1

Intermediate-Lesson 1

 

The basic sentence 

 

 Three (3) components are usually enough to form a 

simple sentence

1- The subject

2- The verb

3- The complement

ex

-Le français est une langue merveilleuse. 

-J'étudie le français. 

 

nb: when the subject is a personal pronoun, it is called

subject personal pronoun and it concerns people.

 

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2

Intermediate-Lesson 2

 

The possessive adjectives

 

  The possessive adjectives refer automatically to the

possessor(s) / possession(s) and they agree in gender and

number with the possession which is the noun contrary

to english in case of the following specific possessive

adjectives:

son; sa; ses; ses

 

 

3

Intermediate-Lesson 3

 

The relatives pronouns ''Qui'' and ''Qu'(e)''

 

  As the name indicates, the relative pronouns establishes a

link between at least two parts of the sentence and makes

them become only one.

The usual relative pronouns are: Qui and Qu'(e)

 

-Qui is used as the subject of the verb in the relative clause

and it refers to somebody or something.

ex: Nous avons un oncle;

      il habite aux îles de la madeleine.

      Nous avons un oncle qui habite aux îles de la madeleine.

 

ex: Le café est une boisson;

      elle est délicieuse.

         Le café est une boisson qui est délicieuse.

 

-Qu'(e) is used as the object of the verb in the relative clause

and there is another subject applied to the verb of the

relative clause. It refers also to somebody or something.

ex: Elle rencontre un homme dans le métro;

      c'est son voisin.

      L'homme qu'elle rencontre dans le métro est son voisin. 

 

ex: Le chocolat est un produit;

      j'adore !

         Le chocolat est un produit que j'adore.

 

Note 1:

Contrary to ''Qui'' where the verb agrees with the

antecedent which means the preceding word of the relative

pronoun,

it doesn't in case of ''Que'' because there is another

 

 

4

Intermediate-Lesson 4

 

The simple and compound tenses

 

  Seven (7) tenses can be considered as simple tenses

including the imperfect which refers to the past.

The simple tense implies only one verb without any

auxiliary

 

ex:

Le matin, elle prend son déjeuner à dix heures (10h00)

 

When there is an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) with a

following past participle, the whole tense will form part of

the compound tenses category

 

ex:

Ce matin, elle a pris son déjeuner à onze heures (11h00)

 

Note 1

If the perfect tense is a compound tense, the compound

tense include not only the perfect tense but also the

pluperfect, the past conditional, the future perfect, the

perfect subjunctive...

 

auxiliary verb + past participle = compound tenses

(present indicative) + past participle = perfect tense

(imperfect) + past participle = pluperfect

(present conditional) + past participle = past conditional

(future) + past participle = future perfect

(present subjunctive) + past participle=perfect subjunctive                                            

                 

5

Intermediate-Lesson 5

 

The reported speech

 

 To report the speech or the thought of someone to others,

the reported speech is necessary in the present or in the past:

 

-Qu'est-ce que ? ---------------- ce que

ex: ''Je suis jeune'' (Amy)

       Qu'est-ce qu'elle dit ? (Peter)

       Elle dit qu'elle est jeune (John)

 

-Qu'est-ce qui ? -------------------ce qui

ex: ''Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?'' (Amy)

       Qu'est-ce qu'elle demande ?(Peter)

       Elle demande ce qui se passe (John)

 

-Est-ce que ? ---------------------si

ex: ''Est-ce que tu travailles ?'' (Amy)

       Qu'est-ce qu'elle te demande ? (Peter)

       Elle me demande si je travaille (John)

 

nb: Remember that The following interrogative words:

qui ?; où ?; comment ?  etc... have to be replaced in the

answers.

ex: Qui es-tu ? Où habites-tu ? et Comment vas-tu ? (Amy)

      Qu'est-ce qu'elle te demande ? (Peter)

      Elle me demande qui je suis, où j'habite, et

      comment je vais.(John)

 

nb: On ne demande pas une question but

 

 

6

Intermediate-Lesson 6

 

 

The subject personal pronouns are six(6):

Singular                                                  

1- Je but J' before vowel or silent h

2- Tu

3- Il/Elle/On

Plural

1- Nous

2- Vous

3- Ils/Elles

Singular

1- Je: the first person in the masculine or in the feminine

         It refers to me

2- Tu: the second person in the masculine or in the

feminine

         It refers to you

3- Il: the third person exclusively in the masculine.

         It refers to him

  -Elle: the third person exclusively in the feminine

            It refers to her

  -On: the indefinite pronoun

           It refers to us

Plural

1- Nous: the first person in the masculine or in the feminine

               It refers to us

2- Vous: the second person in the masculine or in the

feminine

               It refers to you

3- Ils: the third person exclusively in the masculine

          It refers to them

  - Elles: the third person exclusively in the feminine

              It refers to them    

                            
Note: Vous is a plural personal subject pronoun but it can

be singular when you adress only one person in the

purpose to be formal


            ____________________________


In french, we identify three main conjugations and the

infinitive endings determine each category

The first conjugation

Except Aller, all the verbs ending in er require the same

conjugation


Singular

silent e with the first person

j'étudi(e)

silent es with the second person

tu étudi(es)

silent e with the third person

il/elle/on étudi(e)

Plural

pronounced ons with the first person

nous étudi(ons)

pronounced ez with the second person

vous étudi(ez)

silent ent with the third person

ils/elles étudi(ent)

conjugate

    danser, garder, téléphoner

The second conjugation

End in ir in the infinitive form and in issons at the plural

first person, the second group verbs require the same

conjugation

ex: finir

Singular

silent s at the the first person

je fini(s)

silent s at the second person

tu fini(s)

silent t at the third person

il/elle/on fini(t)

Plural

pronounced issons at the first person

nous fin(issons)

pronounced issez at the second person

vous fin(issez)

silent ent at the third person

ils/elles fin(issent)

conjugate

          choisir, punir

The third conjugation

All the verbs end in re, oir belong to the third group verbs

and almost require the same conjugation.

ex: souri(re)

The common endings are:

Singular

silent s at the first person

je souri(s)

silent s at the second person

tu souri(s)

silent t at the third person

il/elle/on souri(t)

Plural

pronounced ons at the first person

nous souri(ons)

pronounced ez at the second person

vous souri(ez)

silent ent at the third person

ils/elles souri(ent)

Note: when a verb end in ir in the infinitive form and the

plural first person is different than issons, it is a third group

verb.

ex: offrir

Singular

silent e at the first person

j' offr(e)

silent es at the second person

tu offr(es)

silent e at the third person

il/elle/on offr(e)

Plural

pronounced ons at the first person

nous offr(ons)

pronounced ez at the second person

vous offr(ez)

 

silent ent at the third person

ils/elles offr(ent)

conjugate
       

           rire, ouvrir

nb: verbs in dre in the infinitive form
                       

take

-d at the third person (singular)

ex: vendre s; s; d; ons; ez; ent
  
                                                        
            ___________________________

To complete the basic sentence, the last component is the

object which is direct or indirect

Direct object

The direct object refers to someone or something and it is

located directly after the verb without any linking

preposition.

ex: J'admire Ann

ex: Elle lit le journal

Indirect object

The indirect object refers exclusively to someone with the

linking preposition before the object which is a person.

ex: Vous parlez à Jack

Note: if some verbs are only indirect and require an

indirect object, some others will be direct and indirect at

the same time.

ex: Il prépare du café à Mark.

ex: Nous offrons une robe à Suzy.

         __________________________________________