If you understand the roles nouns (and their accompanying baggage) play in a sentence...... you can use pronouns with ease (words like lui, leur, le/la/les, eux and elles)...... understand complicated grammatical trickery such as past participle agreement...... and write complex sentences using relative pronouns (words like qui and que, lequel, auquel, duquel, dont). As a result, your French will be ACCURATE, ADVENTUROUS and ATTRACT HIGHER MARKS (A A A!).
In the previous slideshows, we have covered how to identify the NOUN GROUP or GROUPS in a sentence. We have also examined how to identify PREPOSITIONS, and established what PRONOUNS are for. Now, we are going to look at how to replace noun group objects with pronouns.
Bernard rencontrera + son ami. La France a battu + l Angleterre. Les rats mangent + les œufs. The NOUN GROUP OBJECT is a person or a thing There is no preposition in front of it In French, it is called a complément d objet DIRECT
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL 1 ST me nous 2 ND te vous 3 RD le / la les In this slideshow, all DIRECT OBJECTS will be GREEN, including the pronouns.
VOIR takes a DIRECT OBJECT (COD) it is a DIRECTLY TRANSITIVE verb. So you need to use the DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS to replace the noun group: Il me voit (COD) Il la verra (COD) Il les voit (COD) Object pronouns go BEFORE the verb.
Bernard rencontrera + son ami. La France a battu + l Angleterre. Bernard le rencontrera. La France l a battu Les rats mangent + les œufs. Les rats les mangent.
The NOUN GROUP OBJECT is a person or a thing It has the preposition +À+ in front of it In French, it is called a complément d objet INDIRECT Le vieil homme parlait +à+ son frère aîné. Mon copain s intéresse +à+ la lecture.
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL 1 ST me nous 2 ND te vous 3 RD lui leur In this slideshow, all INDIRECT OBJECTS will be ORANGE, including the pronouns.
PARLER takes an INDIRECT OBJECT (COI) it is an INDIRECTLY TRANSITIVE verb. So you need to use the INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS to replace the noun group: Il me parle (COI) Il lui parle (COI) II leur parle (COI) Object pronouns go BEFORE the verb.
The first- and second-person DIRECT and INDIRECT object pronouns are identical: Me / te / nous / vous (COD) Me / te / nous / vous (COI) Il me voit (COD) Il me parle (COI) Il nous voit (COD) Il nous parle (COI) etc This will come back to haunt you when you study PAST PARTICIPLE agreement, so pay attention!
Rewrite the sentences below, replacing the noun group objects with the correct pronoun. 1. Je regarde les oiseaux. 2. Nous écrivons à sa sœur. 3. Vous avez parlé à votre patron.
Je regarde les oiseaux Je les regarde Nous écrivons à sa sœur Nous lui écrivons Vous avez parlé à votre patron Vous lui avez parlé
The simple answer is RIGHT BEFORE THE VERB: Nous la voyons Je lui dis If the verb is in two parts (i.e. has an auxiliary avoir or être), put the object pronoun RIGHT BEFORE THE WHOLE VERB: Nous l avons vue Je lui ai dit. Remember GREEN for direct, ORANGE for indirect.
Similarly with a negative sentence, you put the object pronoun RIGHT BEFORE THE (WHOLE) VERB: Vous ne les avez jamais vus. Elle ne lui disait rien. This means the NE comes first, then the pronoun, then the verb. Remember GREEN for direct, ORANGE for indirect.
In a question, guess what? The object pronoun goes RIGHT BEFORE THE (WHOLE) VERB: Catherine l a-t-elle vu? Pourquoi Catherine ne l a-t-elle pas vu? Que lui disait-elle? Lui disait-elle la vérité? Remember GREEN for direct, ORANGE for indirect.
Underline the correct sentence out of the choices given below: 1. I eat them at every meal: Je mange les à chaque repas / Je les mange à chaque repas. 2. We haven t given them anything: Nous ne leur avons rien offert / Nous leur n avons rien offert. 3. Has she given you her answer? Vous a-t-elle donné sa réponse? / A-t-elle vous donné sa réponse?
RIGHT BEFORE THE (WHOLE) VERB! (And don t pay attention to what happens in the English) a. Je les mange à chaque repas. b. Nous ne leur avons rien offert. c. Vous a-t-elle donné sa réponse?
You should now be comfortable with the difference between DIRECT and INDIRECT objects. You should also be able to replace a NOUN GROUP OBJECT with the correct pronoun (either DIRECT or INDIRECT). And you should know that object pronouns go RIGHT BEFORE THE (WHOLE) VERB. For those interested in learning more on this topic, there follow another few Aim Higher slides.
As you will increasingly discover, French and English are not an exact match for each other. Just because a verb takes a DIRECT object in one language, it doesn t necessarily follow it will in the other. Whenever you learn a verb in French, pay attention to what sort of OBJECT it takes.
To suit someone Convenir à quelqu un To please someone Plaire à quelqu un To displease someone Déplaire à quelqu un To obey someone Obéir à quelqu un To disobey someone Désobéir à quelqu un To fail something Échouer à quelque chose To play something Jouer à (sport) / de (instrument) To give up something Renoncer à quelque chose To look like someone Ressembler à quelqu un To survive something Survivre à quelque chose To telephone someone Téléphoner à quelqu un
attendre quelque chose to wait for something chercher quelque chose to look for something demander quelque chose to ask for something écouter quelque chose to listen to something habiter quelque part to live (in) a place regarder quelque chose to look at something payer quelque chose to pay for something
Translate these sentences into French. Use the verb in brackets and think about what sort of object it needs (check the lists if you aren t sure). 1. We are waiting for the bus. (attendre) 2. He disobeyed the law. (désobéir) 3. The girls have failed their exam. (échouer) 4. I asked for the bill and paid for the meal. (demander/ payer) 5. This solution does not suit everyone. (convenir) 6. You telephoned her yesterday. (téléphoner)
1. We are waiting for the bus: Nous attendons le bus. 2. He disobeyed the law: Il a désobéi à la loi. 3. The girls have failed their exam: Les filles ont échoué à leur examen.
4. I asked for the bill and paid for the meal: J ai demandé l addition et payé le repas. 5. This solution does not suit everyone: Cette solution ne convient pas à tout le monde. 6. You telephoned her yesterday: Vous lui avez téléphoné hier. Tu lui as téléphoné hier.