Grammar terminology

A sentence (une phrase) can be composed of:

• Un article (an article)
• A noun
• A verb
• An object
• Ex: the professor explains the lesson
• The: definite article
• Professor: noun (subject of the verb)
• Explains: verb (infinitive is to explain)
• The lesson: object (article +noun)
Une phrase (a sentence)
le professeur explique la leçon
• Le: article
• Professeur: noun
• Explique: verb (infinitive is expliquer)
• La leçon: object (article la+ noun leçon)
The definite article: the
• In French, there are genders : masculine, feminine
• In French there are numbers: singular/ plural
• To simplify I will use: m=masculine, f=feminine, s=singular, pl=plural
• The definite article changes
• if the noun is masculine: le
• If the noun is feminine: la
• If the noun starts with a vowel: l’
• If the noun is plural: les
• Ex: le tigre
The indefinite article: a/an, some
• The indefinite article also changes depending on the gender and
number
• Masculine: un
• Feminine: une
• Plural : des (becomes de when the sentence is at the negative)
• Ex: un piano
In front of a noun , you can have a
demonstrative adjective: this/that/these/those
• In French:
• This/that: ce in front of a masculine word (ce lion)
• This/that: cet: in front of a masculine word starting with a vowel (cet
animal)
• This/that: in front of a feminine word: cette (cette giraffe)
• These/those: ces in front of a plural word: ces lions
 In front of a noun, you can have a possessive adjective: my, your, his, her,
its, our, their
• In English:
• Imy, youyour, hehis, sheher, itits, weour, theytheir
• In French: it needs to agree with the noun possessed (masc./fem./pl)
• I(je) mon (masculine word singular)/ ma(feminine word
singular)/mes(masculine and feminine word plural)
• You (tu) ton (m.s)/ta (f.s)/ tes (m/f pl)
• He (il)son (m.s)/sa(f.s)/ses(pl)
• She(elle)son (m.s)/ sa(f.s)/ ses (pl)
• It (it/we)son (m.s)/sa(f.s)/ses (pl)
• We (nous) Notre (m.s/f.s) / nos (pl)
• You (vous) votre (m.s/f.s)/ vos (pl)
• They (ils/elles) leur (m.s/f.s)/ leurs (pl)
Exercice: what are the following words?
• Les:
• Un:
• Mon:
• Cette
• Des:
• L’:
• Leurs:
• La:
The verb: indicates the action of the sentence (ex: a physical
activity: to run, a mental activity: to think, a condition: to be)
• The infinitive of a verb is the form listed with to to eat, to sleep
• The conjugation: the verb changes its form: he does, I eat
• The tense: the verb indicates a tense in the present, past or future: I am,
I was, I will
• A participle : present participle is the ing-form: she is writing (very rarely
used in French: we use the present tense)
• A past participle is formed in different ways: I have spoken, I have walked
• in French: -er -é, / -iri, / -reu: chanter--> chanté/ finirfini/
répondrerépondu + irregular participle passé
The subject of the verb: who/what
• Daniel speaks French:
• Verb: speaks
• Who speaks French?: Daniel (subject. One person so it is singular)

• The book and the pencil are on the table:

• Verb: are
• What are on the table?: the book and the pencil (subject. More than
one. It is plural)
A subject pronoun: used to replace one or
more nouns. Subject of a verb
• Julia likes to swim- She practices every day (she replaces Julia)
• He works in a school-
who works? He  he is the subject of the verb “works”
In French
Ije j’
You (one person familiar)tu
Heil
Sheelle
Itil (if it represents a masculine word/elle (if it represents a feminine word)
Subject pronoun 2
• We nous
• You (for one person formally/ for several persons formally/ for several
persons informally) vous
• They ils (if they replace a masculine word plural)
• Theyelles (if they replace a feminine word plural)

• “ON”: this is used in spoken French and it is the equivalent of we,

however, it conjugates like il/elle
Negative: ne…pas (always around the 1 st
verb)
• Roger is a student Roger is not a student
• Roger est un etudiant roger N’est PAS un etudiant (n’ in front of a
vowel)

• Roger deteste le broccoli Roger NE deteste PAS le broccoli

• Roger deteste manger(eat) le broccoli Roger NE deteste Pas manger le

broccoli
• (2 verbs: detester et manger: negative in front and behind the first verb)
Question words :why, who, where, when,
what, how, how much/many
• In French
• Why: pourquoi
• who : qui
• where : où
• when :quand
• what: que/quoi;
• how : comment
• How much/many : combien de
• See power point about creating questions
• Question word+ est-ce que+ subject+verb+object…?
Exercice : identify each element
• Je
• Etre
• On
• Pourquoi
• Present
• Parle
• Daniel
• Comment
• Ne..pas
Partitive article ; for non -count word such as
water, butter…
• A part of something that cannot be counted
• Some water ; de l’eau
• Some butter ;du beurre
• Some luck ; de la chance
Descriptive Adjective: describes the noun
• The book is interesting: interesting describes the noun
• A pretty dress
• In French, adjective have to agree with the gender
(masculine/feminine) and the number (singular/plural) of the noun it
qualifies
• Ex: le lion est grand
• La giraffe est grande (add e au feminine)
• Les lions sont grands (add s au masculine plural)
• Les giraffes sont grandes (add es au feminine plural)
Conjunction is a word that CONNECTS 2 or
more words: and, but, or, for, so
• Good AND evil: le bien ET le mal
• And: et
• But: mais
• Or: ou (où means where)
• For: car (because)
• So: donc
Préposition: normally indicates location, direction, time: in the
car, in August, at 4;30pm, before the exam, with my friends

• Be careful!! an English preposition may be different in French:

• to be on the plane  être dans (in) l’avion
• To wait for  attendre (no need of preposition)
• To telephone (no preposition)telephoner à
• Common prepositions in French:
• In: dans/ with: avec/ for: pour/ during: pendant/ at: à
• On top of: sur/ under: sous/ behind: derrière/ next to: à coté de..
Exercice: identify the elements
• Avec:
• Et:
• Pratique:
• Du:
• Fantastiques:
• À:
• Dans:
• Mais:
Final exercise:
• La fille ne parle pas à son professeur:
• La:
• Fille:
• ne…pas
• Parle
•À
• Son
• professeur