
website help
PDF downloads
all pages .zip archive of Tex's French Grammar in pdf format: 10.3 MB
adj1 introduction to adjectives
adj2 adjectives: formation and placement
adj3 adjectives that precede the noun
adj4 irregular adjectives
adj5 adjectives whose meaning varies with placement
adj6 comparisons with adjectives
adj7 superlative of adjectives
adj8 bon/meilleur vs. bien/mieux
adj9 participles as adjectives
adv1 introduction to adverbs
adv2 adverbs: formation and placement
adv3 placement of adverbs with pass compos
adv4 comparative and superlative of adverbs
adv5 -il y a, ago
adv6 tt, tard, en avance, en retard, l'heure
characters cast of characters
con1 introduction to conjunctions
con2 coordinating conjunctions
con3 subordinating conjunctions
credits credits and acknowledgments
det1 introduction to determiners
det10 indefinite determiners
det2 determiners: definite articles
det3 definite articles with physical characteristics
det4 determiners: indefinite articles
det5 determiners: partitive articles
det6 possessive determiners
det7 demonstrative determiners
det8 determiners: expressions of quantity
det9 tout
help help using this website
index tex's index: la grammaire de l'absurde
int1 introduction to interrogatives
int2 yes/no questions: est-ce que, n'est-ce pas
int3 questions with subject/verb inversion
int4 interrogative and exclamative quel
int5 interrogative pronouns
int6 interrogative pronoun lequel
int7 interrogative words: o, quand, comment ...
neg1 introduction to negation
neg2 basic negation: ne ... pas
neg3 alternate forms (1) ne ... jamais, rien, personne, etc.
neg4 alternate forms (2) ne ... aucun, ni ... ni, que
neg5 one-word negative sentences si, jamais, etc.
no1 introduction to nouns
no2 number: singular, plural
no3 gender: masculine, feminine
no4 voil vs. il y a
no5 temps, heure, fois
overview about this site: overview
pre1 introduction to prepositions
pre1a common prepositions
pre2 contractions of and de with definite article
pre3 prepositions with places
pre4 prepositions with infinitives
pred1 depuis vs. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, and voil ... que
pred2 depuis with imperfect
prep1 depuis, pendant, pour: 'for'
pro1 introduction to pronouns
pro10 indefinite pronouns
pro11 demonstrative pronouns
pro12 possessive pronouns
pro2 subject pronouns
pro3 c'est vs il/elle est
pro4 disjunctive pronouns
pro5 direct object pronouns
pro6 pronoun y
pro7 pronoun en
pro8 indirect object pronouns
pro9 order of object pronouns present tense
pror1 relative pronouns: qui and que
pror2 relative pronouns: ce qui, ce que
pror3 relative pronouns: dont, o, etc. present tense
ta1 intro to tense, aspect, mood, voice
tac1 conditional
tac2 past conditional
tac3 si clauses
tad1 reported speech in the present
tad2 reported speech in the past
taf1 futur proche
taf2 simple future: regular
taf3 simple future: irregular
taf4 future: usage
taf5 futur antrieur
tai1 imperative mood
tap1 recent past (venir de + infinitive)
tap10 pass simple
tap11 pass antrieur
tap2 pass compos with avoir
tap3 pass compos with etre
tap4 pass compos of pronominal verbs
tap5 imparfait: formation
tap6 imparfait: states of being, habitual actions
tap7 imparfait: idiomatic uses
tap8 narration: pass compos vs. imparfait
tap9 plus-que-parfait
tapr1 present tense
tas1 regular subjunctive
tas2 irregular subjunctive
tas3a subjunctive usage: obligation
tas3b subjunctive usage: doubt
tas4 subjunctive usage: will, emotion, desire
tas5 conjunctions that take the subjunctive
tas6 past subjunctive
tas7 subjunctive summary
tas8 ways to avoid the subjunctive
tav1 active vs. passive voice
v1 introduction to verbs
ver1 -er verbs (regular) present tense
ver2 -er verbs (stem changing) present tense
vim1 impersonal verbs & expressions: il faut, il est important ...
vinf1 infinitive constructions
vir1 -ir verbs (regular) present tense
vir2 -ir verbs (irregular) like ouvrir present tense
vir3 -ir verbs (irregular) partir, sortir, and dormir
virr1 tre 'to be'
virr10 savoir vs. connatre present tense
virr11 dire, lire, crire present tense
virr2 avoir 'to have'
virr3 avoir expressions
virr4 aller 'to go'
virr5 faire 'to do, to make'
virr6 faire expressions
virr7 causative faire
virr8 venir 'to come'
virr9 boire, croire, voir
vl1 partir, sortir, quitter, laisser
vm1 modal verbs vouloir, pouvoir, devoir
vpp1 present participle
vpr1 pronominal verbs
vre1 -re verbs (regular)
vre2 -re verbs (irregular) like prendre
vre3 -re verbs (irregular) like mettre
vre4 re verbs (irregular) like suivre, vivre
vti1 transitive vs. intransitive
MP3 downloads [zip archives]

all mp3s .zip archive of Tex's French Grammar mp3s: 106.8 MB
adj2 adjectives: formation and placement
adj3 adjectives that precede the noun
adj4 irregular adjectives
adj5 adjectives whose meaning varies with placement
adj6 comparisons with adjectives
adj7 superlative of adjectives
adj8 bon/meilleur vs. bien/mieux
adj9 participles as adjectives
adv2 adverbs: formation and placement
adv3 placement of adverbs with pass compos
adv4 comparative and superlative of adverbs
adv5 -il y a, ago
adv6 tt, tard, en avance, en retard, l'heure
characters cast of characters
con2 coordinating conjunctions
con3 subordinating conjunctions
det10 indefinite determiners
det2 determiners: definite articles
det3 definite articles with physical characteristics
det4 determiners: indefinite articles
det5 determiners: partitive articles
det6 possessive determiners
det7 demonstrative determiners
det8 determiners: expressions of quantity
det9 tout
int1 introduction to interrogatives
int2 yes/no questions: est-ce que, n'est-ce pas
int3 questions with subject/verb inversion
int4 interrogative and exclamative quel
int5 interrogative pronouns
int6 interrogative pronoun lequel
int7 interrogative words: o, quand, comment ...
neg2 basic negation: ne ... pas
neg3 alternate forms (1) ne ... jamais, rien, personne, etc.
neg4 alternate forms (2) ne ... aucun, ni ... ni, que
neg5 one-word negative sentences si, jamais, etc.
no2 number: singular, plural
no3 gender: masculine, feminine
no4 voil vs. il y a
no5 temps, heure, fois
pre1a common prepositions
pre2 contractions of and de with definite article
pre3 prepositions with places
pre4 prepositions with infinitives
pred1 depuis vs. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, and voil ... que
pred2 depuis with imperfect
prep1 depuis, pendant, pour: 'for'
pro10 indefinite pronouns
pro11 demonstrative pronouns
pro12 possessive pronouns
pro2 subject pronouns
pro3 c'est vs il/elle est
pro4 disjunctive pronouns
pro5 direct object pronouns
pro6 pronoun y
pro7 pronoun en
pro8 indirect object pronouns
pro9 order of object pronouns present tense
pror1 relative pronouns: qui and que
pror2 relative pronouns: ce qui, ce que
pror3 relative pronouns: dont, o, etc. present tense
tac1 conditional
tac2 past conditional
tac3 si clauses
tad1 reported speech in the present
tad2 reported speech in the past
taf1 futur proche
taf2 simple future: regular
taf3 simple future: irregular
taf4 future: usage
taf5 futur antrieur
tai1 imperative mood
tap1 recent past (venir de + infinitive)
tap10 pass simple
tap11 pass antrieur
tap2 pass compos with avoir
tap3 pass compos with etre
tap4 pass compos of pronominal verbs
tap5 imparfait: formation
tap6 imparfait: states of being, habitual actions
tap7 imparfait: idiomatic uses
tap8 narration: pass compos vs. imparfait
tap9 plus-que-parfait
tapr1 present tense
tas1 regular subjunctive
tas2 irregular subjunctive
tas3a subjunctive usage: obligation
tas3b subjunctive usage: doubt
tas4 subjunctive usage: will, emotion, desire
tas5 conjunctions that take the subjunctive
tas6 past subjunctive
tas7 subjunctive summary
tas8 ways to avoid the subjunctive
tav1 active vs. passive voice
ver1 -er verbs (regular) present tense
ver2 -er verbs (stem changing) present tense
vim1 impersonal verbs & expressions: il faut, il est important ...
vinf1 infinitive constructions
vir1 -ir verbs (regular) present tense
vir2 -ir verbs (irregular) like ouvrir present tense
vir3 -ir verbs (irregular) partir, sortir, and dormir
virr1 tre 'to be'
virr10 savoir vs. connatre present tense
virr11 dire, lire, crire present tense
virr2 avoir 'to have'
virr3 avoir expressions
virr4 aller 'to go'
virr5 faire 'to do, to make'
virr6 faire expressions
virr7 causative faire
virr8 venir 'to come'
virr9 boire, croire, voir
vl1 partir, sortir, quitter, laisser
vm1 modal verbs vouloir, pouvoir, devoir
vpp1 present participle
vpr1 pronominal verbs
vre1 -re verbs (regular)
vre2 -re verbs (irregular) like prendre
vre3 -re verbs (irregular) like mettre
vre4 re verbs (irregular) like suivre, vivre
vti1 transitive vs. intransitive
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 3 Feb 05
page: int1
An interrogative construction is a grammatical form used to ask a question. There are two kinds of questions: yes/no
questions and information questions. So-called yes/no questions may be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.
Are you a student at the University of Texas?

Have you ever been to Sixth Street or Barton Springs?
Do you know how many Aggies it takes to screw in a lightbulb?
Information questions contain a specific interrogative word (who, what, when, why, how) and cannot be answered
with a yes or no. Their purpose is to elicit a specific piece of information.
Who is Tex?
When did he come to Texas?
How did he learn French?
Est-ce que vous parlez Do you speak French?

franais?
Besides using 'est-ce que', questions in French can be formed

by inversion of the subject and verb.
Parlez-vous franais? Do you speak French?
formulating questions
The word 'do' is used in English question formation. In similar fashion, French yes / no questions can be formed
with the phraseest-ce que.
There are several other ways to ask a question in French. For instance, a tag question is a question word or phrase
'tagged' on to the end of a statement which requires a confirmation with a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Vous parlez franais, n'est-ce pas? You speak French, don't you?
Finally, the most common way to ask a question in French conversation is to use rising intonation. In this kind of
interrogative construction, the word order is the same as a declarative sentence, but the speaker's voice rises at the
end to signal the question.
Vous parlez franais? You speak French?
page: int2
1. questions with intonation

2. questions using 'est-ce que ... ?'
3. questions using 'n'est-ce pas ?'
questions with intonation

One of the easiest ways to ask a question that may be answered by yes/no is to raise the pitch of your voice at the end
of a statement. In a declarative statement, the pitch normally falls. Listen to the following dialogue and pay close
attention to the intonation.
Tex: Trey, tu aimes la philosophie? Tex: Trey, do you like philosophy?
Trey: Non. Je n'aime pas la philosophie. Trey: No. I do not like philosophy.
Tex: Tu connais Sartre? Tex: Do you know Sartre?
Trey: Non. Qui est-ce? Trey: No. Who is that?
Tex: Gloups! C'est l'auteur du chef d'oeuvre Tex: Gulp! He's the author of the
existentialiste, La Nause. existentialist masterpiece, Nausea.
questions using 'est-ce que ... ?'

Another way to ask a yes/no question is to place est-ce que before a statement. Note that que becomes qu' before a
vowel.
Trey: Et toi, Tex, est-ce que tu aimes les Trey: And you, Tex, do you like films?
films?
Tex: Bien sr, j'adore les films. Tex: Of course, I adore films.
Trey: Est-ce que tu connais Yoda? Trey: Do you know Yoda?
Tex: Non. Qui est-ce? Tex: No. Who is that?
Trey: Duh ... Trey: Duh ...
questions using 'n'est-ce pas ?'

N'est-ce pas? is added to the end of a yes/no question when the speaker expects an affirmative response.
Trey: Tu connais 'La guerre des toiles,' Trey: You know 'Star Wars,' don't you?
n'est-ce pas? Yoda, c'est le petit sage. Yoda is the little wise man.
Listen to the end of the dialogue:

Trey: Yoda est mon hros. Tu ne connais Trey: Yoda is my hero. You don't know
pas Yoda? Yoda?
Tex: Ah, si, si, si*, je connais le petit Tex: Ah, yes, yes, yes, I do know the little
philosophe. Est-ce que tu es fou? Yoda n'est philosopher. Are you crazy? Yoda is not
pas Sartre. Sartre.
Trey: Oh, mais la philosophie de Yoda est Trey: Oh, but Yoda's philosophy is more
plus intressante que la philosophie interesting than the existentialist philosophy
existentialiste de La Nause! Tu es of La Nause! You agree, don't you?
d'accord, n'est-ce pas?
Tex: Quel crtin! Retourne tes jeux Tex: What an idiot! Go back to your video
lectroniques! games!
*Si is used to answer 'yes' to a negative question.
fill in the blanks

Rewrite each question using the form specified in parentheses, est-ce que or n'est-ce pas.
1. Bette : Tammy, tu aimes Tex? (n'est-ce pas)
2. Tex : Tammy, tu n'aimes pas Bette? (est-ce que)
3. Corey : Vous dansez ce soir? (est-ce que)
4. Edouard : On joue aux cartes aujourd'hui? (n'est-ce pas)
5. Tammy : Nous tudions ce soir? (n'est-ce pas)
6. Tammy : Tex aime Bette? (est-ce que)
7. Tex : Je suis un gnie? (n'est-ce pas)
8. Bette : Tex et Tammy voyagent ensemble? (est-ce que)
9. Joe-Bob : On mange MacDo? (n'est-ce pas)
10. Tammy : Ils habitent Jester? (n'est-ce pas)
11. Bette : Tammy ne parle pas italien? (est-ce que)
12. Joe-Bob : Nous regardons la tl aujourd'hui? (est-ce que)
page: int3
1. inversion
2. addition of -t- in third person singular
3. addition of a pronoun with a noun or proper name
4. compound tenses
5. negation
6. 'est-ce' and 'y a-t-il'
inversion
Formal questions may be asked by reversing the subject pronoun/verb order and linking
the two with a hyphen. You may have already seen inversion in fixed expressions like
the following greetings: 'Comment allez-vous?', 'Comment vous appelez-vous?', 'Quelle
heure est-il?'.
Joe-Bob choisit ses cours pour Joe-Bob is choosing his classes

le semestre prochain. for next semester.
Job-Bob: Corey, as-tu des Joe-Bob: Corey, do you have

ides? any ideas?
Tammy et Bette, connaissez- Tammy and Bette, do you

vous de bons cours? know any good courses?
addition of -t- in third person singular

In the third person singular, when the verb ends in a vowel, a -t- is added to make
the liaison possible.
Corey se parle lui-mme: Corey thinks to himself:
Voyons. Joe-Bob aime-t-il les lettres? Non! Let's see. Does Joe-Bob like the
humanities? No!
A-t-il envie d'tudier les maths? Non! Does he want to study math? No!
Va-t-il devenir mdecin? Oh, jamais! Is he going to become a doctor? Oh, never!
Aime-t-il les filles? Oui! Does he like girls? Yes!
Alors, j'ai une ide. So, I have an idea.
Corey: Joe-Bob ... Corey: Joe-Bob ...
Joe-Bob: Mmm. Joe-Bob: Mmm.
Corey: J'ai un cours pour toi: 'La vie intime Corey: I have a course for you: 'Animal
des animaux.' Intimacy.'
addition of a pronoun with a noun or proper name

When the subject is a proper name or noun, the corresponding subject pronoun (il, elle, ils, or elles) is added for
inversion with the verb.
Joe-Bob: Et les belles filles suivent-elles ce Joe-Bob: Do pretty girls take this class?
cours?
Corey: Oh, oui. Corey: Oh, yes.
Joe-Bob: Ce cours est-il difficile? Joe-Bob: Is this class difficult?
Corey: Oh, non a. Corey: Oh, no.

compound tenses
In compound tenses, such as the pass compos, the subject pronoun is inverted with the auxiliary (the conjugated
verb).
Joe-Bob: Corey, as-tu suivi ce cours? Joe-Bob: Corey, did you take this class?
Corey: Oui, mais j'ai rat l'examen final. Corey: Yes, but I flunked the final exam.
negation
Ne precedes the conjugated verb and the second half of the negative (pas, jamais, plus, etc.) follows the pronoun.
Joe-Bob: Pourquoi n'as-tu pas russi Joe-Bob: Why didn't you pass the exam?
l'examen?
Corey: Oh, j'ai trouv que l'examen tait Corey: Oh, I thought that the exam was
trop technique. Moi, je suis plus romantique too technical. I am more romantic than
que scientifique. scientific.
'est-ce' and 'y a-t-il'

The inverted forms of 'c'est' and 'il y a' are est-ce and y a-t-il.
Joe-Bob: Est-ce possible? Joe-Bob: Is this possible?
N'y a-t-il pas un seul cours facile pour moi? Isn't there a single easy course for me?
fill in the blanks

Rewrite each question in the present tense, using subject/verb inversion.
1. Bette : Tammy! Fiona! Vous dansez ma soire?
2. Tex : H Tammy, tu adores le chocolat?
3. Corey : Les insectes sont intelligents?
4. Edouard : Tammy aime la France?
5. Tammy : Tex et moi, nous allons en France cet t?
6. Bette : Tex a du talent?
7. Tex : Tammy ma chrie, tu n'as pas envie d'habiter avec moi?
8. Tammy : Les chattes mangent des souris ('mice')?
9. Joe-Bob : Un cureuil aime tre amoureux?

10. Tammy : H Joe-Bob, tu parles franais?
11. Il y a des cowboys au Texas?
12. C'est difficile d'apprendre le franais?
page: int4
Quel is an adjective. Like any other adjective, it agrees in number and gender with the noun it modifies. Remember to
make the liaison between quels / quelles and a following word beginning with a vowel (quels animaux).
masculine singular masculine plural feminine singular feminine plural

quel quels quelle quelles
interrogative quel
Quel is generally translated into English by 'what' or 'which'. It is always followed by a noun or by the verb 'tre' + noun.
Un petit tatou: Maman, A little armadillo: What's the

maman, quel est le nom de ce name of this armadillo?
tatou?
Rita: Oh, c'est Tex, ton oncle. Rita: Oh, it's Tex, your uncle.
Un petit tatou: Quel ge a A little armadillo: How old is

Tex? Tex?
Rita: On ne sait pas. Rita: We don't know.
Un petit tatou: Quelles sont A little armadillo: What are

les qualits de Tex? Tex's good points?
Rita: Oh, il est intelligent, Rita: Oh, he's intelligent,

dbrouillard, mais aussi resourceful, but also cynical
cynique et pessimiste. and pessimistic.
exclamative quel
Quel may also be used for emphasis. In this instance, quel is followed either by an adjective or a noun, and it means
'what' or 'what a'. Note that there is an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.
Tammy: Quel beau tatou! Tammy: What a handsome armadillo!
Joe-Bob: Non, quel tatou snob! Quelle belle Joe-Bob: No, what a snobby armadillo!
minette! What a beautiful kitty!
Tammy: Quelle chatte mchante! Tammy: What a mean cat!
Ah, quels animaux absurdes! Ah, what absurd animals!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of quel.
1. Bette : Tex, ________ amie est-ce que tu prfres?

2. Tex : ________ fille sexy!
3. Corey : ________ sont vos passe-temps prfrs?
4. Edouard : ________ mois est-ce que tu prfres!
5. Tammy : _________ jolies affiches!
6. Bette : ___________ est la date de l'anniversaire de Tex?
7. Tex : __________ ge a Paw-Paw?
8. Bette : Tex, _________ sports est-ce que tu aimes?
9. Joe-Bob : _________ est le secret de Tex?
10. Tammy : Tex, __________ neuveu est-ce que tu prfres?
11. Bette : __________ tatou adorable!
12. Joe-Bob : __________ langues est-ce que vous parlez?
page: int5
1. questions about people: qui, qui est-ce qui, qui est-ce que
2. questions about things: qu'est-ce qui, que, qu'est-ce que, quoi
questions about people

Qui is used to ask questions about people. It may be the subject or the direct object
in a sentence and thus, can mean either 'who?' or 'whom?' You may also choose to
use the longer forms: qui est-ce qui to ask 'who?', qui est-ce que to ask 'whom?'
As the subject: qui , qui est-ce qui

As the direct object: qui , qui est-ce que
Bette: Qui est la porte? Oh, c'est toi, Bette: Who is at the door? Oh, it's you
Tammy. Tammy.
Qui cherches-tu? Whom are you looking for?
Tammy: Je cherche Tex. Tammy: I'm looking for Tex.
Bette: Il n'est pas l. Bette: He's not here.
Cinq minutes plus tard ... Five minutes later ...
Bette: Encore! Qui est-ce qui est la porte? Bette: Again! Who is at the door? Oh! It's
Oh! C'est toi, Tex! you Tex!
Qui est-ce que tu cherches? Moi peut-tre? Whom are you looking for? Me perhaps?
Tex: Non, je cherche Tammy. Tex: No, I'm looking for Tammy.
Bette: Elle n'est pas l. Bette: She's not here.
As the object of a preposition: qui
Tex: Ouvre! Ouvre! Tex: Open! Open!
Bette: Oui?! Bette: Yes?!
Tex: Tu as vu Tammy? Tex: Have you seen Tammy?
Bette: Oui. Bette: Yes.
Tex: Avec qui est-ce qu'elle est partie? Tex: Whom did she leave with?
Bette: Pour qui me prends-tu? Je ne la Bette: Who do you think I am (whom do

surveille pas! you take me for)? I don't watch her!
Tex: Oh, la, la, calme-toi, ma petite. Tex: Oh, la, la, calm down, my little one.
questions about things

Qu'est-ce qui , que and its longer form qu'est-ce que are used to ask
questions about things. They are used to ask 'what?'. Que and its
longer form qu'est-ce que are direct objects in a sentence, whereas
qu'est-ce qui may be used only as the subject. (There is no short
form of qu'est-ce qui .)
As the subject: qu'est-ce qui

As the direct object: que, qu'est-ce que
As the object of a preposition: quoi
Tammy arrive chez Bette. Elle voit Tex et Tammy arrives at Bette's house. She sees
Bette ensemble. Tex and Bette together.
Tammy: Qu'est-ce qui se passe, Tex? Tammy: What's going on, Tex?
Tex: Rien, mon chou, je te cherchais. Tex: Nothing, my dear. I was looking for
you.
Tammy: Oui, d'accord, mais qu'est-ce que Tammy: Yes, ok, but what are you doing
tu fais avec ... elle! with ... her!
Tex: Oh, de quoi tu parles? Tex: Oh, what are you talking about?
Tammy: Tex, ne fais pas l'innocent avec Tammy: Don't act innocent with me!
moi!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct interrogative pronoun: qui est-ce qui, qui est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, or qu'est-ce
que.
1. Bette : ____________ tu prfres Tex? Moi ou Tammy?
2. Tex : ____________ on mange ce soir?
3. Corey : _____________ vient au cinma avec moi?
4. Tex : Tammy, _____________ ne va pas?
5. Tammy : ____________ aime le livre de Tex?
6. Bette : Pardon? ____________ Tex dit?
7. Tex : ____________ j'ai fait?
8. Fiona : _________ aime Lyon?
9. Joe-Bob : ___________ tu vas acheter?
10. Tammy : __________ justifie mon amour pour Tex?
11. Tex : ____________ nous invitons ce soir?
12. Joe-Bob : ___________ motive les femmes?
page: int6
Lequel , lesquels, laquelle, lesquelles are pronouns, i.e. they are used in place of a noun. They are used to ask the
questions 'which one?' or 'which ones?' They assume the number and gender of the nouns they replace and contract with
the prepositions and de.
Preposition Masculine Masculine plural Feminine Feminine plural

singular singular
lequel lesquels laquelle lesquelles
with auquel auxquels laquelle auxquelles
with de duquel desquels de laquelle desquelles
Corey: Oh Tammy, j'adore les films sur les Tex: I love bug movies!
insectes!
Tammy: Lesquels tu aimes? Tammy: Which ones do you like?
Corey: Oh, 'A Bug's Life,' et puis 'Antz,' les Tex: Oh, 'A Bug's Life,' and then 'Antz,' in
classiques quoi! other words, the classics!
Tammy: Et tu prfres lequel ? Tammy: Which one do you prefer?
Corey: Hmm ... Probablement 'The Fly.' Corey: Hmm ... Probably 'The Fly.'
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of lequel: lequel, lesquels, auquel, duquel, laquelle, lesquelles, laquelle, de
laquelle.
1. Bette : Entre ces gteaux,___________ choisis-tu?
2. Tex : Mon admiratrice? _____________ parles-tu?
3. Corey : Tu veux voir un film? ____________ penses-tu?
4. Tex : Entre ces deux cravates, _____________ dois-je porter?
5. Tex : Mon pome? _________ parles-tu?
6. Corey : Je vais l'universit Texas A&M. Et toi, __________ vas-tu?
7. Tex : Tammy, tu as lu mes livres. ____________ est le meilleur?
8. Fiona : Tammy! Bette! _________ de vous deux connat Lyon?

9. Tex : Tammy, tu ne peux pas acheter deux robes! ___________ prfres-tu?
10. Tammy : Tex, entre ces boucles d'oreilles, __________ dois-je porter?
11. Tex : Je veux acheter des lunettes de soleil! ___________ me conseilles-tu?
12. Tex : Tu aimes les livres? __________ prfres-tu? Les romans d'amour ou les romans policiers?
page: int7
O (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why), combien (how much),
combien de (how many) may be used to ask questions with subject/verb inversion
or with est-ce que. Note that the question word goes before est-ce que.
Bette pose des questions Edouard pour en Bette asks Edouard questions to find out more
savoir davantage sur Tex. about Tex.
Bette: O Tex est-il n? Bette: Where was Tex born?
Edouard: Comment? Edouard: Pardon?
Bette: O est-ce que Tex est n? Bette: Where was Tex born?
Edouard: Au Texas. Edouard: In Texas.
Bette: Quand a-t-il rencontr Tammy? Bette: When did he meet Tammy?
Bette: Quand est-ce qu'il a rencontr Tammy? Bette: When did he meet Tammy?
Edouard: Il y a deux ans Lyon. Edouard: Two years ago in Lyon.
Comment est-il venu aux Etats-Unis? Bette: How did he come to the United States?
Edouard: Qu'est-ce que tu as dit? Edouard: What did you say?
Comment est-ce qu'il est venu aux Etats-Unis? Bette: How did he come to the United States?
Edouard: Il a t expuls de France! Edouard: He was deported from France.
Bette: Pourquoi porte-t-il toujours un bret? Bette: Why does he always wear a beret?
Bette: Pourquoi est-ce qu'il porte toujours un Bette: Why does he always wear a beret?
bret?
Edouard: Il n'a pas de cheveux. Sans chapeau il Edouard: He doesn't have any hair. Without a hat
risque des coups de soleil. he risks getting sunburned.
Bette: Combien est-il pay? Bette: How much is he paid?
Bette: Combien est-ce qu'il est pay? Bette: How much is he paid?
Edouard: Pas assez. Les tuteurs sont mal pays. Edouard: Not enough. Tutors are not paid well.
Bette: Combien de cigarettes fume-t-il par jour? Bette: How many cigarettes does he smoke every
day?
Bette: Combien de cigarettes est-ce qu'il fume Bette: How many cigarettes does he smoke every
par jour? day?
Edouard: Je ne sais pas, mais il fume de moins Edouard: I don't know, but he's smoking less and
en moins depuis son arrive au Texas. Dis donc, less since he came to Texas. Say, you are very
tu es bien curieuse. curious.
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with the correct interrogative word: o, quand, comment , combien, pourquoi.
1. Bette : ____________ est-ce que tu vas en vacances cet t? En France?
2. Tex : ________________ est-ce que je ne suis pas bigame ('bigamous')?
3. Tammy : ______________ est-ce qu'on fait des crpes? J'ai besoin d'une recette.
4. Corey : ______________ est-ce que le film commence? A 9 heures?
5. Tex : _____________ est-ce que a cote? $20?
6. Tammy : Tex, ______________ est-ce que tu vas m'pouser ('marry me')? En 2010?
7. Tex : Tammy, ______________ est-ce que tu trouves mes pomes? Bons ou mauvais?
8. Fiona : _________ est-ce que vous allez manger ce soir? Au MacDo?
9. Edouard : Ah Tex, bonjour. _____________ vas-tu aujourd'hui?
10. Tammy : _____________ est-ce que Bette pse? Elle a grossi!
11. Tex : ________________ est-ce qu'Edouard parle avec un accent franais? Parce qu'il est franais!
12. Tammy : C'est ______________ l'anniversaire de Tex?
page: neg1
Negation is a grammatical term for the contradiction of some or all of the

meaning of an affirmative (positive) sentence. In English, a sentence is
commonly negated by inserting a single negative word (not, don't, didn't,
won't , etc.) into the appropriate place in the sentence. In French, a
sentence is commonly negated by inserting two words.
basic negation
Ne ... pas is placed around the conjugated verb to negate an affirmative
sentence in French. Note that the ne changes to n' before a verb
beginning with a vowel.
Joe-Bob, l'cureuil, court vite. Joe-Bob, the squirrel, runs fast.

Edouard, l'escargot, ne court pas vite. Edouard the snail doesn't run fast.
Trey aime le rap. Trey likes rap.

Joe-Bob n'aime pas le rap. Joe-Bob doesn't like rap.
alternate forms of negation

There are many other French words that one can use to negate a positive statement besides the basic form ne ...
pas. Moreover, negative words can be used to contradict the verb as well as other parts of the original affirmative
sentence.
Joe-Bob coute de la musique country. Joe-Bob listens to country.

Tex n'coute jamais de musique country. Tex never listens to country.
Trey n'coute que du rap. Trey only listens to rap.
Fiona n'coute rien. Fiona listens to nothing.
Presque persone n'coute de musique country Almost nobody listens to country music in
en France. France.
page: neg2
Basic negation is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb. Ne becomes n' in front of a verb starting with
a vowel or a mute h.
Tex: Tu ne vas pas en cours aujourd'hui, Tex: You're not going to class today
Tammy? Tammy?
Tammy: Non. Je ne vais pas bien. Je ne Tammy: No. I am not well. I cannot eat
peux pas manger et j'ai mal la tte. and I have a headache.
Tex: Tu n'as pas de chance! Ce soir, il y a Tex: That's too bad [literally 'you are not
une fte chez Edouard! lucky']! Tonight there is a party at
Edouard's!
Tammy: Tu n'es pas d'un grand rconfort, Tammy: You are not a lot of comfort, you
tu sais! know!
In compound tenses, like the pass compos, the ne ... pas are also placed around the conjugated verb, which is the
auxiliary, avoir or tre. In the periphrastic future, ne ... pas goes around the verb aller.
Tex n'a pas t trs gentil. Tex was not very nice.
Tammy ne va pas passer la soire chez Tammy is not going to spend the evening
Edouard. at Edouard's.
Note that in spoken French, the ne / n' is sometimes dropped. In familiar speech, tu is often pronounced as t' before a
vowel.
Tammy: Tex, t'es (tu es) pas trs gentil. Tammy: Tex, you are not very nice.
fill in the blanks

The following affirmative sentences are untrue. Correct the sentences by making them negative using ne...pas. You
must rewrite the entire sentence in the blank. Include punctuation in your answer.
1. Tammy aime les tatous muscls ('muscular').
2. Rita voyage souvent.
3. Corey et Joe Bob tudient beaucoup.
4. Edouard adore le barbeque.
5. Tex adore Bette.

6. Joe-Bob dteste le ketchup.
7. Tex et Tammy jouent aux cartes.
8. Trey a envie d'aller en France.
9. Corey et Joe-Bob habitent New York.
10. Edouard tudie la cuisine texanne.
11. Tammy chante bien la Marseillaise.
12. Bette adore Tammy.
page: neg3
Different nuances of negation are achieved by using the following negative

expressions:
ne ... jamais never, not ever

ne ... pas encore not yet
ne ... rien nothing, not anything
ne ... personne nobody, no one, not
anybody
ne ... plus no more, not any longer
ne ... pas du tout not at all
Note that ne becomes n' in front of a verb starting with a vowel or a mute h. In spoken French, the ne / n' is sometimes
dropped. The second element of the negation is usually placed right after the conjugated verb and before the object, as
in this dialogue:
C'est dimanche matin. It is Sunday morning.
Tammy: Tex, tu es rveill? Tammy: Tex are you awake?
Tex: Non, je ne suis pas rveill. Tex: No, I am not awake.
Tammy: Tu dors encore? Tammy: Are you still asleep?
Tex: Maintenant, je ne dors plus! Avec toi, je Tex: Now I am no longer alseep! With you I
ne peux jamais faire la grasse matine! can never sleep in!
Tammy: Mais regarde, je t'apporte une tasse Tammy: But look, I'm bringing you a cup of
de caf et un croissant. coffee and a croissant.
Tex: Non merci, je ne veux rien. Je n'ai pas Tex: No thanks, I don't want anything. I am
du tout faim. not hungry at all.
Tammy: Eh bien, tu es charmant ce matin. Tammy: Well, aren't you charming this
morning.
Personne and rien are negative pronouns; they may function as the subject
or direct object of a sentence, or as the object of a preposition. When
personne is an object, it is placed after the verb or the preposition it
complements:
Ce matin, Tex ne veut voir This morning Tex does not

personne. want to see anybody.
Il ne veut parler He does not want to talk

personne. to anybody.
Il ne pense rien. He's not thinking about

anything.
Personne and rien may be used at the beginning of a sentence, as pronoun subjects, followed by ne / n':
Personne n'aime se lever tt un dimanche. Nobody likes to get up early on a Sunday.
Rien n'est pire. Nothing is worse.
Some of the negations listed above can be combined, as shown in these examples:
Tammy: Je ne te ferai plus jamais le petit- Tammy: I will never make your breakfast
djeuner. again.
Tex: Mais Tammy, tu sais que je ne prends Tex: But Tammy, you know I never have
jamais rien au petit-djeuner. anything for breakfast.
fill in the blanks

Tex is in a negative mood today. Fill in the blank to complete Tex's negative response. Choose the correct form from
the following list of negative expressions: jamais, pas encore, pas du tout, personne, plus, rien.
1. Tammy: As-tu dj fini ton roman ('novel'), Tex?

Tex: Non, ne n'ai _______________ fini mon roman.
2. Tammy: Tu veux quelque chose, chri?

Tex: Non, je ne veux ____________!
3. Joe Bob: Ce hamburger est tout fait dlicieux, n'est-ce pas?

Edouard: Ah non! ce n'est _______________ acceptable.
4. Tammy: Mon Dieu! Quelqu'un lisait mon journal intime (diary)!

Tex: Calme-toi. ___________ ne lisait ton journal intime.
5. Tammy: Est-ce que tu cris encore tes pomes rotiques?

Tex: Non, on m'a censur. Je n'cris _________ de pomes.
6. Tammy: Chri, il est temps de penser notre crmonie de mariage.

Tex: Pas maintenant! Je ne veux penser _____________.
7. Tammy: Bette m'a dit que tu fumes encore!

Tex: Mais non! Je ne fume ____________.
8. Tammy: Le professeur a l'air tout fait charmant.

Tex: Mais non, c'est un imbcile. Il n'est ___________ charmant.
9. Tammy: Est-ce que Bette dit toujours la vrit ('truth')?

Tex: Ha! Elle ne dit ___________ la vrit.
10. Tammy: Tout le monde apprcie ta posie, Tex.

Tex: Au contraire! ___________ n'apprcie ma posie.
11. Tammy: Tex, tu es toujours impoli.

Tex: Non, je ne suis _____________ impoli.
12. Tammy: Tex, as-tu dj bu ton caf?

Tex: Non, je n'ai __________ bu mon caf.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 7 Jun 04
page: neg4
Ne / n' ... aucun(e) + noun conveys the idea of 'absolutely no, not a single' + noun. Aucun agrees in gender with the word
that follows.
Bette: Alors Tex, Tammy est malade? Bette: So Tex, is Tammy ill?
Tex: Aucune ide. Je suis pass chez elle Tex: I have no idea. I went to her place
hier soir et il n'y avait personne. Je n'ai last night and there was nobody there. I
reu aucun coup de tlphone et aucune have received no phone call and no news
nouvelle depuis deux jours ... for two days ...
Ne ... ni ... ni is commonly translated as 'neither ... nor'. It is used in a similar way
as the English expression. Note, however, that in French the verb has to be
preceded by ne (or n' in front of a vowel or a mute h).
Bette: Et moi, je n'ai vu Bette: And me, I saw

Tammy ni hier ni Tammy neither yesterday
aujourd'hui. nor today.
Tex: Ni moi ni Fiona n'avons Tex: Neither I nor Fiona saw

vu Tammy hier. Et her yesterday. And today,
aujourd'hui, Tammy ne m'a Tammy neither called me
ni tlphon ni crit un e- nor wrote me an e-mail. I
mail. Je m'inquite. Tu crois am worried. Do you think
qu'elle est partie avec un she left with another
autre tatou? armadillo?
Ne ... que is used to express a restriction. It is usually translated as 'only'.
Bette: Peut-tre ... Aprs tout, cela ne fait Bette: Maybe ... After all it has only been a
qu'un an que vous tes ensemble ... year that you've been together ...
Tex: Oh, merci Bette! Il n'y a que toi pour Tex: Oh, thanks Bette! Only you can say
dire des choses pareilles! such things!
fill in the blanks

Negate the affirmative sentences with the negative expressions in parentheses. Make all necessary changes to the
sentence. Include punctuation in your answer.
1. Tex aime le rap et le rock. (ne...ni...ni)
2. Tammy et Bette comprennent la posie de Tex. (ne...ni...ni)
3. Fiona a bu et a fum la fte. (ne...ni...ni)
4. Le baseball et le basket font plaisir Tex. (ne...ni...ni)
5. Un diteur a publi la posie de Tex.(ne...aucun : 'not a single editor...')
6. Bette a reu une invitation. (ne...aucun)
7. Une femme peut rsister au charme de Tex. (ne...aucun)
8. Edouard mange un hamburger. (ne...aucun)

9. Joe-Bob choisit les cours faciles. (ne...que)
10. Edouard mange la cuisine franaise. (ne...que)
11. Tammy adore Tex. (ne...que)
12. Tex lit la philosophie. (ne...que)
page: neg5
Oui is a 'yes' answer to an affirmative question, while si is a 'yes' to a negative question.
Chez Tammy: At Tammy's house:

Tex: Tammy, tu es l? Tex: Tammy, are you there?
Tammy: Oui. Tammy: Yes.
Tex: Tu ne m'aimes plus? Tex: You don't love me anymore?
Tammy: Si , un peu. Tammy: Yes, I do, a little.
Non is a one-word negative answer to a yes / no question; pas, by itself, negates part of a
sentence:
Tex: Tammy, tu es malade? Tex: Tammy, are you sick?

Tammy: Non! Tammy: No!
Tex: Tu es fche? Tex: Are you mad?
Tammy: Pas vraiment. Tammy: Not really.
Rien (nothing), personne (no one), and jamais (never) may be used in one-word answers:
Tex: Tammy, qu'est-ce que tu fais? Tex: Tammy, what are you doing?
Tammy: Rien! Tammy: Nothing!
Tex: Qui est avec toi? Tex: Who is with you?
Tammy: Personne! Tammy: No one!
Tex: Tu vas me quitter pour un autre? Tex: Are you going to leave me for another?
Tammy: Jamais! Tammy: Never!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct one word negative response from the following list: rien, personne, jamais, oui,
non, si.
1. Qu'est-ce que Joe Bob tudie? _______.
2. Qu'est-ce que Tex fait pour encourager ses tudiants? _______.
3. Qui dteste Fiona? _______.
4. Qui comprend l'esprit d'un tatou existentialiste? _______.
5. Quand est-ce que Joe Bob va finir son dplome? _______.
6. Quand est-ce que Tex va s'arrter ('stop') de fumer? _______.
7. Tex et Tammy ne sont plus amoureux? _______!
8. Edouard ne mange jamais trop? _______!
9. Selon Tex, est-ce que Tammy est belle? _______.
10. Tex, est-il goste? _______!
11. Tex et Tammy s'entendent toujours bien? _______.

12. Edouard aime le ketchup? _______!
Tammy: Tex, tu as l'heure? Tammy: Tex, you got the time?
Tex: Oui, j'ai l'heure. Tex: Yes, I've got the time.
Tammy: Et bien?! Quelle heure est-il? Tammy: Well?! What time is it?
Tex: Il est 4 heures. Tex: It is 4 o'clock.
Tammy: Chouette! C'est l'heure d'Oprah, Tammy: Great! It's time for Oprah, my
mon mission prfre! favorite show!
Tex: Et pour moi, c'est l'heure de faire la Tex: And it's time for me to take a nap!
sieste!
fois
Fois is feminine and its singular and plural forms are identical. It is used to refer to one or several instances of an event.
Tammy: Tex, rveille-toi! Paw-Paw est au Tammy: Tex, wake up! Paw-Paw is on the
tlphone, il veut te parler. phone, he wants to talk to you.
Tex: Comment? Il a appel quatre fois Tex: What? He has called four times today!
aujourd'hui!
Tammy: Cette fois, il est dprim. Sois Tammy: This time, he is depressed. Be
gentil, il a trois fois ton ge. nice, he is three times your age.
Tex: Bon, bon, j'y vais, mais c'est la Tex: Ok, ok, I'm going, but it is the last
dernire fois! time!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with: 'temps' 'heure' or 'fois'. Pay attention to the use of the determiner.
1. Tex: Tammy m'appelle cinq ______ par jour.
2. Tammy: C'est ______ d'aller en cours.
3. Joe-Bob: Tex, quelle ______ est-ce que le cours commence?
4. Bette: Tex, est-ce que tu as ______ de m'accompagner?
5. Joe-Bob oublie tout ______ ses devoirs.
6. Corey: Fiona, est-ce que tu as ______ ? J'ai perdu ma montre
7. Paw-Paw: Tex, quel ______ fait-il Austin? Il fait chaud Opelousas.
8. Tammy: Bette, tu me trompes pour la dernire ______ .

9. Tex: Je n'ai pas assez de ______ pour rflchir.
10. Tammy est dix ______ plus sympathique que Bette.
11. Tammy: Mais Joe-Bob, sept ______ sept font quarante-neuf.
12. Corey est rveill n'importe quelle ______ du soir.
page: pre1
A preposition is a word used to establish relationships between nouns,

between nouns and verbs and between different parts of a sentence.
Prepositions usually have spatial or temporal meanings (e.g. beneath,
between, in front of, before, after, during, etc). Prepositions are invariable,
that is, they have one form with the exception of and de which contract
with the definite articles (le, la, les).
Translating prepositions is notoriously tricky. Never assume that French will

use the same preposition as English to express a particular meaning. In fact,
there are many cases where one language requires a preposition where the
other does not. This is particularly problematic with infinitives followed by
prepositions. In general, it is best to treat prepositions as vocabulary items
requiring memorization.
In the following sentences, these problems are demonstrated by translating the French prepositions literally. Note
how awkward the English translation is as a result.
Bette est fche contre Tammy. Bette is angry against Tammy.

Bette is angry at Tammy.
Tex tlphone Joe-Bob. Tex telephones to Joe-Bob.
Tex telephones Joe-Bob.
Literal translations are also awkward in situations where a preposition is not used in French but is required in
English.
Fiona attend le bus. Fiona waits the bus.

Fiona waits for the bus.
Joe-Bob coute la radio. Joe-Bob listens the radio.
Joe-Bob listens to the radio.
page: pre1a
Prepositions are used to establish relationships between nouns, between nouns and verbs, and between different parts of
a sentence.
(to) and de (from, about) are the most common prepositions in French. They form contractions with definite articles:
Tex parle aux tudiants. Il parle des devoirs. Il regarde la question en haut du tableau. (Tex talks to the students. He is
talking about homework. He is looking at the question at the top of the blackboard.)
When prepositions have literal, spatial meanings, using them is straightforward: sur (on), sous (under), avec (with),
sans (without). There are, in addition, many idiomatic uses of prepositions, especially and de. Dictionaries include
listings of idiomatic meanings.
In addition to prepositions + noun (or pronoun) objects, discussed here, there are specific guidelines for using
prepositions with place names. Finally, many prepositions, including some on this page, may be followed by infinitives.
1. a-b-c
2. d-e-f
3. g-h-i-j-k-l
4. m-n-o-p
5. q-r-s-t-u-v
a-b-c
= to, at
See contractions with definite articles, the use of with place names, and + infinitive.
Tex parle ses amis au caf. Ils vont Tex is talking to his friends at the caf.
Opelousas. They're going to Opelousas.
cause de = because of, due to

The preposition cause de is followed by a noun, whereas the conjunction parce que (because) is followed by a
subordinate clause.
Ils vont en Louisiane cause de la fte. They're going to Louisiana because of the
celebration.
au centre de = at the center of
Opelousas se trouve au centre de la Opelousas is in the center of Louisiana.

Louisiane.
ct de = beside
Bette veut s'asseoir ct de Tex. Bette wants to sit beside Tex.
droite de = to the right of, on the right of
Tammy est droite de PawPaw Louis. Tammy is on PawPaw Louis' right.
gauche de = to the left of, on the left of
Tex est gauche de PawPaw. Tex is on PawPaw's left.
aprs = after (temporal)

See also aprs used in past infinitive constructions.
Aprs le dner, ils vont danser. After dinner, they're going dancing.
travers = across, through
Tammy voit Bette travers la foule. Tammy sees Bette through the crowd.
au milieu de = in the middle of
PawPaw danse au milieu de la salle. PawPaw is dancing in the middle of the

room.
au sujet de / propos de = on the subject of; about
Paw-Paw parle au sujet de la Rsistance et PawPaw is talking about the Resistance and
propos de sa longue vie de sducteur. about his long life as a womanizer.
autour de = surrounding, around
Les amis sont assis autour de la table. The friends are seated around the table.
avant = before [temporal]

Contrast avant with devant meaning 'before' in a spatial sense. See also avant de + infinitive.
Ils ne vont pas se coucher avant cinq heures They are not going to bed before five
du matin. o'clock in the morning.
avec = with
Avec + noun is often translated as an '-ly' adverb: avec joie (joyfully).
Tex est en Louisiane avec ses amis. Ils Tex is in Louisiana with his friends. They
dansent avec joie l'anniversaire de are dancing joyfully at PawPaw's birthday
PawPaw. celebration.
chez = 'at X's (house), at the house of, at the store of; to X's (house), to the store of'
Chez may refer to individual's homes as well as to someone's shop, as in the first example below. When applied to larger
groups of people, such as nationalities, it means among: Chez nous les Texans, on adore la sauce piquante = "We
Texans love hot sauce" (literally: Among us Texans we love hot sauce).
Le lendemain matin, ils vont acheter des The next morning they are going to buy
croissants chez le boulanger. croissants at the baker's.
Tout le monde a ador le sjour chez Paw- Everyone loved their stay at Paw-Paw's.
Paw.
Aprs un an Austin, Tex se sent vraiment After a year in Austin, Tex really feels at
l'aise chez les Texans. ease with (among) Texans.
contre = against
Contre is used in several idiomatic expressions.
Bette a dans tout contre Tex. Bette danced right against Tex.
Tammy est en colre contre Bette; elle se Tammy is mad at Bette; she's getting angry
fche contre Tex. with Tex.
Tammy est contre la bigamie. Tammy is against bigamy.
d-e-f
dans = in
Dans is always followed by a determiner (definite, indefinite or possessive). See also en.
Tammy est dans la cuisine. Elle prpare le Tammy's in the kitchen. She's cooking
dner pour Tex qui arrive dans une heure. dinner for Tex who's coming in one hour.
d'aprs = according to
D'aprs Edouard, les Amricains mangent According to Edouard, Americans eat very
trs mal. Mais Tammy cuisine bien! poorly. But Tammy cooks well.
de = of, from, about
See also the use of de with place names and de + infinitive.
Au dner, Tex et Tammy parlent de leur At dinner, Tex and Tammy talk about their
voyage en Louisiane. trip to Louisiana.
de l'autre ct de = on the other side of
Puis ils font une promenade et regardent les Then they take a walk and look at the
gratte-ciel de l'autre ct du fleuve. skyscrapers on the other side of the river.
derrire = in back of, behind (spatial)
Ils admirent le soleil se coucher derrire les They admire the sun setting behind the
collines. hills.
devant = in front of, before (spatial sense)

Contrast devant with avant (temporal sense).
Enfin, ils s'embrassent passionment devant Finally, they kiss passionately in front of
le Capitole. the Capitol.
en = in
En means 'in' and immediately precedes the noun (i.e., it does not require a determiner; it is followed directly by its
object, for example, en France). It is also used in many idiomatic expressions: Tex roule en voiture (Tex is driving in a
car); Trey vient en vlo (Trey comes on a bike); and in some time expressions: en automne (in the fall); en aot (in
August). Compare with dans.
See also the use of en with place names and en with a present participle.
en bas de = at the bottom of, at the end of
Ils prennent un verre dans un bar en bas de They have a drink in a bar at the end of
la cinqime rue. Fifth Street.
en dehors de = outside of, excluding

En dehors de Tammy, Tex ne connat pas Outside of Tammy, Tex doesn't know many
beaucoup de Texans. Texans.
en dpit de = in spite of
En dpit de l'alcool, Tex se conduit en In spite of the alcohol, Tex behaves like a
gentleman. gentleman.
en face de = in front of, across from
Tex est assis en face de Tammy. Tex is (seated) across from Tammy.
en haut de = at the top of; to the top of
Tout d'un coup Bette apparat en haut de All of a sudden, Bette appears at the top of
l'escalier. the staircase.
entre = between
Entre means 'between' and it is used when referring to two people or things (or two groups of people or things).
Contrast with parmi ('among').
Puis elle vient s'asseoir entre Tammy et Tex. Then she comes and sits down between
Tammy and Tex.
envers = toward (figurative sense)

Envers means 'toward' in a figurative sense, indicating an attitude or gesture toward someone. Contrast with vers, which
means toward in a spatial or temporal sense.
Tammy ressent une certaine antipathie Tammy feels a certain animosity toward
envers Bette. Bette.
g-h-i-j-k-l
grace = thanks to
Tex a dcouvert son grand-pre grace Tex discovered his grandfather thanks to
l'album de photos de Rita. Rita's photo album.
hors de = outside of, out of (idiomatic)
Paw-Paw habite hors de la ville d'Opelousas. Paw-Paw lives outside of the city of
Il est hors de question que Tex vive Opelousas. It is out of the question that
Opelousas. Tex live in Opelousas.
jusqu' = until
Distinguish between the preposition jusqu' and the conjunction jusqu' ce que.
Tex et Tammy vont jusqu' Opelousas. Tex and Tammy are going as far as
Opelousas.
loin de = far from
Tex habite loin de son grand-pre Paw-Paw Tex lives far from his grandfather Paw-Paw
Louis. Louis.
m-n-o-p
malgr = in spite of
Malgr la distance, Tex aime aller voir son In spite of the distance, Tex likes to go see
grand-pre. his grandfather.
par = by, through, per

Par has several idiomatic meanings. It means 'by' when it is used with the passive voice. See also the use of par +
infinitive.
Tex va Opelousas une fois par mois. Tex goes to Opelousas once a month (one
time per month).
Tex est invit Opelousas par Paw-Paw. Tex is invited to Opelousas by Paw-Paw.
Pour aller Opelousas, Tex passe par Tex goes through Houston to get to
Houston. Opelousas.
parmi = among
Parmi means 'among' and it is used when referring to three or more people or things (or groups of people or things).
Contrast with entre (between).
Tex compte beaucoup de Cajuns parmi ses Tex counts many Cajuns among his
cousins. cousins.
pendant = during
Pendant son sjour chez Paw-Paw, Tex During his stay with Paw-Paw, Tex eats
mange des crevisses. crawfish.
pour = for, in favor of

See also the use of pour + infinitive.
Paw-Paw est pour la dfense du Cajun. Pour Paw-Paw is in favor of the defense of
lui, le franais est la plus belle langue du Cajun. For him, French is the most beautiful
monde. language in the world.
prs de = near to
Opelousas est prs de Baton Rouge. Opelousas is near Baton Rouge.
q-r-s-t-u-v
quant = as for
Paw-Paw est content de voir Tex. Quant Paw-Paw is happy to see Tex. As for Tex,
Tex, il est heureux de pouvoir enfin parler he is happy to finally be able to speak
franais. French.
sans = without
Sans often is translated by '-less' or a negative prefix 'in-' or 'un-': un travail sans effort (effortless work); un film sans
intrt (an uninteresting film). See also the use of sans + infinitive.
Sans doute, le franais se parle dans sa Without doubt, French has spoken in his
famille depuis longtemps. family for a long time.
sauf = except
Toute sa famille parle franais, sauf son Everyone in his family speaks, except Uncle
oncle Elmer, qui habite en Californie. Elmer, who lives in California.
selon = according to
Selon Paw-Paw, Tex a un drle d'accent According to Paw-Paw, Tex has a funny
franais. French accent.
sous = under, in (idiomatic)

Sous means 'under,' but it is often translated by 'in' in expressions such as sous la pluie (in the rain); sous le soleil (in
the sun).
En route pour Opelousas, Tex et Tammy ont On the road to Opelousas, Tex and Tammy
vu un alligator sous un pont. saw an alligator under a bridge.
sur = on, upon, on top of
Sur means 'on,' but it is also used in several idiomatic expressions: un sur deux (one out of two); tourner son attention
sur quelquechose (to turn one's attention to something); sur le moment (at the time); sur invitation (by invitation). etc.
En Louisiane, on sert souvent des In Louisiana, crawfish are often served directly on the
crevisses directement sur la table, with no plate.
table, sans assiette.
vers = toward(s)
Vers means 'toward, around' in both a spatial and a temporal sense. Contrast with envers, which has a figurative sense.
Vers midi, Tex et Tammy repartent vers Around noon, Tex and Tammy head back
Austin. towards Austin.
Bette et Tammy entrent dans un restaurant Bette and Tammy enter a restaurant together.
ensemble. Elles ont toutes les deux pris rendez- Unknowingly, they both have a date with Tex.
vous avec Tex sans le savoir! Elles regardent They look around the room. At the same time
autour de la salle. En mme temps, elles they see Tex seated at a table. They rush
aperoivent Tex assis une table. Elles se towards him. They look at each other, hesitate
prcipitent vers lui. Elles se regardent, hsitent a moment, then sit down. Tammy sits on Tex'
un moment, puis s'asseyent. Tammy s'assied right and Bette sits down to his left. They look
at each other again, confused. Tex is having fun
droite de Tex et Bette s'assied gauche de lui.
in spite of the drama between Bette and
Elles se regardent nouveau d'un air confus.
Tammy.
Tex s'amuse malgr le drame entre Bette et
Tammy.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct preposition.
1. Tex et Tammy vont ______ Opelousas pour rendre visite Paw-Paw. (, de, pour)
2. Opelousas se trouve ______ la Louisiane. ( droite de, au centre de, devant)
3. Bette adore danser ______ Tex. (, avec, par)
4. ______ Paw-Paw, le franais est la plus belle langue du monde. (sauf, selon, vers)
5. Tammy se fche ______ Tex, quand il offre des fleurs Bette. (, de, contre)
6. Opelousas se trouve ______ Baton Rouge. (dans, derrire, prs de)
7. Edouard prend toujours un caf ______ son dner. (aprs, dans, devant)
8. Paw-Paw parle souvent ______ ses aventures pendant la deuxime guerre mondiale. (, de, avec)
9. Edouard est serveur. Il travaille ______ un restaurant franais. (dans, en, sur)
10. Il y a un cureuil et un escargot ______ les copains de Tex. (parmi, pour, quant )
11. Paw-Paw arrose des fleurs qui poussent dans le jardin ______ sa maison. (avant, devant, entre)
12. Tex et ses amis restent ______ Paw-Paw en Louisiane. (, chez, vers)
page: pre2
The prepositions or de contract with the definite articles le and les to give the following forms:
de + le = du de + les = des
+ le = au + les = aux
La and l' on the other hand do not contract after and de. Note that these contractions also occur with two- and three-
word prepositions ending with or de (jusqu', prs de, loin de, ct de, etc.).
Tammy et Bette sont dans Tammy et Bette are in a caf

un caf prs du campus, near campus, not far from
ct des commerces, pas the stores, not far from the
loin de la tour. Tower.
Tammy: Je vais prendre un Tammy: I am going to have

th la vanille et un muffin a vanilla tea and a chocolate
au chocolat. Et toi? muffin. What about you?
Bette: Pour moi, un biscuit Fiona: For me, an almond

aux amandes et un caf au cookie and a latte.
lait.
Tammy: Bon, demain on va Tammy: And tomorrow we'll

au gymnase, hein? go to the gym, eh?
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the proper form of or de plus a definite article.
1. Edouard travaille dans un restaurant franais pas loin ______ universit.
2. Tammy rencontre Tex dans un caf prs ______ campus ('masc').
3. Tex et ses amis adorent parler ______ vacances.
4. Joe-Bob adore le gteau ______ chocolat.
5. Tex passe ses aprs-midis ______ caf.
6. Fiona est une tudiante srieuse. Elle passe des heures ______ bibliothque.
7. Tex rflchit beaucoup ______ existentialisme. Il adore la philo.
8. Tex explique la culture franaise ______ tudiants amricains.
9. Tammy tudie l'universit ______ Texas.
10. Joe-Bob, tu vas ______ restaurant avec Corey ce soir?
11. Voici une photo ______ enfants de Rita.
12. La bibliothque UGL se trouve ct ______ tour.
page: pre3
Prepositions are used in expressions which relate where you are, where you are going and where you are coming from.
The preposition used in such expressions depends on the geographic location discussed.
geographic location to/in from

de (d')
cites (Paris, Londres, Austin) Paris d'Austin
islands (Cuba, Tahiti) Cuba de Tahiti
feminine (usually ending in -e) en de (d')

countries (la France) en France de France
states (la Californie) en Californie de Californie
provinces (la Bourgogne) en Bourgogne de Bourgogne
continents (l'Europe) en Europe d'Europe
masculine au du
countries (le Canada, le Texas :-) au Canada du Texas
provinces/states (le Colorado) au Colorado du Colorado
masculine beginning with a vowel en de (d')

countries (l'Iran) en Iran d'Iran
provinces/states (l'Ontario) en Ontario d'Ontario
aux des
plural countries and regions aux Etats-Unis des Etats-Unis
(les Etats-Unis)
Tex est n au Texas, bien sr. Mais par Tex was born in Texas, of course, but by
accident il a grandi en Europe. Comment accident he grew up in Europe. How de we
expliquer cette histoire incroyable? explain this unbelievable story?
Eh bien, quand il tait tout petit, on l'a mis Well, when he was very little, he was put
dans un avion avec les bagages l'aroport with the luggage in a plane at Bush
Bush International Houston. International Airport in Houston.
Son avion est arriv Paris (en France) o His plane arrived in Paris (in France) where
il a rencontr des nonnes franaises qui he met some French nuns who had just
venaient de faire un voyage aux Etats-Unis. taken a trip to the United States. They, too,
Elles arrivaient de Houston, elles aussi. were arriving from Houston. What a
Quelle concidence! coincidence!
Elles ont eu piti de ce pauvre tatou gar They took pity on this poor lost armadillo
et elles l'ont emmen au couvent Lyon. and they took him to their convent in Lyon.
Tex a vcu heureux chez les nonnes Tex lived happily with the nuns for several
pendant plusieurs annes. years.
Malheureusement, un jour il a t expuls Unfortunately, one day he was deported

de France, et il est retourn dans son pays from France and he returned to his native
natal, c'est--dire au Texas! country, that is, to Texas!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the proper preposition: , en, au or aux.
1. Tex et Tammy vont passer les vacances ______ Espagne.
2. Tammy et Bette tudient ______ Austin.
3. Edouard n'aime pas travailler ______ Texas.
4. Tex: Il fait beau tout le temps ______ France.
5. Fiona: Il y a beaucoup de monuments intressants ______ Mexique?
6. Bette a envie de faire du shopping ______ Japon.
7. Tammy aime faire du ski ______ Suisse.
8. Rita va aller au cinma ______ San Antonio.
9. Edouard: J'adore le cidre ______ Bretagne.
10. Paw-Paw va au parc tous les jours ______ Opelousas.
11. Rita adore les plages ______ Floride.
12. Trey a envie d'aller ______ Australie.
fill in the blanks, part 2

Fill in the blank with the proper preposition: , en, au, aux, de, du, or des.
1. Tex habitait ______ Lyon.
2. Tex est n ______ Etats-Unis.
3. Tex a t explus ______ France.
4. Tammy a grandi ______ Fort Worth.
5. Joe-Bob, tu viens ______ College Station, n'est-ce pas?
6. Edouard a pass quelques annes ______ Paris.
7. Les parents de Fiona sont mexicains. Ils viennent ______ Mexique.
8. Edouard vient ______ Bourgogne.
9. Tammy a fait un voyage ______ Europe.
10. Bette est alle ______ Canada l't pass.

11. Corey a des parents qui habitent ______ Californie.
12. Tex et ses amis rendent visite Paw-Paw ______ Louisiane.
page: pre4
1. + infinitive
2. de + infinitive
3. pour, afin de, avant de, sans, par + infinitive
4. aprs (past infinitive constructions)
The infinitive is the verb form generally used after a preposition in French. (to) and de (from, about) are the most
common prepositions in French. In many expressions, the choice of the preposition or de before an infinitive is purely
idiomatic; that is, it is unrelated to meaning. In such cases, one must memorize which preposition is used.
+ infinitive
When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition is required.
Tex a du mal trouver l'inspiration. Tex finds it difficult to find inspiration.
aider , to help to encourager , to encourage to

s'amuser , to have fun at s'habituer , to get used to
apprendre , to learn to hsiter , to hesitate to

arriver , to succeed in, to manage to inviter , to invite to
s'attendre , to expect to se mettre , to start to
avoir du mal , to find it difficult to se prparer , to prepare to
chercher , to try to, to attempt to renoncer , to give up

commencer , to start to russir , to succeed at
continuer /de, to continue to servir , to be used for
(either or de)
se dcider , to make up one's mind to tenir , to be anxious to, to be eager to
de + infinitive
When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition de is required.
Tex arrte d'crire, parce qu'il rve Tex stops writing, because he is dreaming
d'embrasser Tammy. of kissing Tammy.
(s')arrter de, to stop oublier de, to forget to

choisir de, to choose to permettre ( quelqu'un) de,
to permit someone to
conseiller de, to advise to persuader de, to persuade to
se contenter de, to content oneself with se presser de, to hurry to
continuer /de, to continue to promettre de, to promise to
(either or de)
dcider de, to decide to proposer de, to propose to
s'efforcer de to try hard to, to endeavor to refuser de, to refuse to
essayer de, to try to rver de to dream of
s'excuser de, to apologize for se soucier de, to care about

finir de, to finish se souvenir de, to remember to
mriter de, to deserve, to be worth
Most idiomatic expressions with avoir also require de + infinitive:
Oh, Tex a l'air de rver. Oh, Tex seems to be dreaming.

Tex a peur de se rveiller. Tex is afraid of waking up.
Tex a envie de dormir. Tex feels like sleeping.

Tex a besoin de se reposer. Tex needs to rest.
Tex a honte d'tre amricain. Tex is ashamed of being American.
Tex a tort d'tre susceptible. Tex is wrong in being touchy /
should not be touchy.
Tex a raison d'tre fier. Tex is right to be proud.
The infinitive may be used to complete the sense of an adjective or a pronoun. Generally infinitives following a noun or
adjective are preceded by the preposition de. (Tex est content de voir Tammy dans ses rves rotiques. Tex is glad to
see Tammy in his erotic dreams.)
However, adjectives and nouns are followed by the preposition + infinitive to indicate a passive sense or a function:
"cette eau est bonne boire" (this is drinking water), "ce livre est amusant lire" (this book is fun to read), "c'est triste
voir" (it's a sorry sight), "c'est difficile dire" (this is difficult to say).
pour, afin de, avant de, sans, par + infinitive

The infinitive expresses purpose when it is used after pour or afin de (in order to).
In the case of avant de (before) and sans (without), the English translation is often a conjugated verb (before they left),
or a present participle (without speaking), rather than the English infinitive.
The infinitive follows the preposition par (by) after the verbs commencer (to start) and finir (to finish).
pour/afin de Tex s'allonge sur son lit pour lire. Tex lies down on his bed to read.
avant de Avant de s'endormir, Tex lit toujours Before going to sleep, Tex always
un pome rotique. reads an erotic poem.
sans Il ne peut pas dormir sans rver de He can not sleep without dreaming
Tammy. of Tammy.
par Il finit par rver de Tammy toute la He ends up dreaming of Tammy all
nuit. night long.
aprs (past infinitive constructions)
The infinitive of avoir or tre plus the past participle of a verb is used after the preposition aprs (after) to describe a
preceding action in the past. Note the past participle agreement in past constructions with tre.
Aprs avoir rv de Tammy, Tex retrouve After dreaming of Tammy, Tex finds his
son inspiration. inspiration again.
Aprs tre devenue la muse de Tex, Tammy After becoming Tex' muse, Tammy is
est passe la postrit! immortalized!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the proper preposition: or de (d').
1. Tex se met ______ travailler tous les soirs 7 heures.
2. Tex et Tammy s'amusent ______ couter de la musique cadienne.
3. Tex aide ses tudiants ______ apprendre le franais.
4. Tammy invite ses amis ______ dner chez elle.
5. Tex encourage ses tudiants ______ parler franais.
6. Edouard a du mal ______ comprendre les habitudes culinaires des Amricains.
7. Tex promet ______ rendre visite Paw-Paw.
8. Bette essaie ______ draguer Tex.
9. Edouard refuse ______ manger des hamburgers.
10. Tex a honte ______ tre amricain.
11. Edouard propose ses amis ______ dner au restaurant franais.
12. Joe-Bob oublie toujours ______ tudier.
page: pred1
1. depuis
2. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, voil ... que
depuis
To indicate the starting date or duration of an action or situation which is still going on in the present, use the
preposition depuis + a time expression. Note that depuis can mean two different things in English. When depuis is
followed by a length of time, as in the first example below, it indicates duration and is translated into English by 'for'.
When depuis is followed by a date or a point in time, as in the second example, it indicates the starting point and is
translated by 'since'.
Tex sort avec Tammy depuis un an. Tex has been going out with Tammy for
one year.
Tex sort avec Tammy depuis septembre. Tex has been going out with Tammy since
September.
In a question, depuis is generally translated as 'how long' or 'since when'. In most cases, such questions with depuis can
be answered with either the expression of duration or the beginning point.
duration (for how long?) starting point (since when?)
Depuis combien de How long ... Depuis quand ... Since when ...
temps ...
... Bette est-elle ... has Bette been in ... Bette est-elle ... has Bette been in
amoureuse de Tex? love with Tex? amoureuse de Tex? love with Tex?
Elle est amoureuse de She has been in love Elle est amoureuse She has been in love
lui ... with him ... de lui ... with him ...
... depuis un an. ... for one year. ... depuis le 20 aot. ... since August 20.
... depuis deux ... for two minutes. ... depuis lundi. ... since Monday.
minutes.
... depuis une ... for ages. ... depuis son ... since his arrival.
ternit. arrive.
other uses of depuis

When used at the beginning of a sentence without any complement and followed by a comma, depuis is usually
translated as 'since then'. For example:
Bette a vu Tex le jour de son arrive UT Bette saw Tex on the day of his arrival at
et depuis, elle n'arrte pas de penser lui. UT and since then, she has not stopped
thinking about him.
In negative sentences, depending on the meaning, depuis may be used with either
the present (action still going on) or the pass compos to indicate how long
something has not been going on (non-action).
Tex: Je ne suis pas au Texas Tex: I haven't been in Texas

depuis longtemps. for long. (Tex is still in
Texas)
Tex: Je ne suis pas all en Tex: I haven't been to

France depuis l't dernier. France since last summer.
(Tex is not in France now)
Bette: Tex, depuis quand es-tu au Texas? Bette: How long have you been in Texas?
Tex: Je ne suis pas au Texas depuis Tex: I have not been in Texas for long. I
longtemps. Je suis au Texas depuis 1998. have been in Texas since 1998.
Bette: Tex, depuis quand connais-tu Bette: Tex, how long have you known
Tammy? Tammy?
Tex: Je connais Tammy depuis deux ans. Tex: I have known Tammy for two years.
Bette: Depuis quand veux-tu devenir Bette: How long have you wanted to
pote? become a poet?
Tex: Oh, depuis toujours! Tex: Oh, I have always wanted to!
Bette: Depuis quand n'es-tu pas all en Bette: How long have you not been in
France? France?
Tex: Je ne suis pas all en France depuis Tex: I haven't been in France since last
l't dernier. Et toi, Bette, depuis quand summer. And you, Bette, how long have
as-tu ce tatouage?! you had this tattoo?!
Bette: Oh, depuis lundi. a fait cool, tu ne Bette: Oh, since Monday. Cool, isn't it?
trouves pas? Depuis, les mecs ne me Since then, guys have not been able to
quittent pas des yeux! take their eyes off me!
il y a ... que, a fait ... que, voil ... que

Il y a ... que, a fait ... que and, more emphatic, voil ... que express duration only. Unlike depuis, they are always used
at the beginning of a sentence. For example:
Bette: Tex, a fait longtemps que tu Bette: Tex, how long have you been
enseignes le franais? teaching French?
Tex: Voil un an que j'enseigne le franais. Tex: I've been teaching French for a year.
Bette: Tex, il y a combien de temps que tu Bette: Tex, how long have you known
connais Tammy? Tammy?
Tex: a fait deux ans. Tex: It's been two years.
Although il y a ... que and a fait ... que may occasionally be found in the future (il y aura ... que, a fera ... que), the
subordinate clause introduced by que is never in the future. It remains in the present. For example:
Bette: Tex, il y a combien de temps que tu Bette: Tex, how long have you known
connais Tammy? Tammy?
Il y aura deux ans demain que je connais Tex: It will be two years tomorrow (that I
Tammy. have known Tammy).
fill in the blanks

Restate the following sentences using depuis. Include punctuation in your answer.Modle: a fait dix ans qu'Edouard
est serveur. Edouard est serveur depuis dix ans.'
1. Il y a deux ans qu'Edouard est au Texas.
2. Il y a un an que Tex et Tammy sortent ensemble.
3. Il y a cinq ans que Tammy tudie le franais.
4. Il y a six mois que Bette connat Tex.
5. Voil un an que Tex enseigne le franais.
6. Voil deux ans Tammy connat Tex.
7. Voil quelques mois que Joe-Bob habite Austin.
8. Voil un an que Tammy est amoureuse de Tex.
9. a fait trois ans que Bette et Tammy sont amies.
10. a fait deux mois que Corey habite Jester.
11. a fait un an que Tex n'est pas all en France.
12. a fait un jour que Bette a un tatouage.
page: pred2
The preposition depuis with the imperfect indicates how long something had been going on in relation to a past event.
Basic sentence meaning and construction are similar to those of depuis with present. Depuis with imperfect may indicate
either duration or a temporal starting point.
what had been going on ... past event translation

Tammy attendait Tex depuis ... quand il est entr. Tammy had been waiting for
une heure ... Tex for an hour ... when he
came in.
Tammy souhaitait avoir une ... quand enfin le moment Tammy had been wanting to
discussion srieuse depuis s'est prsent. have a serious discussion
lundi ... since Monday ... when at last
the opportunity presented
itself.
Duration may also be indicated with il y avait ... que, cela faisait ... que and, more
emphatic, voil que. The first sentence above could also be expressed as:
Il y avait ... une heure que Tammy had been

Cela faisait ... Tammy attendait waiting for Tex for an
Voil ... Tex. hour.
Tammy: Salut, Tex. a va? Tammy: Hi Tex. How are you?

Tex: Non! Hier, j'tais la bibliothque Tex: Not well! Yesterday, I had been in the
depuis deux minutes quand l'alarme library for two minutes when the fire alarm
incendie a sonn. Je n'ai pas pu travailler! went off. I was not able to work! Then at
Ensuite la cafteria, je faisais la queue the cafeteria, I had been waiting in line for
depuis une demi- heure, lorsqu'ils ont half an hour when they announced they had
annonc qu'il n'y avait plus de sandwiches! run out of sandwiches! I went to teach
Je suis all faire cours sans avoir mang! without eating!
Tammy: Pour moi non plus, rien ne va Tammy: Nothing is going the way I want
comme je veux! Depuis lundi je voulais te either! I had been wanting to talk to you
parler, mais ce matin tu as dit que tu avais since Monday, but this morning you said
trop de travail! you had too much work!
fill in the blanks

Restate the following sentences using depuis. Include punctuation in your answer.Modle: Cela faisait deux ans
qu'Edouard tait serveur Paris. Edouard tait serveur Paris depuis deux ans.'
1. Il y avait deux heures qu'il pleuvait.
2. Il y avait un an que Tex connaissait Tammy.
3. Il y avait dix-huit ans que Tammy habitait Fort Worth.
4. Il y avait cinquante ans que Paw-Paw habitait Opelousas.
5. Voil une semaine que Tammy voulait avoir une discussion srieuse avec Tex.
6. Voil trente minutes que Tex attendait Edouard.

7. Voil quelques mois que Joe-Bob habitait Austin.
8. Voil un an que Tammy faisait du ski.
9. Cela faisait trois semaines que Fiona tudiait le chinois.
10. Cela faisait dix minutes que Corey attendait le bus.
11. Cela faisait un mois que Joe-Bob n'tait pas all College Station.
12. Cela faisait un jour que Bette tait de bonne humeur.
page: prep1
1. depuis
2. pendant
3. pour
There are three prepositions in French, depuis, pendant and pour, that are translated as 'for' and are used to indicate
the duration of an event.
depuis
If an event began in the past and is continuing into the present, use 'depuis' with the present tense. For example:
Tammy: Tex et moi sommes ensemble Tammy: Tex and I have been together for a
depuis un an. year.
pendant
Pendant literally means 'during', but it is usually best expressed in English as 'for' plus a certain amount of time. It can
be used with all tenses.
Tex: Tous les jours, je parle avec Tammy Tex: Everyday, I talk with Tammy for an
pendant une heure. hour.
Tex: A Nol, Tammy et moi resterons chez Tex: For Christmas, Tammy and I will stay
ses parents pendant deux semaines. at her parents' for two weeks.
Pendant is used with the pass compos to indicate how long a completed activity lasted. Be careful not to use depuis
with the pass compos in this context.
Tex: J'ai attendu Edouard pendant une Tex: I waited for Edouard for an hour.
heure. Finalement, il est arriv. Il est Finally he arrived. He is always late.
toujours en retard.
pour
The preposition pour is used in a variety of contexts. When translated as 'for' in English, it may designate the duration of
a future event with the verbs partir and aller. Note that the verb may be conjugated in either the present or future
tense.
Tammy: A Nol, Tex et moi, nous allons Tammy: For Christmas, Tex and I are going
chez moi pour deux semaines. to my house for two weeks.
Tex: C'est vrai, nous partirons pour deux Tex: It's true, we will leave for two long
longues semaines. weeks.
Tammy: Salut, Tex. a va? Tammy: Hi Tex. How are you?

Tex: Non, ce n'est pas mon jour! Je pars Tex: Not well! This is not my day! I am
pour le week-end. Je vais rendre visite leaving for the weekend. I am going to visit
Paw-Paw. J'ai attendu le bus pendant une Paw-Paw. I waited for the bus for an hour
heure ce matin. Puis je l'ai rat cause de this morning. Then I missed it because of
Bette. Bette.
Tammy: Qu'est-ce qu'elle a fait? Tammy: What did she do?

Tex: Je ne vais pas te le dire. Tex: I am not going to tell you.
Tammy: Nous sortons ensemble depuis un Tammy: We have been going out for a
an. Tu ne peux plus garder de secrets year. You can't keep secrets like that
comme a! anymore!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct proposition: depuis, pendant, or pour.
1. Tex est rest au caf ______ une heure.
2. Tex et Tammy sortent ensemble ______ un an.
3. Edouard est serveur ______ longtemps.
4. Tammy a connu Tex ______ ses tudes Lyon.
5. Tex connat Joe-Bob ______ son arrive Austin.
6. Tammy tudie le franais ______ cinq ans.
7. Tammy a voyag en France ______ deux mois.
8. Tous les jours Tex reste au caf ______ deux heures pour crire des pomes.
9. Tex va aller en Louisiane ______ deux jours.
10. Tex: Tammy et moi partirons chez ses parents ______ deux longues semaines.
11. Tammy: Je suis amoureuse de Tex ______ un an!
12. Fiona a tudi ______ cinq heures hier soir.
page: pro1
A pronoun is a word used to replace a noun. It is commonly used to avoid repeating

a previously mentioned noun known as the antecedent. In the following example,
pronouns in bold face are used to replace the underlined antecedents.
Tex a crit un pome rotique, Tex wrote an erotic poem and

et puis il l'a envoy Tammy. then he sent it to Tammy.
Elle a t choque quand elle She was shocked when she
l'a lu. read it.
The different kinds of pronouns are named according to their grammatical function.
subject pronouns
je, tu, il, elle, on, I, you, he, she, one,
nous, vous, ils, elles we, you, they (m), they (f)
direct object pronouns

me, te, le, la me, you, him / it, her / it
nous, vous, les us, you, them (m) / (f)
indirect object pronouns

me, te, lui to me, to you, to him / her
nous, vous, leur to us, to you, to them (m) / (f)
the pronouns y and en

y there (replaces preposition + location)
en some, any, not any (replaces 'de' + noun)
disjunctive pronouns
moi, toi, lui, elle, soi me, you, he, she, one
nous, vous, eux, elles we, you, them (m), them (f)
reflexive pronouns
me, te, se myself, yourself, himself, herself
nous, vous, se ourselves, yourselves, themselves
interrogative pronouns
qui who
que what
demonstrative pronouns
celui, celle this one / that one (m,f)
ceux these, those
relative pronouns
qui, que who, whom, which
lequel, laquelle which
indefinite pronouns
quelqu'un someone
quelque chose something
page: pro10
1. quelqu'un, quelque chose

2. chacun vs. aucun
3. more indefinite pronouns
A pronoun replaces a noun which has been mentioned or is obvious from context. An
indefinite pronoun refers to people or things without identifying them precisely.
quelqu'un, quelque chose

Quelqu'un (somebody) is used in affirmative or interrogative sentences to refer to a
person, whether male or female. Quelque chose (something) is the equivalent pronoun
used to refer to a thing. If quelqu'un or quelque chose is followed by an adjective, the
adjective needs to be preceded by de.
Tammy: Quelque chose Tammy: Something

d'extraordinaire est arriv exceptional happened
aujourd'hui. J'ai rencontr today. I met somebody
quelqu'un de lgendaire. legendary.
The negative form of quelqu'un is personne (no one, nobody) and the negative form of quelque chose is rien
(nothing). Remember that ne precedes the verb when personne and rien are used in negative sentences.
Tex: Qui as-tu rencontr? Tex: Who did you meet?
Tammy: Personne que tu connais. Tammy: No one you know.
Tex: C'est tout? Tu ne me dis rien d'autre? Tex: That's all? You aren't telling me
anything else?
Tammy: a ne vaut pas la peine. Personne Tammy: It's not worth the trouble. Nobody
ne veut me croire. wants to believe me.
Quelques-uns (a few, masculine) and quelques-unes (a few, feminine) are pronouns used in the plural to speak about
people or things. Note that the s at the end of quelques is pronounced before the following uns or unes.
Tex: Quoi? Tu as rencontr Ricky Williams? Tex: What? You met Ricky Williams? Some
Quelques-uns de mes amis me disent que of my friends tell me you are in love with
tu es amoureuse de lui ... him ...
Tammy: Un peu ... Parmi mes copines, Tammy: A little ... Among my girlfriends,
quelques-unes sont compltement folles de some are completely crazy about him.
lui.
chacun vs. aucun

Chacun (each one) is singular and masculine, chacune is singular and feminine. Chaque, on the other hand, is an
indefinite determiner used to modify a noun.
Tex: Tu es amoureuse de Ricky Williams?! Tex: You're in love with Ricky Williams?! So
Alors c'est chacun sa vie maintenant?! it's everyone for himself now?!
Tammy: Mais non, calme-toi! Tammy: Of course not, calm down!
The negative form of chacun is aucun. Aucun (none, not a one, not a single) is singular and masculine, aucune is
singular and feminine. They are used with ne.
Tammy: J'ai rencontr beaucoup de Tammy: I have met many football players,
footballeurs, mais aucun ne me fait cet but none has this effect on me.
effet.
more indefinite pronouns

Plusieurs (several), certains (some; masculine) / certaines (some; feminine), tous (all, everybody; masculine) / toutes
(all, everybody; feminine) are plural indefinite pronouns. They are used in place of plural nouns. Note that the s is
pronounced in tous when it is a pronoun.
Les copines de Tammy? Plusieurs sont Tammy's girlfriends? Several are crazy
folles de Ricky Williams. about Ricky Williams.
Les copines de Fiona? Certaines sont folles Fiona's girlfriends? Some are crazy about
de Joe-Bob. Joe-Bob.
Les copains de Tex? Certains sont amoureux Tex's friends? Some are in love with
de Tammy. Tammy.
Les copains de Tex? Tous sont dingues de Tex's friends? All are crazy about Bette.
Bette.
Les copines de Tammy? Toutes sont folles Tammy's girlfriends? All are crazy about
de Tex! Tex!
tout
Tout (everything), on the other hand, is always singular. For example:
Tammy: Tex, tout va bien? Tammy: Tex, everything's ok?
autre
Autre is always preceded by a determiner: un autre (another, masculine), l'autre (the other, masculine or feminine); une
autre (another, feminine); d'autres (others, masculine or feminine), les autres (the others, masculine or feminine).
Tex: Non! Il y a un autre dans ta vie!? Tex: No! There is another in your life!?
Note the following phrases with autre: autre chose (something else), l'un et l'autre (the one and the other, both, masc),
l'une et l'autre (the one and the other, both, fem), les uns et les autres (one and every, masc), les unes et les autres (one
and every, fem), ni l'un ni l'autre (neither one nor the other), l'un l'autre (to one another), l'un pour l'autre (for one
another).
n'importe qui
N'importe qui means 'anybody', 'anyone at all'; n'importe quoi means 'anything', 'whatever', 'nonsense'. You may also
find qui que ce soit (anybody) and quoi que ce soit (anything).
Tex: Tammy, je ne suis pas n'importe qui ! Tex: Tammy, I am not just anybody! You
Tu ne peux pas me traiter comme a! cannot treat me this way!
Tammy: Tu racontes n'importe quoi , Tex! Tammy: You are talking nonsense Tex!
quiconque
Quiconque means 'whoever'.
Tammy: Quiconque nous coute en ce Tammy: Whoever is listening to us right

moment doit te trouver ridicule! now must think you are ridiculous!
tel(s), telle(s)
Tel(s) (masc), telle(s) (fem) may be translated as 'such', 'such as', 'like' or 'as' according to the context. For example,
'Tel pre, tel fils' would be the translation of 'Like father, like son'.
Tammy: Je n'ai jamais vu une jalousie telle Tammy: I have never seen such jealousy
que la tienne! as yours!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the appropriate indefinite pronoun : personne, quelque chose, quelqu'un, quelques-
uns/quelques-unes, chacun/chacune, aucun/aucune.
1. Tammy : Je vais faire les courses, tu as besoin de _________?
2. Tammy : ___________ a tlphon pour toi Tex.
3. Tex : Joe-Bob, tu as lu des livres? Joe-Bob : Oui, ___________.
4. Fiona : Je suis solitaire, je n'ai _______ petit-ami.
5. Bette: __________ ne m'aime, je suis si triste.
6. Tex : J'ai achet un cadeau pour Tammy et un cadeau pour Bette : un cadeau pour _________.
7. Tex : Ah, je n'ai ________ inspiration aujourd'hui!
8. Tammy : Je ne connais ___________ comme Tex. Il est unique.
9. Tex : Des copines? Oui, j'en ai _____________. Je suis populaire.
10. Bette : Je suis une femme fatale. __________ homme ne me rsiste.
11. Joe-Bob : ___________ ne va pas, Tammy?
12. Tammy : ________ sonne la porte. Va ouvrir Tex.
page: pro11
1. celui, celle, ceux, celles

2. ceci, cela
celui, celle, ceux, celles

Celui , celle, ceux, celles ('this one' or 'that one' in the singular; 'these,' 'those' or 'the ones' in the plural) are
demonstrative pronouns. They replace a specific noun, which has been mentioned or is obvious from context, in order to
avoid repeating it. They agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace.
number masculine feminine
singular celui celle
plural ceux celles
Celui de/d', celle de/d' etc. show possession. They are generally translated by 'that of', 'those of' or by the
possessive form.
Tammy: Tu aimes l'accent d'Edouard? Tammy: Do you like Edouard's accent?

Bette: Je prfre celui de Tex. Bette: I prefer Tex's.
Tammy: Tu aimes la voix d'Edouard? Tammy: Do you like Edouard's voice?

Bette: Oh, je prfre celle de Tex. Bette: Oh, I prefer that of Tex.
Tammy: Tu aimes les yeux d'Edouard? Tammy: Do you like Edouard's eyes?
Bette: Oui, mais je prfre ceux de Tex. Bette: Yes, but I prefer Tex's.
Tammy: Tu aimes les oreilles d'Edouard? Tammy: Do you like Edouard's ears?
Bette: Oui, mais je prfre celles de Tex. Bette: Yes, but I prefer those of Tex.
-ci and -l are added to the demonstrative pronouns to indicate nearness or farness like the distinction between 'this
one' and 'that one' in English.
Bette: Tammy, regarde mes dernires Bette: Tammy, look at my latest pictures of
photos de Tex! Tu prfres celle-ci ou Tex! Do you prefer this one or that one?
celle-l?
Celui qui ... , celle qui ... mean 'the one that', 'the one who' and ceux qui ... , celles qui ... mean 'those that / who'.
They introduce a relative clause in which they are used as subjects. In the example below, ceux qui is the subject of
the verb 'portent'.
Bette: Moi, j'aime les tatous. Bette: Me, I like armadillos.
Tammy: Moi aussi, surtout ceux qui portent Tammy: Me too, especially those who wear
le bret. berets.
Celui que ... and celle que ... mean 'the one that / whom / which', ceux que ... and celles que ... mean 'the ones that
/ whom / which'. They introduce a relative clause in which they are used as objects. In the example below, celui que
is the object of 'j'aime'.
Tammy: Et toi Bette, qui est-ce que tu Tammy: What about you Bette, who do you
aimes? love?
Bette: Celui que j'aime ne m'aime pas! Bette: The one I love does not love me!
Celui dont ... and celle dont ... mean 'the one whose', 'the one of which', ceux dont ... and celles dont ... mean 'those
whose', 'the ones of which'. They introduce a relative clause in which the verb takes an object introduced by de
(parler de, 'to talk about')
Tammy: De qui tu parles? Tammy: Who are you talking about?
Bette: Tu ne connais pas celui dont je parle. Bette: You don't know the one I am talking
about!
ceci, cela
Ceci (this) and cela (that) are invariable demonstrative pronouns. They refer to things that cannot have a specific
gender assigned to them, like ideas or statements. a is used in familiar or conversational style in place of cela for
emphasis.
Tammy: Tu es amoureuse de Tex, cela me Tammy: You are in love with Tex. That
semble vident!! seems obvious to me!!
Bette: Qu'est-ce que tu racontes?! Tu crois Bette: What are you saying!? Do you really
vraiment que je ne respecte pas l'amour believe that I don't respect the love
entre toi et Tex?! a me fait de la peine, between you and Tex? Now that really
a! upsets me!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the appropriate demonstrative pronoun: celui, celle, ceux, celles, cela.
1. Tammy : ________ est compltement absurde!
2. Tammy : La passion de Tex, c'est la posie ; ________ de Trey, c'est la musique.
3. Tammy : Le talent de Tex est extraordinaire ; __________ de Joe-Bob est limit.
4. Tammy : Les admiratrices (female admirers) de Tex sont nombreuses, ________ de Corey sont rares.
5. Bette: J'aime les tatous, mais _________ que je prfre c'est Tex.
6. Tex : J'apprcie les femmes. ________ que je prfre c'est Tammy.
7. Tex : De tous mes amis, Edouard est ________ qui cuisine le mieux.
8. Tammy : De toutes mes amies, Bette est __________ qui est la plus populaire.
9. Tex : Les yeux de Tammy sont beaux, mais _______ de Bette ne sont pas mal non plus.
10. Bette : L'accent d'Edouard est sexy, mais ________ de Tex est plus sexy.
11. Joe-Bob : Les rollers de Tex sont bien, mais ________ de Trey sont super.
12. Tammy : ________ me semble vident!
page: pro12
1. forms and uses

2. other ways of expressing possession
3. idiomatic uses
forms and uses

A possessive pronoun replaces a noun preceded by a possessive determiner like mon, ton, son, etc.
Tammy: C'est ton bret Tex? Tammy: Is this your beret Tex?
Tex: Oui, c'est le mien. Tex: Yes, it is mine.
In French, possessive pronouns indicate both the possessor and the number and the gender of the object possessed: le
mien indicates that the possessor is 'I' and that the possession is masculine singular.
In the following table, the choice between the singular or plural form and between the masculine or feminine form
depends on the number and gender of the item possessed. (Note the difference in spelling and in pronunciation between
the possessive determiners notre and votre and the possessive pronouns ntre and vtre.)
singular plural
masculine feminine masculine feminine
mine le mien la mienne les miens les miennes
yours le tien la tienne les tiens les tiennes
his/hers/its le sien la sienne les siens les siennes
ours le ntre la ntre les ntres les ntres
yours le vtre la vtre les vtres les vtres
theirs le leur la leur les leurs les leurs
Depending on the context, le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes may mean 'his', 'hers', or 'its'. Note that for the
others, all four forms of each possessive pronoun have one English translation.
Tex: Mon frre est musicien. Tex: My brother is a musician.

Tammy: Le mien est professeur. Tammy: Mine is a professor.
Tex: Ma soeur est secrtaire. Tex: My sister is a secretary.
Tammy: La mienne est PDG. Tammy: Mine is a CEO.
Tex: Mes parents sont amricains. Tex: My parents are American
Tammy: Les miens aussi. Tammy: Mine too.
Note that + the definite articles le et les form the contractions au and aux respectively. For example:
Tammy: Je pense souvent mes neveux. Tammy: I often think about my nephews.
Tex: Je pense rarement aux miens. Tex: I seldom think about mine.
Tammy: Oh! Tex, tu es si goste! Tammy: Oh! Tex you are so selfish!
other ways of expressing possession

Possessive pronouns are one way to express possession of things or people. However, you may also use the construction
[tre + + disjunctive pronoun], the possessive determiners or [de + noun]:
Fiona: A qui appartient cette photo? Fiona: Who does photo belong to?
Tex: Elle est moi . Tex: It's mine.
Tammy: Oui c'est la sienne. Tu ne connais Tammy: Yes it is his. Don't you know Rita?
pas Rita?
Fiona: Qui est Rita? Fiona: Who is Rita?
Tammy: C'est la soeur de Tex. Tammy: It is Tex's sister.
Fiona: Ta soeur est trs belle. Tu lui Fiona: Your sister is very beautiful. You
ressembles. resemble her.
Tex: Non, je ne lui ressemble pas. Tex: No, I don't look like her.
idiomatic uses
The masculine plural forms of the possessive pronouns may be used alone to refer to parents, friends, allies etc. Etre des
ntres, tre des vtres are common phrases with such a meaning of the possessive pronoun.
Tammy: Quand j'tais Lyon, je pensais Tammy: When I was in Lyon, I often
souvent aux miens. thought of my folks.
Tammy: Fiona, j'invite des amis ce soir. Tu Tammy: Fiona, I am inviting a few friends
es des ntres? tonight. Are you joining us?
Y mettre du sien is a common phrase that may be used with any of the possessive pronouns to mean that you are doing
your share, trying your best, making a real effort to contribute.
Tammy: Tex, nous avons des invits ce Tammy: Tex, we are having guests tonight.
soir. Il y a beaucoup de choses prparer. There are a lot of things to prepare. I hope
J'espre que tu vas y mettre du tien. you are going to do your share.
Faire des + miennes, tiennes, siennes, ntres, vtres, or leurs are phrases suggesting misbehavior.
Tammy: Bette a encore fait des siennes. Tammy: Bette has been up to her tricks
Hier elle a dragu Tex toute la soire again. She flirted with Tex all evening in
devant tout le monde. front of everybody.
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with the correct possessive pronoun preceded by le, la, or les.
1. Tammy : Mon cours de franais est intressant. Et _______ Bette? (yours)
2. Tex : Ma passion, c'est la posie. Et ________ Tammy? (yours)
3. Edouard : Tex, tes parents sont amricains, __________ sont franais! (mine)
4. Tammy : Je vais ouvrir mes cadeaux. Et toi Tex, tu vas ouvrir __________? (yours)
5. Tammy : A ta sant Tex! Tex : A _________ Tammy! (yours)
6. Tex : J'ai achet mes livres. Est-ce que Joe-Bob et Edouard ont achet ________? (theirs)
7. Edouard : Je n'ai pas connu mon frre, mais Rita et Trey connat _______. (theirs)
8. Tammy : Je vois souvent ma mre, mais Tex et Rita ne voient jamais ________. (theirs)
9. Tex : J'adore tes yeux Tammy. Et toi, tu aimes ________? (mine)
10. Tex : L'accent franais d'Edouard est sexy, mais ________ est plus sexy. (mine)
11. Tex et Edouard : Vos amies sont jolies, mais nous trouvons ________ plus jolies! (ours)
12. Tammy et Bette : Nous avons eu nos notes. Et vous, vous avez eu ________ ? (yours)
page: pro2
A pronoun replaces a noun in order to avoid repetition. Subject pronouns are subjects of verbs. In French, a subject
pronoun is immediately or almost immediately followed by its verb. The use of subject pronouns is mandatory in French;
always use a subject pronoun to construct sentences in the absence of a noun subject. Here are the French subject
pronouns:
person singular plural
1st person je, I nous, we
2nd person tu, you vous, you/y'all
3rd person il, he/it ils, they (masc.)

elle, she/it elles, they (fem.)
on, one/we (colloquial)
Subject pronouns are labelled by the term 'person', referring to the subject's role in the conversation. 1st person refers
to the person(s) speaking (I, we); 2nd person to the person(s) spoken to (you); and 3rd person to the person(s) or
thing(s) spoken about (he, she, it, they).
je
Unlike the English pronoun 'I', je is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence.
tu
The pronoun tu is singular and, importantly, informal. Use tu to address people your own age and those you know well.
on
The pronoun on means 'one', or 'they' in a nonspecific sense: 'comme on dit' (as they say). On often replaces 'nous' in
spoken French: 'On y va?' (Shall we go?).
vous
The pronoun vous is conjugated with a plural verb so it obviously refers to more than one person. However, it is also the
customary form of address when you are talking to only one person you do not know well, such as an elder, a boss, a
shopkeeper, etc. Inappropriate use of the tu form is considered a sign of disrespect.
Tammy: Bonjour, Paw-Paw. Vous allez Tammy: Hello Paw-Paw. Are you doing
bien? well?
Paw-Paw: Ah, oui! Et vous, mes enfants, Paw-Paw: Ah, yes! And you, kids, Tex,
Tex, Tammy, vous allez bien? Tammy, are you doing OK?
il/elle
Il and elle besides meaning 'he' and 'she' can both express the meaning 'it' depending
on the gender of the noun being replaced. For example:
Bette: La musique est bonne, Bette: The music is good, isn't
n'est-ce pas? it?
Tex: Non, elle est terrible! Je Tex: No, it's terrible. I hate
dteste la musique country. country music.
Bette: Oh, qu'est-ce que tu as Bette: Oh, what did you do,
fait, Tex? Le juke-box est Tex? The juke-box is broken
cass?
Tex: Oui, il est cass! Tex: Yes, it is broken!
ils/elles
Ils and elles are similar to il and elle since they agree with the gender of the noun they
replace. Ils and elles may refer to people or things. Elles is used to mean 'they' if it replaces people who are all women
or objects that are all feminine in gender. On the other hand, ils is used to mean 'they' for objects that are masuline in
gender or a group of all men or any group where there is at least one male person or masculine object in the group.
Bette et Tex sont de bons amis. Bette and Tex are good friends.
Normalement ils s'entendent bien, mais Normally, they get along well, but not
pas aujourd'hui! today!
Fiona: Bonjour Tex, tu vas bien? Fiona: Hi Tex, are you doing well?
Tex: Pas du tout, je vais trs mal. Je veux Tex: Not at all. I'm doing poorly. I want to
couter de la musique franaise. Et puis listen to some French music. And then
Bette et moi, on s'est disput. Bette and I had a fight.
Fiona: Ah bon? Elle est toujours l? Fiona: Oh really? Is she still here?
Tex: Non. Elle est partie avec Tammy. Elles Tex: Non, she left with Tammy. They went
sont alles au Broken Spoke. to the Broken Spoke.
Fiona: Tiens, nous y allons, toi et moi? Fiona: Hey, why don't you and I go there?
Tex: Tu ne m'as pas entendu? Je n'aime Tex: Didn't you hear me? I don't like
pas la musique country!!! Beurk! Qu'est-ce country music!!! Argh! People really like
qu'on aime la musique country au Texas! country music in Texas!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct subject pronoun: je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles.
1. Edouard: ______ suis un escargot franais. (I)
2. Tex: ______ m'appelle Tex. (I)
3. Joe-Bob: Bonjour, Tammy ______ vas bien? (you, fam)
4. Corey: Tex, ______ es un tatou? (you, fam)
5. Tex? ______ est professeur. (he)
6. Tammy? ______ est tudiante. (she)
7. Tex: En France, ______ est content? (one/we)

8. La craie? ______ est bleue. (it, fem)
9. Tex: Mes tudiants, ______ sommes franais. (we)
10. Joe-Bob: Bonjour, monsieur le professeur. Comment allez- ______? (you, formal)
11. Corey et Joe-Bob? ______ sont du Texas. (they)
12. Tammy et Bette? ______ sont tudiantes. (they)
page: pro3
1. c'est/ce sont
2. il/elle est / ils/elles sont
To describe and introduce things or people in French, two common phrases are used: c'est and
il/elle est. The plural forms are ce sont and ils/elles sont.
The choice between c'est and il / elle est is not always easy, but there are basic principles
which can guide you in the choice. A rule of thumb is that c'est or ce sont are followed by a
determined noun ('le tatou', 'une Amricaine', 'mes livres'). Remember that nouns in French
are preceded by a determiner. Il/elle est and ils/elles sont are followed by an adjective
('content', 'sympathique').
c'est/ce sont
C'est and ce sont are followed by the following:
+ noun, including modified Tex? C'est un tatou. C'est Tex? He's an armadillo. He
nouns un Amricain. C'est un petit is an American. He is a
tatou bilingue. small bilingual armadillo.
Tammy et Tex? Non, ce ne Tammy and Tex? No they

sont pas des chats! Ce sont are not cats! They are
des tatous. armadillos.
+ proper noun C'est Tex. It's Tex.
+ disjunctive pronoun Tammy: All Tex? C'est Tammy: Hello Tex? It's me.
moi.
Tex: Qui est-ce? Ah, c'est Tex: Who is this? Oh, it's
toi Tammy! you Tammy!
+ dates Tex: Mon anniversaire? Tex: My birthday? It's July

C'est le quatorze juillet. 14th. It's next Thursday!
C'est jeudi prochain!
+ an infinitive as subject Tex: Vivre, c'est parler Tex: To live is to speak

franais. French!
+ adjective for non-specific Tex: Ah c'est chouette! Tex: Oh, that's neat! That's
referents C'est incroyable! unbelievable.
il/elle est/ils/elles sont

Use il/elle est or ils/elles sont to introduce the following:
+ adjective alone Tex? Il est arrogant! Il n'est Tex? He is arrogant! He

pas franais. Il est isn't French. He is
amricain. American.
Tammy? Elle est gentille. Tammy? She is nice.
+ nationality, occupation, Tex? Il est pote. Tex? He is a poet.

religion (used as adjectives
in French) Trey? Il est musicien. Trey? He is a musician.
Tammy? Elle est tudiante. Tammy? She is a student.

Remember that il(s) and elle(s) refer to a specific person or thing. Ce does not refer to a specific person or thing; it is
usually translated as that.
Il est stupide. (He's stupid.) C'est stupide. (That's stupid.)
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of c'est or il est: c'est, ce sont, il est, elle est, ils sont, or elles sont.
1. Edouard? ______ franais.
2. Tex? ______ un tatou.
3. Bette? ______ amricaine.
4. Fiona? ______ une fourmi.
5. Bette et Tammy? ______ intelligentes.
6. Fiona et Bette? ______ des tudiantes l'universit du Texas.
7. Corey et Joe-Bob? ______ texans.
8. Etudier le franais? ______ amusant!
9. Tex: La date de l'examen final? ______ le 10 dcembre.
10. Qui est au tlphone? ______ Paw-Paw.
11. Qui est-ce? ______ moi!
12. Tex et Tammy? ______ des tatous.
page: pro4
1. forms
2. uses
forms
Disjunctive pronouns (also known as tonic or stressed pronouns) refer to people whose names have already been
mentioned or whose identity is obvious from context. They are used in a variety of situations in French, most often in
short answers without verbs, for emphasis, or for contrast with subject pronouns. Here are all the disjunctive pronouns:
disjunctive pronouns
moi (I, me) nous (we, us)
toi (you) vous (you)
lui (he, him) eux (they, them; masc.)

elle (she, her) elles (they, them; fem.)
soi (one)
uses
after prepositions C'est samedi soir: It's Saturday night:
Tammy adore Tex. Elle ne Tammy loves Tex. She can't

peut pas vivre sans lui . Elle live without him. She lives
vit pour lui . Elle veut se for him. She wants to marry
marier avec lui . him.
in short answers or Corey: Qui sort avec Corey: Who is going out
exclamations when no verb Tammy? with Tammy?
is expressed
Tex: Moi! Tex: Me!
with ni. . . ni, ne. . . que Tex ( Tammy): Je n'aime Tex (to Tammy): I love only
que toi ma chrie. you, my dear.
in a compound subject or Tammy: Tex et moi , nous Tammy: Tex and I like to go
object aimons aller en bote. clubbing.
in simple agreements or Joe-Bob: Moi aussi! Joe-Bob: Me too!

disagreements when no verb
is expressed Corey: Pas moi ! Corey: Not me!
Fiona: Moi non plus! Fiona: Me neither!
for emphasis Joe-Bob: Eux, ils s'amusent, Joe-Bob: Those guys, they
mais vous, vous ne sortez have fun, but you, you
jamais. never go out.
Dimanche matin: Sunday morning:

after c'est or ce sont Corey: C'est moi le plus nul. Corey: I'm the biggest loser.
with -mme, to mean'-self' Tammy: Arrte de t'apitoyer Tammy: Stop pitying

sur toi -mme! yourself!
in comparisons Corey: Il n'y a personne qui Corey: There is nobody who

soit plus pitoyable que moi ! is more pitiful than me.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct disjunctive pronoun: moi, toi, lui, elle, soi, nous, vous, eux, elles.
1. Qui adore Bette? Joe-Bob et Corey: ______, nous adorons Bette! (we)
2. Fiona tudie beaucoup, mais pas Joe-Bob et Corey. ______, ils dtestent tudier.
3. Joe-Bob habite Jester. Et Corey? ______ aussi, il habite Jester.
4. Tammy aime Tex. Elle veut se marier avec ______ .
5. Tammy: Tex, tu sors avec Bette ce soir? Tu vas o avec ______ ?
6. Joe-Bob: Je ne danse pas. Corey: ______ non plus. Je ne danse jamais.
7. Joe-Bob: Corey et ______ , nous sommes de vrais Texans!
8. Corey: Les autres sortent beaucoup, mais pas ______! Je ne sors jamais.
9. Bette: Qui est la porte? Oh, c'est ______, Tammy.
10. Tammy: Corey, nous allons Barton Springs. Tu viens avec ______?
11. Tammy tudie le franais. Et Bette et Fiona? ______ aussi.
12. Bette adore Tex. Elle pense souvent ______.
page: pro5
1. forms and uses

2. placement
3. agreement of the past participle
A direct object is a noun following the verb that answers the questions 'what?' or 'whom?' Remember a pronoun replaces
a noun, and in this case the noun is a direct object. For example, Tammy might ask: 'Tex, will you kiss me tonight?',
where the direct object pronoun 'me' stands for Tammy. Whether a verb takes a direct object or not depends on whether
the specific verb is transitive or intransitive.
forms and uses
direct object pronouns
me, me nous, we/us
te, you vous, you
le, him/it les, them (masc./fem.)

la, her/it
In front of a word starting with a vowel, le and la become l'; me becomes m'; te becomes t'.
Tammy: Dis, tu m'appelles ce soir, Tex? Tammy: Say, will you call me tonight, Tex?
Tex: Oui, ma belle, je t'appelle ce soir. Tex: Yes, beautiful, I will call you tonight.
Corey: Edouard et moi, tu nous appelles ce Corey: Edouard and me, will you call us
soir, Tex? tonight, Tex?
Tex: Non, je ne vous appelle pas ce soir. Tex: No, I will not call you guys tonight.
Joe-Bob: Moi, je peux les appeler ce soir! Joe-Bob: I can call them tonight!
Direct object pronouns in French agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace.
Tex cherche le numro de tlphone de Tex looks for Tammy's phone number.
Tammy. Enfin il le trouve et il l'appelle. Finally he finds it and he calls her.
Joe-Bob cherche les numros d'Edouard et Joe-Bob looks for Edouard and Corey's
de Corey. Enfin il les trouve et il les phone numbers. Finally he finds them and
appelle. he calls them.
Note that le/l' can replace an adjective or a verb.
Tex et Tammy sont amoureux? Oui, ils le Tex and Tammy are in love? Yes, they are.
sont.
Tex est quelquefois jaloux? Oui, il l'est. Tex is sometimes jealous? Yes, he is.
Joe-Bob: Tu veux que j'appelle Tammy? Joe-Bob: Do you want me to call Tammy?
Tex: Non, moi, je vais le faire. Tex: No, I'll do it.
placement
Direct object pronouns precede the verb of which they are the object. In a composed tense (like the pass compos), the
pronoun precedes the auxiliary. In infinitive constructions, the pronoun goes immediately before the infinitive. When the
conjugated verb is negative, the ne precedes the object pronoun.
Tammy: Tex m'aime. Tammy: Tex loves me.
Bette: Tex ne t'aime pas. Bette: Tex does not love you.
Tammy: Tex va m'pouser. Tammy: Tex is going to marry

me.
Bette: Sois raisonnable, Bette: Be reasonable, Tammy.

Tammy. Tex ne veut pas Tex doesn't want to marry
t'pouser. you.
Tammy: Mais si. Il l'a promis Tammy: Yes he does. He

quand je l'ai rencontr Lyon. promised when I met him in
Lyon.
Bette: Mais il ne m'avait pas Bette: But he hadn't yet met

encore rencontre! me!
In the negative imperative, the pronoun follows the normal placement before the verb. However, in the affirmative
imperative, the object pronoun goes after the verb and is attached to it by a hyphen. In addition, me and te become moi
and toi .
Bette: Tex, embrasse-moi ! Bette: Tex, kiss me!
Joe-Bob: Attends, ne l'embrasse pas Joe-Bob: Wait, don't kiss her in front of
devant moi. Je m'en vais. me. I'm leaving.
Bette: Eh bien, il est parti. SMACK! Bette: Eh bien, he's left. SMACK!
agreement of the past participle

The past participle agrees in gender and in number with a preceding direct object. In other words, if the direct object
pronoun is feminine, add an e to the end of the past participle; if the pronoun is masculine plural, add an s (unless the
past participle already ends in s); if it is feminine plural, add es.
Un peu plus tard ... A little later ...
Bette: Tammy? Tu sais, Tex m'a Bette: Tammy? Tex kissed me.
embrasse.
Tammy: Ce n'est pas vrai! Tammy: That's not true.
Bette: Demande-lui. Il arrive. Bette: Ask him. Here he comes.
Tammy: Tex, tu l'as embrasse, Bette? Tammy: Tex, did you kiss her, Bette?
Tex: Qui? Bette? Mais non. Je ne l'ai pas Tex: Who? Bette? Why no. I didn't kiss her.
embrasse. C'est elle qui m'a embrass! She kissed me! POW! Ow!
PAF! Aie!
fill in the blanks

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the words in capital letters with a correct direct object pronoun: le, la,
les. Modle: Tammy cherche TEX. Elle le cherche.
1. Joe-Bob adore LES FEUX D'ARTIFICE.
2. Tex drague BETTE. (drague = hits on, flirts with)
3. Bette a embrass TEX.

4. Joe-Bob ne finit pas SES DEVOIRS.
5. Edouard n'aime pas attendre LE BUS.
6. Tammy a invit SES AMIS dner.
7. Tex cherche TAMMY.
8. Joe-Bob regarde LA TELEVISION.
9. Tammy va chanter LA MARSEILLAISE.
10. Les tudiants de Tex ont appris LEURS VERBES.
11. Tammy va fter LA SAINT-SYLVESTRE.
12. Fiona a tudi L'ESPAGNOL.
page: pro6
1. uses
2. placement
uses
y expressing place
Y replaces a preposition indicating location plus its object: ' UT' (at UT), 'devant la Tour'
(in front of the Tower). It is usually translated as there. Prepositions which indicate
location include , en, dans, devant, derrire, sous, sur. The noun objects of these
prepositions are places and things which indicate a place. The exception is the preposition
chez which is used with a person, as in 'chez Bette' (Bette's place). Note that + person
is replaced by an indirect object pronoun except with certain verbs.
Bette: Tammy, tu vas Waco? Bette: Tammy, are you going to Waco?
Tammy: Oui, j'y vais ce week-end pour un Tammy: Yes, I'm going there this weekend
bal Baylor. for a dance at Baylor.
Bette: Mais on ne peut pas y danser. Bette: But you can't dance there.
Tammy: Mais si, les tudiants Baylor ont Tammy: But yes, Baylor students now have
maintenant le droit de danser. the right to dance.
Bette: Super, on y va! Bette: Super, let's go there!
y with certain verbs

With certain verbs y replaces the preposition when its object is an idea or thing, but not a person. Some of these
verbs are penser , rflchir (to think about), s'intresser (to be interested in), rpondre (to answer to), participer
(to participate in). In these expressions, the preposition is idiomatic. It does not indicate location in or movement
toward.
Tex s'intresse la philo. Il s'y intresse Tex is interested in philosophy. He's terribly
normment. interested in it.
Tex pense toujours l'existentialisme. Il y Tex always thinks about existentialism. He

pense jour et nuit. thinks about it night and day.
When these verbs are followed by a person, the disjunctive pronoun will be used, for example, 'Bette pense souvent
Tex. Elle pense souvent lui.' (Bette often thinks of Tex. She often thinks of him.)
placement
Placement of y is the same as that of direct and indirect pronoun objects: y precedes
the verb it refers to, except in the affirmative imperative. In compound tenses, like
the pass compos, it precedes the auxiliary. Note that there is no agreement
between y and the past participle, since y does not replace a direct object.
Edouard: O allez-vous? Edouard: Where are you going?
Bette: A Waco. Tu veux y aller avec nous? Bette: To Waco. Do you want to go there
with us?
Edouard: Je n'y suis jamais all. On m'a dit Edouard: I've never been there. I've been
que Waco tait une exprience told that Waco was an anthropological
anthropologique, le muse Dr. Pepper, le experience: the Dr. Pepper museum, the
muse Texas Rangers, Baylor ... Texas Rangers museum, Baylor ...
Bette: Nous y allons tout de suite. Bette: We're going there right away.
Edouard: Bon, attendez-moi, j'y vais aussi. Edouard: Good, wait for me I'm going
Allons-y! there, too. Let's go (there)!
fill in the blanks

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the words in capital letters by the pronoun 'y.' Modle: 'Bette et Tammy
vont A WACO. Elles y vont.'
1. Fiona passe ses aprs-midis A LA BIBLIOTHEQUE.
2. Bette va souvent AU JARDIN PUBLIC.
3. Tex dsire retourner A LYON.
4. Edouard ne veut pas travailler DANS UN RESTAURANT TEXAN.
5. Bette n'est pas encore alle EN FRANCE.
6. Joe-Bob ne va jamais EN CLASSE.
7. Joe-Bob: On va AU CINEMA ce week-end?
8. Tammy s'intresse A LA CULTURE FRANAISE.
9. Tex rflchit beaucoup A LA PHILOSOPHIE.
10. Tex, tu joues AUX CARTES?
11. Tex et ses amis sont alls A L'ALAMO.
12. Edouard a immigr AUX ETATS-UNIS.
page: pro7
1. uses
2. placement
uses
En is a pronoun that typically replaces de + a noun; this includes nouns introduced by partitive or indefinite determiners
(de, du, de l', de la, des). En may be translated as 'some', 'any', or 'not any'.
Tammy, Edouard et Tex sont table. Tammy, Edouard and Tex are eating.
Tammy: Edouard, tu veux de la soupe? Tammy: Edouard, do you want some soup?
Edouard: Oui, merci. Elle est dlicieuse. Edouard: Yes, thank you. It is delicious.
Tex: Il y a du vin? Tex: Is there any wine?
Tammy: Oui il y en a. Tu en veux? Tammy: Yes, there is some. Would you

like some?
In a similar fashion, en replaces a noun introduced by a number or an expression of quantity. Notice that the equivalent
of en is not always expressed in English, although en must still be used in the French sentence:
Tammy: Edouard, tu as assez de pain? Tammy: Edouard, do you have enough

bread?
Edouard: Oui, merci, j'en ai assez. Edouard: Yes, thank you, I have enough
(of it).
Tammy: Tex, tu veux un peu de pain? Tammy: Tex, do you want a little bread?
Tex: Non, merci, je n'en veux pas. J'en ai Tex: No, thank you, I do not want any. I
encore une tranche. still have a slice (of it).
En also replaces expressions introduced by the preposition de with the following verbs:
s'occuper de, to deal with
parler de, to speak of
remercier de, to thank for
revenir de, to return from
venir de, to come from
Tammy: Alors Edouard, comment s'est Tammy: So Edouard, how did your
passe ton interview au restaurant? interview at the restaurant go?
Edouard: J'en reviens tout juste! C'tait Edouard: I've just returned from it! It was
dgotant. disgusting.
Tammy: Tu veux en parler? Tammy: Do you want to talk about it?
Edouard: Tu sais bien que j'ai envie de Edouard: You know that I want to earn
gagner plus d'argent, j'en ai vraiment more money. I really need some (money),
besoin, mais servir du barbecue! Jamais! but serve barbecue! Never! Edouard will
Edouard ne travaillera jamais dans un never work in a restaurant named Good
restaurant qui s'appelle le Bon Barbecue! Barbecue!
Note that a disjunctive pronoun is used with these verbs to replace expressions
when the object of the prepostion de is a person rather than a thing.
placement
Placement of en is the same as direct and indirect pronoun objects. En precedes the
verb it refers to, except in the affirmative imperative. In compound tenses (such as
the pass compos), it precedes the auxiliary verb. Note that there is no agreement
between en and the past participle, since en does not replace a direct object. When
en is used with il y a ('there is, there are'), it comes between y and a: Du pain sur la
table? Il y en a (Some bread on the table? There is some there.)
Tex: De nouveaux pomes? Ne m'en parle Tex: Some new poems? Don't talk to me
pas! about them.
Editeur: Mais si, parlons-en. Editor: But yes, let's talk about them.
Tex: Je n'en ai pas crit depuis longtemps Tex: I haven't written any for a long time
et je ne vais plus en crire. Ma muse m'a and I'm not going to write any more. My
quitt et je n'ai plus d'ides. muse has left me and I don't have any
more ideas.
Editeur: Mais si tu en as. Elles sont Editor: But yes, you have some (ideas).
bizarres, tes ides, mais tu en as beaucoup Your ideas are strange, but you have a lot
quand mme. of them nevertheless.
fill in the blanks

Complete the answers to the questions using the pronoun 'en.'
1. Tex : Tammy, tu me demandes du gteau au chocolat? Tammy : Oui, je/j' __________.
2. Tammy : Vous avez beaucoup d'argent? Tex et Edouard : Oui nous ______.
3. Tex : Fiona, tu bois du vin? Fiona : Non merci, je/j' __________.
4. Tammy : Parlons de notre mariage! Tex : Non, ____________!
5. Joe-Bob: Il y a du popcorn? Tammy : Oui, ____________.
6. Tammy : Tu as mang assez de lgumes? Bette : Oui, je/j'___________.
7. Tammy : Tu es folle de la cuisine d'Edouard? Bette : Oui, je/j'___________.
8. Tammy : Nous avons besoin de prendre des vacances! Tex : Tu as raison, nous ________.
9. Paw-Paw : Est-ce que nous avons parl de la guerre de 40? Tex : Oui, nous _________.
10. Tammy : Tu joues du piano? Trey : Oui, je/j' _______________.
11. Joe-Bob : Je reviens de UT. Tammy : Moi aussi, je/j'_______________.

12. Tammy : Tu as du chocolat? Bette : Oui, je/j' _____________.
page: pro8
1. forms and uses

2. placement
forms and uses

An indirect object is a person which receives the action of a verb indirectly. In French
the indirect object is always preceded by the preposition and in English by the
preposition 'to' : Tex offre des fleurs Tammy. (Tex gives flowers to Tammy.) An
indirect object pronoun indicates + a person. In the sentence 'Tex offre des fleurs
Tammy', 'Tammy' is the indirect object. The indirect object pronoun that replaces '
Tammy' is lui : Tex lui offre des fleurs. (Tex gives flowers to her.) Following are the
French indirect object pronouns:
me (to me) nous (to us)
te (to you) vous (to you)
lui (to him/to her) leur (to them)
In front of a word starting with a vowel, me and te become m' and t'.
Tammy: Tex, tu m'offres des fleurs? Et Tammy: Tex, you're giving me flowers? But
Bette, tu lui offres des fleurs aussi, n'est-ce Bette, you give her flowers, too, don't you?
pas?
Tex: Oui, mais je t'offre des fleurs plus Tex: Yes, I give you flowers more often.
souvent.
Joe-Bob: Tu leur as offert des fleurs, Joe-Bob: You gave them both flowers!
toutes les deux! Bravo, quel tombeur! Bravo, what a womanizer!
Tammy: Paf! Tammy: Pow!
placement
An indirect object pronoun is placed just before the verb of which it is the object. In a composed
tense (like the pass compos), the pronoun precedes the auxiliary. In infinitive constructions,
the pronoun goes immediately before the infinitive. When the conjugated verb is negative, the ne
precedes the object pronoun. Note that, in compound tenses (such as the pass compos), there
is no agreement between the past participle and the indirect object. In the affirmative imperative,
the indirect object pronoun is placed after the verb it is the object of and attached to it by a
hyphen. In addition, me and te become moi and toi .
Tex: Regarde, quelqu'un m'a envoy un Tex: Look, someone sent me a gift.
cadeau.
Tammy: Qui t'offre un cadeau? Tammy: Who is giving you a gift?
Tex ouvre le cadeau. Tex opens the gift.
Tex: Ahh, une bouteille de champagne! Tex: Ahh, a bottle of champagne!
Tammy: Oh, regarde. Il y a une petite carte Tammy: Oh, look. There is a little card ...
... Bon anniversaire, mon petit tatou. Je Happy birthday, my little armadillo. I'm
compte partager cette bouteille ... et la vie counting on sharing this bottle ... and life
avec toi. Avec toi? Mais, il n'y a pas de with you. With you? But, there's no
signature. Eh bien, monsieur, explique-moi ! signature. Well, now, sir, explain (this to)
me.
Tex: Euh ... Tex: Uh ...

Tammy: C'est bien cette petite chatte Tammy: It's that cunning little cat, isn't it?
maline, n'est-ce pas? Je vais aller lui parler. I'm going to go talk to her about it.
Tex: Ne lui parle pas! C'est une bagatelle, Tex: Don't talk to her! It's a small thing,
c'est un petit rien ... it's nothing ...
Tammy: Un petit rien? Paf! Tammy: Nothing? Pow!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank using the correct indirect object pronoun.
1. Tex : Tammy, offre une bire Joe-Bob! Allez offre-______ une bire!
2. Tammy : Tex, ne donne pas ces roses Fiona et Bette! Ne _____________ donne pas de roses!
3. Tex et Tammy : Edouard, nous adorons tes crpes! Donne-________ ta recette!
4. Tex : Tammy, je _____ envoie une carte de voeux!
5. Joe-Bob : J'ai faim! Tammy, tu ______ fais un hamburger?
6. Tex : Tammy, j'ai faim! Fais-______ un hamburger!
7. Tammy : Tex, tu pues (='to stink'). Achte-_______ du dodorant!
8. Tammy : J'ai achet un cadeau Tex! Bette : Ah? Qu'est-ce qu tu ___________ as achet?
9. Tammy : Je vais acheter un cadeau Tex. Bette : Ah? Qu'est-ce que tu vas __________ acheter?
10. Tex : J'ai achet des cadeaux pour mes neveux. Tammy : Ah? Qu'est-ce que tu ___________ as achet?
11. Tex : J'ai confess mes sentiments Tammy. Je ______ ai envoy des fleurs!
12. Tex : Tammy m'adore. Elle _______ parle tous les jours.
page: pro9
1. overview
2. y and en
3. direct and indirect object pronouns together
4. negation
overview
A single pronoun object is placed before the verb with which it is associated, except in the affirmative imperative when
the pronoun object follows the verb. The following table outlines the order and placement of pronouns when there is
more than one object pronoun in a sentence.
me
te le
lui
SUBJECT nous la y en VERB
leur
vous les
se
Joe-Bob prpare sa leon: Mon dieu, Joe-Bob is preparing for class: My god, the
comme c'est difficile, l'ordre des pronoms order of object pronouns sure is difficult!
objets! Le prof me dit qu'il faut les The teacher says I have to memorize them.
apprendre par coeur. Voici ma chanson ... Here is my song ...
However, in the affirmative imperative, the pronoun objects follow the verb.
-moi (m')
-le
-lui -toi (t')
VERB -la y en
-leur -nous
-les
-vous
y and en
Y always precedes en, and both precede the verb except in the affirmative imperative. When used with other pronouns, y
and en always follow any other pronoun object, even in the affirmative imperative.
Bette: Tu vas au gymnase? Bette: Are you going to the gym?
Tammy: Oui, j'y vais. Et toi, Fiona? Tammy: Yes, I'm going there. And how
about you, Fiona?
Fiona: Non, j'en viens. Vas-y avec Bette. Fiona: No, I've just been there. Go with
Bette.
Tammy: Il y a des footballeurs l-bas? Tammy: Are there any football players
there?
Fiona: Oui, il y en a. Je te retrouve dans Fiona: Yes, there are some. Should I meet
une heure chez toi? you at your house in an hour?
Tammy: D'accord. Dis Fiona, je n'ai pas de Tammy: OK. Say, Fiona, I don't have any
rouge lvres. Tu m'en donnes? lipstick. Can you give me some?
Bette: Et n'oublie pas le parfum. C'est Bette: And don't forget the perfume. It's
essentiel aussi, hein? Allez, donne-nous-en. also essential, right? Go on, give us some.
direct and indirect object pronouns together
Sometimes there will be both a direct and an indirect object pronoun in the same sentence. The direct object pronoun is
usually closest to the verb of which it is the object. However, the order of direct / indirect object pronouns is reversed in
the third person singular and third person plural (le lui, le leur, etc.). In this case, the indirect object is closest to the
verb.
Fiona me le Fiona gives it to Fiona nous le Fiona gives it to

donne? me? donne? us?
Fiona te le Fiona gives it to Fiona vous le Fiona gives it to

son parfum?
donne? you (singular)? donne? you (plural)?
Fiona le lui Fiona gives it to Fiona le leur Fiona gives it to

donne? him/her? donne? them?
Remember that in the affirmative imperative, me and te become moi and toi .
Tammy: Fiona! Fiona! Ton parfum, tu me le Tammy: Fiona! Fiona! Your perfume? Are
donnes!? Tu vas me le donner? Donne-le- you giving it to me? Are you going to give
moi ! it to me!? Give it to me!
Fiona: Pardon, je ne comprends pas. Vous Fiona: Sorry, I do not understand. You
voulez du parfum pour aller au gymnase? want perfume to go to the gym?
negation
In simple tenses, like the present, future, imperfect, and pass simple, the object pronouns are placed between the ne
and the verb. In compound tenses, like the pass compos, the plus-que-parfait etc., the object pronouns are placed
between the ne and the auxiliary verb.
Plus tard au gymnase. Later in the gym.
Tammy: Personne ne fait attention nous! Tammy: No one is paying any attention to
Tu vois, sans parfum, aucun mec! Pourquoi us. You see, no perfume, not a single guy!
est-ce que Fiona ne nous en a pas donn? Why didn't Fiona give us any?
Bette: Et bien, c'est parce qu'elle ne Bette: Well, that's because she doesn't
comprend pas l'art de la sduction. understand the art of seduction.
fill in the blanks

Rephrase each sentence by filling in the blank with two appropriate object pronouns.
1. Tex offre son livre Edouard. => Tex _____________ offre.
2. Tex retrouve Tammy et Edouard au restaurant. => Tex ________________ retrouve.
3. Edouard donne sa recette Tex et Tammy. => Edouard _______________ donne.
4. Tex : Je ddicace (='to dedicate') mon livre Tammy. => Je ______________ ddicace.
5. Tex : J'offre un peu de vin mes amis. => Je __________________ offre un peu.
6. Edouard : J'ai fait des crpes pour vous. => Je _____________________ ai fait.
7. Tammy : Il y a beaucoup de soleil. => Il ____________ a beaucoup.
8. Tammy et Tex parlent du mariage Paw-Paw et Trey. => Tammy et Tex ___________ parlent.
9. Tammy : Tu me rejoins la bibliothque? => Tu __________ rejoins?
10. Tex : Je montre mes photos mes neveux. => Tex : Je ___________ montre.
11. Tex : Je veux parler de mon livre Tammy. => Tex : Je veux ________________ parler.
12. Tex : Je trouve Tammy trs bien sur cette photo. => Tex : Je/j' _______ trouve trs bien!
page: pror1
1. forms and uses

2. agreement
forms and uses

A relative pronoun introduces a clause that explains or describes a previously mentioned noun, which is called the
antecedent. Relative pronouns are used to link two related ideas into a single sentence, thereby avoiding repetition.
Tex crit un roman. Le roman s'appelle Tex is writing a novel. The novel is called
Guerre et amour. War and Love.
Tex crit un roman qui s'appelle Guerre et Tex is writing a novel which is called War
amour. and Love.
In the above example, the relative pronoun qui introduces the subordinate clause, that is, the clause that adds additional
information about the novel. In French there are two main relative pronouns, qui and que. The choice between qui and
que in French depends solely on the grammatical role, subject or direct object, that the relative pronoun plays in the
subordinate clause.
qui
Qui functions as the subject of the subordinate clause.
Tex interviewe Paw-Paw qui a combattu Tex interviews Paw-Paw who fought during
pendant la deuxime guerre mondiale. World War II.
Paw-Paw: Oui, j'tais avec des Amricains Paw-Paw: Yes, I was with Americans who
qui ont libr Paris. liberated Paris.
On a clbr notre victoire dans le quartier We celebrated our victory in the Latin
latin qui dbordait de jolies Parisiennes. Quarter which was overflowing with pretty
Parisian girls.
que
Que functions as the direct object of the subordinate clause. Remember that que becomes qu' before a word beginning
with a vowel.
Paw-Paw: Une jolie Parisienne que j'ai Paw-Paw: A pretty Parisian whom I met
connue est devenue ta grand-mre, Tex! became your grandmother, Tex!
Tex: Ma grand-mre! Une hrone de la Tex: My grandmother! A heroine of the

Rsistance franaise? Tiens, le livre que French Resistance? Say, the book that I'm
j'cris c'est l'histoire de deux hros de la writing is the story of two heroes from the
Rsistance. Ce n'est pas une pure Resistance. It is not entirely a coincidence!
concidence!
agreement
Although qui and que are invariable, they assume the gender and number of the antecedent. Que functions as a direct
object preceding the verb. Therefore, when the verb of the subordinate clause is in the pass compos, or any other
compound tense, the past participle agrees in number and gender with que. The past participle also agrees in number
and gender with qui if the verb forms its pass compos with 'tre'.
Tex: Marie-Tammy et Jean-Tex sont les Tex: Marie-Tammy and Jean-Tex are the
deux hros que j'ai vus dans un rve. two heroes whom I saw in a dream.
Ce sont deux espions qui se sont They are two spies who met on a mission.
rencontrs en mission.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct relative pronoun, either qui or que.
1. Tex aime la tarte __________ Tammy a faite.
2. Bette ne sait pas ________ est le grand-pre de Tex.
3. Tex, ________ a crit plusieurs livres, est un auteur clbre.
4. Tammy aime les romans ________ parlent d'amour.
5. Edouard est un escargot _____ je connais bien.
6. Tammy va voir un film ________ vient de sortir.
7. Bette est une tudiante ______ Tex a embrasse.
8. Bette est une tudiante ______ a embrass Tex.
9. Paw-Paw est un ancien combattant ______ Tex admire beaucoup.
10. Tammy adore les posies rotiques ________ Tex a crites.
11. Joe-Bob aime les noix (nuts) _______ viennent du Brsil.
12. Tex aime les nouvelles lunettes de soleil ______ Tammy a achetes.
page: pror2
1. ce qui
2. ce que
Ce qui and ce que are relative pronouns like qui and que; that is, they introduce a subordinate clause. However, ce qui
and ce que are used in sentences in which there is no expressed antecedent. They do not refer to a specific noun, but
rather to an idea or an entire statement, which may or may not have been previously expressed: they refer to
something unstated and unspecified.
The choice between ce qui and ce que depends solely on the grammatical role, subject or direct object, that the
relative pronoun plays in the subordinate clause.
ce qui
Ce qui (what, that, which) functions as the subject of the subordinate clause.
Tammy: Edouard, tu as lu le roman de Tex Tammy: Edouard, have you read Tex's
sur la deuxime guerre mondiale? novel on WWII?
Edouard: Ah oui! Ce qui est fascinant, c'est Edouard: Ah, yes I have! What's fascinating
sa description de l'poque. is his description of the period.
J'adore tout ce qui se rapporte la I love everything that is related to the

Rsistance! Resistance!
Et puis, il y a une intrigue amoureuse, ce And there's also a love interest, which does
qui ne m'tonne pas puisque l'hrone du not surprise me since the book's heroine is
livre s'appelle Marie-Tammy! called Marie-Tammy!
Ce qui is often used for emphasis followed by c'est. Note how the sentence 'Ce qui est fascinant, c'est sa description de
l'poque.' is more emphatic than saying simply 'Sa description de l'poque est fascinante.'
ce que
Ce que (what, that, which) functions as the direct object of the subordinate clause. Ce que becomes ce qu' before a
word beginning with a vowel.
Tammy: Tout ce que Tex cre est tellement Tammy: Everything that Tex creates is so
original! original!
Moi, j'aime ce qu'il crit propos de la Personally, I like what he writes about
France dans les annes 1940. France in the 1940s.
Ce que je n'aime pas, c'est la fin du livre. What I don't like is the end of the book.
Le hros meurt. Il n'pouse donc pas The hero dies. So he does not marry Marie-
Marie-Tammy, ce que je trouve trs Tammy, which I think is such a pity.
dommage.
Note how the sentence 'Ce que je n'aime pas, c'est la fin du livre.' is more emphatic than saying simply 'Je n'aime pas la
fin du livre.'
Note that ce qui and ce que are also used in indirect discourse (see reported speech).
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct relative pronoun, either ce qui or ce que/ce qu'.
1. Tex aime tout __________ Tammy fait.
2. ___________ est incroyable, c'est la rencontre de Tex et Tammy.
3. Tex, ________ je n'aime pas chez toi, c'est ton snobisme!
4. Bette ne sait pas _______ a Tammy.
5. Joe-Bob ne comprend pas _________ Tex et Tammy disent.
6. Je ne sais pas ________ rend Corey si triste.
7. Vous savez ________ on va faire ce soir?
8. _________ me surprend, c'est que Tex soit amricain.
9. Paw-Paw a combattu dans la seconde guerre mondiale, ______ Tex admire beaucoup.
10. Tammy adore ________ Tex a crit.
11. _________ est dommage, c'est que Paw-Paw habite si loin.
12. _________ Tex regrette, c'est que Paw-Paw tlphone tout le temps.
page: pror3
1. dont, o, lequel
2. ce dont, ce + preposition + quoi
A relative pronoun introduces a clause that explains or describes a previously mentioned noun. In instances where
the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition, relative pronouns other than qui and que must be used. De is the
most common of these prepositions, and dont is the relative pronoun representing both the preposition de + its object.
dont, o, lequel: relative pronouns with antecedent

dont
Use dont if the subordinate clause needs an object introduced by de/d'. Such clauses
may indicate possession or they may contain verbs which are followed by the preposition
de. Some of these verbs include 'parler de' (to talk about); 'avoir besoin de' (to need);
'avoir peur de' (to be afraid of); 'tenir de' (to take after).
Tex: Le livre dont je suis l'auteur Tex: The book of which I'm the
est un roman historique. author is an historical novel.
Dont often indicates possession; 'whose' is its English equivalent.
Edouard, parlant du livre de Tex: Tex, dont Edouard, speaking about Tex' book: Tex,
le grand-pre a combattu en France, en 40, whose grandfather fought in France in '40,
a ddi ce livre Paw-Paw. dedicated this book to Paw-Paw.
o
The relative pronoun o means 'where, in which, on which.' Use o if the subordinate clause needs an object indicating
location introduced by dans, , sur, sous. When used after adverbs of time, o means 'when.'
Paris, o l'histoire commence, va tre libr Paris, where the story starts, is going to
par les Amricains. be liberated by the Americans.
Paw-Paw tait Paris le jour o les Paw-Paw was in Paris the day [when] the
Amricains sont entrs dans la ville. Americans entered the city.
preposition + lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles

The relative pronouns lequel , laquelle, lesquels, and lesquelles (which) are used when the relative clause is introduced
by a preposition other than de/d'. These pronouns make the usual contractions with the prepositions and de. Note
that the preoposition in French must always be placed immediately in front of the relative pronoun.
Ce roman, dans lequel Tex utilise les This novel, in which Tex uses Paw-Paw's
souvenirs de guerre de Paw-Paw, est trs war memories, is very realistic.
raliste.
Ses personnages, auxquels Tex s'identifie, His characters, with whom Tex identifies,
sont des hros de la Rsistance. are heros of the Resistance.
L'homme ct duquel Marie-Tammy est The man next to whom Marie-Tammy is

assise est un officier nazi. seated is a nazi officer.
Les hommes parmi lesquels Marie-Tammy The men among whom Marie-Tammy
se trouve sont tous des nazis. finds herself are all nazis.
Les deux femmes entre lesquelles l'officier The two women between whom the
se trouve font partie de la Rsistance. officer is seated are part of the Resistance.
Note: The form dont is generally used in spoken French instead of the forms duquel, de laquelle, desquels, and
desquelles; however, these latter forms may also be found, especially in written texts. Dont may be substituted only for
the simple preposition de and its object, but a form of lequel must be used when de is part of a two- or three-word
preposition, such as ' propos de, prs de, loin de, ct de.'
ce dont, ce + preposition + quoi : relative pronouns with no antecedent

In all the preceding examples, the relative pronouns have an antecedent; in other words, a specific word in the sentence
for which the relative pronoun stands. Just as the forms ce qui and ce que are used when there is no explicit
antecedent, so the forms ce dont and ce + preposition + quoi refer to something unstated and unspecified.
Use ce dont if the subordinate clause needs an object introduced by de.
On comprend trs bien ce dont les Parisiens One understands very well what the
avaient peur pendant l'Occupation. Parisians were afraid of during the
Occupation.
Use ce + preposition + quoi when the subordinate clause needs an object introduced by a preposition other than de.
Remember that, unlike English, the preposition in French must always be placed immediately in front of the relative
pronoun.
Tout le monde va comprendre ce quoi Tex Everybody's going to understand what Tex
fait allusion quand il dcrit Jean-Tex et is alluding to when he describes Jean-Tex
Marie-Tammy--il s'agit bien de Tex et and Marie-Tammy--it's indeed a matter of
Tammy, nos tatous favoris! Tex and Tammy, our favorite armadillos!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct relative pronoun: dont, o, lequel, ce dont or ce quoi.
1. Tammy : Lyon est la ville _______ Tex a grandi.
2. Joe-Bob : Je n'ai pas lu le livre _______ tu parles.
3. Tex : Le roman dans ________ Marie-Tammy apparat s'appelle Guerre et amour.
4. Fiona : Le garon ______ Bette est amoureuse est ...Tex!
5. Bette : _________ je parle n'a rien voir avec Tex.
6. Tammy : Tex, tu sais ___________ je pense?
7. Tammy : Voici l'endroit _____ je veux me marier, Tex!
8. Tammy : Tex, tu es le tatou avec _______ je veux me marier!
9. Paw-Paw est un ancien combattant, ______ Tex est trs fier.

10. Trey : Les chansons ________ je suis l'auteur sont au TOP20.
11. Tex : Tu me demandes __________ je rflchis? A mon prochain pome bien sr!
12. Tammy : Le bret ______ j'ai fait cadeau Tex est superbe.
page: ta1
1. tense
2. aspect
3. mood
4. voice
tense
Tense is the grammatical term that refers to the time when the action of the verb occurs: past, present, future. The
time frame of an action is usually established by referring to the present moment; for example, the pass
compos and the future are respectively past and future in relation to the present.
However, some tenses establish their time frame by referring to other actions in the past or in the future. For
example, the plus-que-parfait tense indicates a past action that occurred prior to the the completion of another
past action. The futur antrieur tense indicates a future action that will have occured before another future action.
Actions that occur before another action are described as being anterior.
Tenses are also described by their number of parts. For example, a tense with only one verb form is called a
simple tense (ie, le pass simple). In contrast, a tense comprising two forms, the auxiliary verb and the participle,
is referred to as a compound tense (ie, le pass compos).
aspect
Aspect, unlike tense, is not concerned with placing events on a time line. Rather, aspect is concerned with making
distinctions about the kinds of actions that are described by verbs: progressive actions, punctual actions, habitual
actions, etc.
The most important aspectual distinction in French concerns the difference between the two most common past
tenses: the imparfait and the pass compos. While both tenses refer to actions in the past, they are used for
very different types of actions. The imparfait indicates an action that is ongoing or habitual. Actions in the imparfait
may be simultaneous or overlapping. The pass compos on the other hand, indicates an action that is in a strict
sequence in relation to another action. In other words, an event in the pass compos must be completed before
another may be used in narration.
These aspectual differences are best understood in a narrative context where the imparfait is typically used to set
the scene of a story by giving background information.
Install la terrasse du Cactus Cafe, Tex Seated on the terrace of the Cactus Cafe,
regardait les filles qui passaient. Il Tex was watching the girls who walked
savourait une tasse de caf, mais quelque by. He was enjoying a cup of coffee, but
chose manquait . . . une cigarette! something was missing . . . a cigarette!
The pass compos is used for the foreground, that is, the plot line events. Note that plot line events are
sequential, that is, an event must be completed before another event begins.
Tex a sorti une cigarette de son paquet. Il Tex took out a cigarette from his pack.
l'a allume et il a tir une grande bouffe. He lit it and took a long drag. Mmm ...
Mmm ... extase! ecstasy!
mood
Mood is a grammatical category distinguishing verb tenses. There are
four moods in French: indicative, subjunctive, conditional, and
imperative. All of these moods, except the imperative, may be
conjugated in different tenses. Each of these moods has a different
function.
The indicative mood is the most common and is used to relate facts
and objective statements.
Tammy se rveille tt le matin. Tammy gets up

(present tense of the indicative early in the
mood) morning.
The subjunctive mood is used more commonly in French than in English. It is used to express opinions and
feelings (subjective thoughts).
Il est dommage que les parents de Tex It is too bad that Tex's parents are dead.
soient morts. (present tense of the
subjunctive mood)
The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical or contrary-to-fact statements.
Si Corey tait beau, il aurait une copine. If Corey were handsome, he would have
(present tense of the conditional a girlfriend.
mood)
The imperative mood is used to give direct orders or commands.
Tex, rveille-toi ! Tex, get up!
voice
Voice is a grammatical category describing the relationship between a verb and its subject. Voice is either active or
passive. Active voice refers to the situation where the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb.
Les autorits ont expuls Tex de France. The authorities expelled Tex from France.
On the other hand, passive voice refers to the situation where the subject receives the action of the verb.
Tex a t expuls de France (par les Tex was expelled from France (by the
autorits). authorities).
page: tac1
1. formation
2. pronunciation
3. irregular stems
4. uses
The conditional is used to refer to hypothetical events. It occurs in polite requests and most frequently with if clauses. In
French, it is called le conditionnel and is most often translated by would in English.
formation
The stem used to form the conditional is the same as the stem of the future (usually the infinitive). The conditional
endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient (These are also the imperfect endings).
jouer 'to play'

je jouerais, I would play nous jouerions, we would play
tu jouerais, you would play vous joueriez, you would play
il, elle / on jouerait,

ils / elles joueraient, they would play
he, she (it) /would play
The above formation works for -er verbs (aimer, j'aimerais), -ir verbs (finir, je finirais) and -re verbs (vendre, je
vendrais). Remember to drop the final e from the infinitive stem of -re verbs .
pronunciation
The r in the stem is representative of the conditional, as well as the future. Only the difference in the pronunciation of
the endings distinguishes the two. The difference between the je forms is subtle. Can you hear the differences? Note also
how the e of the infinitive of -er verbs changes in the future and conditional forms.
regarder 'to look at'

future conditional
je regarderai je regarderais
tu regarderas tu regarderais
il / elle regardera il / elle regarderait
nous regarderons nous regarderions
vous regarderez vous regarderiez
ils / elles regarderont ils / elles regarderaient
irregular stems
Verbs with irregular future stems use the same irregular stems in the conditional. Here is a list of the most common
irregular stems:
infinitive stem conditional translation
aller ir- j'irais I would go
avoir aur- j'aurais I would run

courir courr- je courrais I would run
devoir devr- je devrais I would be obliged to
envoyer enverr- j'enverrais I would send
tre ser- je serais I would be
faire fer- je ferais I would do
falloir faudr- il faudrait it would be necessary
mourir mourr- je mourrais I would die
obtenir obtiendr- j'obtiendrais Iwould obtain
pleuvoir pleuvr- il pleuvrait it would rain
pouvoir pourr- je pourrais I would be able
recevoir recevr- je recevrais I would receive
savoir saur- je saurais I would know
tenir tiendr- je tiendrais I would hold
venir viendr- je viendrais I would come
voir verr- je verrais I would see
vouloir voudr- je voudrais I would want
verbs with spelling changes

Some verbs with spelling changes in the present form their future/conditional stem regularly. These include verbs like
prfrer, esprer, manger, and commencer.
infinitive stem conditional translation
prfrer prfrer- je prfrerais I would prefer
esprer esprer- j'esprerais I would hope
manger manger- je mangerais I would eat
commencer commencer- je commencerais I would start
Verbs with spelling changes like appeler, employer and acheter add -r to the present of the je form to create their future
stem.
present tense stem conditional translation
j'appelle appeller- j'appellerais I would call
j'emploie emploier- j'emploierais I would use
j'achte achter- j'achterais I would buy
uses
wishes or requests
The conditional expresses potentiality. It is used to express a wish or a
suggestion, to make a request, or to accept or extend invitations. It is less
direct and more polite than the imperative. The verbs 'pouvoir', 'vouloir',
and 'devoir' are often found in the conditional to diminish the strength of a
command. In most cases, the conditional is translated as meaning would
in English. However, je pourrais means 'I could', je devrais means 'I should'
and je voudrais means 'I would like'. Also do not confuse 'would' in English
meaning 'used to' which should be translated as an imparfait in French,
and NOT as the conditional: A Paris, Joe-Bob allait au MacDo tous les jours.
(In Paris, Joe-Bob would/used to go to McDonald's everyday).
Joe-Bob et Tammy se trouvent au Joe-Bob and Tammy are at the restaurant

restaurant o Edouard travaille comme where Edouard works as a waiter.
serveur.
Edouard: Bonsoir Madame, Monsieur. Edouard: Good evening, would you like to
Aimeriez-vous commander un apritif pour order drinks to start?
commencer?
Tammy: Oh oui! Pourrions-nous avoir un Tammy: Oh yes, could we have one Ricard
Ricard et un Perrier? Ensuite, je voudrais and one Perrier? Then I would like a green
une salade verte, s'il vous plat. salad, please.
Joe-Bob: Je veux un hamburger. Joe-Bob: I want a hamburger.
Edouard: Monsieur, vous devriez tre plus Edouard: Sir, you should be more polite in
poli dans ce restaurant, sinon, je pourrais this resaurant, or else I could forget your
oublier votre commande! order!
hypothetical action
The conditional is used when making statements which are contrary to present facts. It expresses a hypothethical result
which depends on (stated or implied) circumstances which do not exist. In order for the action expressed by the
conditional to occur, something else must take place first. Note that the condition in the si or if clause, is always stated
in the imparfait. (See 'si' clauses for further examples.)
Tex et Joe-Bob regardent la tl. 'Le gros Tex and Joe-Bob are watching television.
lot se monte 30 millions de dollars. Que 'The Lottery is at 30 million dollars. What
feriez-vous si vous gagniez?' would you do if you won?'
Tex: Moi, j'crirais sans cesse des livres de Tex: I would write philosophy books non-
philosophie. stop.
Joe-Bob: Moi j'achterais mon diplme Joe-Bob: I would buy my university

d'universit. diploma.
possibility or uncertainty
The conditional is also used to give information whose accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Journalists often use it to report
events which are not known to be true.
Tammy et Bette regardent la tl. Soudain, Tammy and Bette are watching television.
leur programme prfr est interrompu et Suddenly, their favorite program is
un commentateur annonce: interrupted and a commentator announces:
'Une tornade vient de s'abattre sur 'A tornado just struck in Hubbard, Texas.
Hubbard, Texas. Il y aurait plusieurs Allegedly, there are several casualties. An
victimes. Un tatou et un cureuil seraient armadillo and a squirrel seem to be
gravement blesss. Restez avec nous, nous seriously wounded. Stay with us, we should
devrions avoir plus de dtails d'ici quelques have more details in a few seconds ...'
secondes ...'
Presque immdiatement, le tlphone Almost immediately, the phone rings.

sonne. Tammy rpond: A ..., All?' Tammy answers: 'He ..., Hello?'
A l'autre bout, Tex dit: 'Tammy, c'est moi, At the other end, Tex says: 'Tammy, it's
Tex. Ne t'inquite pas, on va trs bien. Je me Tex. Don't worry we're fine. I'll be
rentrerai bientt.' home soon.'
reported speech (indirect discourse)
In addition, the conditional is used to represent the future in relation to a narration in the past when reported speech is
used to tell what someone said.
Tex a dit qu'il rentrerait bientt. Tex said he would be home soon.
fill in the blanks

Give the conditional of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex: Je ______ un caf, s'il vous plat. (vouloir)
2. Tex: Edouard et moi, nous ______ bien envie d'une petite liqueur. (avoir)
3. Bette: Si a ne te fais rien, je ______ aller au concert. (prfrer)
4. Tammy: Tex, c'est l'anniversaire de Fiona. Tu ______ lui offir un cadeau. (devoir)
5. Tammy: Il ______ vraiment que Tex travaille. (falloir)
6. Bette: On ______ beaucoup rencontrer Tex. (aimer)
7. Joe-Bob: ______- vous me prter de l'argent? (pouvoir)
8. Tex: J' ______ beaucoup des excuses. (apprcier)
9. Edouard: Vous ______ aimable de fermer la porte. (tre)
10. Trey: Tex, tu ______ faire plus de sport. (devoir)
11. Tex: Vous ______ intrt faire attention. (avoir)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ vivre en France. (aimer)
page: tac2
1. formation
2. uses
The past conditional represents, as its name implies, the past of the present conditional mood. In French, the past
conditional is called le pass du conditionnel or le conditionnel antrieur. Both the present and past conditional
express hypothetical situations or conditions.
formation
The past conditional is a compound tense, i.e. it has two parts, an auxiliary and the past participle. The past conditional
is formed with the conditional of the auxiliary (either avoir or tre) and the past participle of the main verb.
Past conditional = auxiliary in the conditional + past participle
dire 'to say'

j'aurais dit, I would have said nous aurions dit, we would have said
tu aurais dit, you would have said vous auriez dit, you would have said
il / elle / on aurait dit, ils / elles auraient dit,

he, she (it) / one would have said they would have said
In the past conditional (as with the pass compos), you have to choose between avoir and tre as the auxiliary. While
most verbs use avoir as an auxiliary, pronominal verbs and verbs of movement generally use tre (see the Alamo of
tre). Just as for the pass compos with tre, in the past conditional with tre, the past participle agrees in gender and
in number with the subject.
partir 'to leave'

je serais parti(e), I would have left nous serions parti(e)s, we would have left
tu serais parti(e), you would have left vous seriez parti(s), you would have left
il / elle / on serait parti/partie, ils / elles seraient partis/parties,

he, she (it) / one would have left they would have left
uses
Like the present conditional, the past conditional is used for hypotheses.
Unlike the present conditional, however, it is used to describe or imagine
events and actions which failed to happen. This is why it is often used to
express regret about events which did not occur. In most cases, the past
conditional is translated as meaning would have as in English. However,
j'aurais pu means 'I could have'; j'aurais d means 'I should have', and
j'aurais voulu means 'I would have liked'.
Tex: J'aurais aim tre Tex: I would have liked to

artiste. be an artist.
Corey: J'aurais voulu tre Corey: I would have liked
beau. to be handsome.
Tammy: Je n'aurais pas d Tammy: I should not have
couter Bette. listened to Bette.
Edouard: J'aurais pu tre Edouard: I could have
un chef clbre! been a famous chef!
The past conditional is found in si clauses with the pluperfect. This is because si clauses with the pluperfect also describe
events that did not occur, or rather conditions which were not fulfilled so that the event in the past conditional could
occur. In the dialogue below, all the verbs in the past conditional describe events that would have happened had the
original condition been fulfilled. Note that the unfulfilled condition is implied in each occurrence of the past conditional.
Tex et Edouard discutent de la vie en Tex and Edouard are discussing life in
Amrique. America.
Edouard: Si tu n'avais pas vendu de T- Edouard: If you hadn't sold t-shirts to

shirts aux touristes, qu'est-ce qui serait tourists, what would have happened?
arriv?
Tex: Ben, d'un ct, je serais rest en Tex: Well, on the one hand, I would have
France, bien sr. Mais, de l'autre, je stayed in France, of course. But on the
n'aurais pas connu le Texas et je ne serais other hand, I would not have seen Texas
pas devenu ami avec Tammy. Et tous mes and I would not have become friends with
copains ici auraient perdu l'occasion de Tammy. And all my friends here would
connatre un philosophe distingu! have lost the opportunity to know a
distinguished philosopher!
possibility or uncertainty
The past conditional, like the present conditional, gives information on a past event about which the accuracy cannot be
guaranteed. It is used by journalists and reporters.
Tammy et Bette regardent la tl. Soudain, Tammy and Bette are watching television.
leur programme prfr est interrompu et Suddenly, their favorite program is
un commentateur annonce: interrupted and a commentator announces:
'Une tornade vient de s'abattre sur 'A tornado just struck in Hubbard, Texas. It
Hubbard, Texas. Elle aurait fait plusieurs is said to have caused several casualties.
victimes. Un tatou et un cureuil auraient t An armadillo and a squirrel seem to have
gravement blesss ... ' been seriously wounded ...'
Presque immdiatement, le tlphone Almost immediately, the phone rings.

sonne. Tammy rpond 'A ... , All?' A Tammy answers, 'He ... , Hello?' At the
l'autre bout, Tex dit 'Tammy, c'est moi, other end, Tex says, 'Tammy, it's me Tex.
Tex. Ne t'inquite pas, on va trs bien. Je Don't worry we're fine. I'll be home soon.'
rentrerai bientt.'
reported speech (indirect discourse)

Just as the conditional represents the future in a past time narration, the past conditional represents the future perfect
(futur antrieur) in a past time narration to tell what someone would have done.
Tex a dit qu'il serait rentr plus tt, si Tex said he would have been home sooner,
l'orage n'avait pas clat. if it had not stormed.
fill in the blanks

Give the past conditional of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy ______ en France, s'ils avaient pu. (rester)
2. Tex ______ honte de ses parents, s'il les avait connus. (avoir)
3. Edouard: Je ______ en avance, si j'avais pu! (arriver)
4. Rita: J'______ plus tt mon mari, si j'avais pu. (quitter)

5. Tammy: Fiona et moi, nous ______ le concours, si nous avions jou. (gagner)
6. Tammy: Tex et Joe-Bob, vous ______ ma tarte aux pommes. (aimer)
7. Rita: Tex, tu ______ au Texas, si tu ne t'tais pas perdu. (grandir)
8. Tammy ______ infirmire, si elle n'avait pas fait du franais. (devenir)
9. Joe-Bob ______ A & M, s'il avait pu. (aller)
10. Tammy: Edouard, tu ______ de ketchup, si tu tais rest en France. (ne pas servir)
11. Corey ______ sans insecticide. Il adore l'insecticide. (mourir)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ toute la soire, si Bette avait t l. (se disputer)
page: tac3
1. si + prsent
2. si + imparfait
3. si + plus-que-parfait
Si clauses (if clauses in English) indicate possibilities, which may or may not become reality. They refer to the present,
past, and future. These conditional sentences have two parts: the condition, or si clause, and the main or result clause
which indicates what will happen if the condition of the si clause is met.
The tense of the result clause depends on the tense of the si clause. In other words, the tense of the two clauses follow
a prescribed sequence.
si + present (prsent)
si clause result clause
present
or
si + present
future
(possible condition)
or
imperative
This first type of si clause is used in cases where the condition may be fulfilled and thus the consequence is seen as
possible. In the following dialogue, you will hear si clauses in the present followed by result clauses in the present, in
the future and in the imperative:
Tammy est en train de lire un petit quizz Tammy is reading a little quiz about
sur la personnalit et l'amour dans un personality and love in a magazine.
magazine.
Tammy: Si tu veux, tu peux rpondre aux Tammy: If you want, you can answer the
questions, Tex. questions, Tex.
Tex: D'accord. Mais si tu peux, choisis les Tex: OK, but choose the juiciest questions
questions les plus croustillantes! if you can!
Tammy: Entendu. Premire question: Tammy: OK. First question: What will you
Qu'est-ce que vous ferez demain ... si vous do tomorrow ... if you find the love of your
trouvez l'amour de votre vie? life?
Tex: Si je rencontre l'amour de ma vie, je Tex: If I meet the love of my life, I will
l'pouserai, bien sr! marry her, of course!
Note that either the si clause or the result clause may begin a sentence, but the same tenses remain specific to each
clause ('Qu'est-ce que vous ferez demain si vous trouvez l'amour de votre vie?' is the same as 'Si vous trouvez l'amour
de votre vie, qu'est-ce que vous ferez?')
si + imperfect (imparfait)
si + imperfect
conditional
(contrary to current facts)
This second type of si clause is contrary to fact in the present. The consequence is thus seen as impossible. Note that
in French, the imperfect is used in the si clause, never the conditional.
Le quizz continue. The quiz continues.
Tammy: Si vous tiez une voiture, que If you were a car, what would you be?
seriez-vous?
Tex: Si j'tais une voiture, je serais la Tex: If I were a car, I would be the
lgendaire 2CV. legendary 2CV.
Tammy: Si vous tiez un fruit, lequel Tammy: If you were a fruit, which one
choisiriez-vous? would you choose?
Tex: Si j'tais un fruit, je choisirais le Tex: If I were a fruit, I would choose

raisin pour pouvoir me transformer en vin. grapes, so that I could be transformed into
wine.
Tammy: Si vous tiez une femme, que Tammy: If you were a woman, what would
feriez-vous? you do?
Tex: Si j'tais une femme, je ne lirais pas Tex: If I were a woman, I would not read
les quiz dans les magazines. the quizzes in magazines.
si + pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
si + pluperfect
past conditional
(contrary to past facts)
This last type of si clause is used for situations that are contrary to past fact. The result clause thus expresses an
unrealized past possibility.
Et le quizz continue. And the quiz continues.
Tammy: Qu'est-ce que vous auriez fait, si Tammy: What would you have done, if you
vous tiez n College Station? had been born in College Station?
Tex: Si j'tais n College Station, j'aurais Tex: If I had been born in College Station, I
prfr Texas A&M UT. Quelle horreur! would have preferred Texas A&M over UT!
How terrible!
Tammy: Si vous n'aviez pas connu Tammy, Tammy: If you hadn't met Tammy, what
qu'est-ce que vous auriez fait? would you have done?
Tex: Je n'aurais jamais rpondu un tel Tex: I would never have taken such a quiz,
quizz, si je n'avais pas connu Tammy! if I hadn't met Tammy!
Distinguish between si clauses (if -clauses) and questions that are reported in indirect speech. Observe the difference
between these two sentences:
Question in indirect Tex demande si Tammy est Tex is asking if Tammy is

speech prte. ready.
Tex: Tammy, si tu es prte, Tex: Tammy, if you are

Si clause on peut partir tout de suite. ready, we can leave right
now.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Si Tex invite Tammy au restaurant, elle ______ . (accepter)
2. Tex ______ avec Bette s'il l'aimait. (se marier)
3. La police ______ Tex, s'il n'avait pas vendu des t-shirts dans le mtro. (ne pas arrter)
4. Edouard Tex: 'Appelle-moi si tu ______ prendre un verre ce soir. (vouloir)
5. Si j'ai le temps, je ______ au frisbee le weekend. (joue)
6. Si les nonnes n'avaient pas trouv Tex l'aroport, il______ clochard ('bum'). (devenir)
7. Tex n'aurait pas aim Tammy si son nez ______ plus petit (tre)
8. Trey: Tammy, si tu veux, on ______ aller au cinma. (pouvoir)
9. Si Rita vient chez nous ce weekend, nous ______ certainement au parc. (aller)
10. Si Edouard ______ plus rapide, il gagnerait plus de pourboires. (tre)
11. Trey ______ trs heureux s'il avait une petite amie. (tre)
12. Si nous ______ en France, nous irions Lyon. (tre)
page: tad1
1. reporting statements
2. reporting questions
3. reporting orders
4. reporting answers
reporting statements
To report what someone else says or thinks, link the main clause (il dit, il pense, etc.) and the subordinate clause with
que (qu' in front of a word beginning with a vowel):
Tex et Tammy ont une querelle Tex and Tammy are having a lovers' tiff.
d'amoureux. Fiona essaie de les Fiona is trying to patch things up.
raccommoder.
Tammy: Tu ne m'coutes jamais! Tammy: You never listen to me!
Tex (devant la tl): Je n'ai pas entendu. Tex (in front of the TV): I did not hear.
Fiona: Elle dit que tu ne l'coutes jamais. Fiona: She is saying that you never listen
to her.
reporting questions
To report simple yes/no questions, use si . Note that si changes to s' in front of a word beginning with an i (s'il ), but
does not change before other vowels (si elle, si on).
Tammy: Est-ce que tu vas faire un effort? Tammy: Are you going to make an effort?
Tex (toujours devant la tl): Quoi? Tex (still in front of the TV): What?
Fiona: Elle te demande si tu vas faire un Fiona: She is asking you if you are going to
effort. make an effort.
Tex: Bien sr, mais aprs le match de foot. Tex: Sure, but after the soccer game.
To report an information question use the interrogative word quand, comment, o, etc.:
Tammy: O tais-tu hier soir? Comment Tammy: Where were you last night? How
as-tu rencontr cette grande blonde? did you meet that tall blonde? When does
Quand finit ce match? this game finish?
Tex: Comment? Tex: Excuse-me?
Fiona: Elle te demande o tu tais hier soir, Fiona: She is asking you where you were
comment tu as rencontr cette grande last night, how you met that tall blonde and
blonde et quand ce match finit. when this game finishes.
To report questions starting with que, qu'est-ce que, and qu'est-ce qui, use ce que and ce qui . Note that the
inverted subject and verb return to normal order when reporting a que question:
Tex: Je ne comprends pas! Qu'est-ce qu'elle Tex: I don't understand! What does she
veut dire? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? mean? What's going on?
Fiona: Tammy, Tex ne comprend pas ce que Fiona: Tammy, Tex does not understand
tu veux dire. Il ne comprend pas ce qui se what you mean. He does not understand
passe. what's going on.
Tammy: Que faisait-il avec cette grande Tammy: What was he doing with that tall
blonde? blonde?
Fiona: Tex, Tammy veut savoir ce que tu Fiona: Tex, Tammy wants to know what
faisais avec cette grande blonde. you were doing with that tall blonde.
reporting orders
To report an order, replace the imperative by de (d') + infinitive:
Tammy: Tex, teins tout de suite cette Tammy: Tex, turn this TV off immediately!
tlvision! Ecoute-moi! Ne fais pas l'idiot! Listen to me! Don't be stupid!
Tex: Pardon? Tex: Excuse me?
Fiona: Tammy t'ordonne d'teindre tout de Fiona: Tammy is ordering you to turn this
suite cette tlvision. En plus, elle te dit de TV off immediately. And she is telling you
l'couter. Elle te demande de ne pas faire to listen to her. She is asking you not to be
l'idiot. stupid.
reporting answers
To report yes and no answers, use que:
Plus tard, Fiona raconte la fin de l'histoire Later, Fiona tells the end of the story to her
ses amis. friends.
Fiona: . . . et soudain, Tammy demande Fiona: . . . and suddenly, Tammy asks Tex
Tex s'il peut teindre la tl et il lui rpond if he can turn off the TV and he answers
que NON. NO.
fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences to report what Tammy and Tex are saying.
1. Tex : Que veut Bette? => Tex demande _________ Bette veut.
2. Tammy : Regarde-moi Tex! => Tammy dit Tex ___________.
3. Tex : Je suis fatigu. => Tex dit _____________ fatigu.
4. Tex : O vit Bette? => Tex demande _____________ Bette vit.
5. Tammy : Est-ce que tu vas au cinma? => Tammy demande ________ tu vas au cinma.
6. Tammy : Quand est-ce que Tex rentre? => Tammy veut savoir ____________ Tex rentre.
7. Tex : Qu'est-ce qui se passe? => Tex demande __________ se passe.
8. Tammy : Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce week-end? => Tammy demande _______ tu fais ce week-end.
9. Tammy : Tex, arrte de faire l'idiot! => Tammy dit Tex _______ de faire l'idiot.
10. Tex : J'adore fumer! => Tex dclare __________ adore fumer.
11. Tex : Qui vient dner ce soir? => Tex veut savoir ___________ vient dner ce soir.
12. Tammy : Chante la Marseillaise Tex! => Tammy demande Tex ________ la Marseillaise.
page: tad2
1. reporting statements
2. what tense in the subordinate clause?
3. reporting questions
4. reporting orders
5. reporting answers
reporting statements
To report what has been said or thought in the past, link the main clause introduced by 'il a dit', 'je pensais', etc. and
the subordinate clause with que /qu'. The tense of the verb in the subordinate clause also changes.
Trey: Je suis amoureux de toi Tammy! Trey: I am in love with you Tammy.
Tammy: Comment? Tex m'a dit que tu avais Tammy: What? Tex told me you had a
une petite amie! girlfriend!
what tense in the subordinate clause?

When the main clause is in the past, the subordinate clause must also be in the past tense.
They belong to the same time frame. This rule is known in French as the 'concordance des
temps,' the agreement or concordance of the tenses. Look at these examples:
quote reported speech

present => imparfait
Tammy: H Tex, j'aime beaucoup ton frre Elle a dit qu'elle aimait beaucoup Trey. (She
Trey. (Hey Tex, I really like your brother said that she really liked Trey.)
Trey.
pass compos => plus-que-parfait

Tammy : Trey est devenu sexy. (Trey has Elle a dit que Trey tait devenu sexy. (She
become sexy.) said that Trey had become sexy.)
future => conditional

Tammy : Nous louerons la vido 'Les Elle a dit qu'ils loueraient la vido ... (She
Liaisons dangereuses.' (We'll rent the video said that they would rent the video ...)
'Dangerous Liaisons.')
reporting questions
To report yes/no questions, use si . Note that si changes to s' in front of a word beginning with an i (s'il ), but does not
change before other vowels (si elle, sion).
Tammy: Tu aimes les films rotiques? Tammy: Do you like erotic films?
Trey: Qu'est-ce que tu as dit? Trey: What did you say?
Tammy: Je t'ai demand si tu aimais les Tammy: I asked if you liked erotic films.
films rotiques.
To report an information question use the interrogative word quand, comment, o, etc.:
Trey: Quand vas-tu quitter mon frre? Trey: When are you going to leave my
brother?
Tammy: Qu'est-ce que tu disais? Tammy: What were you saying?
Trey: Je te demandais quand tu allais quitter Trey: I was asking you when you were
mon frre. going to leave my brother.
To report questions starting with que, qu'est-ce que, and qu'est-ce qui, use ceque (ce qu') and ce qui :
Tex: Trey, qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce soir Tex: Trey, what are you going to do tonight
avec Tammy? with Tammy?
Trey: Qu'est-ce que tu as dit? Trey: What did you say?
Tex: Je te demandais ce que tu allais faire Tex: I was asking what you were goint to
ce soir avec Tammy. do with Tammy tonight.
reporting orders
To report an order, replace the imperative by de / d' + infinitive:
Tex: Sois poli avec Tammy! Ne flirte pas Tex: Be polite with Tammy! Don't flirt with
avec elle! her!
Trey: Hein? Trey: Huh?
Corey: Tex t'a dit d'tre poli avec Tammy et Corey: Tex told you to be polite with
de ne pas flirter avec elle! Tammy and not to flirt with her!
reporting answers
Note that to report yes/no sentences, use que:
Trey: Tammy, tu veux m'pouser? Trey: Tammy, do you want to marry me?
Tammy: Non. Tammy: No.
Trey: Qu'as-tu dit? Trey: What did you say?
Tammy: Je t'ai dit que non. C'est Tex que Tammy: I told you no. It is Tex I love.
j'aime!
Fiona et Bette ont entendu dire que Trey a Fiona and Bette have heard rumors that
demand Tammy de l'pouser. Trey has proposed to Tammy.
Fiona: Je t'assure Bette, Trey m'a racont Fiona: Really Bette, Trey told me that he
qu'il avait achet une grosse bague en had bought a big diamond ring for Tammy.
diamants pour Tammy.
Bette: Et moi qui croyait que Trey tait Bette: And I thought that Trey was in love
amoureux de moi! Quelle dception! with me! What a disappointment!
Fiona: Mais je n'ai pas su si Tammy avait Fiona: But I did not find out if Tammy had
racont l'histoire Tex ou si elle avait gard told the story to Tex or if she had kept it
le secret! Alors chut! secret ... So shush!
fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences in order to report what Tammy and Tex said yesterday.
1. Tammy : Quand est-ce que tu vas aller chez Paw-Paw? => Hier, Tammy a demand Tex
_______________ aller chez Paw-Paw.
2. Tex : Tammy, Bette a tlphon. => Hier, Tex a dit Tammy __________________ .
3. Tex : Allons au Mexique! => Hier, Tex a propos Tammy ____________ au Mexique.
4. Tex : Je viens de finir un roman! => Hier, Tex a annonc ____________________ un roman.
5. Tammy : Nous nous marierons en France. => Hier, Tammy a dit qu'__________________ en France.
6. Tex : Qu'est ce qui s'est pass? => Hier, Tex a demand __________________ .
7. Tammy : Aimes-tu les films d'horreur Tex? => Tammy a demand Tex ______________ les films
d'horreur.
8. Tex : Rita a dmnag. => Hier, Tex a dit que Rita _________________ .
9. Tammy : Tex, tu a eu tort. => Hier Tammy a dit Tex _______________________ tort.
10. Tex : J'adore fumer! => Hier, Tex a dclar __________ fumer.
11. Tex : Qui va venir? => Hier, Tex voulait savoir ___________ venir.
12. Tammy : Tex, qu'est-ce que tu veux pour ton anniversaire? => Hier Tammy a demand Tex
_________________ pour son anniversaire.
page: taf1
1. formation
2. uses
3. aller in the imperfect + infinitive
formation
There are two future tenses in French, the simple future and the near future (le futur proche). The futur proche is
usually translated into English as going + infinitive (e.g., going to eat, going to drink, going to talk). The futur proche is
characteristic of spoken French but may be used in informal writing. It is formed with the verb aller (to go) conjugated in
the present tense followed by an infinitive.
nager 'to swim'

je vais nager, I am going to swim nous allons nager, we are going to swim
tu vas nager, you are going to swim vous allez nager, you are going to swim
il, elle / on va nager, he, she (it) / one is ils / elles vont nager, they are going to swim
going to swim
To negate the futur proche, place ne ... pas around the conjugated form of aller: Je ne vais pas nager. (I am not going to
swim).
Corey: Je vais aller Barton Springs. Corey: I am going to go to Barton Springs.

J'adore l'eau. Je vais nager. Tu viens avec I love water. I am going to swim. Are you
moi, Bette? coming with me, Bette?
Bette: Tu es fou! Il fait trop froid! Je ne vais Bette: Are you crazy? It is too cold! I am
pas nager! not going to swim!
uses
The futur proche is used to refer to most future events in informal conversation. For details on usage see future: usage.
Corey: Tex! Tammy! Nous allons aller Corey: Tex! Tammy! We are going to go to
Barton Springs. Barton Springs.
Bette: Mais il y a de gros nuages gris, il va Bette: But there are big gray clouds. It's
pleuvoir. going to rain.
Corey: Chouette! Je vais nager sous la Corey: Great! I am going to swim in the
pluie. rain.
aller in the imperfect + infinitive
The construction aller + infinitive is also found with the verb aller in the imperfect (l'imparfait) to indicate what someone
was going to do. For example:
Les copains allaient partir pour Barton The friends were going to leave for
Springs, quand ils ont vu un clair. Barton Springs, when they saw lightening.
Bette: Corey, tu vas te faire lectrocuter! Bette: Corey, you are going to get yourself
Moi, je vais faire du shopping. Qui va venir electrocuted! I'm going to do some
avec moi? shopping. Who's going to come with me?
fill in the blanks

Give 'futur proche' of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Corey: Je ne sors pas ce soir. Je _________ la maison. (rester)
2. Tammy: Nous avons un examen demain. Nous _________ ce soir. (tudier)
3. Tex et Tammy ___________ en France cet t. (voyager)
4. Fiona: J'ai besoin d'argent. Je ___________ cet automne. (travailler)
5. Joe-Bob: J'ai faim. Est-ce qu'on ________ bientt? (manger)
6. Il y a du soleil. Il _________ chaud. (faire)
7. Tammy est en short, elle __________ au tennis. (jouer)
8. Tex et Tammy vont la campagne. Eduard ____________ un pique-nique pour ses amis. (prparer)
9. C'est la Saint Valentin, et Tex ___________ d'acheter une carte pour Tammy. (ne pas oublier)
10. Tex: Aujourd-'hui, nous __________ dans la Guadeloupe, New Braunfels. (nager)
11. Fiona: Joe-Bob et Corey, il y a une fte chez Tammy dimanche. Est-ce que vous _________ des amis?
(emmener)
12. Fiona: Tex, pourquoi est-ce que tu ________ en France cet t? (voyager)
page: taf2
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The 'simple' future (le futur) is so-named because it is a one-word tense. In other words, its formation is simple
because there is no auxiliary.
The endings for the simple future are: -ai , -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. The future stem for -er and -ir verbs is the infinitive.
For regular -re verbs, the stem is the infinitive minus the final e. In all cases, the future stem ends in -r: this sound
characterizes the future and the conditional.The French simple future tense is generally translated into English with the
modal auxiliary 'will.'
Listen carefully to the future conjugation of regular -er verbs, where the e of the infinitive changes in pronunciation.
nager 'to swim'

je nagerai , I will swim nous nagerons, we will swim
tu nageras, you will swim vous nagerez, you will swim
il, elle / on nagera, ils / elles nageront, they will swim

he, she (it) / one will swim
Some -er verbs with spelling changes in the present form their future regularly, that is, their future stem is the
infinitive. These include verbs like prfrer (je prfrerai), manger (je mangerai) and commener (je commencerai). Other
-er verbs with spelling changes in the present (appeler, employer, acheter) have irregular future stems.
rflchir 'to think'

je rflchirai , I will think nous rflchirons, we will think
tu rflchiras, you will think vous rflchirez, you will think
il, elle / on rflchira, he, she (it) / one will ils / elles rflchiront, they will think
think
rendre 'to give back'

je rendrai , I will give back nous rendrons, we will give back
tu rendras, you will give back vous rendrez, you will give back
il, elle / on rendra, he, she (it) / one will give ils / elles rendront, they will give back
back
Many verbs which are irregular in the present tense have regular formations in the future. Their future stems are the
infinitive or the infinitive minus the final e. Such verbs include sortir (je sortirai), partir (je partirai), dormir (je dormirai),
boire (je boirai), dire (je dirai), crire (j'crirai), lire (je lirai), mettre (je mettrai), prendre (je prendrai), and suivre (je
suivrai).
uses
The simple future is used to refer to future events, that is, to make predictions. It is more formal than the immediate
future, although both tenses may be used in most contexts. For further details, see future: usage.
Tammy imagine sa lune de miel avec Tex. Tammy imagines her honeymoon with Tex.
Tammy: Nous prendrons le Concorde Tammy: We will take the Concorde to

Paris, bien sr. On restera dans un htel Paris, of course. We will stay in a three-
trois toiles et nous mangerons dans des star hotel and we will eat in chic
restaurants chics. Nous flnerons au long restaurants. We will stroll along the
des Champs-Elyses bras dessus, bras Champs-Elyses arm in arm and you will
dessous et tu m'offriras du parfum et des give me perfume and flowers. At night we
fleurs. La nuit nous descendrons la Seine en will go down the Seine on a sightseeing
boat. Ah, married life, paradise on earth.
bateau mouche. Ah, la vie conjugale, un
paradis terrestre.
fill in the blanks

Give the futur simple of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy ______ ensemble. (partir)
2. Tammy ______ ses tudes. (finir)
3. Tammy: J' ______ un livre. (crire)
4. Tammy: Je ______ les habitudes de Tex. (comprendre)
5. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ beaucoup. (voyager)
6. Tex: Mes neveux, vous ______ la philosophie! (aimer)
7. Tammy: Tex, tu ______ la table, n'est-ce pas? (mettre)
8. Tammy ______ sans cesse. (chanter)
9. Joe-Bob ______ des cours faciles. (suivre)
10. Tex: Bette, est-ce que tu ______ Tammy? (respecter)
11. Joe-Bob ______ pendant quatre jours. (dormir)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ . (se tlphoner)
page: taf3
1. irregular future stems

2. future stems of verbs with spelling changes
3. uses
The 'simple' future is so-named because it is a one-word tense. In other words, its formation is simple because there is
no auxiliary. The stem of the simple future always ends with the letterr, which is the characteristic sound of the future
and conditional tenses.
For a list of irregular verbs which form their future in the same way as regular verbs do, see future: regular.
irregular future stems

Some irregular verbs also have irregular future stems. Nevertheless, the future endings are the same for all verbs: -ai , -
as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. The future stem for the verb tre is ser- and the future stem for the verb avoir is aur-.
tre 'to be'

je serai , I will be nous serons, we will be
tu seras, you will be vous serez, you will be
il, elle / on sera, he, she (it) / one will be ils / elles seront, they will be
avoir 'to have'

j'aurai , I will have nous aurons, we will have
tu auras, you will have vous aurez, you will have
il, elle / on aura, he, she (it) / one will have ils / elles auront, they will have
Here are the most common verbs that have irregular future stems:
infinitive stem future translation
aller ir- j'irai I will go
courir courr- je courrai I will run
devoir devr- je devrai I will be obliged to
envoyer enverr- j'enverrai I will send
faire fer- je ferai I will do
falloir faudr- il faudra it will be necessary
mourir mourr- je mourrai I will die
obtenir obtiendr- j'obtiendrai I will obtain
pleuvoir pleuvr- il pleuvra it will rain
pouvoir pourr- je pourrai I will be able
recevoir recevr- je recevrai I will receive
savoir saur- je saurai I will know
tenir tiendr- je tiendrai I will hold

venir viendr- je viendrai I will come
voir verr- je verrai I will see
vouloir voudr- je voudrai I will want
future stems of verbs with spelling changes

Verbs with spelling changes like appeler, employer, and acheter add -r to the present tense je form to create their future
stems:
present tense stem future translation
j'appelle appeller- j'appellerai I will call
j'emploie emploier- j'emploierai I will use
j'achte achter- j'achterai I will buy
Other -er verbs verbs with spelling changes including prfrer, manger, and commener have regular future stems.
uses
The simple future is used to refer to future events, that is, to make predictions. It is more formal than the immediate
future, although both tenses may be used in most contexts. For further details, see future: usage.
Tammy est en train d'crire un livre de Tammy is writing a science-fiction book:

science-fiction:
En l'an 3000, il ne pleuvra plus sur la In the year 3000, it will not rain any longer
plante Terre. Tout le monde aura trs peur on the planet Earth. Everybody will be very
et des centaines de personnes mourront. Le afraid and hundreds of people will die. The
sol deviendra strile. Certains iront vivre sur soil will become sterile. Some people will
la Lune. Les autres devront habiter sur go to live on the Moon. Others will have to
Mars. Les villes terrestres seront totalement live on Mars. The cities on the Earth will be
totally empty. No one will believe that once
vides. Personne ne voudra croire
upon a time life on earth was wonderful.
qu'autrefois la vie sur la Terre tait
merveilleuse.
Alors, Tex, tu aimes mon livre? So, Tex, do you like my book?
Tex: Ah, ma pauvre Tammy, tu n'es pas Tex: Ah, my poor Tammy, you are not
doue ... C'est nul! talented ... It's hopeless!
fill in the blanks

Give the futur simple of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy ______ la Tour Eiffel. (voir)
2. Tammy ______ toujours la cuisine. (faire)
3. Paw-Paw: Je ______ tout seul Opelousas. (mourir)
4. Tex: J'______ beaucoup d'amirateurs. (avoir)
5. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ trs contents. (tre)
6. Tex: Mes neveux, vous ______ en France, n'est-ce pas? (aller)
7. Tex: Tammy, tu ______ trop de vtements. (acheter)
8. Tammy ______ des cadeaux aux neveux de Tex. (envoyer)
9. Joe-Bob ______ son dplome. (ne pas obtenir)
10. Tammy: Tex, est-ce que tu ______ m'crire souvent? (pouvoir)
11. Bette ______ tous les secrets de Tex. (savoir)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ des prix culinaires. (recevoir)
page: taf4
1. futur proche vs. futur simple

2. differences between French and English
French has two future tenses -- the futur proche and the futur simple. The futur proche is formed with the auxiliary aller
which is followed by an infinitive (Je vais partir. 'I'm going to leave'). The futur simple doesn't have an auxiliary. Instead,
the infinitive form becomes the stem to which future endings are added (Je partirai . 'I will leave'). For more details on
the formation of these two future tenses, including irregular forms, see the related links: future: regular, future:
irregular, and futur proche.
futur proche vs. futur simple

The two tenses are virtually interachangeable in most contexts, especially in spoken French. So what is the difference? In
general, the two tenses differ in their level of formality; the future proche is used in more informal contexts and the
simple future in more formal contexts. Thus, the futur proche is primarily used in speech and less frequently in writing.
According to traditional grammars, the two tenses also differ in their relative distance to the present moment. The future
proche, also called the futur immdiat, typically refers to a time very close to the present moment, i.e, the near or
immediate future. The futur simple, on the other hand, is often used for events in the more distant future. Because the
futur simple is associated with distant future events, it often takes on a detached, objective quality making it the
preferred tense for future events that represent general truths.
Qui vivra, verra. Whoever will live, will see.

L'homme sera toujours l'homme. Man will always be man.
(Boys will be boys.)
The two tenses also indicate a difference in the speaker's perception of the future event. The futur proche indicates that
the speaker is relatively certain that the future event will actually happen. In contrast, the futur simple indicates that the
speaker is less certain of the future event coming to pass. Let's imagine a context to make this distinction more clear.
Suppose that a very disturbed man has just climbed out onto the ledge of a skyscraper. The man begins to lose his
balance. A horrified onlooker sees the man beginning to teeter and screams:
Il va tomber! He's going to fall!

Il tombera! He will fall!
In this scenario, first sentence, the one in the near future, sounds more plausible in French and in English. Why? Because
when someone loses his balance, he will invariably fall. In this case, the tense indicates both the immediacy of the future
event as well as its inevitability in the mind of the speaker. Of course, speakers are usually more certain about the
immediate future and less certain about the distant future. Does this mean that certainty and distance to the present
always go together? Not exactly. One can be certain about events in the distant future too. For example, look at the
following sentences in French and in English and try to imagine the different contexts in which they would be
appropriate.
Je vais avoir un enfant! I'm gonna have a baby!

J'aurai un enfant! I will have a baby!
In the first sentence, the speaker is either pregnant or has just received confirmation from an adoption agency.
Whatever the case may be, the speaker knows for certain that she will become a parent and indicates the inevitability of
the future event via the futur proche. But note that even though the speaker is certain about the future event, the event
is not likely to happen immediately. In the second sentence, the speaker is stating her desire to either get pregnant or to
adopt a child of her own. In this sentence the time frame for the future event is left open--maybe she will get pregnant
tomorrow, maybe she won't. Now consider the following dialogue in which Tex's sister Rita discovers she's going to have
a baby. Can you explain the choice of future tense?
Rita, qui a dj plusieurs enfants, passe un Rita, who already has several children,
test de grossesse pour savoir si elle est takes a pregnancy test to find out if she is
enceinte. Elle sort de sa chambre. pregnant. She comes out of her bedroom.
Rita: Oh ... Bon Dieu. Le test est positif. Je Rita: Oh ... Good Lord. The test is positive.
vais encore avoir quatre enfants de plus! I'm going to have four more babies!
Joe-Bob: Quatre? Joe-Bob: Four?
Rita: Oui, quatre!! Tu sais bien, les tatous Rita: Yes, four!! You know, armadillos give
accouchent de quatre enfants la fois! birth to four babies at a time!
Rita et Tammy se demandent comment les Rita and Tammy wonder how the babies are
bbs vont changer la vie de Rita. going to change Rita's life.
Rita: Encore des enfants! Je ne vais pas Rita: More children! I'm not going to hold
tenir le coup! up!
Tammy: Oh Rita, tu exagres. Aprs une Tammy: Oh Rita, you are exaggerating.
douzaine, quatre de plus ne feront aucune After a dozen, four more won't make any
diffrence! difference at all!
Rita: Aucune diffrence? HA! Je vais avoir Rita: No difference at all? HA! I'm going to
des couches changer, des repas have diapers to change, meals to prepare.
prparer. Et je ne vais plus pouvoir dormir And I'm not going to be able to sleep at
la nuit. night any more.
Tammy: Oui, tu seras un peu fatigue peut- Tammy: Yes, you will be a little tired
tre, mais la joie te donnera de l'nergie, tu maybe, but joy will give you energy. You
verras. will see.
Rita: Ma joie?! Je serai heureuse quand Rita: My joy?! I will be happy when my
mon mari aura une vasectomie. husband has a vasectomy.
differences between French and English

In general, the future tenses in French and in English are used similarly. However, there is one major difference in future
tense usage between the two languages. French requires the future tense after certain conjunctions where English usage
calls for the present tense.
Joe-Bob: Ds que Tex et Tammy seront en Joe-Bob: As soon as Tex and Tammy are
vacances, ils iront la Nouvelle-Orlans. on vacation, they will go to New Orleans.
Corey: Mais ils nous tlphoneront aussitt Corey: But they will call us as soon as they
qu'ils arriveront la Nouvelle-Orlans. arrive in New Orleans.
Joe-Bob: Lorsque Tex et Tammy Joe-Bob: When Tex and Tammy come
rentreront, ils passeront quelques jours back, they will spend a few days in
Opelousas. Opelousas.
Corey: Et quand ils reviendront Austin, Corey: And when they return to Austin,
on fera la fte! we'll have a party!
In the French examples above, the subordinate clauses starting with ds que, aussitt que, lorsque, and quand are
in the simple future because the main clauses are in the future. The action in the subordinate clause implies future tense
since it will take place at around the same time as the action in the main clause. Note the use of the present tense in the
subordinate clause of the English translations.
fill in the blanks

'Futur simple' or 'futur proche'? Fill in the blank with the appropriate future tense of the verb indicated in
parentheses.
1. Tex : Quand je serai riche, je ___________, mais pas maintenant! (me marier)
2. Tex : J'ai une ide pour un pome : je __________ tout de suite! (crire)
3. Tex : Je veux revoir la France. Je ___________ un billet d'avion immdiatement. (acheter)
4. Tammy : Aujourd'hui, c'est les soldes! Tex et moi, nous ___________ Dillards. (aller)
5. Edouard : Je suis serveur. Mais, un jour, je _________ un chef cuisinier clbre. (devenir)
6. Edouard : Quand vous vous marierez, vous ___________ votre lune de miel Paris. (passer)
7. Tammy : Je/J' ___________ toujours Tex. (aimer)
8. Bette : Je _________ toujours une femme fatale! (tre)
9. Tex : Je suis en retard. Tammy _________ contente! (ne pas tre)
10. Tammy : Il fait beau aujourd'hui. Nous __________ (faire) un picnic.
11. Rita : Je suis fatigue. Je _________ comme un bb. (dormir)
12. Corey et Joe-Bob : L'examen est demain! Nous ____________ ce soir. (rviser)
page: taf5
1. formation
2. usage
3. conjunctions
formation
The future perfect (futur antrieur) is formed with the simple future of the auxiliary (either tre or avoir), plus the past
participle of the main verb. The choice between tre and avoir as an auxiliary is the same as in the pass compos.
Future perfect = auxiliary in the future + past participle of main verb
finir 'to finish'

j'aurai fini , I will have finished nous aurons fini , we will have finished
tu auras fini , you will have finished vous aurez fini , you will have finished
il, elle / on aura fini , ils / elles auront fini ,

he, she (it) / one will have finished they will have finished
partir 'to leave'

je serai parti(e), I will have left nous serons parti(e)s, we will have left
tu seras parti(e), you will have left vous serez parti(e)(s), you will have left
il, elle / on sera parti(e), ils / elles seront parti(e)s,

he, she (it) / one will have left they will have left
Note that with the auxiliary tre, the past participle agrees in number and gender with the subject.
usage
The futur antrieur is used for an action that precedes, or will be completed before, another action in the future. While
the futur is expressed in English by 'will' + main verb (will finish), the futur antrieur is usually translated as 'will have'
+ past participle of verb (will have finished). For example:
Corey et Joe-Bob n'auront pas appris le Corey and Joe-Bob will not have learned
futur antrieur avant la fin du semestre. the future perfect before the end of the
semester.
Negation is formed as usual by placing ne / n' ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the auxiliary:
Corey et Joe-Bob n'auront certainement pas Corey and Joe-Bob will not have
compris le futur antrieur avant la fin du understood the future perfect before the
semestre. end of the semester.
conjunctions
The futur antrieur is used similarly in French and English. However, French uses the future perfect after certain
conjunctions like quand and lorsque (when) or ds que and aussitt que (as soon as) where English would use the
present tense.
Quand Tammy aura reu son diplme,Tex When Tammy gets her degree, she and Tex
et elle iront en France. go to France.
Ds que Tex et Tammy se seront maris, ils As soon as Tex and Tammy get married,
auront beaucoup de petits tatous. they will have lots of little armadillos.
In the examples above, the subordinate clauses starting with quand and ds que are in the future perfect because the
action of the subordinate clause will be performed prior to the action in the main clause.
Tex et Tammy sont une soire. Ils se Tex and Tammy are at a party. They are
disputent. having a quarrel.
Tammy: Tex, quand tu auras fini de Tammy: Tex, when you're done hitting on
draguer toutes mes copines, je voudrais te all my girl-friends, I would like to have a
dire deux mots! word with you!
Tex: Tammy, on parlera ds que tu te seras Tex: Tammy, we'll talk when you've calmed
calme! down!
Tammy: Tu es insupportable! Je ne partirai Tammy: You are unbearable! I will not

que lorsque tu te seras excus! leave until you've apologized!
Tex: Mais je m'amuse bien! On parlera de Tex: But I am having fun! We'll talk about
tout a quand la soire sera termine. all this when the party is over.
Tammy: Quand tu auras bien bu, ce sera Tammy: When you have drunk too much, it
trop tard. will be too late.
Tex: Bon, d'accord, je viens. Tex: OK, I am coming.
fill in the blanks

Give the 'futur antrieur' of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex : Tammy, l'an prochain tu m'_______ depuis 5 ans. (connatre)
2. Tammy : Demain, Tex ___________ ses promesses. (oublier)
3. Tex : J'espre que Tammy __________ son examen. (russir)
4. Tammy : Quand j' ___________ des enfants, je ressemblerai Rita. (avoir)
5. Joe-Bob: Quand est-ce que vous ___________ ? (finir)
6. Tammy : Quand Tex et Edouard __________, on pourra manger. (rentrer)
7. Tammy : Je travaillerai quand vous ____________. (partir)
8. Tammy : J'espre que Tex ______________ Edouard. (tlphoner)
9. Tex : Dans quelques annes, je __________ un pote clbre. (devenir)
10. Tammy : L'an prochain, les bbs de Rita ____________. (grandir)
11. Tex : Dans une semaine, on ____________ les cours. (terminer)
12. Tammy : J'espre que Tex ____________ une bonne journe. (passer)
page: tai1
1. formation
2. irregular imperatives
3. imperative of pronomial verbs
4. negative commands
5. pronoun object with imperatives
The imperative, (l'impratif 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 'Rptez'. It is one of four moods in the French
language. Unlike the other moods, the imperative is not divided into tenses. Keep in mind that the imperative is a very
direct way to give an order. It is often replaced with more polite alternatives like the conditional.
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 indicative, but without subject pronouns. The lack of a subject pronoun is what
identifies the imperative mood.
finir 'to finish'

present imperative translation
tu finis finis finish (you, familiar)
nous finissons finissons let's finish
vous finissez finissez finish
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 indicative form of tu ends in -es:
tu regardes regarde look
tu ouvres ouvre open
tu vas va go
When these forms are followed by the pronoun y or en, the -s is reattached for pronunciation purposes. For example:
Corey: Bette, va au supermarch! Vas-y! Et Corey: Bette, go to the supermarket! Go

achte de l'insecticide pour moi ... Tu there! And buy some insecticide for me ...
m'entends? Achtes-en pour moi! Do you hear me? Buy some for me!
Bette: Imbcile, l'insecticide est dangereux Bette: Imbecile, insecticide is dangerous for
pour les cafards! Paf! cockroaches! Pow!
Corey: Oh, Bette ... aide-moi me relever, Corey: Oh, Bette, help me back up, please.
s'il te plat.
Bette: Tu es vraiment trop bte. Je m'en Bette: You are really too stupid. I'm
vais. leaving.
irregular imperatives
There are several verbs that have irregular imperative forms.
avoir tre savoir vouloir
aie sois sache veuille
ayons soyons sachons veuillons
ayez soyez sachez veuillez
imperative of pronominal verbs

For pronominal verbs, the subject pronoun is dropped and the object pronoun is placed after the verb and is attached
with a hyphen. Te becomes toi in this situation.
se souvenir 'to remember'

tu te souviens souviens-toi remember
nous nous souvenons souvenons-nous let's remember
vous vous souvenez souvenez-vous remember
negative commands
The forms of the affirmative imperative (an order to do something) have been presented in the above charts. In
negative commands (an order not to do something), place the ne ... pas around the imperative, as in Ne regarde pas
('Don't look'). In negative commands for reflexive verbs, the object pronoun is placed in front of the verb.
Corey: Ne te moque pas de moi! Corey: Don't make fun of me!
Joe-Bob: Ne nous moquons pas de Corey! Joe-Bob: Let's not make fun of Corey!
pronoun object with imperatives

Other non-pronominal pronoun objects follow the same placement as objects of pronominal verbs. As usual, the subject
pronoun is dropped. In the negative, the ne precedes the object pronoun and the verb. In the affirmative imperative, the
pronoun object follows the verb, and the forms moi and toi replace me and te.
Corey: Aidez-moi, aidez-moi! Je n'arrive pas Corey: Help me, help me! I can't get back
me relever. up.
Joe-Bob: Retournons-le! Allez, un, deux, Joe-Bob: Let's turn him. Let's go, one, two,
trois ... Doucement, doucement. Ne le faites three ... Slowly, slowly. Don't do it too fast!
pas trop vite!
Corey: Merci, tout le monde. a va Corey: Thanks, everybody. That's much

beaucoup mieux. Allons Barton Springs better. Let's go to Barton Springs this
cet aprs-midi. afternoon.
Joe-Bob: D'accord, mais coute, d'abord je Tammy: Okay, but listen, first I have to
dois mettre mon maillot. put on my swimsuit.
Corey: Oui, bien sr, mais dpche-toi . Tex: Yes, of course, but hurry.
Joe-Bob: J'arrive. N'oublions pas Joe-Bob: I'm coming. Let's not forget the
l'insecticide. Il y a tant d'insectes insecticide. There are so many irritating
empoisonnants en ce moment! insects now.
Corey: Eh moi alors? Corey: And me?
Joe-Bob: Oh, pas toi, Corey. Tu n'es jamais Joe-Bob: Oh, not you, Corey. You are
empoisonnant! never irritating!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the imperative form of the verb between parentheses.
1. Tex : ___________ Tammy! On taient si heureux Lyon! (se rappeler)
2. Tammy : Tex, _________ tes lgumes! (finir)
3. Tex : ____________ de nous disputer! (arrter)
4. Tammy : _____________ prtentieux, Tex! (ne pas tre)
5. Tex et Tammy : ___________ rester modestes! (savoir)
6. Tammy : _________ chez le coiffeur Tex! (aller)
7. Tammy : Tu as envie d'aller chez Bette, Tex? _________-y! (aller)
8. Tammy : J'achte du vin? Tex : Oui,___________-en plusieurs bouteilles! (acheter)
9. Tammy : Ta maison n'est pas propre Tex! ___________ tes affaires! (ranger)
10. Tammy : Edouard, Corey, _____________ ! Vous allez tre en retard! (se dpcher)
11. Tex : Edouard, Corey, ceci est secret! _____________ Tammy! (ne pas parler)
12. Tex : Chers amis, ___________ tous mon anniversaire! (venir)
page: tap1
When venir is conjugated in the present and followed by de + infinitive, it means 'to have just done something.' This is
called the recent past (le pass immdiat).
Tex et Tammy viennent de regarder une Tex et Tammy have just finished watching
vido romantique. Et ils viennent de finir a romantic video. And they have just
toute une bouteille de vin. Il n'en reste plus finished a whole bottle of wine. There isn't
une goutte! a drop left!
Tammy: Oh chri, je t'aime de tout mon Tammy: Oh darling, I love you with all my
coeur. heart.
Tex: Embrasse-moi, mon petit quadrupde! Tex: Kiss me, my little quadruped!
[SMACK!] [SMACK!]
When venir is conjugated in the imparfait followed by de +infinitive, it means 'had just done something:'
Tex et Tammy venaient de s'embrasser Tex and Tammy had just kissed when Bette
quand Bette est arrive. arrived.
Bette: Oh, excusez-moi ... Je vous Bette: Oh, excuse me ... Am I interrupting
interromps? you?
Tammy: En effet, nous passons une soire Tammy: Yes, you are. We are spending a
tranquille ... quiet evening ...
Tex: Salut Bette, oh, c'est pas grave. On Tex: Hi Bette. Oh, it's OK. We just saw a
vient de regarder une vido. Assieds-toi. video. Sit down.
Tammy: Mais Tex ... Tammy: But Tex ...
Bette ronronne. Bette purrs.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with recent past ('venir' in present tense) of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Edouard ______ les clientes. (servir)
2. Corey et Joe-Bob ______ un film. (regarder)
3. Tammy: Je ______ mes devoirs. (finir)
4. Bette: Tex, est-ce que tu ______ un pome? (crire)
5. Tammy et Bette ______ Sandra Bullock. (voir)

6. Tex et Edouard: Nous ______ une bouteille de vin. (boire)
7. Joe-Bob et Corey: Nous ______ . (manger)
8. Edouard: Bette et Tammy, est-ce que vous ______ du shopping? (faire)
9. Fiona ______ une tarte piquante. (prparer)
10. Tammy: Je ______ la cathdrale. (visiter)
11. Corey ______ la piscine. (nager)
12. Tammy: Tex, est-ce que tu ______ avec Bette? (danser)

Fill in the blank with the imperfect of the recent past ('venir' in imparfait) of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex ______ le paquet. (ouvrir)
2. Tammy ______ la lettre de Bette. (dcouvrir)
3. Tammy et Tex: Nous ______ visite Paw-Paw. (rendre)
4. Fiona: Joe-Bob et Corey, vous ______ . (arriver)
5. Tammy: Bette, tu ______ Tex! (voir)
6. Tex: Tammy, tu ______ ma soeur, Rita. (rencontrer)
7. Joe-Bob et Corey: Nous ______ un article choquant. (lire)
8. Edouard: Je ______ un repas. (prendre)
9. Tammy et Bette ______ des cadeaux Tex. (offrir)
10. Rita et ses enfants ______ les jouets. (sortir)
11. Fiona: Tex et Tammy, vous ______ du ski. (faire)
12. Tex ______ un vin rouge. (choisir)
page: tap10
1. regular infinitives in -er, -ir, & -re

2. irregular verbs: avoir, tre, faire
3. other irregular verbs
The pass simple is a past tense reserved primarily for written discourse. It may, however, be used in very formal
spoken language, such as presidential addresses, sermons, or news broadcasting. It has traditionally been used only for
events completed in the distant, historical past; however, twentieth century writers sometimes use it for stylistic effect.
The pass simple will generally be translated into English by a preterit, that is, the simple past: 'I talked'. But like the
pass compos, the pass simple is used in French only to mention changes and events, while the imparfait remains the
tense used for describing the setting, the atmosphere, an ongoing state of mind, or the general situation.
regular infinitives ending in -er, -ir & -re

For all regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs, the pass simple is formed by dropping the infinitive ending, the final two letters
of the infinitive, and replacing them with the the following endings. There is no auxiliary and this is the reason why it is
called a 'simple' tense: it is a one-word tense (unlike the two-word pass compos). Many verbs, such as aller, sortir,
and suivre, which are irregular in the present indicative follow the paradigm of regular verbs in their pass simple
forms.
endings for -er verbs endings for -ir & -re verbs
-ai -mes -is -mes
-as -tes -is -tes
-a -rent -it -irent
parler 'to speak'

je parlai nous parlmes
tu parlas vous parltes
il / elle / on parla ils / elles parlrent
finir 'to finish'

je finis nous finmes
tu finis vous fintes
il / elle / on finit ils / elles finirent
perdre 'to lose'

je perdis nous perdmes
tu perdis vous perdtes
il / elle / on perdit ils / elles perdirent

irregular verbs: avoir, tre, faire
These verbs are irregular in the pass simple.
avoir 'to have'

j'eus nous emes
tu eus vous etes
il / elle / on eut ils / elles eurent
tre 'to be'

je fus nous fmes
tu fus vous ftes
il / elle / on fut ils / elles furent
faire 'to do'

je fis nous fmes
tu fis vous ftes
il / elle / on fit ils / elles firent
other irregular verbs

There are two sets of endings for the pass simple of irregular verbs
endings in -i- endings in -u-
-is -mes -us -mes
-is -tes -us -tes
-it -irent -ut -urent
Irregular verbs generally have irregular stems for the pass simple. In some cases, the stems are the same as the past
participle of the verb. Stems of a few other verbs, marked with an *, are completely irregular (such as natre, mourir,
voir). The endings are regular, however, except for venir and tenir which have irregular plural forms.
infinitive past participle pass simple
boire bu je bus, tu bus, il but, nous bmes, vous btes, ils

burent
connatre connu je connus, tu connus, il connut, nous connmes,

vous conntes, ils connurent
croire cru je crus, tu crus, il crut, nous crmes, vous crtes, ils
crurent
devoir d je dus, tu dus, il dut, nous dmes, vous dtes, ils

durent
dire dit je dis, tu dis, il dit, nous dmes, vous dtes, ils dirent
crire crit j'crivis, tu crivis, il crivit, nous crivmes, vous

crivtes, ils crivirent
falloir fallu il fallut
lire lu je lus, tu lus, il lut, nous lmes, vous ltes, ils lurent
mettre mis je mis, tu mis, il mit, nous mmes, vous mtes, ils
mirent
mourir * mort je mourus, tu mourus, il mourut, nous mourmes,

vous mourtes, ils moururent
natre * n je naquis, tu naquis, il naquit, nous naqumes, vous

naqutes, ils naquirent
ouvrir ouvert j'ouvris, tu ouvris, il ouvrit, nous ouvrmes, vous

ouvrtes, ils ouvrirent
pleuvoir plu il plut
pouvoir pu je pus, tu pus, il put, nous pmes, vous ptes, ils

purent
prendre pris je pris, tu pris, il prit, nous prmes, vous prtes, ils
prirent
recevoir reu je reus, tu reus, il reut, nous remes, vous

retes, ils reurent
rire ri je ris, tu ris, il rit, nous rmes, vous rtes, ils rirent
savoir su je sus, tu sus, il sut, nous smes, vous stes, ils

surent
tenir * tenu je tins, tu tins, il tint, nous tnmes, vous tntes, ils
tinrent
venir * venu je vins, tu vins, il vint, nous vnmes, vous vntes, ils
vinrent
vivre vcu je vcus, tu vcus, il vcut, nous vcmes, vous

vctes, ils vcurent
voir * vu je vis, tu vis, il vit, nous vmes, vous vtes, ils virent
vouloir voulu je voulus, tu voulus, il voulut, nous voulmes, vous

voultes, ils voulurent
See the conjugation reference for the conjugation of other irregular verbs in the pass simple.
Rita: Allez les enfants, c'est l'heure d'aller Rita: Let's go, children. It's time to go to
se coucher! bed!
Les enfants: Ooh! Maman, maman, lis-nous Children: Ooh! Mommy, mommy, read us a
une histoire! Oui, une histoire ... story! Yes, a story ...
Rita: Bon, d'accord. Installez-vous. Je Rita: Oh, OK. Get settled. Here we go ...
commence . . . "Il tait une fois une "Once upon a time there was a beautfil
ravissante jeune fille du nom de Cendrillon. young girl named Cinderella. To make her
Pour lui faire plaisir, son pre pousa en happy, her (widowed) father married for a
seconde noce une veuve qui avait deux second time a widow who had two girls,
filles, Anastasia et Javotte. Mais hlas, le Anastasia and Javotte. But, alas, the good
brave homme mourut peu aprs. Tout man died soon after. Everything changed
changea alors pour la fillette. Sa belle-mre for the young girl. Her stepmother gave her
lui confia les tches les plus rudes et la the hardest chores and forced her to sleep
fora coucher au grenier. Un jour, le roi in the attic. One day, the king organized a
organisa un grand bal pour marier son fils. grand ball to marry his son. Cinderella's
family was invited. Anastasia and Javotte
La famille de Cendrillon fut invite.
and their mother went to the ball, but they
Anastasia, Javotte et leur mre se rendirent
forbade Cinderella to go with them. Once
au bal mais dfendirent Cendrillon de les
alone, Cinderella started to cry. Suddenly,
accompagner. Une fois seule, Cendrillon se
Cinderella heard a voice, the voice of her
mit pleurer. Soudain, Cendrillon entendit fairy godmother ... "
une voix, la voix de sa marraine la Fe ..."
Rita: Ah ... ils se sont endormis! Rita: Ah ... they have fallen asleep!
fill in the blanks

Give the pass simple of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Des nonnes franaises ______ Tex l'aroport. (trouver)
2. Tex: Je ______ Houston. (natre)
3. Tex ______ en France. (vivre)
4. Paw-Paw: Nous ______ honte des soldats infidles. (avoir)
5. Paw-Paw: Nous ______ les premiers soldats amricains Paris. (tre)
6. Paw-Paw et ses copains ______ la musique franaise. (aimer)
7. Tex et les nonnes ______ l'abbeye. (finir)
8. Tammy ______ Fort Worth. (grandir)
9. Tex: Je ______ les oeuvres de Sartre l'ge de 7 ans. (lire)
10. Rita et sa famille ______ Tex l'aroport. (perdre)
11. Rita: Mes parents ______ sur l'autroute. (mourir)
12. Tex ______ un avion Paris. (prendre)

2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 2 Jul 04
page: tap11
1. formation
2. uses
Like the 'pass simple', the pass antrieur is a literary tense. They are often found together in the same text. The
pass antrieur is used in literature, in formal writing, and in very formal speeches, when speaking of past events which
are prior to other past actions; it is the literary equivalent of the plus-que-parfait. In other words, it is used for a past
action that was completed before another action in the past (usually expressed in the pass simple).
formation
The pass antrieur is formed with the pass simple of the appropriate auxiliary (avoir or tre) plus the past participle of
the main verb.
Pass antrior = auxiliary in the literary past + past participle of main verb
parler 'to speak'

j'eus parl, I had spoken nous emes parl, we had spoken
tu eus parl, you had spoken vous etes parl, you had spoken
il / elle / on eut parl, he / she / it had ils / elles eurent parl, they had spoken
spoken
aller 'to go'

je fus all(e), I had gone nous fmes all(e)s, we had gone
tu fus all(e), you had gone vous ftes all(e)(s), you had gone
il / elle / on fut all(e), he / she / it had gone ils / elles furent all(e)s, they had gone
For a list of verbs that use tre as an auxiliary, like aller, see the Alamo of tre. Remember that all pronominal verbs
require tre as the auxiliary verb.
se coucher 'to go to bed'

je me fus couch(e), I had gone to bed nous nous fmes couch(e)s, we had gone to
bed
tu te fus couch(e), you had gone to bed vous vous ftes couch(e)(s), you had gone
to bed
il / elle / on se fut couch(e), he / she / it ils / elles se furent couch(e)s, they had gone
had gone to bed to bed
uses
The pass antrieur occurs most often in subordinate clauses; it is introduced by conjunctions such as aprs (after),
aussitt que or dsque (as soon as). Note that, in this case, the main clause is always in the pass simple. The English
equivalent is usually (but not always) had + past participle.
prior action in the past action in the past

(pass antrieur) (pass simple)
Aussitt qu'il fut n, Tex commena parler.
As soon as he was born, Tex began to speak.
Aprs qu'il eut vcu quelques annes Paris, Tex retourna dans son pays d'origine
After he had lived several years in Paris, Tex returned to his native land.
Quand il eut publi son premier recueil de il y eut un grand scandale.

pomes rotiques,
When he had published his first collection of there was a big scandal.
erotic poems,
With quand and lorsque (when), the choice of tense depends on the meaning of each clause, as to which action occurs
first. In the last example, Tex published his poems first (pass antrieur in the dependent clause) and then there was a
scandal. However, the pass antrieur may also occur in the main clause, and the pass simple in the dependent
clause: Quand il arriva au Texas, Tex eut dj fait la connaissance de Tammy.
Les enfants: Maman, maman, raconte-nous Children: Mommy, mommy, tell us the rest
la suite de l'histoire de Cendrillon! of the story of Cinderella!
Rita: Bon, d'accord. "On dfendit Rita: Oh, OK. "Cinderella was forbidden to
Cendrillon d'aller au bal du roi et on lui go to the king's ball and was ordered to
ordonna de faire le mnage dans toute la clean the house from top to bottom. Once
maison. Une fois seule, Cendrillon se mit au alone, Cinderella started to work ... When
travail ... Quand elle eut fini de nettoyer les she had finished cleaning the windows, she
fentres, elle fit les lits. Lorsque les made the beds. When the bedrooms were
chambres furent propres, elle fit la clean, she did the dishes. Finally, after she
vaisselle. Enfin, aprs qu'elle eut rang toute had tidied up the whole house, she broke
la maison, elle clata en sanglots ... . Alors into sobs ... . Then her fairy godmother
sa marraine la Fe apparut ..." appeared ..."
On entend les enfants ronfler. Sound of the children snoring.
fill in the blanks

Give the pass antrieur of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Les nonnes franaises ______ au Texas. (voyager)
2. Tex ______ les oeuvres de Sartre. (tudier)
3. Rita: Tu ______ tout seul. (partir)

4. Tex: J'______ ma profession l'ge de 6 ans. (choisir)
5. Rita: Nous ______ sans Tex. (ne pas s'amuser)
6. Tex: Rita et Trey, vous ______ votre frre! (oublier)
7. Les parents de Tex ______ amoureux Houston. (tomber)
8. La mre suprieure ______ Lyon pendant la guerre. (venir)
9. La mre suprieure ______ plusieurs orphelins. (lver)
10. Paw-Paw ______ la femme de sa vie Paris. (connatre)
11. Paw-Paw ______ hros de la guerre. (devenir)
12. Les parents de Tex ______ sur l'autoroute. (mourir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 10 Dec 04
page: tap2
1. uses
2. formation
3. negation
uses
The pass compos is the most commonly used tense to refer to actions
completed in the past. The pass compos may be translated into English in three
different ways depending on the context.
Tex ate all the meat!

Tex a mang toute la viande! Tex has eaten all the meat!
Tex did eat all the meat!
formation
This tense is called the pass compos because it is composed of two elements: the present tense of an auxiliary verb
(either avoir or tre), followed by a past participle:
pass compos = present tense of auxiliary + past participle
Note that in most instances the auxiliary verb is avoir, but some verbs require tre as the auxiliary.
For regular verbs with an infinitive ending in -er, the past participle is formed by replacing the final -er of the infinitive
with -. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the pass compos of the verb 'parler'. The past participle (parl) is
pronounced the same as the infinitive (parler), even though they are spelled differently.
parler 'to talk'

j'ai parl, I (have) talked nous avons parl, we (have) talked
tu as parl, you (have) talked vous avez parl, you (have) talked
il, elle / on a parl, he, she (it) / one (has) ils / elles ont parl, they (have) talked
talked
The past participle of regular verbs with an infinitive ending in -ir is formed by dropping the final -r from the infinitive.
For example, the past participle of finir is fini .
finir 'to finish'

j'ai fini , I (have) finished nous avons fini , we (have) finished
tu as fini , you (have) finished vous avez fini , you (have) finished
il, elle / on a fini , he, she (it) / one (has) ils / elles ont fini , they (have) finished
finished
The past participle of regular verbs with an infinitive ending in -re is formed by replacing the final -re of the infinitive with
-u. For example, the past participle of perdre is perdu.
perdre 'to lose'

j'ai perdu, I (have) lost nous avons perdu, we (have) lost
tu as perdu, you (have) lost vous avez perdu, you (have) lost
il,elle / on a perdu, he, she (it) / one (has) ils / elles ont perdu, they (have) lost
lost
Note that many verbs, however, have irregular past participles. The past participles of many common irregular verbs
which have avoir as an auxiliary are listed below.
infinitive translation past participle
avoir to have eu
tre to be t
faire to do fait
ouvrir to open ouvert
prendre to take pris
mettre to put mis
suivre to follow suivi
boire to drink bu
croire to believe cru
voir to see vu
savoir to know su
connatre to know connu
dire to say dit
lire to read lu
crire to write crit
pouvoir to be able to pu
vouloir to want voulu
devoir to have to d
tenir to hold tenu
recevoir to receive reu
negation
Negation of the pass compos is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which, in this case, is the
auxiliary avoir.
Oh, regardez! Tex a mang toute la viande! Oh, look! Tex ate all the meat! Tammy, on
Tammy, au contraire, n'a pas mang de the other hand, did not eat any meat! She
viande! Elle est vgtarienne, comme la is a vegetarian, like most armadillos.
plupart des tatous.
Joe-Bob arrive chez Tammy. Il meurt de Joe-Bob arrives at Tammy's house. He is

faim. Mais il est trop tard. dying of hunger. But it is too late.
Joe-Bob: Tammy, j'ai perdu ma collection Joe-Bob: Tammy, I lost my nut collection.
de noix. Est-ce que je peux dner avec Can I have dinner with y'all?
vous?
Tammy: Je suis dsole, Joe-Bob. Tex a fini Tammy: I am sorry Joe-Bob. Tex finished
toute la viande. A mon avis, il a trop all the meat. In my opinion, he ate too
mang. much.
Joe-Bob: Ce n'est pas grave Tammy. Je Joe-Bob: It's okay Tammy. I can find
peux trouver quelque chose dans la cuisine something in the kitchen ... My god,
... Mon dieu, Tammy! Est-ce que tu as vu? Tammy! Have you seen? Tex threw up
Tex a dgobill partout. C'est dgueulasse! everywhere. It's disgusting!
Tammy: a ne m'tonne pas. Ce petit tatou Tammy: That doesn't surprise me. That
carnivore, il n'est pas aussi volu que moi! little carnivorous armadillo. He is not as
enlightened as I am!
fill in the blanks

Give the pass compos of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Fiona: Corey, est-ce que tu ______ de l'insecticide? (boire)
2. Tex: J' ______ de nouveaux pomes. (crire)
3. Tex et Edouard ______ le match de foot. (regarder)
4. Tex et Tammy ______ des amis hier soir. (rencontrer)
5. Tammy ______ beaucoup de crpes pour la fte. (prparer)
6. Tex ______ visite Paw-Paw. (rendre)
7. Tammy et Bette ______ du shopping hier. (faire)
8. Tammy: Corey et Joe-Bob, est-ce que vous ______ mes devoirs dans le frigo? (voir)
9. Tammy et Bette: Nous ______ n'est-ce pas, Tex? (mincir)
10. Tammy: Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ la leon? (comprendre)
11. Les tudiants ______ Tex. (ne pas obir)
12. Fiona: Alors, est-ce qu'on ______ le film? (aimer)
page: tap3
1. uses
2. formation
3. the Alamo of tre
4. irregular past participles
5. agreement of past participle
uses
There are several past tenses in French, and each is used in very specific situations.
The pass compos is the most common past tense; it is used to relate actions or
events completed in the past. The pass compos may be translated into English in
three different ways depending on the context.
Tex went to the Alamo.

Tex est all l'Alamo. Tex has gone to the Alamo.
Tex did go to the Alamo.
formation
The pass compos consists of two parts, the present tense of an auxiliary, or helping verb (either avoir or tre ), and a
past participle. In most instances the auxiliary verb used is avoir.
pass compos = present tense of auxiliary + past participle
However, several intransitive verbs, like aller (to go), require the auxiliary tre instead. Note that the past participle
agrees with the subject in number and in gender.
aller 'to go'

je suis all(e), I went (have gone) nous sommes all(e)s, we went (have gone)
tu es all(e), you went (have gone) vous tes all(e)(s), you went (have gone)
il / on est all, he / one went (has gone) ils sont alls, they went, (have gone)
elle est alle, she went (has gone) elles sont alles, they went, (have gone)
The negation is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case, is the auxiliary tre: Je ne
suis pas all(e), Tu n'es pas all(e), etc.
the Alamo of tre

Many intransitive verbs, that is, verbs not followed by a direct object, take tre in the pass compos. Many of these
verbs also indicate motion. They are verbs of coming and going. Even natre (to be born) and mourir (to die) can be
thought of as coming and going in metaphorical terms. The Alamo d'tre illustrates this group of verbs.
A few of these verbs of movement (monter, descendre,sortir, passer, retourner) may sometimes take a direct
object, thus becoming transitive. When they do, the auxiliary used is avoir, instead of tre. Example:
Tex est sorti. Tex went out.

Tex n'a pas sorti la poubelle. Tex did not take out the garbage.
It is important to note that many intransitive verbs of movement, like courir and marcher, do not use tre but avoir.
The pronominal verbs form another important group of verbs which use tre as the auxiliary in the pass compos.
irregular past participles

The past participles of the verbs that use tre as an auxiliary are regular except for the following:
infinitive translation past participle
venir to come venu
devenir to become devenu
revenir to come back revenu
natre to be born n
mourir to die mort
agreement of the past participle

The past participle of a verb which takes tre agrees in gender and number with the subject; that means an -e is added
to the past participle to agree with a feminine subject and an -s is added for a plural subject. If the subject is feminine
plural, -es is added.
Joe-Bob: Tex, Corey et toi, vous tes Joe-Bob: Tex, did you and Corey come
rentrs de l'Alamo? back from the Alamo?
Tex: Oui. Mais Tammy et Bette sont restes Tex: Yes. But Tammy and Bette stayed in
San Antonio pour faire des achats. San Antonio to go shopping.
Corey: Tu n'as pas entendu? Tout d'un Corey: Didn't you hear? All of a sudden
coup Tammy est devenue toute ple et elle Tammy turned very pale and she fell in the
est tombe dans la rivire! river!
Joe-Bob: Mais, qu'est-ce qui s'est pass? Joe-Bob: But, what happened?
Corey: Calme-toi. Elle n'est pas morte! Tex Corey: Calm down. She didn't die! Tex and
et moi sommes arrivs pour la sauver! I arrived to save her!
fill in the blanks
1. Tammy ______ en France il y a un an. (aller)
2. Edouard ______ en retard, comme toujours. (arriver)
3. Hier Tammy ______ dans le cours d'arobique 'step'. (tomber)
4. Fiona: Moi, je ______ la maison hier soir. (rester)
5. Fiona: Corey et Joe-Bob, vous ______ trs tard aprs la fte. (rentrer)
6. Tammy et Bette ______ ensemble. (venir)
7. Les enfants de Rita ______ en mai. (natre)
8. Tammy: Tex, pourquoi est-ce que tu ______ avec Bette? (partir)
9. Tex: Mes parents ______ sur l'autoroute. (mourir)
10. Tex: Je ______ une fois avec une fille qui s'appelle Marianne. (sortir)
11. Aprs la guerre, Paw-Paw ______ hros. (devenir)
12. Tex et Tammy ______ au rez-de-chausse. (descendre)
page: tap4
1. formation
2. past participle agreement
3. past participle agreement: exceptions
4. negation
A pronominal verb is a verb which has a reflexive pronoun, that is, a pronoun referring back to its subject. These verbs
are easily recognized by the pronoun se before the infinitive: se lever, se laver, se promener, etc.
formation
In the pass compos, pronominal verbs are conjugated with tre as their auxiliary. Past participles of pronominal
verbs are formed like nonpronominal past participles. Note that the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se)
precedes the auxiliary.
s'amuser 'to have fun'

je me suis amus(e), I had fun nous nous sommes amus(e)s, we had fun
tu t'es amus(e), you had fun vous vous tes amus(e)(s), you had fun
il / on s'est amus, he / one had fun ils se sont amuss, they had fun
elle s'est amuse, she had fun elles se sont amuses, they had fun
past participle agreement

It is important to note that, in most cases, the past participle of pronominal verbs agrees in gender and number with the
gender and number of the reflexive pronoun, that is, an e is added to the past participle to agree with a feminine subject
and an s is added for a plural subject.
Tammy: Je me suis rveill e trs tt ce Tammy: I got up really early this morning.
matin.
Tex: Moi, je me suis rveill trs tard! Tex: I got up really late!
past participle agreement: exceptions

The past participle does not agree if there is a direct object following the verb which is a part of the body:
Tammy: Je me suis lave. Tammy: I washed.
Et ensuite je me suis lav les cheveux. And then, I washed my hair.
In the second example, the direct object les cheveux is placed after the verb, so there is no agreement.
Furthermore, in cases where the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object rather than a direct object, as in the verb se
parler (parler ), there is no agreement.
Tammy: Puis, Bette et moi, nous nous Tammy: Then, Bette and I talked to each
sommes parl. other.
negation
In the negative, the ne precedes the reflexive pronoun and the pas follows the auxiliary:
je ne me suis pas amus(e) nous ne nous sommes pas

amus(e)(s)
tu ne t'es pas amus(e) vous ne vous tes pas amus(e)(s)
il / on ne s'est pas amus ils ne se sont pas amuss
elle ne s'est pas amuse elles ne se sont pas amuses
Tammy: Bonjour Tex! Oh l l! Tu ne t'es Tammy: Hi Tex! Oh dear! You did not
pas ras ce matin? shave this morning?
Tex: Oh a va hein! Mon rveil n'a pas Tex: Oh that's enough, OK! My alarm clock
sonn! Je me suis rveill trop tard. Et toi, did not go off! I woke up too late. Did you
tu t'es rase? shave?
Tammy: Monsieur Tex s'est lev du pied Tammy: Mister Tex got up on the wrong
gauche aujourd'hui! side of the bed today!
fill in the blanks

1. Tammy: Hier soir, Tex et moi, nous ______ prs de la rivire. (se promener)
2. Corey ______ trs vite ce matin. (s'habiller)
3. Joe-Bob:Je ______ en classe aujourd'hui. (s'endormir)
4. Bette et Tammy ______ au gymnase. (s'amuser)
5. Fiona: Tex et Tammy, est-ce que vous ______ ? (se marier)
6. Tex: Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ en cours aujourd'hui? (s'ennuyer)
7. Tammy ______ contre Tex la fte. (se fcher)
8. Edouard et Tex ______ aprs la course. (se reposer)
9. Tammy: Qu'est-ce qui ______ l'arrt d'autobus? (se passer)
10. Bette ______ ct de Tex. (s'asseoir)
11. Bette: Je ______ cent fois ce matin. (se laver)
12. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ trs tard. (se coucher)
page: tap5
1. stem
2. endings
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait), one of several past tenses in French, is used to describe states of being and habitual
actions in the past. It also has several idiomatic uses.
stem
The stem of the imparfait is the first person plural (nous) form of the present tense, minus the -ons. The imparfait
stem is regular for all verbs except tre:
verb present tense imparfait

'nous' form stem
-er verbs: parler nous parlons parl -
-ir verbs: finir nous finissons finiss-
-re verbs: descendre nous descendons descend-
faire nous faisons fais-
prendre nous prenons pren-
partir nous partons part-
tre nous sommes t-
endings
To the stem, add the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, and -aient. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs
danser, finir and tre in the imparfait tense. Note that -ais, -ais, -ait, and -aient are all pronounced alike. That means
that the singular forms and 3rd person plural (the boot) all sound the same!
danser 'to dance'

je dansais nous dansions
tu dansais vous dansiez
il / elle / on dansait ils / elles dansaient
finir 'to finish'

je finissais nous finissions
tu finissais vous finissiez
il / elle / on finissait ils / elles finissaient
tre 'to be'

j'tais nous tions
tu tais vous tiez
il / elle / on tait ils / elles taient
Stem changing verbs like voyager and commencer add an e or to maintain the soft g or s sound, before imparfait
endings which begin with a (je voyageais, tu voyageais, il / elle / on voyageait, ils / elles voyageaient), in other words,
before all forms except nous and vous (nous voyagions, vous voyagiez).
The imparfait of pronominal verbs is regular, with the addition of the reflexive pronoun:
s'amuser 'to have fun'

je m'amusais nous nous amusions
tu t'amusais vous vous amusiez
il / elle / on s'amusait ils / elles s'amusaient
The negation is formed as usual by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb: Je ne dansais pas (I wasn't dancing / I
didn't used to dance), Tu ne t'amusais pas (You weren't having a good time / You didn't used to have a good time).
Listen to Tex describing his morning:
Tex: Je suis all chez Tammy ce matin. Je Tex: I went to Tammy's this morning. I
voulais la voir, mais elle n'tait pas chez wanted to see her, but she was not home.
elle. J'avais un cadeau lui donner. Je ne I had a present to give her. I could not
pouvais quand mme pas le laisser devant really leave it outside her door! So I gave
sa porte! Donc je l'ai offert Bette! it to Bette! I hope she will like it.
J'espre qu'elle l'aimera.
Joe-Bob: Bravo! Quel tombeur tu fais! Joe-Bob: Bravo! What a Casanova you are!
fill in the blanks
Give the imparfait of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy ______ la table quand Paw-Paw a tlphon. (mettre)
2. Tammy ______ la chimie avant la soire. (tudier)
3. Joe-Bob: Je ______ des noix quand il a commenc pleuvoir . (ramasser)
4. Fiona: J'______ la musique franaise quand Joe-Bob est arriv . (couter)
5. Fiona et Bette: Nous ______ nos devoirs quand le cours a commenc . (finir)
6. Fiona: Corey, tu ______ de l'insecticide toute la soire? (boire)
7. Tex: Joe-Bob et Corey, vous ______ des voix mystrieuses pendant le cours? (entendre)
8. Bette ______ l'amour de Tex quand Tammy est arrive . (rflchir)
9. Edouard ______ le repas quand le client a command du ketchup. (servir)
10. Fiona: Tammy, est-ce que tu ______ du piano quand j'ai appel? (jouer)
11. Joe-Bob ______ son ami Corey quand il a rencontr une belle minette. (chercher)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ du shopping quand Tammy est tombe dans la rivire. (faire)
page: tap6
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions and states of being in the past,
and to state habitual actions in the past. The imparfait also has several idiomatic uses. The pass compos and imparfait
are each used quite differently in narration.
states of being or past description

The imparfait is used to describe people, places, conditions or situations in the past.
Some verbs occur more frequently in the imparfait when they are in the past since
they typically describe states of being: tre, avoir, vouloir, pouvoir. But these verbs
do sometimes occur in the pass compos.
Quand Edouard tait When Edouard was a

adolescent, il n'avait qu'un teenager, he had only one
rve devenir un grand dream to become a great
cuisinier. Il voulait crer des chef. He wanted to create
chefs-d'oeuvre culinaires. culinary masterpieces. Our
Notre jeune escargot young food-enthusiast snail,
gourmand, qui adorait la who loved classical French
cuisine franaise classique, cooking, frequented the best
frquentait les meilleures Parisian restaurants.
tables de Paris.
habitual actions in the past

The imparfait is also used to state habitual actions in the past. These past habits are often translated as 'used to, or
'would.' Distinguish between the use of 'would' for habitual past actions (imparfait) and the use of 'would' for the
conditional. Note that the imparfait may also be translated by the simple past in English; however, the context, and often
adverbs, let you know the action is a past habit.
Listen to Edouard reminiscing:
Edouard: Tu te rappelles, en t Paris, Edouard: Do you remember, in the summer

quand il faisait chaud? On allait toujours in Paris, when the weather was hot? We
10 heures du soir chez Berthillon ... Oh, l, always used to go to Berthillon's at
l, leurs glaces, leurs sorbets--fraise, 10 o'clock in the evening ... Oh, la, la, their
framboise, noisette, pistache, des parfums ice cream, their sorbets--strawberry,
exotiques. Et puis, on se promenait le long raspberry, hazelnut, pistachio, exotic
des quais, on voyait la Seine qui coulait, on flavors. And then, we would take walks
chantait, on se rcitait mme des vers. Ah, along the quays. We would see the Seine
Paris la nuit, Paris l-bas, mmm, en t. which was flowing. We would sing, we
would even recite verses. Ah, Paris in the
night, Paris over there, mmm, in the
summer.
fill in the blanks

Give the imparfait of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. En France, Tammy ______ du shopping tous les jours. (faire)
2. Chez les nonnes ('nuns'), Tex ______ la Bible chaque jour. (lire)
3. Fiona: Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ beaucoup dans ton enfance? (chanter)
4. Tex: En France, je ______ dans le parc aprs la messe. (se promener)

5. Fiona: Joe-Bob et Corey, est-ce que vous ______ vos parents? (obir)
6. Tex: Rita, est-ce que nous ______ ensemble avant mon dpart? (jouer)
7. Tammy et Bette ______ une vie heureuse avec un homme unique. (imaginer)
8. Tex et Edouard ______ obtenir des ingrdients franais pour la recette. (ne pas penser)
9. Tammy: Bette ______ de mauvaise humeur hier soir! (tre)
10. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ trs contents Lyon. (tre)
11. Edouard: En France, je ______ ! (ne jamais grossir)
12. Dans son enfance, Joe-Bob ______ toujours ses devoirs. (perdre)
page: tap7
1. suggestions
2. wishes
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions or states of being in the past, and
to state habitual actions in the past. The imparfait also has several idiomatic uses found in the following contexts:
suggestions
The imparfait is used to suggest an action in phrases beginning with Si on
... ?
Tammy: Si on achetait Tammy: What if we

une grosse Suburban? bought a big Suburban?
(note: 'on' is often used
in the sense of 'nous')
Tex: Si on achetait une Tex: What about buying a

Harley Davidson? Harley Davidson?
wishes
The imparfait is used to express wishes such as 'If only we didn't have a test this week!' The French equivalent
structure, si + imparfait, may, or may not, contain the adverb seulement:
Tex: Si (seulement) on avait plus d'argent! Tex: If (only) we had more money!
Tammy: Ah, si (seulement) mes parents Tammy: If only my parents would lend us
nous prtaient de l'argent! some money!
Note that the question mark at the end of the sentence indicates a suggestion, and the exclamation mark a wish. In
spoken French, however, you have to rely on context and intonation to distinguish between wish and suggestion. Listen
to the difference in intonation between these two sentences:
Tammy: Si je me faisais tatouer? Tammy: What if I got tattooed?
Tex: Si seulement je pouvais avoir une Tex: If only I could have a motorcycle!
moto!
For other uses of si + imparfait, see si clauses + conditional. The imparfait also occurs in idiomatic uses with depuis and
venir de.
fill in the blanks

Formulate wishes by using 'si' plus the imparfait and the subject indicated in parentheses. Place an exclamation point
at the end of each sentence.
1. Regarder une vido (on)
2. Etre plus mince (je)
3. Etre dj en vacances (nous)
4. Venir danser avec moi (tu)
5. Penser moi (Tex)'

6. Avoir plus de temps (je)
7. Inviter des amis la maison (vous)
8. Se marier (on)
9. Aller Barton Springs (nous)
10. Se trouver plus prs d'Austin (Opelousas)
11. Ne pas boire d'insecticide (Corey)
12. Ne pas tre snob (les tatous)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin updated: 27 Jan 05
page: tap8
The pass compos is used in French in answer the question 'What happened?' On the other hand, you will usually
put a verb in the imparfait if it answers the question 'What was going on when something else happened?'
Generally, the pass compos is used to relate events while the imparfait is used to describe what was going on in
the past, states of being in the past, or past habits.
All this takes on special importance in narration of past actions, when both tenses often occur in the same story.
Narrating a story entails both describing a setting (habitual actions, atmosphere, places and people) and recounting
a plot or a series of events, actions, changes of feelings or thoughts. In general, all stories have a well delineated
plot line of events, the foreground, and a background of supporting details and description. Some literary texts
might subvert this rule but this is out of a conscious effort to surprise or unsettle their reader.
imparfait (set scene) pass compos (event)

Avant, Tammy habitait Fort Worth ... et puis un jour, elle a dmnag.
Before, Tammy lived in Forth Worth ... and then, one day, she moved.
The following adverbs are commonly associated with each of the past tenses:
adverbs/imparfait adverbs/pass compos
tous les jours, tous les matins ... un jour, un matin, un soir ...
every day, every morning one day, one morning, one evening
chaque jour, chaque matin, chaque mois ... soudain, brusquement, brutalement ...
each day, each morning, each month suddenly, abruptly, brusquely
en gnral, gnralement, d'habitude . . . tout d'un coup, tout coup ...

in general, usually all of a sudden, suddenly
autrefois, l'poque ... tout de suite, immdiatement ...

in the past, long ago, at the time right away, immediately
toujours, souvent ... d'abord, enfin ...

always, often first of all, finally
rarement ... puis, ensuite ...

rarely then, next
Usually, when verbs like tre, avoir, pouvoir, vouloir, and savoir are in a past narration, they will be in the
imparfait, since they most likely describe a past state of being or condition. However, when these verbs (and
others like them) occur in the pass compos, they indicate a change of state or a change of condition.
Compare these examples:
Tammy: Quand j'avais 15 ans, j'habitais Tammy: When I was 15, I used to live in
Fort Worth.
Quand j'ai eu 18 ans, j'ai dmnag When I turned 18, I moved to Austin.
Austin.
The pass compos is also generally used for activities that lasted for a precise length of time, with a definite
beginning and end. On the other hand, the imparfait is used for indefinite lengths of time. Look at these
examples:
definite period of time:

De 1997 1998,
Pendant un an, Tex a t vendeur de T-shirts.
Entre dix-huit et dix-neuf ans,
indefinite period of time:

Avant,
Quand il tait enfant, Tex tait dans un couvent de Lyon.
A cette poque-l,
But ultimately it is the entire context that determines which of these two past tenses to use and not a given adverb.
For example, in the sentences below, the same adverb, un jour, is used with the imperfect or the pass compos
according to the context.
Un jour, Tex vendait des T-shirts Paris One day, Tex was selling T-shirts in Paris
quand il a t arrt pour activit illgale. when he was arrested for illegal activity.
(The imparfait sets the scene to be
interrupted)
Un jour, les autorits franaises ont One day, the French authorities deported
expuls Tex. Tex. (Event)
In the following story, note how the narration opens with an extended description of Tex' early childhood in the
imparfait, which serves as explanatory background to the plot-line events in the pass compos.
Quand Tex tait tout petit, il habitait dans When Tex was very small, he lived in the
la banlieue de Houston avec sa famille. Ce suburbs of Houston with his family. This
petit tatou, curieux de nature, aimait little armadillo, curious by nature, always
toujours faire de longues promenades loved to take long walks with his friends
avec ses amis pour explorer les coins et to explore the nooks and crannies of the
recoins de la banlieue, surtout les suburbs, above all the highways!
autoroutes!
Un jour, pendant une promenade, il s'est One day, during a walk, he got lost.
perdu. Heureusement, aprs des heures et Fortunately, after hours and hours, he
des heures, il a trouv l'entre de found the entrance to the Bush
aroport Bush International. Fascin par International Airport. Fascinated by all the
le bruit et le mouvement, il s'est prcipit noise and motion, he rushed to the
vers les avions. Tandis qu'il examinait un planes. As he was examining a plane
avion de plus prs, un homme l'a more closely, a man abruptly took him
and threw him inside with the baggage.
brusquement pris et il l'a jet l'intrieur
Eight hours later, the plane arrived in
avec les bagages. Huit heures plus tard,
Paris, where Tex would start his new
l'avion est arriv Paris, o Tex
French life!
commencerait sa nouvelle vie franaise!
Tex a pass le reste de son enfance en Tex spent the rest of his childhood in
France. En fait, il est devenu cent pour France. In fact, he became one hundred
cent franais. Quand il tait adolescent, il per cent French. When he was an
se considrait comme un disciple de adolescent, he considered himself a
Sartre. Il ne connaissait rien au baseball disciple of Sartre. He knew nothing about
et dtestait tout ce qui tait amricain. baseball and he detested everything
American. But in 1998, all of a sudden,
Mais en 1998, tout d'un coup sa vie a
his life changed when he discovered that
chang quand il a dcouvert que ses
his parents were ... American.
parents taient ... amricains.
page: tap9
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the
verb. The choice of auxiliary, tre or avoir, is the same as for the pass compos (the Alamo of tre applies).
Plus-que-parfait = auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle of verb
manger 'to eat'

j'avais mang, I had eaten nous avions mang, we had eaten
tu avais mang, you had eaten vous aviez mang, you had eaten
il, elle / on avait mang, he, she (it) / one ils / elles avaient mang, they had eaten
had eaten
aller 'to go'

j'tais all(e), I had gone nous tions all(e)s, we had gone
tu tais all(e), you had gone vous tiez all(e)(s), you had gone
il, elle / on tait all(e), he, she (it) / one had ils / elles taient all(e)s, they had gone
gone
The negation is formed in the usual manner by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the
auxiliary: Je n'avais pas mang (I had not eaten), Je n'tais pas all (I had not gone), etc.
uses
In past narration, the plus-que-parfait is used to express an action which precedes another past action or moment.
In other words, the action in the plus-que-parfait is prior to another past action or moment. In English the plus-que-
parfait is indicated by had + past participle. In affirmative sentences in French, it is often, but not always,
accompanied by the adverb dj (already).
A l'ge de sept ans, Tex avait dj rdig At the age of seven, Tex had already
dix pomes. composed ten poems.
Quelques annes plus tard, il avait A few years later, he had abandoned all
abandonn tout espoir de gloire littraire. hope of literary fame. But he changed his
Mais il a chang d'avis quand il a lu les mind when he read the poems to Tammy.
pomes Tammy.
Elle a ador les pomes innocents que Tex She adored the innocent poems that Tex
avait crits pendant sa jeunesse. had written during his youth.
Not all instances of had + past participle in English are translated into plus-que-parfait in French. For example, in
French depuis is usually used with the imperfect (not the pluperfect) and 'had just done something' is generally
translated by venir de in the imparfait.
Le public littraire attendait depuis des The literary public had been waiting for
annes la nouvelle posie de Tex quand il a years for new poetry from Tex when at last
enfin retrouv son inspiration. he found his inspiration again.
En fait, Tex venait de commencer un In fact, Tex had just started a new poem
nouveau pome quand son diteur a when his editor called.
tlphon.
Contrast the plus-que-parfait in this sentence with the examples above:
Tex avait (dj) commenc son pome Tex had begun his poem when his
quand son diteur a tlphon. publisher called.
Remember that the opposite of dj is the negative expression pas encore, just as 'already' is replaced by 'yet' in English.
Tex n'avait pas (encore) fini son pome Tex had not (yet) finished his poem when
quand son diteur a tlphon. his editor called.
In French and in English alike, the plus-que-parfait is also used to express wishes about the past, as in this example:
Editeur: Si seulement tu avais fini ton Editor: If only you had finished your new
nouveau pome! poem! (but you haven't)
The plus-que-parfait is also commonly used in si clauses followed by the past conditional. For example:
Tex son diteur: Imbcile! Si vous ne Tex to his editor: Imbecile! If you had not
m'aviez pas interrompu, j'aurais pu finir interrupted me, I would have been able to
mon nouveau pome. A cause de vous, je finish my new poem. Because of you, I'm
sens que je perds nouveau mon losing my inspiration again.
inspiration.
Editeur: Mon Dieu, si j'avais su combien les Editor: My God. If I had known how difficult
artistes taient difficiles, je serais devenu artists were, I'd have become an
comptable! accountant!
fill in the blanks

Give the plus-que-parfait of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Corey: J' ______ mon film prfr l'ge de 10 ans. (choisir)
2. Tammy: Bette ______ avec Tex avant la fin de mes cours. (sortir)
3. Joe-Bob: Tex, tu ______ l'anglais avant ton arrive Austin, n'est-ce pas? (apprendre)
4. Les parents de Tex ______ sur l'autoroute pendant son absence. (mourir)
5. Paw-Paw ______ amoureux avant la fin de la guerre. (tomber)
6. Fiona: Corey et Joe-Bob, vous ______ deux examens au dbut du semestre? (rater)
7. A la rentre, Tammy et Fiona ______ tous les livres scolaires. (acheter)
8. Ds 1990, Tex ______ les grandes oeuvres de la littrature franaise. (lire)
9. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ le bus avant l'clat des orages. (prendre)
10. Bette: Hier soir, j' ______ Tex avant l'arrive de Tammy.(draguer)
11. Trey, avant l'ge de 8 ans ______ le bras plusieurs fois. (se casser)
12. Fiona ______ tant d'tudiants avant son arrive UT. (ne pas voir)
page: tapr1
The present tense indicates an action that is either actually occurring at the time of speaking, or a general truth, a so-
called 'eternal verity.' The French present may be translated in three different ways in English depending on the intended
meaning.
Tex is drinking coffee. (right now, progressive action)

OR
Tex boit du caf. Tex drinks coffee (in general, habitual action)
OR
Tex does drink coffee. (emphatic or contrastive)
While a French present tense utterance may be translated by three different English
sentences, the specific meaning is recoverable from context. In fact, French indicates the
different nuances of the English progressive, habitual, or emphatic forms by adding elements
to clarify the context.
Note the following examples:
Tex oublie toujours de prendre un bon petit Tex always forgets to have a good
djeuner. breakfast. (habit)
Tammy: Tex, il faut manger au petit Tammy: Tex, you have to eat breakfast.
djeuner. C'est le repas le plus important It's the most important meal of the day.
de la journe.
Tex: Oh, ma chrie, tu t'inquites trop. Tex, Oh, my darling, you worry too much.
Regarde, je mange un beignet. Look, I'm eating a doughnut. (right now,
progressive action)
Tammy: Un beignet!? Tu rigoles? Mais, a Tammy: Un doughnut!? Are you joking?

ne compte pas! That doesn't count!
Tex: Mais si , a compte. Du sucre et du Tex: But yes, it does count. (emphatic)
beurre me font du bien le matin ... et Sugar and butter do me good in the
ensuite une cigarette. morning ... and then a cigarette.
In addition, the present tense is sometimes used in place of the past or future in informal narration:
La vie de Tex est toute une histoire ... En Tex's life is quite a story ... In 1975, just a
1975, alors bb, Tex se perd l'aroport baby, Tex gets lost at Bush International
Bush International Houston. On le met par Airport in Houston. He is put by accident
erreur avec les bagages dans un avion with the baggage in a plane headed for
destination de la France. A Paris, il France. In Paris he meets some nuns who
rencontre des nonnes qui viennent de faire have just taken a trip to the United States.
un voyage aux Etats-Unis. Elles ont piti de They take pity on this poor, lost armadillo
ce pauvre tatou gar et elles l'amnent au and they take him to their convent in Lyon.
Tex spends his childhood in France. One
couvent Lyon. Tex passe son enfance en
day, it is discovered that Tex has no
France. Un jour, on dcouvre que Tex n'a
papers--no passport, no visa. So he returns
pas de papiers--pas de passeport, pas de
to Texas. Unfortunately, he doesn't feel at
visa. Alors, il retourne au Texas.
home in Texas. American life is not easy for
Malheureusement, il ne se sent pas chez lui
a Frenchified armadillo!
au Texas. La vie amricaine n'est pas facile
pour un tatou francis.
fill in the blanks
Give the present tense of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Edouard ______ aux checs. (jouer)
2. Edouard ______ le repas. (servir)
3. Tammy: Je ______ un peu en t. (mincir)
4. Joe-Bob ______ souvent sa collection de noix. (perdre)
5. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ Opelousas. (s'amuser)
6. Fiona: Joe-Bob et Corey, est-ce que vous ______ Jester? (aimer)
7. Tammy et Bette ______ de l'arobique ensemble. (faire)
8. Tammy: Edouard, est-ce que tu ______ les bouteilles de vin au restuarant? (ouvrir)
9. Tex: Alors, est-ce que tout le monde ______ la leon? (comprendre)
10. Tammy ______ les footballeurs au gymnase. (voir)
11. Tammy:Tex,tu ne ______ jamais la table! (mettre)
12. Les enfants de Rita ______ leurs jouets partout. (laisser)
page: tas1
1. -er, -re, and -ir verbs

2. irregular verbs with regular subjunctive forms (dormir, etc.)
3. stem changing verbs
The subjunctive is one of four moods in French (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and conditional). A mood is a
grammatical term which helps categorize verb tenses. The subjunctive mood is used more frequently in French than in
English. It has two tenses: present and past. It expresses several concepts, such as a wish, hope, or doubt, as well as
an obligation or a necessity. One such expression which is always followed by the subjunctive is il faut que (it is
necessary that ...).
-er, -re, and -ir verbs

The subjunctive endings are the same for all verbs: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. For most verbs, the subjunctive mood is
formed by dropping the -ent ending from the third person plural of the present indicative and adding the subjunctive
endings. Note the similarities between the present indicative and the present subjunctive of -er verbs. This is due to the
fact that the same stem is used for the subjunctive and the present indicative; the endings are also identical except for
the nous and vous forms. This means that the 'boot' forms of the subjunctive of regular -er verbs look and sound
exactly like the present indicative.
Because the subjunctive occurs in subordinate clauses, the subordinating conjunction que is usually included as part of
the paradigm for the subjunctive forms.
parler 'to speak'

... que je parle ... que nous parlions
... que tu parles ... que vous parliez
... qu'il/elle/on parle ... qu'ils/elles parlent
finir 'to finish'

... que je finisse ... que nous finissions
... que tu finisses ... que vous finissiez
... qu'il/elle/on finisse ... qu'ils/elles finissent
attendre 'to wait for'

... que j'attende ... que nous attendions
... que tu attendes ... que vous attendiez
... qu'il/elle/on attende ... qu'ils/elles attendent
In the singular for -re and -ir verbs, the subjunctive looks and sounds different from the present indicative since the
stem is different for the two moods. Listen:
present indicative present subjunctive

je finis ... que je finisse
j'attends ... que j'attende
Note that, for all conjugations, the third person plural of the present subjunctive always looks and sounds like the
present indicative since the stem for the subjunctive comes from the third person plural.
present indicative present subjunctive

ils parlent ... qu'ils parlent
ils finissent ... qu'ils finissent
ils attendent ... qu'ils attendent
irregular verbs with regular subjunctive forms (dormir, etc.)

Many verbs that are irregular in the present indicative are regular in forming the subjunctive. In other words, the stem is
formed by removing the -ent ending from the third person plural of the present indicative and then the endings -e, -es, -
e, -ions, -iez, -ent are added. Following are some irregular verbs, with the corresponding regular subjunctive forms.
dormir to sleep ... que je dorme

sortir to go out ... que je sorte
partir to leave ... que je parte
lire to read ... que je lise
sourire to smile ... que je sourie
dire to say ... que je dise
crire to write ... que j'crive
mettre to put ... que je mette
connatre to know ... que je connaisse
stem changing verbs

Verbs with stem changes in the present indicative have one stem for the subjunctive of the 'nous' and 'vous' forms and
another stem for the 'boot' forms. These verbs, such as acheter, appeler, manger, commencer, use the same two changes
in the present subjunctive.
Tex: Il faut que j'appelle Paw-Paw ce soir. Tex: I have to call Paw-Paw tonight.
Tammy: D'accord. A quelle heure est-ce Tammy: Okay. What time do we have to
qu'il faut que nous appelions Paw-Paw? call Paw-Paw?
Tex explique les rgles ses tudiants: Tex explains the rules to his students:
Il faut que vous parliez clairement; pas de You must speak clearly; no chewing gum!
chewing-gum!
Bien sr, il faut qu'on finisse avant midi. Le Of course, we must end before meal times.
djeuner, c'est sacr! Lunch is sacred!
Joe-Bob, il faut que tu attendes la fin du Joe-Bob, you must wait until the end of
cours avant de dormir. class before sleeping.
Et il faut que nous sortions ensemble aprs We must go out together after the review
le cours de rvision pour prendre un verre. to have a drink.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the subjunctive of the verb in parentheses.
1. Tex : Il faut que j'__________ Paw-Paw. (crire)
2. Bette : Il faut que Tex m' ___________ mieux que Tammy! (aimer)
3. Tex : Il faut que nous ___________ en vacances. (partir)
4. Paw-Paw : Il faut que Tex m'___________ plus souvent. (appeler)
5. Tex : Il faut que vous ___________ davantage. (travailler)
6. Tammy : Il faut que Tex _________ moins. (sortir)
7. Fiona : Il faut que je ___________ un cours intressant. (choisir)
8. Tammy : Tex prfre que je _________ le couvert. (mettre)
9. Tammy : Tex veut que nous _________ quelques annes avant le mariage. (attendre)
10. Edouard : Il faut que nous ___________ dans un bon restaurant. (manger)
11. Tammy : Il ne faut pas que vous __________ en mangeant ('while eating')! (parler)
12. Tex : Il faut que Tammy __________ mes pomes! (lire)
page: tas2
1. verbs with two stems

2. irregular verbs: avoir and tre
3. irregular verbs: faire, savoir, pouvoir
The subjunctive is one of four moods in French (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and conditional). A mood is a
grammatical term which helps categorize verb tenses. The subjunctive is used more frequently in French than in English.
One important use of the subjunctive is after the expression il faut que, indicating necessity. The subjunctive also
expresses a feeling or emotion such as a wish, hope, or doubt.
For most verbs, the subjunctive mood is formed by dropping the -ent ending from the third person plural of the present
indicative and adding the endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. This is known as the regular formation of the subjunctive.
verbs with two stems

There are several categories of irregular subjunctive formations. The first of these categories concerns verbs with two
stems in the subjunctive. These verbs have a similar two-stem irregularity in the present indicative (for example, 'ils
viennent' BUT 'nous venons'). The boot stem (for the forms je, tu, il / elle, ils / elles) is the third person plural of the
present indicative, the very same as the stem for regular formation of the subjunctive. The first person plural of the
present indicative provides the second stem for the 'nous' and 'vous' forms of the subjunctive. The regular subjunctive
endings are added to these two stems.
venir 'to come'

que je vienne que nous venions
que tu viennes que vous veniez
qu'il / elle / on vienne qu'ils / elles viennent
In addition to venir, here is a list of the most frequent verbs with two stems in the subjunctive:
infinitive boot stem, for: 2nd stem, for:

je, tu, il/elle/on, ils/elles nous, vous
aller (to go) que j'aille que nous allions

boire (to drink) que je boive que nous buvions
croire (to believe) que je croie que nous croyions
devoir (to have to) que je doive que nous devions
mourir (to die) que je meure que nous mourions
prendre (to take) que je prenne que nous prenions
recevoir (to receive) que je reoive que nous recevions
tenir (to hold) que je tienne que nous tenions
voir (to see) que je voie que nous voyions
vouloir (to want) que je veuille que nous voulions
irregular verbs: avoir and tre

Avoir and tre are highly irregular in the subjunctive and must be memorized. Note that the 'nous' and 'vous' forms are
spelled with the letter y (instead of the i characteristic of the regular subjunctive endings). Note in particular the
pronunciation of the subjunctive forms of avoir, which have the same vowel sound as found in j'ai (I have), the first
person singular in the present indicative.
avoir 'to have'

que j'aie que nous ayons
que tu aies que vous ayez
qu'il / elle / on ait qu'ils / elles aient
tre 'to be'

que je sois que nous soyons
que tu sois que vous soyez
qu'il / elle / on soit qu'ils / elles soient
Note the similarity of the subjunctive forms of the verbs tre and avoir to their respective imperative forms.
irregular verbs: faire, savoir, pouvoir

The verbs faire, savoir and pouvoir have completely irregular stems. The endings, however, are regular.
faire 'to do'

que je fasse que nous fassions
que tu fasses que vous fassiez
qu'il / elle / on fasse qu'ils / elles fassent
infinitive first person present subjunctive

savoir (to know) que je sache
pouvoir (to be able) que je puisse
Note the similarity between the subjunctive and imperative forms of the verb savoir. Listen to the dialogue:
Paw-Paw donne des conseils son petit- Paw-Paw is giving advice to his grandson
fils, Tex. Tex.
Paw-Paw: Tex, mon cher, il faut que tu Paw-Paw: Tex, my dear, you have to know
saches que la vie est courte. Tammy est that life is short. Tammy is a fabulous
une tatou formidable. Tu ne vas pas trouver armadillo. You are not going to find a
une meilleure femme. Il ne faut pas que better wife. You and Tammy must not be
Tammy et toi ayez peur de vous marier. afraid to get married. Hurry up! As I said
Dpchez-vous! Comme je l'ai dit . . . la . . . life is short. As for me, I only want
vie est courte. Moi, je veux seulement que you to be happy. And another thing. After
vous soyez heureux. Et une autre chose: your marriage, you must come see me. I
aprs votre mariage, il faut que vous veniez am all alone in Louisiana and I miss my
me voir. Je suis tout seul en Louisiane et la family. We have to do more things
famille me manque. Il faut que nous together. I've got to have more company.
fassions plus de choses ensemble. Il faut
que j'aie plus de compagnie.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the subjunctive of the verb in parentheses.
1. Tex : Il faut que j'__________ chez Paw-Paw. (aller)
2. Rita : Il faut que Tex ___________ fidle Tammy! (devenir)
3. Tex : Il faut que nous ___________ un petit voyage. (faire)
4. Paw-Paw : Il faut que Tex ___________ moins. (boire)
5. Tex : Il faut que vous ___________ la vrit. (savoir)
6. Tammy : Il faut que Tex _________ rflchir. (pouvoir)
7. Corey : Il faut que je ___________ un psychiatre. (voir)
8. Tammy : Tex ne veut pas que nous _________ des enfants! (avoir)
9. Tammy : Il faut que je ________ courageuse. (tre)
10. Edouard : Il faut que nous ___________ au restaurant. (aller)
11. Tex : Il faut que je __________ le prix Goncourt! (recevoir)
12. Tammy : Il faut que vous __________ nous voir! (venir)
page: tas3a
The subjunctive is required after impersonal expressions of necessity and obligation. An impersonal expression is any
expression introduced by the impersonal pronoun il, usually translated into English by 'it'. One of the most frequent is il
faut que (it is necessary to). When the main clause uses il faut que, the verb of the dependent clause which follows must
be in the subjunctive. Note that there are always two different subjects in the two clauses.
Paw-Paw: Tex, il faut que tu choisisses le PawPaw: Tex, it is necessary that you
vin. choose the wine.
Note that the expression il faut que is stronger and more emphatic than the verb 'devoir' (which is followed by an
infinitive): Tex doit choisir le vin (Tex must / is supposed to choose the wine).
Below are other common impersonal expressions of obligation and necessity. Note that they are all followed by the
conjunction que which introduces a subordinate clause with a verb in the subjunctive:
il est important que, it is important that

il est ncessaire que, it is necessary that
il est essentiel que, it is essential that
il est invitable que, it is unavoidable that
il vaut mieux que, it is better that
il est prfrable que, it is preferable that
il est indispensable que, it is indispensible that
Paw-Paw: Peut-tre que ce ne sont pas Paw-Paw: Maybe, it's none of my business,
mes affaires, mais. . . j'ai remarqu que but ... I noticed that Tammy chose the
Tammy a choisi le vin ta place. Ecoute, wine instead of you. Listen, my dear, it's
mon cher, il est prfrable que les hommes better that men choose the wine and that
choississent le vin et que les femmes fassent women do the cooking.
la cuisine.
Tex: Merci pour les conseils, PawPaw, mais Tex: Thanks for the advice, PawPaw, but it
il est important que vous compreniez que les is important that you understand that times
temps changent. Aujourd'hui les femmes are changing. Now women do a lot of things
font beaucoup de choses qu'elles ne that they used to not be able to do.
pouvaient pas faire autrefois.
Paw-Paw: Ah, je comprends! C'est Tammy Paw-Paw: Oh, I understand. It's Tammy
qui porte la culotte et pas toi! Alors il faut who wears the pants, not you! Well now, I'll
que je t'achte un tablier, ma petite. have to buy you an apron, my little girl.
fill in the blanks
Complete each sentence with the present subjunctive of the verb in parentheses.
1. Tex : Il est vital que je _____________ un grand pote. (devenir)
2. Bette : Il faut que Tex ___________ la vrit. (savoir)
3. Tex : Il vaut mieux que je _________ la vrit Tammy. (dire)
4. Paw-Paw : Il est important que Tex ____________ sa famille. (connatre)
5. L'diteur : Tex, il faut que tu _________ un pome par mois. (crire)
6. Tammy : Il est essentiel que mes tudiants ____________ tous les jours! (tudier)
7. Fiona : Il faut que nous __________ srieux. (tre)
8. Tammy : Tex prfre que je __________ la cuisine. (faire)
9. Tammy : Il faut que nous ____________ plus souvent Gregory Gym! (aller)
10. Edouard : Il est prfrable que vous ____________ moins de ketchup! (manger)
11. Tex : Il est ncessaire que Tammy et moi _____________ des vacances en France! (passer)
12. Tex : Il vaut mieux que Tammy et Bette ____________ bien. (s'entendre)
page: tas3b
1. expressions of doubt and uncertainty

2. interrogatives and negatives
3. relative clauses
4. superlatives
The choice of mood indicates the speaker's degree of uncertainty: subjunctive implies the speaker doubts the existence
or possibility of what is being described; indicative implies the speaker believes or is certain that what is being described
is possible or does exist.
expressions of doubt and uncertainty

The subjunctive occurs in dependent clauses introduced by verbs and expressions of doubt or uncertainty whenever
there are two different subjects in the two clauses linked by the subordinating conjunction que.
il est possible que, it is possible that

il est impossible que, it is impossible that
il est incroyable que, it is unbelievable that
il est douteux que, it is doubtful that
douter que, to doubt that
O est Edouard? Chez MacDo? Where is Edouard? At MacDonald's?

Oh non! Il est impossible qu'Edouard soit Oh no! It is impossible that Edouard be at
chez MacDo! MacDonald's!
interrogatives and negatives

Doubt is commonly expressed by questioning or negating a statement.
Crois-tu que Corey soit chez MacDo? Do you believe that Corey is at
MacDonald's?
Oui, je crois que Corey est chez MacDo. I believe Corey is at MacDonald's.
Mais Edouard? Non, je ne crois pas But Edouard? No, I don't believe that
qu'Edouard soit chez MacDo. Edouard is at MacDonald's.
The following expressions imply certainty, so when they are used in affirmative statements, they are followed by the
indicative.
croire que, to believe that

penser que,to think that
tre sr que, to be sure that
trouver que, to find that
se douter que, to suspect that
supposer que, to suppose that
avoir l'impression que, to have the impression that
il est vrai que, it is true that
il parat que, it appears that
il est probable que, it is probable that
il (me) semble que, it seems (to me) that
il est clair que, it is clear that
il est vident que, it is evident that
il est certain que, it is certain that
However, when these expressions are used in either the interrogative or the negative, doubt is introduced.
Consequently, in the subordinate clause, the subjunctive is used. On the other hand, when expressions of doubt are
negated, they indicate certainty and thus are followed by the indicative: Je ne doute pas qu'Edouard est un escargot
distingu (I do not doubt that Edouard is a distinguished snail = I am certain that ...).
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
Tammy: Je suppose que nous allons nous Tammy: I suppose that we are going to get
marier. Il est clair que tu m'aimes. married. It is clear that you love me.
Tex: Mais Tammy, euh, je ne crois pas que Tex: But, Tammy, uh, I don't think that you
tu sois prte pour le mariage. Et puis, je ne are ready for marriage. And then, I am not
suis pas sr que tes parents soient sure your parents would approve. No, no,
d'accord. Non, non, vraiment, je ne trouve really, I don't think this is a good idea.
pas que ce soit une bonne ide.
Tammy: Te semble-t-il que je sois trop Tammy: Does it seem to you that I am too
jeune? Tu n'es pas certain que je sois la young? You're not sure that I am the
femme de ta vie? woman of your life?
Tex: Oh, chrie, je ne doute pas que tu es Tex: Oh, my dear, I do not doubt that you
la femme de ma vie. Mais il est vident que are the woman of my life. But it is obvious
nous sommes trop jeunes pour le moment. that we are too young right now. Also, it is
En plus, il est certain que je n'ai pas encore certain that I don't have enough money
assez d'argent. yet.
relative clauses
When relative clauses express uncertainty, they also trigger the use of the subjunctive. If the existence of the
antecedent, or referent, is not certain, then the subjunctive is used to highlight this uncertainty. On the other hand, if
the existence or possibility of the antecedent is likely and/or definite, then the doubt is removed and the indicative is
used.
Tammy: Je cherche un tatou qui est Tammy: I am looking for an armadillo who
intelligent, bilingue et intressant. Mais is intelligent, bilingual and interesting. But,
vrai dire, je l'ai dj trouv! actually, I have already found him!
Tex: Existe-t-il une seule fille qui ne soit Tex: Is there one girl who is not obsessed
pas obsde par le mariage? N'y a-t-il rien with marriage? Isn't there anything that
qui puisse la dtourner? can divert her?
Tammy: Y-a-t-il quelque chose qui puisse Tammy: Is there anything that might
le convaincre? convince him?
superlatives
The use of a superlative can influences the choice between the subjunctive and the indicative. The subjunctive is used
after superlative expressions that contain a subjective opinion. On the other hand, if the superlative expression
contains a fact or a completely objective opinion, then the indicative is used since the idea is devoid of any sort of
doubt.
The following list contains a group of common expressions that are superlative-like in their use.
le seul, the only

l'unique, the only
il n'y a que, there is only
le dernier, the last
le premier, the first
le meilleur, the best
Tex: Tammy est la plus belle tatou que je Tex: Tammy is the prettiest armadillo that I
connaisse. Mais quand mme, j'ai, j'ai peur know. But even so, I'm, I'm afraid of
du mariage. marriage.
Tammy: Tex est le seul tatou franais que Tammy: Tex is the only French armadillo
je connais. Il est vraiment unique. that I know. He is truly unique.
fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with either the present subjunctive or the present indicative of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Tex est certain que ses pomes ______ excellent. (tre)
2. Il est impossible que Bette _____ honnte avec Tammy.(tre)
3. Bette croit que Tex ______ quitter Tammy. (vouloir)
4. Ne pensez-vous pas que Tammy ______ un peu nave? (tre)
5. Corey est-il le seul cafard qui ______ le franais? (comprendre)
6. Corey: 'Au secours! Y a-t-il quelqu'un qui ________ m'aider? (pouvoir)
7. Il est vident qu'Edouard ______ bien cuisiner. (savoir)
8. Tex trouve que Tammy le ______ bien. (connaitre)
9. Je ne crois pas que Joe-Bob _______ prter sa voiture Tex. (vouloir)
10. Il est possible que Joe-Bob _______ des difficults. (avoir)
11. Bette a l'impression que Tex ______ de plus en plus beau. (devenir)
12. Sais-tu que le fleuve le plus long du monde ______ (tre) l'Amazone?
page: tas4
1. will and desire

2. emotion
3. opinion
4. one subject
will and desire

The subjunctive is used in dependent clauses after expressions of will and desire whenever there are two different
subjects in the two clauses linked by the subordinating conjunction que. Here is a list of common verbs expressing will
and desire:
aimer que, to like that ... prfrer que, to prefer that ...
aimer mieux que, to prefer that ... souhaiter que, to hope that ...
attendre que, to wait, expect that ... vouloir que, to want that ...
dsirer que, to desire that ... vouloir bien que, to be willing that ...
exiger que, to require that ...
Tex veut qu'Edouard fasse la cuisine ce soir. Tex wants Edouard to cook this evening.
Note however that esprer (to hope) is an exception and is followed by the indicative: 'Tex espre qu'Edouard prparera
du couscous ce soir' (Tex hopes that Edouard will prepare couscous this evening). Remember that when there is only
one subject, the conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive: 'Edouard ne veut pas faire la cuisine' (Edouard does not
want to cook).
emotion
The subjunctive is used after expressions of emotion and opinion. Remember that the subjunctive is found in the
subordinate clause of sentences that contain a change of subject from the main clause to the subordinate clause. Here is
a list of common expressions of emotion with which the subjunctive is found in the subordinate clause:
tre content(e) que, to be happy that tre impatient(e) que, to be impatient that
tre heureux(/se) que, to be happy that tre dsol(e) que, to be sorry that
tre ravi(e) que, to delighted that regretter que, to regret that
tre tonn(e) que, to be surprised that se rjouir que, to rejoice, celebrate that
tre mcontent(e) que, craindre que, to fear that
to be unhappy that
tre malheureux(/se) que, redouter que, to fear that
to be unhappy that
tre triste que, to be sad that avoir peur que, to fear that
tre surpris(e) que, to be surprised that
Tammy est ravie que nous venions dner Tammy is delighted that we are coming to
chez elle ce soir. dinner at her house this evening
OR
Tammy's delighted that we will come to
dinner at her house this evening.
Fiona craint qu'on mette un pesticide autour Fiona is afraid that they're putting
de l'immeuble de Tammy. pesticides around Tammy's apartment
building.
OR
Fiona is afraid that they willl put pesticides
around Tammy's apartment building.
Notice how there are two ways of translating these two sentences. Because the subjunctive is the tense for hypotheses
and potentialities, it sometimes has a future meaning. Only the context will determine if the action in the subjunctive
refers to the present or future time.
opinion
Here is a list of common impersonal expressions of opinion; there are many more such expressions since any adjective
may be used. Remember that impersonal expressions always have 'il' as the subject. These expressions are followed by
a dependent clause in the subjunctive.
il est bon que, it is good that il est utile que, it is useful that
il est juste que, it is fair that il est urgent que, it is urgent that
il est dommage que, it is unfortunate that il est logique que, it is logical that
one subject
If expressions of emotion or opinion have only one subject throughout the sentence, then the preposition de + infinitive
replaces que + subjunctive (See ways to avoid the subjunctive). Contrast the previous examples with these sentences:
Tammy est ravie de recevoir des Tammy is delighted to have friends over.
amis. OR
Tammy is delighted she's going to have friends over.
Fiona craint de ne pas pouvoir Fiona is afraid she cannot come.

venir. OR
Fiona is afraid she won't be able to come.
Il est bon de pouvoir s'amuser It is good to be able to have fun with one's friends.
avec ses amis.
Listen to the dialogue. Verbs in blue are in the subjunctive.
Tex et Tammy organisent un repas pour Tex and Tammy are preparing a meal for
leurs copains ce soir. their friends tonight.
Tammy: Tex, je voudrais que tu choisisses Tammy: Tex, I would like you to pick a
un bon vin. Mais je prfre que ce soit un good wine. But I would prefer a red wine
rouge s'il te plat. Il serait dommage que please. It would be a pity to drink a white
nous buvions du vin blanc avec du boeuf. wine with beef.
Tex rflchit un moment, puis il choisit un Tex reflects a moment and then he chooses
vin californien. a Californian wine.
Tammy: Mais enfin Tex, pas un vin Tammy: Tex! Not an American wine! It
amricain! Il serait prfrable que nous would be better if we opened a bottle of
ouvrions une bouteille de Bordeaux ou de Bordeaux or Burgundy!
Bourgogne!
Tex: Ma chre Tammy, j'ai bien peur que Tex: My dear Tammy, I am afraid we're out
nous n'ayons plus de vins franais en of French wines!
rserve!
Tammy: Tu es sr? Je suis tonne qu'il n'y Tammy: Are you sure? I'm really surprised
ait plus de vin franais. that there isn't any more French wine.
fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with either the present subjunctive or the present indicative of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Tammy ne veut pas que Tex _______ un vin californien.(choisir)
2. Tammy est ravie que leurs amis _____ dner chez elle. (venir)
3. Bette a peur que Tex ______ vraiment amoureux de Tammy.(tre)
4. Fiona craint qu'il y ______ de l'Amdro sur le campus.(avoir)
5. Tex exige que ses tudiants ______ en France pour les vacances.(aller)
6. Trey a envie que Tammy _________ du skate-board avec lui.(faire)
7. Il est bon que Tex ______ le Daily Texan tous les jours.(lire)
8. Bette espre que Tex ______ amoureux d'elle.(tomber)
9. Tammy est surprise quand Trey _______ qu'il veut sortir avec elle.(dire)
10. Rita exige que ses enfants ______ leurs devoirs.(faire)
11. Trey voudrait que Tammy ______ jouer du rap.(pouvoir)
12. Il est essentiel que les tudiants ______ conjuguer le subjonctif.(savoir)
page: tas5
1. conjunctions expressing intention

2. conjunctions expressing fear
3. conjunctions expressing time
4. conjunctions expressing obstacles or restrictions
5. conjunctions expressing a condition
6. conjoining clauses which have the same subject
When the following conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause with a new subject, they always trigger the subjunctive.
Remember that the subjects of the subordinate clause and of the main clause are different. In the examples below, the
verb in the subjunctive is underlined.
conjunctions expressing intention: pour que, afin que, de sorte que (in order that, so that)
Bette drague Tex pour qu'il lui donne de Bette is hitting on Tex so that he will give
bonnes notes. her good grades.
Bette drague Tex afin que Tammy soit Bette is hitting on Tex so that Tammy will
jalouse. be jealous.
Bette drague Tex de sorte que Tammy et Bette is hitting on Tex so that Tammy and
Tex se disputent. Tex will fight.
Conjunctions expressing fear: de crainte que, de peur que (for fear that, lest)
Mais Tex n'a rien dit Tammy de crainte But Tex hasn't said anything to Tammy for
qu'elle (ne)* se fche. fear that [lest] she be angry.
Il ne veut pas en parler de peur que Tammy He doesn't want to bring it up for fear that
soit blesse. [lest] Tammy be hurt.
* ne is optional. It is sometimes added to certain subjunctive clauses for stylistic purposes, in these cases it does not
negate the verb.
conjunctions expressing time: avant que (before), en attendant que (while waiting for), jusqu' ce que (until)
Pourtant, il doit faire quelque chose avant Yet he must do something before Tammy
que Tammy (ne) se rende compte de ce qui realizes what's going on!
se passe!
Tex prend un caf en attendant que Tammy Tex is having a cup of coffee while waiting
le rejoigne. for Tammy to join him.
Il va rflchir au problme jusqu' ce qu'elle He's going to think about this problem until
arrive. she arrives.
Conjunctions expressing obstacles or restrictions: bien que, quoi que (although), moins que (unless)
Tammy a du mal croire l'histoire de Tex, Tammy finds it difficult to believe Tex's
bien qu'il ait l'air sincre. story, although he looks sincere.
Tammy: Alors Bette n'est pas une vraie Tammy: So Bette is not a true friend,
amie, moins que ce (ne) soit toi qui la unless it is you who has been hitting on
drague. her.
conjunctions expressing a condition: condition que (on the condition that),

pourvu que (provided that), sans que (without)
Tammy: Ecoute, Tex, je veux bien te faire Tammy: Listen Tex, I'm willing to trust
confiance, condition que tu me promettes you, if you promise that you will tell me
de tout me dire. everything.
Je veux bien pardonner aussi Bette, I am also willing to forgive Bette, provided
pourvu qu'elle ne recommence pas. that she never does it again.
conjoining conjunctions which have the same subject

The subjunctive is required after a few conjunctions even when the subject stays the same from the main clause to the
dependent clause. These four conjunctions are bien que, quoi que, pourvu que, jusqu' ce que.
Tammy aime Tex bien qu'elle le trouve Tammy loves Tex although she finds him
puril par moments. childish at times.
Quoi que Tammy soit sre de vouloir Although Tammy is certain she wants to
pouser Tex, elle ne veut pas prcipiter les marry Tex, she does not want to rush
choses. things.
Tex veut attendre jusqu' ce qu'il se sente Tex wants to wait until he feels ready.
prt.
Tammy veut bien patienter un peu pourvu Tammy is happy to wait a bit more
que Tex n'attende pas trop longtemps. provided that Tex doesn't wait too much
longer.
fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with the present subjunctive or the present indicative of the verbs in parentheses,
according to the conjunction in the subordinate clause.
1. Quoique Bette _______ l'air gentille, Tammy ne lui fait pas confiance. (avoir)
2. Tex attend jusqu' ce que Edouard _____ prt. (tre)
3. Corey ne boit jamais d'eau parce qu'il ______ peur qu'il s'ytrouve des pesticides.(avoir)
4. Bien que Joe-Bob ne ______ pas bien le franais, il adore couter Tex et Tammy. (comprendre)
5. Pendant qu'Edouard ______ la salade, les clients discutent. (servir)
6. Corey entre par la fentre sans qu'Edouard le ________. (voir)
7. En attendant que Tex ______ une dcision, Tammy sort. (prendre)
8. Tammy aime Tex puisqu'elle le ______ partout. (suivre)
9. Bette se maquille parce qu'elle ______ tre remarque. (vouloir)
10. Nous allons Opelousas pour que Tex _____ fter l'anniversaire de son grand-pre. (pouvoir)
11. Trey ne lit jamais les livres de Sartre de peur que sa philosophie ______ trop morose. (tre)
12. Edouard veut bien faire la cuisine pourvu que quelqu'un d'autre ______ la vaisselle. (faire)
page: tas6
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The past subjunctive resembles the pass compos in that it is formed with the present subjunctive of the appropriate
auxiliary verb (avoir or tre) and the past participle of the main verb.
rire 'to laugh'

que j'aie ri que nous ayons ri
que tu aies ri que vous ayez ri
qu'il / elle / on ait ri qu'ils / elles aient ri
sortir 'to go out'

que je sois sorti(e) que nous soyons sorti(e)s
que tu sois sorti(e) que vous soyez sorti(e)(s)
qu'il / elle / on soit sorti(e) qu'ils / elles soient sorti(e)s
uses
The past subjunctive is normally used in dependent clauses that describe an action which precedes the action of the
main clause. The past subjunctive is introduced by the same kinds of clauses that introduce the present subjunctive (See
subjunctive of obligation, doubt, will, emotion, desire and conjunctions that take the subjunctive). Note the past tense
meaning of the event encoded in the past subjunctive. The present subjunctive, on the other hand, indicates a
simultaneous action or a future action. Compare these sentences (present subjunctive in orange, past subjunctive in
blue):
Tammy: Je suis surprise que tu crives ce Tammy: I am surprised that you are
livre. writing this book.
Tex: Je suis surpris que tu aies lu ce livre. Tex: I am surprised that you have read this
book.
Tammy: J'ai t surprise que tu crives ce Tammy: I was surprised that you were
livre. writing this book.
Tex: J'ai t surpris que tu aies lu ce livre. Tex: I was surprised that you had read this
book.
Note that the tense of the verb in the main clause in French does not predict the tense of the subjunctive in the
dependent clause. The choice between the present and past subjunctives depends on the chronological relationship
between the two clauses.
Listen to the following dialogue.
Tammy: Tex est content que la France ait Tammy: Tex is happy that France won the
gagn la Coupe du Monde en 98. 1998 World Cup.
Mais je doute qu'il soit sorti aprs la finale But, I doubt that he went out after the final
parce qu'il avait trop bu. game because he had drunk too much.
Ma mre n'tait pas sre que Tex ait aim My mom wasn't sure that Tex had liked the
le vin qu'elle avait envoy. wine that she sent for the game.
Mais j'ai peur que Tex et Edouard l'aient But, I'm afraid that Tex and Edouard liked
trop aim! it too well!
fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with the past subjunctive of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Bien que Corey _______ la fac, il ne va jamais en classe.(s'inscrire)
2. Tammy est furieuse que Tex _____ sans elle.(partir)
3. Bette, Tammy et Fiona sont trs contentes que les Amricaines ______ la Coupe du Monde.(gagner)
4. Quoique Tex ______ au Texas, il a grandi en France.(natre)
5. Bette doute que Tex ______ l'amour avec Tammy.(faire)
6. Tex s'tonne que Tammy ________ Ricky Williams.(rencontrer)
7. Il est possible que Corey ______ (se perdre).
8. Quel dommage qu'il ______ hier!(pleuvoir)
9. Il est peu probable que les nonnes _______ une carte postale de Tex.(recevoir)
10. Paw-Paw-Louis: 'Je suis ravi que vous ______ le temps de venir Opelousas.(prendre)
11. Corey: Ah Paris! C'est la plus belle ville que je/j' ______.(visiter)
12. Tex est surpris que Paw-Paw-Louis ______ Tammy.(tlphoner)
page: tas7
WEDDINGS is a mnemonic device that can help you recall the main points
concerning the subjunctive. What are some of the essential components of
a wedding?
First, there are always two people who get married at a wedding. And just
like a wedding, the subjunctive requires two different subjects in two
different clauses.
Second, a ring is often used to symbolize the couple's union at a wedding.

And just like the ring, the subordinating conjunction que is essential in
joining together the two clauses.
Remember that there are also certain other conjunctions which always require the subjunctive.
And finally, the wedding party (the bride and groom and parents and friends) often run the gamut of emotions during the
marriage ceremony: doubt, happiness, sadness, desire. Similarly, the subjunctive is a mood that indicates a
speaker's attitude or opinion about the events expressed. The use of the subjunctive is often triggered by an expression
of emotion.
In summary, remember that a wedding always contains the following: two different people (subjects) joined by a
ring (que) in an emotion-laden context! The different categories that describe the contexts for the subjunctive spell
out weddings:
WILL Moi, je veux seulement que vous soyez heureux.
EMOTION Je suis heureuse que tu veuilles m'pouser, Tex!
Mais Tammy, euh, je ne crois pas que tu sois prte pour le

DOUBT
mariage.
DESIRE Je dsire que tu m'pouses, Tex!
Existe-t-il une seule fille qui ne soit pas obsde par le

INTERROGATIVES
mariage?
Je n'ai pas l'impression que Tammy soit la femme de ta

NEGATIVES
vie, Tex!
GENERAL STATEMENTS Tex, mon cher, il faut que tu saches que la vie est courte.
SUPERLATIVES Tammy est la plus belle tatou que je connaisse!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with either the present subjunctive or the present indicative of the verb in parentheses.
1. Tex : Je voudrais que Tammy ________ habiter avec moi. (venir)
2. Bette : Je sais que Tex _________ un gnie. (tre)
3. Tammy : Je ne pense pas que Bette __________ beaucoup d'amis. (avoir)
4. Paw-Paw : Je suis triste que tu _______ partir, Tex. (devoir)
5. Tex : Y a-t-il un pote qui _________ plus fin que moi? (tre)
6. Tammy : Je ne suis pas sre que Tex _______ faire la cuisine. (savoir)
7. Fiona : Il est important que tu ___________ un cours intressant. (choisir)
8. Tammy : Tex trouve que nous _________ heureux. (tre)
9. Tammy : Tex pense qu'il _________ attendre avant le mariage. (falloir)
10. Edouard : Je suis ravi que vous ___________ ma recette. (aimer)
11. Tammy : J'exige que tu ________ te raser, Tex! (aller)
12. Tex : Je crois que Tammy ________ m'pouser. (vouloir)
page: tas8
1. impersonal expressions with infinitive clauses

2. conjunction replaced by preposition + infinitive
3. conjunction replaced by preposition + object
4. other structural transformations
Although the subjunctive is commonly used in French, many alternative turns of phrase
are often used to avoid the subjunctive.
impersonal expressions with infinitive clauses

Many impersonal expressions which take the subjunctive can be modified and
completed with infinitive clauses instead. Note that the infinitive construction eliminates
the subject of the original dependent clause.
subjunctive infinitive
Il est important que tu Il est important de boire du

boives du vin. (It is vin. (It is important to drink
important that you drink wine.)
wine.)
Il est prfrable que tu sois Il est prfrable d'tre poli.(It

poli. (It is preferable / is preferable / better to be
advisable that you be polite.) polite.)
Il est essentiel que tu lises Il est essentiel de lire les

les journaux. (It is essential journaux. (It is essential to
that you read the papers.) read the papers.)
Il est dommage que tu fumes Il est dommage de fumer

autant. (It is a pity that you autant. (It is a pity to smoke
smoke so much.) so much.)
conjunction replaced by preposition + infinitive

Some conjunctions which are normally followed by the subjunctive have corresponding prepositions, so the sentence can
often be rephrased using one subject, with an infinitive following the preposition.
conjunction + preposition +
translation
subjunctive infinitive
condition que on the condition (that) condition de
afin que so that, in order to afin de
moins que unless moins de
avant que before avant de
de crainte que for fear that (of), lest de crainte de
de peur que for fear that (of), lest de peur de
en attendant que while waiting for (to) en attendant de
pour que in order that (to) pour
sans que without sans
Using the infinitive involves a restatement of the content so there is only one grammatical subject in the sentence. For
example:
conjunction + subjunctive preposition + infinitive

(2 subjects) (1 subject)
Bette drague Tex pour que Tammy soit Bette drague Tex pour rendre Tammy
jalouse. Tex est victime de harclement jalouse. Tex est victime de harclement
sexuel! (Bette is hitting on Tex in order that sexuel! (Bette is hitting on Tex in order to
Tammy be jealous. Tex is a victim of sexual make Tammy jealous. Tex is a victim of
harrassment!) sexual harrassment!)
Tex ne dit rien Tammy de peur qu'elle se Tex ne dit rien Tammy de peur
mette en colre. (Tex does not say anything de la mettre en colre. (Tex does not say
to Tammy for fear that she get angry.) anything to Tammy for fear of making her
angry.)
conjunction replaced by preposition + object

Some conjunctions, like jusqu' ce que and bien que, which introduce the subjunctive, may be restated using prepositions
followed by a noun:
conjunction + subjunctive preposition + noun
Jusqu' ce que Tammy arrive, Tex est trs Jusqu' l'arrive de Tammy, Tex est trs
pensif. (Until Tammy arrives, Tex is very pensif. (Until Tammy's arrival, Tex is very
pensive.) pensive.)
Quand elle arrive, il lui sourit, bien qu'il ait Quand elle arrive, il lui sourit, malgr ses
des soucis. (When she arrives, he smiles at soucis. (When she arrives, he smiles to her
her, although he is worried.) despite his worries.)
other structural transformations

The following pairs of sentences will give you still more ways to avoid the subjunctive.
subjunctive avoiding the subjunctive
Tammy: Je ne suis pas sre que tu sois prt Tex: Je ne sais pas si je suis prt pour le
pour le mariage. (I am not sure that you are mariage. (I don't know if I am ready for
ready for marriage.) marriage.)
Tammy: Il est possible que tu sois l'homme Tex: Je suis peut-tre l'homme de ta vie.
de ma vie. (It is possible that you may be (Maybe I am the man of your life.)
the man of my life.)
Bette: Je n'ai pas l'impression que Tammy Tammy: J'ai l'impression que Bette n'est pas
soit la femme de ta vie, Tex. (I don't think la femme de ta vie, Tex. (I think that Bette
that Tammy is the woman of your life.) is not the woman of your life.)
Tex: Tammy, j'ai besoin que tu viennes me Bette: Viens me voir chez moi, Tex. J'ai
voir. (Tammy, I need you to come and see besoin de te voir. (Come and see me, Tex. I
me.) need to see you.)
fill in the blanks
Rephrase the expression between brackets so as to avoid the subjunctive without changing the meaning of the
sentence.
1. Tammy : J'aime Tex [bien qu'il ait] ses dfauts.
2. Tammy : Il est important [qu'on soit] honnte.
3. Tex : [Pour que je finisse] mon pome, il me faut de l'inspiration.
4. Paw-Paw : Il est indispensable pour Tex [qu'il connaisse] sa famille.
5. Tex : Il est essentiel [que nous lisions] de la posie.
6. Tammy : A condition [que nous arrivions] tt, nous aurons des places.
7. Fiona : Il faut travailler afin [que nous russissions] nos examens.
8. Tammy : [Bien que je fasse] de gros efforts, je ne comprend pas Sartre.
9. Tammy : Il est ncessaire [que nous fassions] du sport rgulirement!
10. Edouard : Avant [que je vienne] Austin, je ne parlais pas anglais.
11. Tammy : Il est essentiel [qu'on soit] poli ('polite').
12. Tex : Je veux manger avant [que nous allions] au cinma!
page: tav1
1. formation
2. uses
3. ways to avoid the passive
'Voice' refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. A sentence is said to be in the active
voice if the subject is performing the action of the verb. For example, 'Tex is calling Tammy.' In this sentence, the
subject (Tex) performs the action of calling Tammy. Active subjects are called 'agents'.
The passive voice, on the other hand, refers to a sentence in which the subject receives the action. In other words, the
subject is passive, or acted upon by the agent. For example: 'Tammy is being called by Tex.' In this sentence, Tammy
receives the action performed by Tex, the agent.
formation
= conjugated form of tre + past participle of main verb (+ par + agent)
Note that the past participle always agrees in number and gender with the
subject.
Les Aggies sont battus The Aggies are beaten

(par les Longhorns). (by the Longhorns).
Les Aggies ont t battus The Aggies were beaten

Les Aggies seront battus The Aggies will be beaten

The agent, when mentioned, is usually preceded by par. However, with the
verbs aimer, connatre, and respecter, the agent is introduced by de instead.
Tammy est aime de Tex. Tammy is loved by Tex.

Tex est bien connu de toutes les tudiantes Tex is well-known to all the female students
et respect de tous les professeurs. and respected by all the professors.
uses
The passive voice places the focus on the object of the verb rather than the
subject:
Tex a crit le livre Guerre Tex wrote the book War

et Amour. and Love.
Le livre Guerre et The book War and Love
Amour a t crit par Tex. was written by Tex.
The passive voice draws attention to an event without necessarily mentioning

who is responsible for it:
Oh, Corey et Fiona ont t Oh, Corey and Fiona were

enlevs! abducted!
The passive voice is often used for inventions, laws, and, logically enough, for events that one falls victim to:
Les parents de Tex ont t crass. Tex' parents were run over.
La loi SOS-tatou a t vote. The SOS-armadillo law has been passed.
Un nouveau genre de grammaire a t cr. A new kind of grammar was created.
ways to avoid the passive

The passive voice is used more frequently in English than in French. Thus, in French, when the agent of the verb can be
identified, it is better to use the active voice and make the agent the subject of the verb.
A common way to avoid the passive in French is to use the active voice with on as the subject. For example, 'I was told
that Tex loves Tammy' would be translated as 'Onm'a dit que Tex aimait Tammy'.
When making general statements about known facts, pronominal verbs are often used:
Le football amricain se joue onze. Football is played with 11 players.

Le vin rouge se boit temprature Red wine is drunk at room temperature.
ambiante.
Les frites se mangent avec du ketchup. Fries are eaten with ketchup.
Le franais se parle en Louisiane. French is spoken in Louisiana.
Tammy et Tex regardent les informations Tammy and Tex are watching the news on
la tl. Le journaliste dclare: TV. The journalist states:
Aujourd'hui, l'quipe des Aggies a t battue Today, the team of the Aggies was
et le moral des joueurs est profondment defeated and the morale of the players is
affect par cette dfaite, la dixime fois de deeply affected by this defeat, the tenth
suite cette saison. Par contre, les Longhorns time in a row this season. In contrast, the
ont beaucoup de succs. Depuis que le Longhorns are having a lot of success.
trophe Heisman a t remport par le Since the Heisman trophy was won by the
lgendaire Ricky Williams, rien ne les lengendary Ricky Williams, nothing can stop
arrte. them.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the passive form of the verb between parentheses. Conjugate the verb in the tense given in
parentheses.
1. Tex : Ce plat _____________ en France. (apprcier, PRESENT)
2. Tammy : Cette tarte ____________ par Edouard. (faire, PASSE COMPOSE)
3. Tex : La danse country ___________ par les Texans. (inventer, PASSE COMPOSE)
4. Le roman de Tex ___________ des millions d'exemplaires. (vendre, FUTUR)
5. Tex ____________ par des nonnes. (lever, PASSE COMPOSE)
6. Les pomes rotiques de Tex ____________. (censurer, PASSE COMPOSE)
7. Tex, Joe-Bob et Edouard ____________ chez Tammy ce soir. (inviter, PRESENT)
8. Tex _____________ par Bette. (poursuivre/'to chase', PRESENT)
9. Tex et Tammy ______________ chaleureusement par Paw-Paw. (accueillir, PRESENT)
10. Monsieur, le caf _____________ ! (servir, PRESENT)
11. Rita : Je ne peux pas venir ce soir, je _____________ ! (prendre, PRESENT)
12. Tex : Est-ce je _____________ de mon public? (aimer, FUTUR)
page: v1
A verb may be defined as the 'action word of the sentence'. To determine whether a word is a verb or not, consider
its role in the sentence. How is the word 'access' used in the following sentences?
Never give strangers access to your bank account.

If you can't access the web pages during peak hours, try again.
In the first sentence, 'access' is a thing (a noun) that you can give to somebody. In the second sentence, 'access' is
something you do (a verb) with your computer. The point is that whether a word is considered a noun or a verb
depends on how it is used in the sentence.
infinitives and conjugations

When you study verbs, you will need to know the difference between the infinitive form of the verb and the finite
forms, or conjugated forms. English infinitives are preceded by the word 'to'.
to eat, to drink, to sleep
These verbs are called infinitives because, like the concept of infinity, they are not bound by time. From the
infinitive, we derive the conjugated forms of the verb, also known as the finite forms of the verb. They are called
finite because they refer to events anchored in time, that is, to events that have a particular tense: past, present,
future. Note the conjugated forms of the infinitive 'to study'.
I studied French past tense conjugation

in high school.
I am studying French present tense conjugation

in college this semester.
I will study French future tense conjugation

next year overseas.
Verb conjugations are traditionally presented in textbooks according to

paradigms, a grammatical term for pattern. A paradigm always
includes the infinitive followed by the conjugations according to person
which is divided into first, second and third, as well as number, which is
the distinction between singular and plural.
Here is the paradigm for the present tense of the French verb parler, 'to speak'.
parler
singular plural
1st person je parle (I speak) nous parlons (we speak)
2nd person tu parles (you speak) vous parlez (you speak)
3rd person il/elle/on parle (he/she/it ils/elles parlent (they speak)

speaks)
Regular French verbs fall into three classes based on the last two letters of the verb. Each class has a particular
pattern of conjugation. These classes of verbs are generally referred to as first conjugation, second conjugation and
third conjugation.
first conjugation (-er verbs)
danser to dance
regarder to watch
second conjugation (-ir verbs)
finir to finish
obir to obey
third conjugation (-re verbs)
vendre to sell
entendre to listen
participles
A participle is a special verb form that is derived from the infinitive but is not conjugated. In other words, while
conjugations come in paradigms of six forms according to six different persons, participles have only two forms,
named according to their uses: the present participle and the past participle.
A present participle in French ends in -ant and is frequently used as an adjective. French present participles are
usually translated by the -ing form of the English verb. Note that the adjectival form of the present participle must
agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies. In the example, the participle is made to agree with the
plural noun (les animaux) by adding -s.
Les tatous sont des animaux fascinants. Armadillos are fascinating animals.
A past participle in French is used to form compound tenses, such as the 'pass compos'. A past participle can also
be used as an adjective in certain contexts. When used as an adjective, the participle agrees in number and gender
with the noun it qualifies.
Tex a perdu une lettre d'amour de Tex lost a love letter from Bette.
Bette.
Et Tammy a trouv la lettre perdue! And Tammy found the lost letter!
In the first example, the participle 'perdu' combines with the auxiliary verb to form the past tense of perdre (to
lose). In the second example, the participle is used as an adjective to modify the noun 'la lettre'. Note how the final
-e on the participle indicates agreement with the feminine noun.
common auxiliaries and modals

Auxiliaries, often called 'helping verbs', are verbs that combine with the main verb to form a verb phrase. There are
two groups of auxiliary verbs: common auxiliaries and modals. The two common auxiliary verbs in French, avoir (to
have) and tre (to be) are used to form many tenses. A tense that has only a main verb and no auxiliary is called a
simple tense. A verb tense that is composed of a main verb and its auxiliary is called a compound tense.
Joe-Bob coute de la musique country. Joe-Bob listens to country music.
Joe-Bob a cout de la musique Joe-Bob has listened to country music.

country.
In the first example, the main verb 'couter' is in the simple present tense. In the second example, the verb is in the
compound past tense, a tense which combines the auxiliary verb 'avoir' with the past participle of 'couter'.
Modals are special auxiliary verbs that express the attitude of the speaker. In
short, modal verbs are 'moody verbs'. For example, modal verbs indicate subtle
shades of meaning concerning such things as the likelihood of an event or the
moral obligation of an event. The most frequent modal verbs in English are the
following: should, could, may, might, ought to, must.
Note how the following modal verbs in French and English convey an attitude of
increased urgency.
Tex peut quitter la France. Tex can leave France.
Tex devrait quitter la France! Tex should leave France!
Tex doit quitter la France!! Tex must leave France!!
transitive vs. intransitive verbs

Transitive verbs require a direct object while intransitive verbs do not permit an object. A direct object is usually
defined as the party which directly receives the action designated by the verb. The terms 'transitive' and
'intransitive' are derived from the grammatical term transitivity which refers to the transfer of an action from the
subject (S) to the direct object (DO).
Transitive Tex (S) crit un pome (DO). Tex writes a poem.
Intransitive Tex (S) sort. Tex goes out.
French vs. English verbs

There is one important difference between French and English verbs that often causes trouble for beginning
language learners. There is a high frequency of English verbs which combine with a particle (typically a preposition)
to express idiomatic meanings. English speakers can completely change the meaning of the verb by changing the
particle. Consider the extremely versatile English verb 'to get'.
GET + particle meaning french equivalent
to get about to move around se dplacer
to get better to recover se remettre
to get out to leave sortir, descendre
to get up to get out of bed se lever
In order to convey the differences in meaning of the 'get + particle' constructions, note how French makes use of
completely different verbs. As a consequence, when you translate such verbs from English into French, you must
never translate word-for-word (i.e. translating the verb and particle separately). Since the verb and particle 'go
together' in English, they must be translated as a unit in French.
page: ver1
There are three major groups of regular verbs in French: verbs with infinitives ending in -er,
verbs with infinitives ending in -ir, and verbs with infinitives ending in -re. Since -er verbs
are the most numerous, they are considered the first conjugation. To conjugate these verbs,
drop the -er from the infinitive to form the stem. Next, add the -erendings to the stem.
Different tenses have different endings.
The endings given below (-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent) are for forming the present tense. The
endings (-e, -es, -e, and -ent) are all silent. The only endings that are pronounced are the
nous (-ons) and the vous (-ez) endings. The four silent endings form a boot shape in the
verb conjugation.
parler 'to speak'

je parl e nous parl ons
tu parl es vous parl ez
il/elle/on parl e ils/elles parl ent
past participle: parl
Listen carefully to the following sentences. Note that the pronunciation of each of the verbs is the same even though the
conjugations are spelled differently.
Tex, il parle franais? Mais c'est un tatou. Tex speaks French? But he's an armadillo.
Tex: Bien sr jeparle franais etTammy, elle Tex: Of course, I speak French and
aussi, elle parle franais. Tammy,too, she speaks French.
Eh bien dis donc, mme les tatousparlent Well, I'll be, even the armadillos speak
franais au Texas? French in Texas?
Here is a list of common -er verbs:
adorer, to adore habiter, to live

aimer, to like jouer, to play
aimermieux, to prefer montrer, to show
chanter, to sing prsenter, tointroduce
chercher,to look for regarder, to watch
danser, to dance rencontrer, to meet (by chance)
demander,to ask rester, to stay,remain
dtester,to hate, to detest tlphoner,to telephone
donner,to give travailler, to work
couter, to listen to trouver, to find
tudier, to study
Je changes to j' before a verb starting with a vowel or a silent h (ex.j'adore, j'habite). This
phenomenon is known as lision. Listen to the following sentences. Can you hear the lision
in the first two examples?
Tex: J'adore la musique rap et

I love rap music and I often
j'coute souvent de la musique
listen to music in clubs.
dans les clubs.
Je chante et je danse aussi. I sing and I dance, too.
Note also that the s in plural pronouns (nous, vous, and ils/elles) is usually silent except when it is followed by a verb
that begins with a vowel sound. In such a case the silent s is pronounced as a /z/ and links the pronoun to the verb. This
phenomenon is called liaison ('linking') and is very characteristic of French. Listen carefully to the sentences below.
Which sentences contain examples of liaison?
Tex et Tammy, ils coutent Tex and Tammy, they listen

de la musique cadienne avec to Cajun music with Paw-
Paw-Paw! Paw!
Tammy: Nous adorons
Tammy: We love to dance.
danser.
Tex: Oui, oui, c'est vrai. Tex: Yes, yes, that's true.
Nous dansonsbeaucoup. We dance a lot.
fill in the blanks

Give the correct form of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex et Tammy, ils ______ Austin. (habiter)
2. Tammy ______ le franais. (tudier)
3. Je ______ un peu. (chanter)
4. J'______ la musique franaise. (adorer)
5. Nous ______ au foot. (jouer)
6. Vous ______ la musique texane? (aimer)
7. Quelle sorte de musique est-ce que tu ______? (aimer)
8. Tammy ______ les sports. (dtester)
9. Joe-Bob ______ de la guitare. (jouer)
10. Est-ce que tu ______ du piano? (jouer)
11. Joe-Bob ______ son ami Corey. (chercher)
12. Tammy et Bette ______ la tlvision. (regarder)
listening comprehension
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular), Tex and Tammy (plural) -- or if it's
impossible to tell. Hint: Pay close attention to liaison between subject pronoun and verb.
1. ___Tex ___Tex et Tammy ___impossible distinguer

page: ver2
Spelling changes occur in the stems of several groups of -er verbs in the present tense. These spelling changes reflect
the pronunciation of the present tense forms.
You may have already noticed the spelling change in the verb s'appeler (Je m'appelle ..., My name is ...). For verbs like
appeler (to call), rappeler (to call back) and jeter (to throw), the consonant -l or -t in the the stem doubles in all forms of
the present tense, except in the first and second person plural (nous and vous). This follows the traditional boot pattern
of -er verb conjugations in the present tense.
appeler 'to call'

j'appelle nous appelons
tu appelles vous appelez
il/elle/on appelle ils/elles appellent
past participle : appel
This same "boot" pattern is repeated in spelling change verbs like prfrer (to prefer). In these verbs the in the last
syllable of the stem changes to an , except in the first and second person plural (nous and vous). Listen carefully to the
different pronunciations of and in the conjugations below.
prfrer 'to prefer'

je prfre nous prfrons
tu prfres vous prfrez
il/elle/on prfre ils/elles prfrent
past participle : prfr
Verbs conjugated like prfrer include:
considrer, to consider
esprer, to hope
rgler, to regulate, pay, settle, adjust
rpter,to repeat
scher, to dry, skip (a class)
In verbs which are conjugated like acheter (to buy), the e in the last syllable of the stem also changes to an , again
with the exception of the first and second person plural forms.
acheter 'to buy'

j'achte nous achetons
tu achtes vous achetez
il/elle/on achte ils/elles achtent
past participle : achet
Verbs conjugated like acheter include:

amener, to bring somebody (along)
emmener, to take somebody (along)
lever, to lift, raise
mener, to take, lead
peser, to weigh
Another group of stem-changing verbs include those ending in -ayer, including essayer (to try) and payer (to pay). In
these verbs the y changes to i in all persons except the first and second person plural (nous and vous).
essayer 'to try'

j'essaie nous essayons
tu essaies vous essayez
il/elle/on essaie ils/elles essaient
past participle : essay
Finally, verbs ending in -gerlike voyager (to travel) add an e after the g in the nous form of the present tense, so that
the g is pronounced as a soft sound before the -ons ending (i.e. nous voyageons). Similarly, in verbs ending in -cer,
commencer (to start), for example, the c in the nous form changes to to keep the soft c sound (nous commenons).
voyager 'to travel

je voyage nous voyageons
tu voyages vous voyagez
il/elle/on voyage ils/elles voyagent
past participle: voyag
Other verbs in this category include:
corriger, to correct
exiger, to demand, require
manger, to eat
nager, to swim
partager, to share
ranger, to tidy up, arrange
rdiger, to write, compose
songer, to dream, reflect
Quelle activit est-ce que vous prfrez What activitiy do you prefer in the
en t? summer?
Rita: J'emmne mes enfants la

Rita: I take my children to the pool.
piscine.
Ses enfants: Nous nageons et nous Her children: We swim and we eat ice
mangeons de la glace. cream.
Tammy: Moi, je prfre faire du

Tammy: Me, I prefer shopping. I buy
shopping. J'achte beaucoup et papa
lots and daddy pays for everything.
paie tout.
fill in the blanks

1. Tex: Je ______ parler franais. (prfrer)
2. Tammy, ______ -vous le prof de franais ou le prof d'italien? (prfrer)
3. Joe-Bob: Corey et moi, nous ______ adorer le franais. (commencer)
4. Tex: Mon amie ______ Tammy. (s'appeler)
5. Joe-Bob ______ faire de la planche voile demain. (esprer)
6. Tammy ______ beaucoup au mall. (acheter)
7. Bette: Fiona et moi, nous ______ au Mexique en t. (voyager)
8. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ Barton Springs. (nager)
9. Tex: J' ______ Tammy au cinma ce soir. (amener)
10. Tammy: Tex et moi, nous ______ un ordinateur. (partager)
11. Tex: Mes chers tudiants, ______ , s'il vous plat. (rpter)
12. Rita, est-ce que tes enfants ______ de parler franais? (essayer)
listening comprehension fill in the blanks

You will hear a series of sentences with stem-changing verbs. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the
verb that you hear.
1. Edouard, tu ______ les baguettes ou le Wonderbread?
2. Il ______ Tex.
3. Tu ______ d'apprendre le franais?
4. Nous ______ souvent.
5. Tex ______ toujours ses questions aux tudiants.
6. Tex ne ______ pas de cuisine de grenouilles.
7. Est-ce que nous ______ notre chambre?
8. Joe-Bob ______ ses devoirs la poubelle.
9. Vous ______ la cuisine franaise, n'est-ce pas?
10. Tammy ______ un gteau pour Tex.
11. Corey et Joe-Bob ______ un drapeau texan pour Tex.
12. Nous ______ l'avenir.
page: vim1
1. weather expressions
2. falloir (il faut ...)
3. impersonal expressions with 'tre'
4. other common impersonal expressions
The impersonal pronoun il ('it') is used in French when an action has no agent, that is, when
there is no person or animate being responsible for the action. The conjugated verb is always in
the third person singular, no matter what tense the impersonal verb takes.
Tex: Tiens, il pleut trs fort! Tex: Wow, it is raining really hard!
The action of the verb (pleut, 'is raining') is an impersonal, natural force. The impersonal
pronoun il is often referred to as a 'dummy subject' because it fills the syntactic position of
subject but doesn't have any real meaning.
weather expressions
Weather expressions in both French and English require impersonal subjects. The infinitive of 'weather verbs' can only be
conjugated in the third person singular form (the il form).
pleuvoir, to rain Il pleut. It's raining.
neiger, to snow Il neige. It's snowing.
grler, to sleet Il grle. It's sleeting.
geler, to freeze Il gle. It's freezing.
bruiner, to drizzle Il bruine. It's drizzling.
Weather conditions are also expressed in French using the verb faire followed by an adjective or noun. Of course, when
the verb faire is used impersonally in such weather expressions, it can only be conjugated in the third person singular
form (il fait). See faire expressions for a more complete list of weather expressions.
Il fait chaud. It's hot.
Il fait du vent. It's windy.
Il fait beau. It's beautiful.
falloir (il faut ...) 'to be necessary'

The verb falloir only exists in the impersonal form (il faut). It always expresses the notion of necessity or obligation
which is translated into English in various ways ('must,' 'should,' 'have to'). Falloir may be followed by an infinitive as in
(d), by a noun as in (c), or by a subordinate clause introduced by que as in (a); note that the verb in the subordinate
clause in (a) requires the subjunctive mood. Finally, it may be preceded by a pronoun acting as an indirect object as in
(b), a way to avoid the subjunctive.
Comme la majorit des Like the majority of the

Franais, Tex ne voit pas French, Tex does not see the
l'intrt du scandale point of the Lewinsky scandal.
Lewinsky.
Tammy (shocked):
Tammy (scandalise):
(a) Il faut que nous sachions [faut que + clause] It is necessary that we know
la vrit. the truth. We should/must
know the truth.
(b) Il nous faut des preuves. [indirect object + We need evidence.
faut]
(c) Il faut une enqute. [faut + noun] An investigation is necessary.
Tex: Mais tu sais bien ce qui Tex: But you know what
s'est pass! happened!
(d) Il faut te calmer. [faut + infinitive] It is necessary that you calm

down. You have to calm
down.
impersonal expressions with 'tre' + [adjective]

The impersonal subject il may appear with the verb tre followed by an adjective and an
infinitive. Note that the infinitive is always introduced by the prepostion de in such impersonal
expressions:
Il est + [adjective] + de + [infinitive]
Tex: Il est amusant de lire les Tex: It's fun to read American
journaux amricains! newspapers!
Tammy: Il est difficile de Tammy: It is difficult to understand

comprendre ton humour. your sense of humor.
other common impersonal expressions

Il y a, there is, there are
il est + clock time (Il est deux heures, It's two o'clock.)
Il s'agit de, to be about, to be a matter of, to be a question of
Il vaut mieux, to be better, to be advisable
Tammy: Il est 18 h. Regardons Tammy: It's 6 o'clock. Let's

le journal tlvis. Il y a un watch the news. There's a
reportage sur l'infidlit. report on infidelity.
Tex: Ah non, a alors. Il s'agit Tex: Oh, no, not that. It's
seulement de tourmenter les only about tormenting
prsidents et les tatous! Il vaut presidents and armadillos!
mieux changer de chane! It's better to change the
channel!
fill in the blanks

Complete with one of the following impersonal expressions: 'il fait', 'il neige', 'il pleut', 'il gle', 'il est','il faut', 'il y a'.
1. Tammy : En t, au Texas, ______ trs chaud.
2. Tex : Oh! ______ du vent. Mon bret s'est envol!
3. Tammy : J'aime quand ________ Nol. J'adore les Nols blancs.
4. Edouard : Les escargots et les canards aiment l'eau. Ils aiment quand _________.
5. Tammy : Quand ________ au Colorado, je vais skier.
6. Tammy : Quand _______, on fait du patin glace sur le lac.

7. Bette : Tu as l'heure? Oh, non, _______ dj 8 heures!
8. Joe-Bob : _________ visiter l'Alamo une fois dans sa vie!
9. Tammy : A UT, ___________ environ 50 000 tudiants.
10. Tex : Oh, c'est tard, _______ rentrer. Tammy ne va pas tre contente.
11. Tammy : Regarde, _______ jour, le soleil se lve!
12. Tammy : _______ difficile de comprendre Tex.
page: vinf1
1. as a noun
2. as an imperative
3. after verbs
4. negation of infinitives
5. past infinitive constructions
The infinitive expresses the idea or concept of a verb's meaning, without specifying a
specific subject or point in time (tense). In most cases, use of the infinitive in French
corresponds to the English. Infinitive constructions may be categorized according to
the following uses:
as a noun
The infinitive may sometimes function as a noun. For example, it may be the subject
of a sentence. Note that the French infinitive is often translated as a gerund (the '-
ing' form of the verb) in English.
Joe-Bob: Etudier n'est pas Joe-Bob: Studying is not

facile! easy!
as an imperative (command)
The infinitive may be used to give a written order when there is no specific addressee. You will often see this form on
signs.
Ne pas marcher sur l'herbe. Do not walk on the grass.
after verbs
The infinitive is often used directly after these conjugated verbs:
Verbs of movement: (In this category, the aller, descendre, partir, rentrer, retourner,
infinitive indicates purpose.) revenir, sortir, venir, etc.
Verbs of preference: adorer, aimer, dsirer, dtester, prfrer,

vouloir
Verbs of opinion: compter, croire, esprer, nier, penser, valoir

mieux (impersonal: il vaut mieux)
Verbs of perception: couter, entendre, regarder, sentir, voir
Verbs of ability, obligation and necessity: avoir beau (to do something in vain),
devoir, faillir (to almost do something),
falloir (impersonal: il faut) pouvoir, savoir
Tex et ses amis sortent dner. Tex and his friends are going out to have
dinner.
Tex compte savourer un bon dner franais, Tex is counting on enjoying a good French
mais Joe-Bob veut manger un hamburger. dinner, but Joe-Bob wants to eat a
hamburger.
Edouard les coute discuter un moment et Edouard listens to them discuss for a
puis il dit: J'ai failli manger un hamburger moment and then he says: I almost ate a
une fois. Non, je ne peux pas faire a, tout hamburger once. No, I really can't do that.
de mme. Il faut trouver un vrai restaurant We have to find a real French restaurant.
franais.
after prepositions
The infinitive is the verb form generally used after a preposition in French. The infinitive expresses purpose when it is
used after pour or afin de. In the case of avant de and sans, the English translation is often a conjugated verb (Before
they left), or a present participle (Before leaving), rather than the English infinitive. The infinitive follows the preposition
par after the verbs commencer and finir.
pour or afin de Tammy arrive pour sortir avec Tammy arrives [in order] to go
Tex et ses amis. out with Tex and his friends.
avant de and sans Avant de partir, ils lui Before leaving, they ask her to
demandent de choisir un choose a restaurant. She starts
restaurant. Elle commence par by suggesting the new Thai
suggrer le nouveau restaurant restaurant. Tex and his friends
tha. Tex et ses copains parlent talk without listening to Tammy.
sans couter Tammy.
par Elle finit par comprendre que She finally understands that
choisir un restaurant tait choosing a restaurant was
impossible. impossible.
Note that the preposition en is followed by a present participle, not the infinitive. (En sortant, Joe-Bob a dit au revoir. On
leaving, Joe-Bob said good-bye.)
The infinitive may be used to complete the sense of an adjective or a pronoun. Generally infinitives following a noun or
adjective are preceded by the preposition de. (Edouard ne serait pas content de manger un hamburger. Edouard would
not be happy to eat a hamburger.) However, adjectives and nouns are followed by the preposition + infinitive to
indicate a passive sense or a function: C'est bon manger. (It's good to eat.), une salle manger (dining room), de
l'eau boire (drinking water).
verbs followed by '' before an infinitive

When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition is required:
aider , to help to s'habituer , to get used to
s'amuser , to have fun at hsiter , to hesitate to
apprendre , to learn to inviter , to invite to

arriver , to succeed in, to manage to se mettre , to start to
s'attendre , to expect to se prparer , to prepare to
chercher , to try to, to attempt to renoncer , to give up
commencer , to start to russir , to succeed at
se dcider , to make up one's mind to servir , to be used for
encourager , to encourage to tenir , to be anxious to, to be eager to
verbs followed by 'de' before an infinitive:

When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition de is required:
(s')arrter de, to stop permettre ( quelqu'un) de, to permit

someone to
conseiller de, to advise to persuader de, to persuade to
se contenter de, to content oneself with se presser de, to hurry to
dcider de, to decide to promettre de, to promise to
s'efforcer de to try hard to, to endeavor to proposer de, to propose to
essayer de, to try to refuser de, to refuse to
s'excuser de, to apologize for rver de to dream of
finir de, to finish se soucier de, to care about
mriter de, to deserve, to be worth se souvenir de, to remember to
oublier de, to forget to
to avoid the subjunctive

The infinitive is often used in impersonal expressions to avoid the subjunctive when a specific subject is not necessary.
Edouard: Il est tout fait barbare de manger Edouard: It is completely uncivilized to eat
des hamburgers! hamburgers!
in an interrogative or exclamatory phrase

The infinitive may be used in an interrogative phrase or exclamatory phrases to
express a dilemma.
Tex se demande: Quel Tex wonders: Which

restaurant choisir? O aller? restaurant to choose? Where
to go?
Oh! Etre en France! Boire un Oh, to be in France! To drink

bon vin rouge! a good red wine!
negation of infinitives
Ne pas, ne plus, ne rien, or ne jamais are placed side by side before the infinitive to make it negative. Ne personne,
however, straddles the verb.
Tammy demande aux autres de ne pas se Tammy asks the others not to fight.
disputer.
Tex promet de ne se battre avec personne. Tex promises not to fight with anyone.
Pas is sometimes omitted in the negative with an infinitive after the verbs savoir, pouvoir, oser and cesser.
Tex et ses amis ne savent que faire Tex and his friends don't know what to do
et Tammy n'ose parler. and Tammy doesn't dare speak.
past infinitive constructions

The infinitive of avoir or tre plus the past participle of a verb is used after the preposition aprs to describe a preceding
action in the past. Note the past participle agreement in past constructions with tre.
Aprs avoir suggr plusieurs restaurants, After having suggested several restaurants,
ils choisissent un restaurant franais. they choose a French restaurant.
Aprs tre arrivs au restaurant, Joe-Bob et After arriving at the restaurant, Joe-Bob
Corey commandent des hamburgers. Ils and Corey order hamburgers. They are
sont ttus! stubborn!
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct translations of the English indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex adore ______ au caf. (going)
2. ______ est bon pour le coeur et la ligne. (dancing)
3. Prire de ______ . (do not enter)
4. Ce soir les amis sortent pour ______ . (to have dinner)
5. Tex coute ______ Serge Gainsbourg. (singing)
6. Trey espre ______ une petite amie bientt. (to find)
7. Vous devez vrifiez votre argent avant de ______ . (ordering)
8. Commenons par ______ un hors-d'oeuvre. (ordering)
9. On ne fte pas son anniversaire sans ______ un morceau de gteau. (having)
10. Edouard! N'oublie pas d' ______ le ketchup. (to bring)
11. Aprs ______ le dner, nous irons danser. (having finished)
12. Que ______ ? (to do)
page: vir1
Verbs with infinitives ending in -ir form a second group of regular verbs in French, often called 'second conjugation'
verbs. To conjugate these verbs, drop the -ir from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings: -
is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The singular and plural forms of the third person are clearly distinguishable (finit
vs.finissent). Listen to the difference.
finir 'to finish'

je finis nous finissons
tu finis vous finissez
il/elle/on finit ils/elles finissent
past participle : fini
Here is a list of other common -ir verbs:
choisir, to choose maigrir, to lose weight rflchir, to think, reflect
tablir, to establish mincir, to get slimmer runir, to get together,

assemble
grandir, to grow (up) obir ( quelqu'un), to obey russir (), to succeed (at)
(someone)
grossir, to gain weight ragir, to react vieillir, to grow old
Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern,however. Irregular -ir
verbs include ouvrir, partir, sortir, and dormir.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following

dialogue. In particular, note the difference in the pronunciation of
one s (pronounced as /z/) and two ss (pronounced as /s/) in the
verb 'choisir.'
Tex et Tammy runissent des copains ce soir. Tex and Tammy are getting friends together
this evening.
Tammy: Quel vin tu choisis, Tex? Tammy: What wine do you choose, Tex?
Tex rflchit un moment, et puis il choisit un Tex reflects a moment and then he chooses a
bon vin rouge. good red wine.
Tex: Nous choisissons toujours du rouge. C'est Tex: We always choose red (wine). It's good
bon pour la sant. for (one's) health.
fill in the blanks

1. Tex ______ beaucoup. (rflchir)

2. Les enfants de Rita ______. (grandir)
3. Tammy: Je ______ en hiver. (grossir)
4. Corey: Je ______ des amis pour manger une pizza. (runir)
5. Les enfants de Rita: Nous ______ notre mre. (obir)
6. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ toujours leurs pizzas. (finir)
7. Fiona, tu ______ trop! (rflchir)
8. Bette ______ parce qu'elle mange peu. (maigrir)
9. Tex ne ______ pas Paw-Paw. (obir)
10. Joe-Bob, pourquoi est-ce que tu ne ______ pas tes devoirs? (finir)
11. Edouard, vous ne ______ pas. (maigrir)
12. Fiona et Tammy, vous ______ toujours du vin blanc. (choisir)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Joe-Bob and Corey (plural).
1. ___Tex ___Joe-Bob et Corey
page: vir2
A very limited group of verbs with infinitives ending in -ir are irregular, that is, they do not follow the pattern of regular -
ir verbs like finir. Verbs like ouvrir are conjugated instead like regular -er verbs.
ouvrir 'to open'

j'ouvre nous ouvrons
tu ouvres vous ouvrez
il/elle/on ouvre ils/elles ouvrent
past participle: ouvert
Verbs conjugated like ouvrir include:
couvrir, to cover
dcouvrir, to discover
offrir, to offer, to give (a gift)
souffrir, to suffer
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following sentences.

Note, too, that there is no s in the imperative 'tu' form of the second
sentence, since it is conjugated like a regular -er verb in the imperative.
Bette offre un cadeau

Bette is giving Tex a gift.
Tex. C'est son anniversaire
It's his birthday today!
aujourd'hui!
Bette: Ouvre le paquet, Bette: Open the package,

Tex! Tex!
fill in the blanks

1. Tex ______ la musique cadienne. (dcouvrir)
2. Tammy: Tu ______ un cadeau Tex, Bette? (offrir)
3. Tammy ______ les yeux pendant les films d'horreur. (couvrir)
4. Fiona et Corey ______ d'un complexe. (souffrir)
5. Tex dit aux tudiants: ______ vos livres, s'il vous plat! (ouvrir)
6. Fiona dit ses amis: Vous ______ Sixth Street, moi j'tudie! (dcouvrir)
7. Tammy: Je ______ tes intentions, Bette! (dcouvrir)
8. Tex: Tammy, pourquoi est-ce que tu ______ de jalousie? Je t'aime. (souffrir)
9. Corey: Je ______ d'un mal de tte. (souffrir)
10. Edouard: Chez moi vous allez ______ la bonne cuisine franaise. (dcouvrir)
11. Les tudiants de Tex ______ leurs livres. (ouvrir)
12. Tex ______ ses excuses Tammy quand il arrive en retard. (offrir)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of offrir, ouvrir, dcouvrir, or souffrir.
1. Les tudiants de Tex ______ la culture franaise.
2. Bette ______ un cadeau Tex. C'est sa fte aujourd'hui.
3. Nous ______ souvent d'allergies Austin.
4. Les enfants de Rita lui ______ des fleurs pour la fte des mres.
5. Fiona: Je ______ d'une migraine.
6. Tex ______ la porte pour Tammy.
7. Nous ______ le monde de Tex.
8. Bette: ______ ton cadeau, Tex!
9. Rita ______ ses enfants quand il fait froid.
10. Joe-Bob: Il fait trop chaud. Je vais ______ la fentre.
11. Edouard, est-ce que vous ______ une bouteille de champage?
12. Bette: Tex, tu m' ______ du chocolat?
page: vir3
The verbs partir, sortir, and dormir are irregular in the present tense, that is, they are not conjugated like regular -ir
verbs. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of these verbs, noting especially the pronunciation of the consonant sound in
the plural forms. Can you hear the difference between the singular and the plural forms in the third person?
partir 'to leave'

je pars nous partons
tu pars vous partez
il/elle/on part ils/elles partent
past participle : parti
sortir 'to exit, go out'

je sors nous sortons
tu sors vous sortez
il/elle/on sort ils/elles sortent
past participle : sorti
dormir 'to sleep'

je dors nous dormons
tu dors vous dormez
il/elle/on dort ils/elles dorment
past participle :dormi
Bette: Tammy, are you leaving this

Bette: Tammy, tu pars ce week-end?
weekend?
Tammy: Oui, je pars pour la Louisiane avec Tammy: Yes, I'm going to Louisianna with
Tex. Nous allons rendre visite Paw-Paw. Tex. We're going to visit Paw-Paw. We're
Samedi soir nous sortons danser et manger going out Saturday night to dance and eat
de la cuisine cadienne. some Cajun food.
Bette: Et Paw-Paw, il sort avec vous? Bette: And does Paw-Paw go out with you?
Tammy: Non, il prfre rester la maison Tammy: No, he prefers to stay at home and
pour dormir. sleep.
fill in the blanks

1. Paw-Paw ne ______ pas parce qu'il aime rester la maison. (sortir)
2. Nous ______ beaucoup le week-end. (dormir)
3. Bette et Tammy aiment ______ avec leurs amis. (sortir)
4. Corey ne ______ pas beaucoup parce qu'il prfre regarder la tl. (dormir)
5. Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ ce week-end? (partir)
6. Rita et les enfants, vous ______ ce soir? (sortir)
7. Josh et Tex ______ pour le film sept heures. (partir)
8. Tammy: Je ______ beaucoup aprs un examen. (dormir)
9. Tammy et Tex: Nous ______ pour les cours 10 heures. (partir)
10. Fiona, pourquoi est-ce que tu ne ______ pas avec nous? (sortir)
11. Edouard ______ pour son travail cinq heures. (partir)
12. Joe-Bob et Corey ne ______ pas souvent de Jester. (sortir)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tammy (singular) or Tammy and Bette (plural).
1. ___Tammy ___Tammy et Bette
page: virr1
The verb tre is an irregular verb in the present tense. Listen carefully to its forms in the present. Do you hear the
liaison or linking in the pronunciation of the -s in the vous form? It is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel in
tes.
tre 'to be'

je suis 'I am' nous sommes 'we are'
tu es 'you are' vous tes 'you are'
il/elle/on est 'he/she/one is' ils/elles sont 'they are'
past participle: t
Edouard: Mais non, Joe-Bob, tu n'es pas un Edouard: But no, Joe-Bob, you are not an
tatou! armadillo!
Tex est un tatou. Tex et Tammy sont des Tex is an armadillo. Tex and Tammy are
tatous. armadillos.
Toi et moi, nous ne sommes pas des tatous. You and I, we are not armadillos.
Toi, tu es un cureuil et moi, je suis un You are a squirrel and I am a snail, a French
escargot, un escargot franais. snail.
C'est (plural Ce sont) is a common expression used to describe and introduce people or things. See c'est vs. il/elle est for
more information. Etre is also used as an auxiliary in compound tenses (pass compos with tre, pass compos of
pronominal verbs, plus-que-parfait, etc.)
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of tre.
1. Edouard ______ un escargot franais.
2. Tex et Tammy ______ des tatous.
3. Les tudiants de Tex: Nous ne ______ pas franais.
4. Tammy: Je ______ tudiante l'universit du Texas.
5. Joe-Bob demande: Tu ______ amricain?

6. Tex, vous ______ professeur?
7. Joe-Bob: Tu ______ d'o?
8. Tex: Je ______ intelligent.
9. Joe-Bob et Corey, vous n'______ pas des dentistes!
10. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ amricains.
11. Joe-Bob ______ de College Station.
12. Rita: Je ne ______ pas coiffeuse.

You will hear a series of sentences with the verb tre. Complete each sentence with the subject pronoun (je, tu, il,
elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles) and corresponding form of tre that you hear.
1. ______ professeur.
2. ______ tudiants.
3. ______ trs intelligents.
4. ______ tudiante.
5. ______ franais?
6. ______ du Texas?
7. ______ d'o?
8. ______ de Dallas.
9. ______ franais?
10. ______ amricaines.
11. ______ active, n'est-ce pas?
12. ______ trs contents.
page: virr10
The irregular verbs savoir and connatre both mean 'to know. Listen first to the pronunciation of their forms in the
present.
savoir 'to know (a fact)'

je sais nous savons
tu sais vous savez
il/elle/on sait ils/elles savent
past participle : su
connatre 'to know, to be acquainted with'

je connais nous connaissons
tu connais vous connaissez
il/elle/on connat ils/elles connaissent
past participle : connu
Savoir and connatre are used in different

contexts or to describe different degrees of
knowledge. Savoir is used for facts, things
known by heart, or abilities.When followed by
an infinitive, savoir indicates knowing how to
do something.(Je sais jouer de laguitare. )
Connatreis used for people and places and
represents a personal acquaintance or
familiarity.
Joe-Bob: Tex, explique-moi la diffrence Joe-Bob: Tex, explain the difference

entre savoir et connatre. Je ne comprends between savoir and connatre to me. I don't
pas. understand.
Tex: C'est trs simple, Joe-Bob. On sait des Tex: It's very simple, Joe-Bob. One knows
faits mais on connat des gens et des (with savoir) facts, but one knows (with
endroits. Par exemple, je connais Tammy, la connatre) people and places. For example, I
France et la Tour Eiffel. know Tammy, France, the Eiffel Tower.
Joe-Bob: Oh, OK, et moi, je sais jouer de la Joe-Bob: Oh, OK, and I know how to play
guitare et je sais o se trouvel'universit du the guitar and I know where the University
Texas. of Texas is located.
Tex: Mais enfin, Joe-Bob, tu n'es pas aussi Tex: Well, Joe-Bob. You aren't as stupid as
stupide qu'on le pense. they think.
fill in the blanks
1. Edouard ______ cuisiner. (savoir)
2. Joe-Bob ______ College Station. (connatre)
3. Joe-Bob demande Tex: Est-ce que tu ______ le prsident de la Rpublique franaise? (connatre)
4. Bette demande Fiona: Tu ______ o habite le grand-pre de Tex? (savoir)
5. Tammy et Bette ______ Tex. (connatre)
6. Tex et Edouard ______ parler franais. (savoir)
7. Joe-Bob et Corey: Nous ______ que Tex est un tatou. (savoir)
8. Edouard et Tex: Malheureusement, nous ______ bien le Texas. (connatre)
9. Fiona: Est-ce que vous ______ si Corey est malade? (savoir)
10. Edouard: Vous ne ______ pas un bon restaurant? Venez avec moi. (connatre)
11. Joe-Bob: Je ne ______ jamais la rponse. (savoir, although both verbs are possible here)
12. Tammy: Je ______ Ricky Williams. Il est dans mons cours de psychologie. (connatre)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of savoir or connatre.
1. Je ______ Tex et Tammy.
2. Je ne ______ pas si Tex va venir la fte.
3. Tex, est-ce qu'il ______ son grand-pre?
4. Joe-Bob ne ______ pas o se trouve Paris.
5. Bette, est-ce que tu ______ parler franais?
6. Tammy, est-ce que tu ______ Rita, la soeur de Tex?
7. Nous ______ Tex et ses amis.
8. Nous ______ que Tex n'est pas trs optimiste.
9. Tammy et Bette, est-ce qu'elles ______cuisiner?
10. Rita et ses enfants ne______ pas Paris.
11. Vous ______ faire du ski?
12. Est-ce que vous ______ Opelousas?
page: virr11
The irregular verbs dire, lire, and crire have similar conjugations. Listen carefully to the forms of these verbs in the
present tense.
dire 'to say'

je dis nous disons
tu dis vous dites
il/elle/on dit ils/elles disent
past participle : dit
You may have already seen the verb dire in phrases like Comment dit-on ... ? (How do you say ... ?) and Qu'est-ce que a
veutdire? (What does that mean?) Diremeans 'to say' (to say something or to tell someone something) while parler
means 'to speak' (to speak to someone about something, or to speak a language). Dire is often used to start a phrase or
to get someone's attention (Dis,Tex, tu viens ?, Hey, Tex, are you coming?).
Note the vous form dites. It is unusual because it does not end in -ez. Dire is one of only three verbs where this is the
case (The others are tre: vous tes, and faire: vous faites).
The verb conduire (to drive) is conjugated like dire (je conduis, tu conduis, etc.) except that its past participle is
conduit.
lire 'to read'

je lis nous lisons
tu lis vous lisez
il/elle/on lit ils/elles lisent
past participle : lu
crire 'to write'

j'cris nous crivons
tu cris vous crivez
il/elle/on crit ils/elles crivent
past participle : crit
Other verbs conjugated like crire include dcrire (to describe) and s'inscrire (to register).
Tammy: Dis, Tex, qu'est-ce Tammy: Say, Tex, what are

que tu lis? you reading?
Tex: Je lis de la posie. Les Tex: Oh, I'm reading poetry.

potes disent toujours la Poets always tell the truth. I
vrit. J'cris aussi des also write poems. Tammy,
pomes.Et toi, Tammy, what do you like to read?
qu'est-ce que tu aimes lire?
Tammy: Chri, tu sais bien. Tammy: You know

J'aime lire des romans sweetheart. I like to read
rotiques. erotic novels.
fill in the blanks

1. Est-ce que tu ______ le Daily Texan? (lire)
2. Qu'est-ce que vous ______ ? (dire)
3. Bette ______ sa famille Tex. (dcrire)
4. Edouard ______ un journal parisien. (lire)
5. Joe-Bob et Corey ne ______ rien. (lire)
6. Bette et Tammy ______ au revoir Tex. (dire)
7. Tex et moi, nous ______ des cartes postales. (crire)
8. Je ______ au club franais. (s'inscrire)
9. Joe-Bob ______ mal. (conduire)
10. Qu'est-ce que tu aimes ______ ? (lire)
11. Fiona ne ______ pas beaucoup. (dire)
12. J'______ des messages lectroniques.(crire)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tammy (singular) or Tammy and Bette (plural). Hint:
Pay close attention to verb form as well as liaison between subject pronoun and verb.
page: virr2
The verb avoir is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the -s in the plural pronouns
nous, vous, and ils/elles. This -s is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel sound in the plural forms of avoir. This
liaison, or linking, is especially important in distinguishing ilsont (they have) from the third person plural of tre ilssont
(they are).
avoir 'to have'

j'ai nousavons
tu as vousavez
il/elle/on a ils/elles ont
past participle: eu
Avoir is also used as an auxiliary in compound tenses (pass compos with avoir, plus-que-parfait, futur antrieur, etc.)
Besides ownership, the verb avoir expresses age in French, unlike the English equivalent, which uses the verb 'to be.'
Tex, tu as des frres et des Tex, do you have brothers and

soeurs? sisters?
Tex: Oui, j'ai une soeur et un Tex: Yes, I have a sister and a
frre. brother.
Quel ge ont-ils? How old are they?
Tex: Ma soeur Rita a 30 ans et Tex: My sister Rita is 30 and

mon frre Trey a 16 ans. my brother Trey is 16.
fill in the blanks

Give the correct form of the verb avoir.
1. Tex ______ une soeur et un frre.
2. Tex et Tammy ______ beaucoup d'amis.
3. Bette: Tex, quel ge ______ -tu?
4. Tex: J' ______ 26 ans.
5. Rita, est-ce que vous ______ des enfants? Oui, j'en ai 4.
6. Tammy: Tex, nous ______ besoin d'tudier ce soir.
7. Tex ______ une petite amie, Tammy.
8. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ envie de regarder la tl.
9. Corey: Tex, est-ce que tu ______ une tlvision?
10. Tex: J' ______ rendez-vous avec Tammy.
11. Bette: Tex et Tammy, vous ______ de la chance ('luck').
12. Tammy et Bette tudient: Nous ______ beaucoup de devoirs.

Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Tex and Tammy (plural).
1. ___Tex ___Tex et Tammy
page: virr3
Avoir is used in the impersonal expression ily a, which means either 'there is' or 'there are.' Il y a is used to express the
existence of a person or a thing, or to make a list or inventory of persons or things. The indefinite article (un, une, des)
is usually used with il y a.
Tex: A Paris il y a une tour, la Tour Eiffel. Tex: In Paris there is a tower, the Eiffel
Tower.
En France il y a des cathdrales, des In France there are cathedrals, castles,

chteaux, des monuments anciens ... ancient monuments ...
The negative of il y a is il n'y a pas. The indefinite article (un une, des) becomes de or d' after this negative expression.
This corresponds to the English word 'any.'
Tex: Au Texas il n'y pas de cathdrales, il n'y Tex: In Texas, there aren't any cathedrals,
pas de chteaux, il n'y pas de monuments there aren't any castles, there aren't any
anciens, ancient monuments,
Tammy: Mais il y a une tour l'Universit du Tammy: But there is a tower at the
Texas Austin. University of Texas at Austin!
Avoir is used in many idiomatic expressions. Note that the English translation often uses the verb 'to be' rather than 'to
have.'
avoir besoin de to need
to want (to do something), to feel like

avoir envie de
(doing something)
avoir l'intention de to intend to (do something)

avoir faim to be hungry
avoir soif to be thirsty
avoir chaud to be hot
avoir froid to be cold
avoir honte (de) to be ashamed (of)
to hurt (to have a headache, to have a sore

avoir mal ( la tte, la gorge, aux yeux)
throat, to have sore eyes)
avoir raison to be right
avoir tort to be wrong

avoir sommeil to be sleepy
Bette: Tex, j'ai faim. Bette: Tex, I'm hungry.

Tex: Il y a un caf ct. Allons prendre un Tex: There's a caf next door. Let's go have
sandwich. a sandwich.
Tammy: Mais, Tex. Bette et moi, nous avons Tammy: But, Tex. Bette and I have a test
un examen demain. J'ai envie de vous tomorrow. I'd like to go with you, but we
accompagner, mais nous avons besoin need to study. AND, I'm always cold in that
d'tudier. En plus, j'ai toujours froid dans ce cafe.
caf.
Bette: Tu as raison,Tammy. Toi, tu as besoin Bette: You're, right, Tammy. You do need to
d'tudier, mais pas moi. J'ai l'intention de study, but not me. I intend to eat. Ciao.
manger. Ciao. Miau. Meow.
fill in the blanks

Choose the correct expression indicated in parentheses.
1. Tammy met un pull et un manteau parce qu'elle ______ . (a chaud/a froid)
2. Tex et Edouard prennent de l'aspirine parce qu'ils ______ la tte. (ont soif/ont mal)
3. Edouard se couche parce qu'il ______ . (a sommeil/a raison)
4. Bette ne nage pas parce qu'elle ______ de l'eau. (a peur/a sommeil)
5. Tex n'a jamais tort donc il ______ . (a chaud/a raison)
6. Tammy: Bette, tu ______ de draguer Tex la soire? (as l'intention/as froid)
7. Tex: Quelquefois, j' ______ de mon frre, Trey. (ai raison/ai honte)
8. Tex et Edouard ______ donc ils ouvrent une bouteille de vin. (ont soif/ont besoin)
9. Joe-Bob ______ donc il trouve des noix. (a l'air/a faim)
10. Bette: Nous ______ de danser ce soir. (avons envie/avons soif)
11. Bette: Tammy, est-ce que tu ______ de faire tes devoirs. (as chaud/as besoin)
12. Corey: Je vais souvent Barton Springs quand j' ______ . (ai l'air/ai chaud)
page: virr4
The verb aller is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the -s in the plural forms nous
andvous forms. This -s is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel sound in the plural forms allons and allez.
aller 'to go'

je vais nous allons
tu vas vous allez
il/elle/on va ils/elles vont
past participle : all
Aller literally means 'to go', but is used figuratively in salutations to say how one is doing.
Corey: Salut, Joe-Bob , o vas -tu? Corey: Hey, Joe-Bob, where are you going?
Joe-Bob: Je vais au caf. Joe-Bob: I'm going to a coffee shop.
Corey: Mais, tu as cours maintenant. Corey: But, you have class right now.
Joe-Bob: Oui, mais le prof est horrible, Joe-Bob: Yes but, the prof is horrible, really
vraiment horrible! horrible.
Corey: Attention! Il arrive! Corey: Watch out! He's coming!
Joe-Bob: Ah, bonjour monsieur le Joe-Bob: Oh, hello, professor. How are you
professeur. Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui? today?
Aller is also used to talk about the near future, what one is 'going to do.'
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of aller.
1. Joe-Bob ______ au parc pour jouer au foot.
2. Joe-Bob et Corey: Nous n' ______ pas en classe aujourd'hui.
3. Joe-Bob dit au professeur: Comment ______ -vous?
4. Tex et Tammy, est-ce que vous ______ au restaurant ce soir?
5. Rita, est-ce que tu ______ souvent Wal-Mart?

6. Corey, pourquoi est-ce que tu ne ______ pas en classe?
7. Quand Tammy chante, Bette ne ______ pas bien.
8. Tex et Edouard ______ souvent au caf Quackenbush's.
9. Tammy: On ______ au cinma ce soir?
10. Joe-Bob: Salut, Tammy, comment ______ -tu?
11. Tex: Je ne ______ jamais MacDo ('MacDonald's')!
12. Les enfants de Rita: Nous adorons ______ chez Paw-Paw en Louisiane.

You will hear a series of sentences with the verb aller. Complete each sentence with the subject pronoun (je, tu, il,
elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles) and corresponding form of aller that you hear.
1. ______ toujours en classe.
2. ______ au caf.
3. ______ la bibliothque.
4. ______ au restaurant ce week-end.
5. ______ bien?
6. Comment ______ ?
7. ______ bien, merci.
8. ______ Dallas.
9. O est-ce que ______?
10. ______ la fte ce soir?
11. ______ au cinma.
12. ______ en classe.
page: virr5
The verb faire is irregular in the present tense.
faire 'to do, to make'

je fais nous faisons
tu fais vous faites
il/elle/on fait ils/elles font
past participle : fait
Note the vous form faites. It is unusual because it does not end in -ez. Faire is one of only three verbs where this is the
case (The others are tre: vous tes, and dire: vous dites ). You may notice, too, the similarity in the third person plural
forms of aller, tre, and faire:
ils vont (they go),

ils sont (they are), and
ils font (they do/make).
Listen carefully to the following sentences. Although faire is often used in a

question, it does not automatically have to be used in the response.
Tex: Salut tout le monde. Tex: Hey everyone. What's
Qu'est-ce qu'on fait? everybody doing?
Corey: Pas grand-chose. Corey: Not much.
Fiona: Nous ne faisons rien, Fiona: We're not doing
absolument rien. anything, absolutely nothing.
Faire is used in many expressions, including weather, sports, and household tasks.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of faire.
1. Tex ne ______ pas de sport.
2. Tammy et Bette, elles ______ des cours ensemble.
3. Corey, est-ce que tu ______ tes devoirs?
4. Fiona: Je ne ______ rien!
5. Corey: Joe-Bob et moi, nous ______ de la planche voile!
6. Edouard, vous ______ une promenade?
7. Joe-Bob: Je ______ du ski nautique au lac Travis.
8. Rita et ses enfants, ils ______ des randonnes.
9. Joe-Bob, il ne ______ pas ses devoirs!
10. Tex et Tammy, est-ce que vous ______ du ski?

11. Joe-Bob, qu'est-ce que tu ______ UT?
12. Les enfants de Rita: Nous adorons ______ du vlo.

You will hear a series of sentences with the verb faire. Complete each sentence with the subject pronoun (je, tu, il,
elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles) and corresponding form of faire that you hear.
1. ______ du vlo.
2. ______ des promenades Town Lake.
3. Qu'est-ce que ______?
4. Est-ce que ______ toujours tes devoirs?
5. ______ de la planche voile.
6. ______ du ski.
7. ______ des randonnes.
8. ______ toujours nos devoirs.
9. ______ du sport?
10. Qu'est-ce que ______?
11. ______ de la voile.
12. ______ du ski nautique.
page: virr6
The verb faire is used in many impersonal weather expressions.
Quel temps fait-il? What's the weather like?

Il fait beau. It's beautiful.
Il fait chaud. It's hot.
Il fait du brouillard. It's foggy.
Il fait du soleil. It's sunny.
Il fait du vent. It's windy.
Il fait frais. It's cool.
Il fait froid. It's cold.
Il fait mauvais. It's bad.
Other weather expressions which do not use faire include:
Il y a des nuages. It's cloudy.

Il y a des orages. There are storms.
Il y a de l'orage. It's stormy.
Il pleut. It's raining.
Il neige. It's snowing.
Faire is also used to talk about sports and leisure activities. Here is a list of common expressions.
faire de la bicyclette, to go bicycle riding

faire du bateau, to go boating
faire de la lecture, to read
faire de la planche voile, to go windsurfing
faire des randonnes, to go hiking
faire du ski , to go skiing
faire du vlo, to go bicycle riding, cycling
faire de la voile, to go sailing
faire une promenade, to take a walk
Faire is also used in many expressions dealing with household chores.
faire des achats (du shopping), to go shopping

faire la cuisine, to do the cooking
faire des courses, to run errands
faire la lessive, to do the laundry
faire le lit, to make the bed
faire le march, to do the grocery shopping
faire le mnage, to do the housework
faire la vaisselle, to do the dishes
Quand il fait du soleil, Tex When it's sunny, Tex and

et Tammy font une
promenade dans le parc. park.
Quand il fait mauvais, Tex When the weather's bad,

fait le mnage et Tammy Tex does the housework
fait de la lecture. and Tammy reads.
fill in the blanks

Choose the correct expression indicated in parentheses.
1. Corey: Je ______ parce que mes vtements sont sales. (fais la lessive/fais la vaisselle)
2. Tammy ______ parce que Tex a faim. (fait la cuisine/fait le mnage)
3. Au dsert, Corey et Joe-Bob ______ . (font de la planche voile/font des randonnes)
4. Fiona: Tammy, est-ce que tu ______ la bibliothque. (fais du ski/fais tes devoirs)
5. Joe-Bob: Nous rangeons notre chambre. Donc, nous ______ . (faisons du vlo/faisons le lit)
6. Tammy cherche une nouvelle robe. Donc, elle ______ . (fait du shopping/fait du bateau)
7. Edouard cherche des provisions. Donc, il ______ . (fait le march/fait de la voile)
8. Fiona ne peut pas voir clairement la tour parce qu'il ______ . (fait beau/fait du brouillard)
9. Corey met son maillot de bain parce qu'il ______ . (fait chaud/fait mauvais)
10. Edouard prend son parapluie parce qu'il ______ . (fait frais/pleut)
11. Tammy met des gants parce qu'il ______ . (fait chaud/fait froid)
12. Bette met des bottes parce qu'il ______ . (fait du vent/neige)
page: virr7
1. objects in causative faire constructions

2. pronouns
3. se faire' + infinitive
The causative faire construction (faire + infinitif) indicates that the subject 'causes' an action to be done by someone or
something else. Contrast the following sentences:
Tex rpare sa voiture? Mais non, Tex ne sait Tex is fixing his car? (himself) But no, Tex
pas rparer les voitures. doesn't know how to fix cars.
Tex fait rparer sa voiture au garage. Tex is having his car fixed at a garage. (by
a mechanic)
In causative constructions the verb faire may be conjugated in any tense, for example the periphrastic future (futur
proche) or the pass compos (Tex va faire rparer sa voiture. Tex a fait rparer sa voiture. etc.)
objects in causative faire constructions

The causative faire construction is often followed by noun or pronoun objects. If there is one object, it is a direct object
(sa voiture in the example above, or Tammy in the first sentence below). In the case of two objects, as in the second
sentence below, one will be direct (la Marseillaise) and the other indirect (Tammy).
Tex fait chanter Tammy. Tex makes Tammy sing.
Tex fait chanter la Marseillaise Tammy. Tex makes Tammy sing the Marseillaise.
pronouns
Object pronouns precede faire, except in the affirmative imperative. Note the position of the pronouns in the following
examples.
Tex la fait rparer. Tex is having it fixed. (his car)
Tex la fait chanter. Tex makes her sing. (Tammy)
Corey: Fais-la chanter! Corey: Have her sing!
Tammy: Allons, enfants de la patrie ... Tammy: Allons, enfants de la patrie ...
Joe-Bob: Ne la fais pas chanter! Joe-Bob: Don't have her sing!
'se faire' + infinitive

Another causative construction involves the use of se faire + infinitive to indicate something a person or thing has done
to himself.
Rita s'est fait faire une robe Rita had a black dress made
noire pour l'enterrement de (for herself) for the funeral
ses parents. of her parents.
However, sometimes this construction may be used to describe actions that happen
inadvertently, despite the wishes of the subject. Tex explains what happened:
Tex: Mes parents se sont fait Tex: My parents were killed

craser par un camion. by a truck. (They got
themselves run over by a
truck.)
Note that the past participle fait is always invariable in the causative construction.
fill in the blanks

1. Mes parents ______ une maison la campagne. (faire construire-present)
2. Tex ______ les verbes aux tudiants. (faire tudier-present)
3. Rita ______ la chambre aux enfants. (faire ranger-pass compos)
4. Nous______ des fleurs Fiona. (faire envoyer-future)
5. Rita et ses enfants ______ leur maison. (faire vendre-futur proche)
6. Bette et Tammy, ______ tout de suite les valises! (faire descendre-imperative)
7. Corey est trs malade. Donc, il ______. (faire venir-present)
8. Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ les cheveux? (se faire couper-futur proche)
9. Je ______ une robe pour Tammy. (faire faire-present)
10. Tammy ______ des chansons acadiennes Paw-Paw. (faire chanter-future)
11. Pauvre Tex, il ______ en France. (se faire arrter-pass compos)
12. Rita ______ une lettre aux enfants pour l'anniversaire de Paw-Paw. (faire crire-pass compos)
page: virr8
The verb venir is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the third person singular (vient)
and the third person plural (viennent). Can you hear the difference? The vowel is nasal in the singular, but not in the
plural.
venir 'to come'

je viens nous venons
tu viens vous venez
il/elle/on vient ils/elles viennent
past participle : venu
Verbs conjugated like venir include:
devenir, to become
revenir, to come back
tenir, to hold, keep
tenir , to value, care about, (+ infinitive, to be anxious to)
Bette: Tiens, Tammy, qu'est-ce que tu Bette: Hey, Tammy, what have you been
deviens? up to? (literally, what have you become)
Tammy: Oh, je prpare une grande fte Tammy: Oh, I'm preparing a big party for
pour l'anniversaire de Tex. Corey et Joe- Tex's birthday. Corey and Joe-Bob, they're
Bob, ils viennent. Tout le monde vient, bien coming. Everyone's coming, of course,
sr, sauf Fiona. Elle n'est pas trs sociable. except Fiona She's not very sociable.
Bette: Une fte ... Eh bien moi, je suis trs Bette: A party ... hmm. Well, I am very
sociable. Miaou ... sociable. Miaow ...
fill in the blanks

1. Paw-Paw ______ de Louisiane. (venir)
2. Tex et Edouard ______ de France? (venir)
3. Tammy, tu ______ d'o? (venir)
4. Joe-Bob: Je ______ de College Station. (venir)
5. Bette, qu'est-ce que tu ______? (devenir)
6. Trey va ______ psychologue. (devenir)
7. Corey, toi et Joe-Bob, vous ______ ce soir, n'est-ce pas? (revenir)
8. Tex et Tammy: Nous ______ habiter en France un jour. (tenir)
9. Rita et ses enfants ______ de H.E.B. (revenir)

10. Joe-Bob et Corey ne ______ pas toujours en classe. (venir)
11. Tout le monde ______ chez Tammy ce soir. (venir)
12. Tammy: Tex, tu ______ mon sac un instant? (tenir)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Corey and Joe-Bob (plural).
1. ___Tex ___Corey et Joe-Bob
page: virr9
The irregular verbs boire, croire, and voir have similar conjugations. Listen carefully to their forms in the present tense.
boire 'to drink'

je bois nous buvons
tu bois vous buvez
il/elle/on boit ils/elles boivent
past participle : bu
croire 'to believe'

je crois nous croyons
tu crois vous croyez
il/elle/on croit ils/elles croient
past participle : cru
voir 'to see'

je vois nous voyons
tu vois vous voyez
il/elle/on voit ils/elles voient
past participle : vu
Fiona: Corey, tu as l'air malade! Mais Fiona: Corey, you look sick! What are you
qu'est-ce que tu bois? H, tu m'entends? drinking? Hey, do you hear me? Do you see
Tu me vois? Oh, l, l, je crois qu'il va me? Omigod, I think he's gonna croak!
crever!
fill in the blanks

1. Joe Bob et Corey ______ beaucoup de bire. (boire)
2. Tex ______ qu'il est franais. (croire)
3. Fiona dit Corey: Je ne te ______ pas! (croire)
4. Nous______ que Corey est fou. (croire)
5. Fiona ne ______ jamais d'alcool. (boire)
6. Edouard et Tex ______ que Bette est gentille. (croire)
7. Vous ______ Tex et Tammy danser? (voir)
8. Tex, est-ce que tu ______ du caf? (boire)
9. Tu ______ que Fiona aime Corey? (croire)
10. A UT on ______ des tatous qui parlent franais. (voir)
11. Bette et Tammy, vous ______ trop de vin blanc! (boire)
12. Les enfants de Rita ne ______ pas souvent leur pre. (voir)
page: vl1
The verbs partir, sortir, quitter and laisser all mean 'to leave' in English, but they have distinguishing nuances and uses
in French. An important distinction among these verbs is the idea of transitivity. Partir and sortir are intransitive in
this context; they do not take a direct object (but may be followed by a prepositional phrase). On the other hand, quitter
and laisser are transitive; they take a direct object in a sentence.
partir
Partir is an irregular -ir verb that conveys the particular meaning of 'leaving with the intention of going somewhere.' It is
often followed by the preposition pour.
Joe-Bob: Je pars pour College Station. Joe-Bob: I am leaving for College Station.
sortir
Sortir is an irregular -ir verb that conveys the particular meaning of 'going out or to exit from an enclosed space.' It is
often followed by the preposition de.
Bette: Je vais sortir ce soir. Bette: I'm going to go out tonight.
Corey sort de sa chambre sans fermer la Corey goes out of his room without locking
porte. the door.
quitter
Quitter is a regular -er verb that is used when 'leaving someone or someplace.'
Tammy quitte la maison 8 heures chaque Tammy leaves the house at 8 o'clock every
matin. morning.
Rita quitte son mari. Rita is leaving her husband.
Note that quitter is a transitive verb, that is, it always takes a direct object: son mari or la maison in the examples
above. Sortir is usually intransitive (no object), and needs the preposition de to express the idea of leaving from
somewhere.
laisser
Laisser is a regular -er verb that means 'to leave something or someone behind.'
Rita: Les gosses laissent leurs jouets Rita: The kids leave their toys everywhere.
partout.
Et toi, bon rien, laisse-moi tranquille. And you, good-for-nothing, leave me

Quelle vie de chien! alone! What a dog's life!
Consider the following dialogue:
Tammy fait un cauchemar: Tammy has a nightmare:
Tex: Tammy, je pars maintenant pour la Tex: Tammy, I'm leaving now for France.
France. Je rentre Lyon. I'm going back to Lyon.
Tammy: Tu me quittes mon chri? Tammy: You're leaving me, darling?
Tex: Oui, Tammy c'est fini. Tex: Yes, Tammy, it's over.
Tammy: Mais non! Tammy: But, no!
Tex sort de l'appartement de Tammy. Mais Tex leaves Tammy's apartment, but he
il revient un moment plus tard. comes back a minute later.
Tex: J'ai laiss mes cigarettes dans la Tex: I left my cigarettes in the kitchen.
cuisine.
Puis il quitte l'appartement pour toujours. Then he leaves the apartment forever.
fill in the blanks

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'quitter', 'partir', 'sortir' or 'laisser'. Use either the infinitive, the present
tense, the imperative or the past participle.
1. Rita son mari: '______! Je ne t'aime plus.'
2. Rita son ex-mari: '______ -moi seule.'
3. Tex tait triste de ______ la France.
4. Tex ______ souvent avec Tammy.
5. Corey ne ______ jamais de sa chambre pendant la journe.
6. Tex et ses amis ______ pour Opelousas.
7. Joe-Bob ______ souvent ses devoirs la maison.
8. On se demande si Rita va ______ son mari.
9. Tex Trey: 'O as-tu ______ mon monuscrit?
10. Les parents de Tex ont ______ cette vie aprs un accident sur l'autoroute.
11. Les chattes ______ la nuit.
12. Tex: Le dernier autobus est dj ______ .
page: vm1
Vouloir, pouvoir and devoir are called modal verbs. When used with
infinitives, they act as auxiliary verbs or semi-auxiliaries.
vouloir
Vouloir expresses a strong will or desire; in the present tense it has the
same feeling as a command. It is an irregular verb in the present tense.
Note how the present tense forms a "boot"; the stems (in this case the
vowels) change only in the nous and vous forms.
vouloir 'to wish, want, will'

je veux nous voulons
tu veux vous voulez
il/elle/on veut ils/elles veulent
past participle: voulu
Vouloir may be followed by an infinitive or a noun (Je veux du calme, I want some quiet. Je veux dormir, I want to
sleep). This verb is also often paired with the adverb bien to express the meaning "to be willing"(Je veux bien! ).
pouvoir
Pouvoir expresses the physical ability or permission to do something ie possibility. It is also an irregular verb with
formation similar to vouloir. The "boot" formation is also evident.
pouvoir 'to be able, be permitted to'

je peux nous pouvons
tu peux vous pouvez
il/elle/on peut ils/elles peuvent
past participle: pu
Pouvoir may be followed by an infinitive construction or may stand alone.
As in English, pouvoir is used to give or to ask permission translated by the English "may" (Est-ce queje peux m'asseoir?,
May I sit down?)
It is important not to confuse the roles of pouvoir and savoir in French. Savoir expresses "to know how" whereas pouvoir
expresses "to be able to."
devoir
Devoir expresses obligation, probability and supposition but if followed by a noun, expresses the idea "to owe". This verb
is irregular in its present form. Once again, the "boot" formation is seen with this verb; the stem changes in the 1st and
2nd person plural conjugations.
devoir 'to have to, be supposed to/ to owe'

je dois nousdevons
dois devez
il/elle/ondoit ils/ellesdoivent
past participle:d
Devoir may be followed by an infinitive or may stand alone to have the meaning "to have to" (Je doispartir, I must
leave.) When followed by a noun, devoir means "to owe" (Je dois 10dollars).
All three verbs are often found in the conditional in order to be more polite in requests and commands.
Tammy: Je veux faire du shopping. Tex, tu Tammy: I want to go shopping. Tex, do you
veux venir avec moi? want to come with me?
Bette: Mais Tex, tu ne peux pas. Tes

Bette: But Tex, you can't. Your students have
tudiants doivent rviser pour l'examen de
to study for the French exam.
franais.
Tex: Oui, c'est vrai. Tammy, est-ce que tu Tex: Yes, that's right. Tammy, can you help
peux m'aider? me?
Tammy: Mais Tex, je dois absolument Tammy: But Tex, I absolutely must buy a
acheter une nouvelle robe pour le week-end. new dress for theweekend.
Bette: Vas-y Tammy. Tex et moi, nous Bette: Go ahead Tammy. Tex and I can help
pouvons aider les tudiants ensemble. the students together!
fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with the present indicative of either 'devoir', 'vouloir', or 'pouvoir'.
1. Tex _______ une cigarette.
2. Bette _____ sortir avec Tex.
3. Joe-Bob ______ beaucoup d'argent la banque.
4. Edouard ne ______ pas courir trs vite.
5. Les tudiants ______ comprendre le franais de Tex.
6. Tex ________ crire une carte postale aux nonnes ('nuns') de Lyon.
7. Corey et Fiona ne ______ pas vivre sous l'eau.
8. Corey ______ voler mais pas Fiona.
9. Nous _______ respecter les animaux.
10. Les amis ______ aller la plage tous les week-ends.
11. Edouard: Eh, les copains! Qu'est-ce que vous ______ faire ce soir?
12. Tex n'est pas en classe aujoud'hui; il ______ tre malade.
page: vpp1
The present participle is formed by dropping the -ons ending from the nous form in the present tense and adding -ant.
Present participles are invariable.
regular formation
chanter (nous chantons) chantant
finir (nous finissons) finissant
lire (nous lisons) lisant
boire (nous buvons) buvant
suivre (nous suivons) suivant
commencer (nous commenons) commenant
manger (nous mangeons) mangeant
se laver (nous nous lavons) se lavant
Only three verbs, tre, avoir and savoir, have irregular present participles.
irregular present participles

tre:tant
avoir: ayant
savoir: sachant
The present participle can be used to modify a noun, similar in meaning to either a relative clause with qui +
conjugated verb or a relative clause with puisque.
Tex: Les tatous ayant une voiture ont Armadillos who have a car are very
beaucoup de succs avec les filles. successful with girls.
(Les tatous qui ont une voiture ont
beaucoup de succs avec les filles.)
Tex: Tammy tant absente, je peux Since Tammy is not here, I can take you on
t'emmener faire une balade envoiture, a ride in my car, Bette.
Bette.
(Puisque Tammy est absente, je peux

t'emmener faire une balade en voiture,
Bette.)
En + present participle, commonly known as the gerund form, is used to

indicate that two actions are simultaneously performed by the same subject.
This corresponds to the English 'while', 'upon', or 'by'.
Tex drague les filles en Tex hits on girls by

conduisant sa driving his convertible.
dcapotable.
Tex conduit en coutant la Tex drives while listening

radio. to the radio.
Tout en + present participle is used to stress that two actions are simultaneous (and sometimes contradictory).
Remember to make the liaison between tout and en.
Tex siffle tout en conduisant. Tex whistles and drives at the same time.
Tex drague Bette tout en pensant Tammy. Tex hits on Bette, all the while thinking of
Tammy.
Note that the English -ing forms are usually translated by an infinitive construction in French rather than a present
participle. For example:
Before coming to Texas, Tex did not like Avant de venir au Texas, Tex n'aimait pas
kitties. les minettes.
But Tex is changing his mind. Mais Tex est en train de changer d'avis.
fill in the blanks

Give the present participle of the verb indicated in parentheses.
1. Tex mange en ______ la posie. (crire)
2. Tammy chante en ______ dans le parc. (se promener)
3. Tex et Edouard boivent en ______ le match de foot. (regarder)
4. Fiona coute de la musique en ______ ses devoirs. (faire)
5. Corey et Joe-Bob regarde la tl en ______ . (tudier)
6. Joe-Bob siffle en ______ de la guitare. (jouer)
7. Edouard parle aux clients en ______ les repas. (servir)
8. Bette embrasse Tex en ______ . (sortir)
9. Tex rflchit en ______ la bouteille de vin. (ouvrir)
10. Tammy lit en ______ l'escalier. (descendre)
11. Corey tremble en ______ la vrit. (dire)
12. Bette se fche en ______ Tammy. (entendre)
page: vpr1
A pronominal verb is a verb that is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. Pronominal verbs fall into three major classes
based on their meaning: reflexive, idiomatic, and reciprocal. You have probably already seen the pronominal verb
s'appeler (Comment t'appelles-tu? What is your name?). To conjugate pronominal verbs in the present tense, you need to
pay attention to both the pronoun and the verb form. Listen carefully to the conjugation of the following pronominal
verb. The verb is conjugated normally (here an -er verb) with addition of the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nous, vous,
se.
se raser 'to shave oneself'

je me rase nous nous rasons
tu te rases vous vous rasez
il/elle/on se rase ils/elles se rasent
reflexive verbs
Pronominal verbs often express reflexive actions, that is, the subject performs the action on itself. If the subject performs
the action on someone else, the verb is not reflexive. Here is a list of common reflexive verbs:
s'asseoir, to sit (down)

s'appeler, to be called
s'arrter, to stop
se brosser, to brush
se coucher, to go to bed
s'habiller, to get dressed
se laver, to wash
se lever, to get up
se promener, to take a walk
se rveiller, to wake up
Compare the difference in meaning between se raser and raser in the following sentences.
Note that English does not usually indicate reflexive meaning explicitly since it can be
inferred from the context. However, if reflexive meaning is intended in French, then it
must be explicitly stated by using a reflexive pronoun.
Est-ce que Tex se rase? Mais Does Tex shave? Why no, Tex
non, Tex, c'est un tatou. Il n'a is an armadillo. He has no
pas de cheveux. hair.
Qu'est-ce qu'il fait, Tex, avec What's Tex doing with the
le rasoir? Il rase Joe-Bob pour razor? He's shaving Joe-Bob
l't. for the summer.
To negate pronominal verbs, place the ne before the reflexive pronoun and the pas after the verb. When used with an
auxiliary verb such as aimer (to like), the infinitive of a pronominal verb agrees with its subject. When pronominal verbs
are used with parts of the body, they take the definite article (le, la, les) rather than the possessive article as in English:
Tex se lave les mains. (Tex washes his hands.)
Joe Bob: Edouard, est-ce que tu te rases? Joe Bob: Edouard, do you shave?
Edouard: Non, je ne me rase pas. Edouard: No, I don't shave.
Les escargots ne se rasent pas. Pourtant, Snails don't shave. However we do wash our
nous nous lavons le visage tous les jours. faces every day.
Joe-Bob: Ah, tu as de la chance. Je dteste Joe-Bob: Ah, you're lucky. I hate to shave.
me raser.
idiomatic verbs
Some pronominal verbs are idiomatic and do not represent reflexive actions per se. s'amuser (to have fun) and se
reposer (to rest) are examples of pronominal verbs with idiomatic meanings. The following list includes common
idiomatic pronominal verbs:
s'amuser, to have fun

se dpcher, to hurry
s'endormir, to fall asleep
s'ennuyer, to be bored
s'entendre, to get along
se fcher, to get angry
se marier, to get married
se passer, to happen
se reposer, to rest
se sentir, to feel
se souvenir de, to remember
se taire, to be silent
se tromper, to make a mistake
se trouver, to be (situated)
reciprocal verbs
A third category of pronominal verbs expresses a reciprocal action between more than one person, s'aimer or se parler,
for example. The English equivalent often uses the phrase 'each other' to represent this reciprocal action. Here is a list of
common reciprocal verbs:
s'aimer, to love each other

se dtester, to hate each other
se disputer, to argue
s'embrasser, to kiss
se parler to talk to each other
se quitter, to leave each other
se regarder, to look at each other
se retrouver, to meet each other
se tlphoner, to telephone each other
To form the imperative of pronominal verbs, drop the subject pronoun and then attach the reflexive pronoun with a
hyphen to the right side of the verb. The reflexive pronoun te becomes toi when used in the imperative. Dpche-toi!
Hurry up!, Souvenons-nous. Let's remember., Amusez-vous! Have fun!.
Tammy dcrit ses rapports Tammy describes her

avec Tex. relationship with Tex.
Tammy: Nous nous Tammy: Usually we get

entendons trs bien, sauf along very well except when
quand il se fche. he gets angry.
Il me dit, Assieds-toi et He tells me "Sit down and

tais-toi, ma petite. shut up, little one!"
Mais nous nous aimons But we love each other even
mme si nous nous disputons if we fight a little bit.
un peu.
Nous allons nous marier un We're going to get married

jour. someday.
fill in the blanks

1. Tex et Tammy ne ______ pas avec leurs amis. (s'ennuyer)
2. Fiona dit Tex: Tu ______ , mais moi, je vais travailler. (s'amuser)
3. Tammy dit Fiona: tu ne vas pas ______ ? (se reposer)
4. Tex et Tammy ______ Zilker Park. (se promener)
5. Tex: Tammy ne ______ jamais avec moi. (se fcher)
6. Bette ______ toujours pour Tex. (se maquiller)
7. Tex: Je ne ______ pas. Je n'ai pas de cheveux. (se raser)
8. Bette demande Fiona: Est-ce que tu ______ minuit? (se coucher)
9. Corey: Mes amis et moi, nous ne ______ jamais les cheveux. (se brosser)
10. Edouard, quelle heure est-ce que vous ______ le week-end? (se lever)
11. Corey ne ______ jamais avant midi. (se rveiller)
12. Edouard: Je ne ______ pas. Je suis un escargot. (se dpcher)
page: vre1
Verbs with infinitives ending in -re form a third group of regular verbs, often called 'third conjugation' verbs. To form the
present tense conjugations of these verbs, drop the -re from the infinitive and add the third conjugation endings (-s, -s,
-, -ons, -ez,-ent) to the resulting stem. As you listen, note especially that the final -d and -ds in the singular forms are
silent. In the third person plural the 'd' consonant sound of the stem is pronounced because of the -ent ending. Can you
hear the difference in the pronunciation of the singular and plural forms of the third person? (il vs. ils)
descendre 'to go down'

je descends nous descendons
tu descends vous descendez
il/elle/on descend ils/elles descendent
past participle: descendu
Here is a list of common regular -re verbs:
attendre, to wait for rendre, to hand in, give back

dpendre de, to depend (on) rendre visite quelqu'un, to visit someone
entendre, to hear rpondre, to answer, respond

pendre, to hang vendre, to sell
perdre, to lose
Not all verbs ending in -re follow this pattern, however. Irregular -re verbs include prendre, mettre, suivre and vivre.
Un flic descend la rue. Tex panique et file. A cop is coming down the street. Tex panics
and runs off.
Agent de police: Attendez! Attendez ... Policeman: Wait! Wait...Sir, are you selling
Monsieur, vous vendez des T-shirts? t-shirts?
Tex rpond: Euh, oui, monsieur l'agent. Tex answers, "Yes, sir."
Agent de police: Vous n'avez pas de Policeman: You do not have a permit. Hey,
permis. H, h, vous tes dport. hey, you are deported.
fill in the blanks

1. Corey ______ son vlo pour avoir de l'argent. (vendre)
2. Fiona, tu ______ la musique? (entendre)
3. Joe-Bob demande au prof: Est-ce que vous ______ nos examens aujourd'hui? (rendre)
4. Tex ______ la rue Guadalupe. (descendre)
5. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ souvent leurs devoirs. (perdre)
6. Tex et Tammy vont ______ visite Paw-Paw. (rendre)
7. Tex: J' ______ mes tudiants Quacks. (attendre)
8. Corey Tex: Nous ______ visite Joe-Bob. Tu viens? (rendre)
9. Joe-Bob et Corey: Nous ______ le week-end avec impatience. (attendre)
10. Corey, pourquoi est-ce que tu ne ______ pas? (rpondre)
11. Joe-Bob ne ______ jamais aux questions du prof. (rpondre)
12. Tex et Tammy, vous ______? (entendre)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tammy (singular) or Fiona and Bette (plural).
1. ___Tammy ___Fiona et Bette
page: vre2
Verbs like prendre are conjugated like regular -re verbs in the singular, but not in the plural. Note the difference in the
stem in the plural forms.
prendre 'to take'

je prends nous prenons
tu prends vous prenez
il/elle/on prend ils/elles prennent
past participle: pris
Verbs conjugated like prendre include:
apprendre, to learn
comprendre, to understand
surprendre, to surprise
Edouard et Tammy surprennent Tex. Edouard and Tammy surprise Tex.
Tammy: Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Tex? Tu vas Tammy: What are you doing, Tex? Where are
o? Pourquoi tu prends un taxi? you going? Why are you taking a taxi?
Tex: Uhh, je suis en retard. Uhh, je vais en Tex: Uhh, I'm late. Uhh, I'm going to class.
classe. Aujourd'hui mes tudiants apprennent Today my students are learning to sing the
chanter la Marseillaise! Marseillaise!
fill in the blanks

1. Tex, tu ______ un grand caf? (prendre)
2. Tammy et Bette, elles ne ______ pas a. (comprendre)
3. Corey et Joe-Bob ______ le franais. (apprendre)
4. Tex ______ souvent Tammy, il aime faire des surprises. (surprendre)
5. Tex: Tammy et moi, nous ______ souvent un taxi. (prendre)
6. Tammy ______ faire du ski. (apprendre)
7. Edouard ne ______ pas pourquoi les Amricains aiment le ketchup. (comprendre)

8. Trey: Moi, je suis vraiment cool, et j' ______ Tex la vraie musique. (apprendre)
9. Un jour, c'est sr, Bette va ______ Tammy! (surprendre)
10. Corey et Joe-Bob, vous ______ votre temps, n'est-ce pas? (prendre)
11. Tammy: Je ne ______ pas pourquoi Bette est agressive! (comprendre)
12. Paw-Paw Tammy et Tex: Vous ______ des beignets? Ils sont tout chauds. (reprendre)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Joe-Bob and Corey (plural).
page: vre3
The verb mettre is irregular. Listen carefully to its forms in the present.
mettre 'to place, put'

je mets nous mettons
tu mets vous mettez
il/elle/on met ils/elles mettent
past participle : mis
Mettre literally means 'to place, to put.' It is also used in the following expressions:
mettre la table (le couvert), to set the table
mettre + article of clothing, to put on
mettre + electrical item (radio, light), to turn on
Other verbs like mettre include:
admettre, to admit
permettre, to permit
promettre, to promise
remettre, to turn in (a report), to postpone
Tammy: Tex, tu mets la table pour la Tammy: Tex, are you going to set
soire? the table for theparty?
Tex: Non, je n'ai pas envie. Tex: No. I don't feel like it.
Tammy: a alors. C'est toujours moi Tammy: Come on, I'm always the
qui mets la table. one who sets the table.
fill in the blanks

1. Joe-Bob ______ le rveil ('alarm'), mais il ne se lve pas. (mettre)
2. Tammy: Tex, tu ______ la table pour dner? (mettre)
3. Rita dit ses enfants: ______ vos pulls. Il fait froid. (mettre)
4. Les tudiants de Tex: Nous ______ de faire nos devoirs. (promettre)

5. Joe-Bob et Corey ______ leurs santiags (cowboy boots) pour aller danser. (mettre)
6. Corey: Je n' ______ pas inhaler des pesticides. (admettre)
7. Tammy et Fiona ne ______ jamais leurs devoirs en retard. (remettre)
8. Les membres de Sigma Upsilon Eta: Nous ______ Tammy notre club. (admettre)
9. Rita ______ ses enfants de nager Barton Springs. (permettre)
10. Rita: Trey, ______ -moi de ne jamais te percer la langue. (promettre)
11. Fiona ______ un crime quand elle pique (stings) les enfants de Rita. (commettre)
12. Paw-Paw: Je ______ mes bottes quand je vais dans un marcage (swamp). (mettre)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (masculine singular), Tammy (feminine singular) or
Tex and Tammy (plural).
1. ___Tex ___Tammy ___Tex et Tammy
page: vre4
The verbs suivre (to follow), and vivre (to live) are irregular. Listen carefully to their forms in the present tense.
suivre 'to follow'

je suis nous suivons
tu suis vous suivez
il/elle/on suit ils/elles suivent
past participle : suivi
Suivre is also used in the expression suivre un cours (to take a course).
vivre 'to live, to be alive'

je vis nous vivons
tu vis vous vivez
il/elle/on vit ils/elles vivent
past participle : vcu
You may have seen the expression Vive ... (as in Vive la France!, Long live France!) and the noun la vie (life). Vivre
means 'to be alive,' as well as 'to live,' in contrast to the verb habiter which refers only to where one lives, one's place of
residence.
Edouard accueille des clients au restaurant. Edouard greets customers at the

restaurant.
Edouard: Bonsoir. Suivez-moi, s'il vous Edouard: Good evening. Follow me, please.
plat.
Une heure plus tard, les clients attendent One hour later the clients are still waiting.
toujours.
Client: Excusez, moi, mais le service est Client: Excuse me, but the service is really
vraiment trs lent. very slow.
Edouard: La qualit, a prend du temps, Edouard: Quality takes time, monsieur. Fast
monsieur. Les fastfoods, quelle horreur. food, how dreadful! Long live French
Vive la cuisine franaise! cuisine!
fill in the blanks

1. Joe-Bob: Corey et moi, nous ______ un cours de franais. (suivre)
2. Les clients au restaurant ______ Edouard. (suivre)
3. Edouard ne ______ pas les matchs de football. Il n'aime pas les sports. (suivre)
4. Tex: Je ______ au Texas, mais je prfre la France. (vivre)
5. Tex demande Edouard: Pourquoi est-ce que nous ______ au Texas? (vivre)
6. Tammy demande Bette: Pourquoi est-ce que tu ______ Tex tout le temps? (suivre)
7. Tammy demande Paw-Paw: Est-ce que vous ______ la politique cadienne? (suivre)
8. Paw-Paw est vieux, mais il ______ toujours! (vivre)
9. Corey et Joe-Bob ______ les X-Files avec passion. (suivre)
10. Joe-Bob, est-ce que tu ______ des cours A&M? (suivre)
11. Edouard: Je ______ pour manger. (vivre)
12. Bette se demande: Est-ce que Tex et Tammy ______ ensemble. (vivre)
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular) or Tex and Edouard (plural).
1. ___Tex ___Tex et Edouard
page: vti1
1. definitions
2. transitive verbs
3. special cases
4. stated and implied objects
5. intransitive verbs
6. variable variance: transitive or intransitive
7. verbs with direct and indirect objects
definitions: transitive direct, transitive indirect, intransitive

Transitive verbs by definition have an object, either a direct object or an indirect object. Intransitive verbs never have
objects.
A transitive-direct verb acts directly on its object. In the first sentence below, the telephone is the direct object. The
verb 'entendre' (to hear) always takes an object; one hears someone or something.
A transitive-indirect verb acts to or for its object. Tex is the object of the preposition in the second sentence since Joe-
Bob is talking to him.
Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, have no object at all. The verb dormir (to sleep) in the last example, does not need
any object to complete it. In fact, because the verb is intransitive, it cannot take an object. Intransitive verbs (as well as
transitive ones) may be modified by adverbs or prepositional phrases: 'Joe-Bob sleeps in the car; he sleeps all the time.'
Tex entend le tlphone. transitive-direct Tex hears the telephone.
Joe-Bob parle Tex. transitive-indirect Job-Bob is talking to Tex.
Joe-Bob dort souvent au volant. intransitive Joe-Bob often sleeps at the wheel.
For more examples and discussion, review the remarks on transitive vs intransitive verbs in the introduction.
transitive verbs
Because transitivity has to do with meaning, most English and French verbs usually maintain the same distinction. Thus,
verbs that are transitive in English are also transitive in French, and verbs that are intransitive in French are also
intransitive in English. The following examples are transitive in both French and English.
Tex mange un croissant et il boit du caf. Tex is eating a croissant and drinking some
coffee.
Il finit son petit djeuner He is finishing his breakfast
et il lit le journal. Dring, dring. C'est Joe- and reading the newspaper. Ring, ring. It's
Bob au tlphone. Joe-Bob on the telephone.
special cases
direct object in French / preposition + object in English
There are, however, special cases where the transitivity of French and English verbs contrast. There are several very
common verbs which take a direct object in French, while the English equivalent is followed by a preposition (at, to, for)
and object. REDCAP is an acronym for the most frequent verbs in this category: Regarder, Ecouter, Demander, Chercher,
Attendre, Payer.
Joe-Bob explains what happened:
Joe-Bob: Je roulais en voiture. Je regardais Joe-Bob: I was driving along. I was looking
les filles. at girls.
J'coutais de la musique country la radio. I was listening to country music on the

radio.
Et puis, oh, l l. J'ai eu un accident de And then, oh, la, la. I had an accident. The
voiture. La police est arrive et le flic m'a police came and the cop asked for my
demand mes papiers. papers.
J'ai cherch ma carte d'identit, mais je ne I looked for my ID, but I didn't find it.
l'ai pas trouve.
Pas de chance! Je suis au commissariat et No luck! I'm at the police station and I'm
j'attends mon avocat. waiting for my lawyer.
Tex, j'espre que tu vas payer la Tex, I hope that you will pay for the ticket.
contravention!
preposition + object in French / direct object in English

There are also several verbs which have a preposition and object in French, whereas the English equivalent takes a direct
object.
Joe-Bob tlphone Tex. Joe-Bob telephones Tex.
Here are examples of such verbs. These are discussed more fully with indirect objects and indirect object pronouns.
obir , to obey rpondre , to answer

pardonner , to pardon, to forgive rsister , to resist
rendre visite , to visit (someone) ressembler , to resemble
renoncer , to give up, renounce tlphoner , to telephone
stated and implied objects

For many transitive verbs, in both French and English, the object is sometimes implied or understood. Do not be
concerned about labelling these verbs, since the meaning will be clear from the context; and, like most verbs, they will
form their pass compos with avoir.
transitive verb / implied object transitive verb / stated object
En voiture, Joe-Bob chante toujours. (Joe- En voiture, Joe-Bob chante toujours

Bob always sings in the car.) Freebird. (Joe-Bob always sings Freebird in
the car.)
Il parle fort. (He talks loudly.) Il parle anglais. (He speaks English.)
Il rve. (He dreams.) Il rve de hamburgers et de filles. (He

dreams of hamburgers and girls.)
Il grignotte tout le temps. (He snacks all the Il grignotte des cacahouettes. (He snacks on
time.) peanuts.)
intransitive verbs
Perhaps you have already seen verbs which use tre to form the pass compos. These tre verbs (aller, arriver, partir,
sortir, etc.) are the most frequent intransitive verbs and they are summarized in the Alamo d'tre. Etre verbs are often
described as verbs of motion, but it's important to note that there are many other intransitive verbs of motion which use
the auxiliary avoir, for example, 'marcher' (to walk) and 'courir' (to run): 'Tex a march vite. Les enfants de Rita ont
couru.'
transitive or intransitive
Some verbs may be either transitive or intransitive. Contrast the following verbs. Note that the verb sortir uses the
auxiliary verb tre in the pass compos as an intransitive verb, but avoir in the pass compos when it is used
transitively.
intransitive / no object transitive / used with an object
Le week-end pass, Joe-Bob est sorti . (Last Le week-end pass, Joe-Bob a sorti son
weekend Joe-Bob went out.) beau camion. (Last weekend Joe-Bob took
out his fine truck.)
Au commissariat, la tension de Joe-Bob Joe-Bob monte l'escalier. (Joe-Bob goes up

monte. (At the police station Joe-Bob's the stairs.)
blood pressure goes up.)
There are several cases where a verb which may be transitive or intransitive in English must be translated by two
different verbs in French: 'to return' (retourner, rendre), 'to leave' (partir, laisser, quitter).
verbs with direct and indirect objects

Many transitive verbs may have both a direct and an indirect object, for example:
Tex donne des conseils Joe-Bob. Tex gives advice to Joe-Bob.
Here is a list of some common bivalent verbs:
acheter, to buy expliquer, to explain

apporter, to bring montrer, to show
apprendre, to learn offrir, to offer (give)
demander, to ask prter, to lend
donner, to give promettre, to promise
crire, to write rendre, to give back
emprunter, to borrow servir, to serve
envoyer, to send vendre, to sell
fill in the blanks

Indicate whether the verb in the sentence is transitive, 't' or intransitive, 'i'.
1. Tammy lit un roman.
2. Tex crit un pome.
3. Tex et Tammy partent ensemble.
4. Bette ronronne souvent.
5. Edouard arrive en retard.

6. Corey nage beaucoup.
7. Tex prend un caf.
8. Fiona coute la radio.
9. Tammy achte une nouvelle robe.
10. Corey aime l'insecticide.
11. Tex rflchit souvent.
12. Les parents de Tex sont morts sur l'autoroute.
page: characters
bienvenue!
This web site is about much more than just French grammar. It is also about the epic love story of Tex and
Tammy, two star-struck armadillos, and Bette, the sex kitten bent on destroying their love. In addition to this
mnage trois, the cast of characters include Edouard, a pretentious French snail, Joe-Bob, a dim-witted squirrel
from College Station, and Corey, a cockroach who prefers getting high and watching the X-Files on TV to doing his
French homework.
Will Tex's and Tammy's union ever be legally sanctioned? Will Bette ever learn to balance the erotic and the
platonic? Will Edouard ever get over his antipathy for Texas barbeque? Will Joe-Bob and Corey ever pass French
101? And will Tex ever integrate the competing forces of his complex Franco-American identity?
Come explore the world of Tex and find the answers to life's important questions. Bon voyage!
Je suis pote ... et quelquefois tuteur Je suis la copine de Tex. J'adore

l'universit du Texas. Je dteste la culture l'universit du Texas.
populaire amricaine.
Je suis un escargot franais et j'adore la Je suis de College Station. J'aime la bire!

cuisine franaise.
Je suis un cafard dprim. J'adore Je suis tudiante. J'adore les hommes.

l'insecticide.
page: credits
Some of the folks who helped create and shape the world, according to Tex and Tammy:
editorial, writing, content

Carl Blyth
Karen Kelton
Lindsy Myers
Catherine Delyfer
Yvonne Munn
Jane Lippmann
cartoons, characters
Walter Moore
inspiration
Tex
Tammy
the color orange
Armadillo World Headquarters
character voices special thanks

Eric Russell Tex Brian Roberts Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Stephanie Pellet Tammy Joe TenBarge Director, Liberal Arts ITS
Nora Megharbi Bette Dina Sherzer Former Chair, Dept. of French & Italian
Marlin Parrack Corey Daniela Bini Chair, Dept. of French & Italian
Walter Moore Joe Bob s. palomino design, web, cms, multimedia
Seth Wolitz Edouard Karen Kelton audio recording, editing
Karen Cody Fiona James Lewis tex v1, html clean-up coordination
Carl Blyth Paw Paw Gary Dickerson tex v1, html
Lindsy Myers les enfants Dale Austin tex v1, html
Catherine Delyfer narrator, Rita Tex's fans comments, suggestions
page: overview
bienvenue!
Welcome to Tex's French Grammar (la grammaire de l'absurde),
a pedagogical reference grammar that combines explanations
with surreal dialogues and cartoon images. Originally built for
students at the University of Texas at Austin as a user-friendly
guideto French grammar, this web site may be profitably used
by any learner of French, provided he or she possess a sense of
humor.
Tex's French Grammar is arranged like many other traditional

reference grammars with the parts of speech (nouns, verbs,
etc.) used to categorize specific grammar items (gender of
nouns, irregular verbs). Individual grammar items are carefully
explained in English, then exemplified in a dialogue, and finally tested in self-correcting, fill-in-the-blank exercises.
To facilitate reference and learning, all grammar items are thoroughly cross-linked. Important grammatical
terminology is defined in an introductory page for every part of speech. For example, the definition of infinitive,
conjugation, and paradigm can all be found in the Introduction to Verbs page. Also included are several other
pedagogical tools: verb conjugator and a verb tutor.
our story begins ...

This web site is about much more than just French grammar. It is also about the epic
love story of Tex and Tammy, two star-struck armadillos, and Bette, the sex kitten
bent on destroying their love. In addition to this mnage trois, the cast of
characters include Edouard, a pretentious French snail, Joe-Bob, a dim-witted squirrel
from College Station, and Corey, a cockroach who prefers getting high and watching
the X-Files on TV to doing his French homework.
So, come explore the world of Tex and find the answers to life's important questions:
Will Tex's and Tammy's union ever be legally sanctioned? Will Bette ever learn to
balance the erotic and the platonic? Will Edouard ever get over his antipathy for Texas barbeque? Will Joe-Bob and
Corey ever pass French 101? And will Tex ever integrate the competing forces of his complex Franco-American
identity? ... Bon voyage!
page: help
1. About QuickTime
2. Entering accented characters
About QuickTime
what is quicktime?
This web site uses QuickTime, Apple's digital media software for creating, playing and streaming audio and video
content over the Internet. QuickTime is free of charge for anyone with a Mac or Windows-based computer.
QuickTime is known primarily as a digital audio and video player, but QuickTime presentations can include text
tracks, sprite (interactivity) tracks, VR (virtual reality) tracks, Macromedia Flash tracks, and more.
QuickTime consists of a web-browser plug-in and a media player. Installation tips and a troubleshooting FAQ are
included in the sections below.
installing quicktime
If you don't have QuickTime, you will need to download and install the QuickTime Player and browser plug-in from
Apple Computer. The installation process will occur interactively, over the Internet.
Alternately, you can download the standalone installer. Selecting this option is useful, for example, if you won't
have access to the Internet at the time of installation: you can download now and install later.
configuring quicktime
When QuickTime components are installed, you will be guided automatically through a short configuration process.
You will be asked to set a few options, such as your network connection speed. If you access the Internet from
behind a firewall, you may also need to configure QuickTime for streaming [see FAQ item below for more
information].
technical requirements
Check latest recommended requirements from the QuickTime web site:
Macintosh
A PowerPC processor-based Macintosh computer
At least 128 MB of RAM
Mac OS 8.6 or later; or Mac OS X v10.1.3 or later
Windows
A Pentium processor-based PC or compatible computer
At least 128 MB of RAM
Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP
A Sound Blaster or compatible sound card and speakers recommended
DirectX version 3.0 or later recommended
current version
Current version is QuickTime 6.5.3, but the features of Tex's French Grammar will work with QuickTime 5.02 and
higher. Franais Interactif requires QuickTime 6 and higher. Check the QuickTime web site for more information on
current version.
quicktime pro
The pro version of QuickTime is not required to access the media features of Tex's French Grammar, but you can
upgrade for $29.99, at the Apple web site. QuickTime Pro offers an extended feature set for media authors and
power users: editing and exporting digital movies, playing movies in full screen mode, saving web site movie clips,
etc.

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French Grammar PDF

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page: index

common vs. proper

Tex et Tammy Tex and Tammy

count vs. mass

un tatou, deux tatous one armadillo, two armadillos

Tex mange du pain. Tex is eating bread.

singular vs. plural

le tatou, les tatous the armadillo, the armadillos

masculine vs. feminine

le garon the boy

la table (feminine) the table

regular plural formation

nouns ending in -s, -x, -z in the singular

Edouard est un animal distingu. Corey et Edouard is a distinguished animal. Corey et

Nouns ending in -ou end in -oux in the plural:

un bijou (jewel), des bijoux

un oeil (eye), des yeux

un oeuf (egg), des oeufs

un boeuf (steer), des boeufs

Listen to the dialogue:

Corey: Des insectes! Allez, au revoir. Corey: Insects! Alright, bye-bye.

fill in the blanks

1. Bette aime ______ . (le bijoux)

2. Fiona aime ______ . (le cheval)

4. Tex n'aime pas ______ . (le choix)

5. Joe-Bob n'aime pas ______ difficiles. (le cours)

6. Tammy n'aime pas ______ . (l'hpital)

7. Eduard aime ______. (le tableau)

8. Bette aime ______ de Tex. (l'oeil)

9. Tex aime ______ franais. (le pote)

10. Corey aime ______ fraches. (la boisson)

11. Tammy aime ______ amricains. (le campus)

12. Corey n'aime pas ______ . (l'examen)

Edouard: Je suis serveur. Edouard: I'm a waiter.

Trey: Je suis musicien. Trey: I'm a musician.

Tex: Je suis un sducteur. Tex: I'm a womanizer.

Tex: Je suis le copain de Tammy. Tex: I'm Tammy's pal.

le chat / la chatte, cat

objects and ideas

masculine endings feminine endings

fill in the blanks

1. Tammy adore ______ nature.

2. Bette: ______ beaut est importante.

3. Joe-Bob: ______ courage est essentiel.

4. Corey:______ btiment ('builiding') est impressionant.

5. Tammy: ______ chteau est grand.

6. Tammy: Bette, ______ minette tudiante UT.

7. Tex: ______ tornade est dangereuse.

8. Fiona: ______ pollution est terrible.

9. Tex: ______ racisme est abominable.

10. Corey: ______ tlescope est super.

11. Paw-Paw: Je suis ______ grand-pre (grandfather) de Tex.

12. Rita: Je suis ______ soeur (sister) de Tex.

A Austin, il y a une grande universit. In Austin, there is a big university.

Donc parmi ces animaux So, among these French-

Tex: Oui, oui ... Tex: Yes, yes ...

Joe-Bob: Bonjour, Tex. Joe-Bob: Hello, Tex.

Corey: Salut, Tex. Corey: Hi, Tex.

1. Tex: ______ une fte ('party') la semaine prochaine.

2. Joe-Bob: ______ une chaise confortable.

3. Tex: ______ un exercise trs difficile.

4. Joe-Bob: ______ beaucoup d'tudiants l'universit du Texas.

5. Tex: ______ mon premier livre: Guerre et amour.