French Access

By Philippe Delannoy

Whether you are preparing for a French homework, studying for an exam, or simply catching up on French, the French Access book is here to help. If you want to know all about the plural of adjectives, the different types of pronouns, the difference between reflexive and reciprocal verbs, common prepositions, the gender and number of nouns, the French Access book has the answers and many more. Learn the difference between regular and irregular verbs, between direct and indirect objects, or between possessive and demonstrative adjectives. Each grammar topic comes with examples to help you understand how to use French grammar effectively. Learn how to tell time in French, how to express quantities, or talk about the weather. Carry this handy grammar reference on your favorite device. No need to carry heavy reference books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philippe Delannoy
• Release date: Apr 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370925292

Philippe Delannoy

Philippe Delannoy has taught French in the state of Alabama for 17 years, from grammar school to university level. He has also taught Spanish for three years. Philippe hails from the French-speaking area of Belgium. He has been a resident of Alabama since 1981. He studied at the University of Alabama and graduated with a Ph.D. in Romance Languages. Philippe is the author of several books in French, Spanish, and Italian.

Book preview

FRENCH ACCESS

Philippe Delannoy, Ph.D.

© 2017 Philippe Delannoy

Smashword Edition

ISBN 978-1-3709252-9-2

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

INTRODUCTION

GRAMMAR TOPICS

MERCI !

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to French Access, the reference book that puts French grammar at your fingertips.

Simply choose a grammar topic from the Topics Menu to get started. You will notice that some topics in the menu are listed as direct links (e.g. Adverbs, Participles, etc). Tapping (or clicking) on one of these links will lead you directly to that particular grammar topic. Other, more general topics, such as Adjectives, Regular Verbs, and others, are listed as headings. Under the Adjectives heading, for example, you will find three topics: the descriptive, possessive, and demonstrative adjectives.

Some headings have subheadings, under which you will find related topics. The Regular Verbs heading, for example, has three topics and one subheading. Under that subheading (ER with Spelling Changes), you will find several topics related to Regular ER Verbs with Spelling Changes. Each one of these topics presents one specific type of regular ER verbs that undergo a spelling change.

Each grammar point in a given topic is illustrated by at least one example. Take the time to study each example before writing some of your own. Practice does make perfect!

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This being a reference book, it is not meant to be read sequentially, even though it is possible to do just that if you so desire. Use the links provided, both in the Grammar Topics Menu and at the end of every topic, to navigate easily from one topic to another. Whenever one topic is related to another, a link to that related topic is provided at the bottom of the text. At the end of the Descriptive Adjectives topic, for example, you will find links to the Possessive and Demonstrative Adjectives. Those links make it easier to compare related grammar points without having to go back to the Grammar Topics Menu.

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Joyeuse lecture !

Happy reading !

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

GRAMMAR TOPICS

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

TABLE OF CONTENTS

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

GRAMMAR TOPICS

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Adjectives

• Descriptive

• Possessive

• Demonstrative

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• Adverbs

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Articles

• Definite

• Indefinite

• Partitive

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• The Comparative

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à, de, en, y

• à (preposition)

• de (preposition)

• en (preposition)

• y (adverb, pronoun)

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• The Interrogative

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Nouns

• Definition

• Gender

• Number

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• Participles

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Pronouns

• Subject

• Direct Object

• Indirect Object

• Double Object

• Possessive

• Demonstrative

• Stressed

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• The Superlative

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Regular Verbs

• ER Verbs

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ER with Spelling Changes

• -ger Verbs

• -cer Verbs

• -yer Verbs

• Like MENER

• -eler Verbs

• -eter Verbs

• LIKE RÉGLER

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• IR Verbs

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• RE Verbs

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Irregular Verbs

ER Verbs

• Aller

• Envoyer

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IR Verbs

• Courir

• Dormir

• Mentir

• Offrir

• Partir

• Sentir

• Servir

• Sortir

• Tenir

• Venir

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RE Verbs

• Boire

• Conduire

• Connaître

• Croire

• Dire

• Écrire

• Être

• Faire

• Lire

• Mettre

• Prendre

• Rire

• Suivre

• Vivre

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OIR Verbs

• Asseoir

• Avoir

• Devoir

• Pouvoir

• Prévoir

• Recevoir

• Savoir

• Valoir

• Voir

• Vouloir

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Pronominal Verbs

• Reflexive and Reciprocal

• Conjugation

• Negative Forms

• Common Verbs

• With EN

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• Impersonal Verbs

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Miscellaneous

• Colors

• Days and Months

• Drinks

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Counting

• Cardinal Numbers

• Ordinal Numbers

• Arithmetic

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Definitions

• Conjugation

• Direct Object

• Indirect Object

• Infinitive

• Moods

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• Family

• Food

• Negative Expressions

• Prepositions of Place

• Quantities

• Seasons and Weather

• Telling Time

• Functions of TOUT

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• Introduction

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• Table of Contents

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Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives ( adjectifs qualificatifs ) are used to describe (or qualify) nouns. Descriptive adjectives agree in both gender and number with the nouns they modify.

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Placement

As a general rule, the French adjective comes after the noun it describes.

Une maison rouge.

- A red house.

Un garçon français.

- A French boy.

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The following adjectives, however, usually come before the noun they describe.

Un petit garçon.

- A little boy.

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Un grand avion.

- A big airplane.

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Un jeune chat.

- A young cat.

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Un vieux camion.

- An old truck.

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Un bon stylo.

- A good pen.

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Un mauvais livre.

- A bad book.

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Un long film.

- A long movie.

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Un autre jour.

- Another day.

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Un beau magasin.

- A nice store.

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Un joli vase.

- A pretty vase.

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Un nouveau toit.

- A new roof.

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Adjectives that usually go before the noun can also be placed after it. Different shades of meaning can be obtained by changing the position of the adjective in the sentence.

Un autre jour.

- Another day.

Un jour autre.

- A different day.

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Feminine Adjectives

The general rule for the formation of the feminine adjective is to add -e to the end of the masculine form.

Un petit garçon et une petite fille.

- A little boy and a little girl.

Un chat gris et une chatte grise.

- A gray (male) cat and a gray (female) cat.

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Exceptions to the General Rule

1. Masculine adjectives ending in -e remain as they are in the feminine.

Un devoir facile et une tâche facile.

- An easy homework and an easy task.

Un ours énorme et une montagne énorme.

- An enormous bear and an enormous mountain.

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2. Masculine adjectives ending in either -el or -eil add -le to form the feminine.

Un sort cruel et une farce cruelle.

- A cruel fate and a cruel joke.

Un stylo pareil et une agrafeuse pareille coûtent cher.

- Such a pen and such a stapler are expensive.

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3. The two adjectives nul and gentil (useless and kind) also add -le to form the feminine.

Un résultat nul et une idée nulle.

- A useless result and a useless idea.

Un gentil garçon et une gentille fille.

- A kind boy and a kind girl.

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4. Masculine adjectives ending in either -en or -on form the feminine by adding -ne.

Un château ancien et une maison ancienne.

- An ancient castle and an ancient house.

Un bon gâteau et une bonne tarte.

- A good cake and a good pie.

One exception: mormon, mormone (only the -e is added).

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5. Masculine adjectives ending in -an form the feminine by adding -e.

Un village persan et une ville persane.

- A Persian village and a Persian city.

One exception: paysan, paysanne (the -n is doubled).

Le paysan et la paysanne.

- The (male) peasant and the (female) peasant.

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6. Masculine adjectives ending in -et form the feminine by adding -te.

Un film muet et une lettre muette.

- A silent movie and a silent letter.

Exceptions: The following adjectives form the feminine by changing the -et into -ète.

- complet, complète - complete.

- incomplet, incomplète - incomplete.

- concret, concrète - concrete.

- désuet, désuète - outdated.

- discret, discrète - discreet.

- indiscret, indiscrète - indiscreet.

- inquiet, inquiète - worried.

- replet, replète - chubby.

- secret, secrète - secret.

Un projet secret et une recette secrète.

- A secret project and a secret recipe.

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7. Masculine adjectives ending in either -at or -ot form the feminine by adding -e.

Un instrument délicat et une affaire délicate.

- A delicate instrument and a delicate matter.

Un homme dévot et une femme dévote.

- A devout man and a devout woman.

Exceptions: The following adjectives add -te to form the feminine.

- maigriot, maigriotte - skinny, thin.

- pâlot, pâlotte - pallid.

- sot, sotte - silly, foolish.

Un plan sot et une idée sotte.

- A foolish plan and a silly idea.

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8. Masculine adjectives ending in -f change the -f to -ve in the feminine.

Un geste vif et une couleur vive.

- An abrupt gesture and a lively color.

The adjective vif takes on different meanings according to context: sharp, sudden, abrupt, lively, strong.

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9. Masculine adjectives ending in -er change the -er to -ère in the feminine.

Un livre cher et une voiture chère.

- An expensive book and an expensive car.

Note: The adjective cher means dear when it comes before a noun.

Un cher ami.

- A dear friend.

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10. Masculine adjectives ending in -eau change the -eau to -elle in the feminine.

Un nouveau stylo et une nouvelle agrafeuse.

- A new pen and a new stapler.

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11. Masculine adjectives ending in -ou change the -ou to -olle in the feminine.

Un plan fou et une idée folle.

- A crazy plan and a crazy idea.

Exceptions: The adjectives flou and hindou (blurred and Hindu) simply add -e to form the feminine.

Une impression floue de la culture hindoue.

- A blurred impression of Hindu culture.

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12. Masculine adjectives ending in -eur change the -eur to -euse in the feminine.

Un discours trompeur et une publicité trompeuse.

- A deceitful speech and a deceitful advertising.

Note: The rule above applies to -eur adjectives derived from a verb. The adjective trompeur, for example, is derived from the verb tromper (to deceive).

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13. For masculine adjectives in -eur not derived from a verb, simply add a final -e to form the feminine.

- extérieur, extérieure - exterior.

- inférieur, inférieure - inferior.

- intérieur, intérieure - interior.

- majeur, majeure - major.

- meilleur, meilleure - best.

- mineur, mineure - minor.

- postérieur, postérieure - posterior.

- supérieur, supérieure - superior.

Un avantage majeur et une contribution majeure.

- A major advantage and a major contribution.

Important: The rule about masculine adjectives ending in -eur applies only to adjectives whose -eur ending is not directly preceded by -t-. That is to say, there is a different rule for masculine adjectives ending in -teur.

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Masculine adjectives ending in -teur fall into two distinct categories.

14. Masculine adjectives ending in -teur that are derived from the present participle of a verb.

To understand which adjectives fall into this first category, we need to know what a present participle looks like.

The French present participle corresponds to the English -ing verb forms. It is formed by replacing the -ons ending of the first person plural (present tense of the indicative mood) by -ant.

For example, to form the present participle of the verb parler (to speak), we start with the first person plural: parlons. We then replace the -ons ending with -ant, and parlons becomes parlant, the present participle of the verb parler.

Now that we have an idea of what a present participle looks like, we are ready to differentiate between the -teur adjectives derived from present participles and those that are not.

To determine whether or not the masculine form of an adjective ending in -teur is derived from the present participle of the corresponding verb, the following test is applied: If the corresponding present participle can be obtained by replacing -teur with -tant, then that adjective forms the feminine by replacing -teur with -teuse.

As an example, let us look at the verb mentir (to lie, i.e. to tell a lie) and the adjective menteur (liar).

The first person plural of the present tense of mentir is mentons. The corresponding present participle is mentant (the -ons has been replaced with -ant). Since this participle can also be obtained by replacing the -teur of the adjective menteur with -tant, the feminine form of menteur is menteuse.

Exceptions:

exécuteur, exécutrice,

from exécuter - to execute, to carry out.

persécuteur, persécutrice,

from persécuter - to persecute.

enchanteur, enchanteresse,

from enchanter - to enchant.

vengeur, vengeresse,

from venger - to avenge.

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15. Masculine adjectives ending in -teur that are not derived from the present participle of a verb.

Masculine adjectives ending with -teur that are not derived from the present participle of a verb form the feminine by changing -teur to -trice.

Un poème évocateur et une peinture évocatrice.

- An evocative poem and an evocative painting.

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16. Masculine adjectives ending in -gu form the feminine by changing the -gu to -guë.

Un cas aigu et une pointe aiguë.

- An acute case and a sharp point.

The adjective aigu takes on different meanings according to context: sharp, acute, severe.

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17. Masculine adjectives ending in -eux change the -eux to -euse in the feminine.

Un homme sérieux et une femme sérieuse.

- A serious man and a serious woman.

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18. Masculine adjectives ending in -oux form the feminine by changing the -oux to -ouse.

Un mari jaloux et une rivale jalouse.

- A jealous husband and a jealous rival.

Exceptions

A. The adjective roux changes the -x to -sse in the feminine.

Un mur roux et une teinte rousse.

- An auburn wall and a reddish tint.

The adjective roux takes on different meanings according to context: red, reddish, russet, ginger, auburn, red-haired.

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B. The adjective doux changes the -x to -ce in the feminine.

Un temps doux et une musique douce.

- A mild weather and a soft music.

The adjective doux takes on different meanings according to context: mild, soft, gentle, tender.

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19. The following adjectives form the feminine by adding -se to the masculine form.

- bas, basse - low.

- épais, épaisse - thick.

- exprès, exprèsse - explicit, formal.

- gras, grasse - fat, greasy.

- gros, grosse - big, large.

- las, lasse - weary, tired.

Un gâteau épais et une couche épaisse.

- A thick cake and a thick layer.

François est las et Lucie est lasse.

- François is weary and Lucy is weary.

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20. The following adjectives have irregular feminine forms.

- blanc, blanche - white.

- frais, fraîche - fresh.

- grec, grecque - Greek.

- long, longue - long.

- maître, maîtresse - main.

- oblong, oblongue - oblong.

- public, publique - public.

- sec, sèche - dry, - dessicated.

- vieux, vieille - old.

Un essuie sec et une graine sèche.

- A dry towel and a dry seed.

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Special Masculine Forms

The following masculine adjectives have a different form when they come before a noun that begins with a vowel.

- beau becomes bel.

- fou becomes fol.

- mou becomes mol.

- nouveau becomes nouvel.

- vieux becomes vieil.

Un beau camion et un bel avion.

- A nice truck and a nice airplane.

Un plan fou et un fol ami.

- A crazy plan and a foolish friend.

Un jour nouveau et un nouvel homme.

- A new day and a new man.

Un vieux livre et un vieil ami.

- An old book and an old friend.

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Plural Adjective Forms

1. The general rule for the formation of plural adjectives follows that of the nouns: simply add -s to the end of the singular adjective.

Un grand camion ou deux grands camions.

- One big truck or two big trucks.

Une belle image ou deux belles images.

- One pretty picture or two pretty pictures.

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2. A singular masculine adjective ending in either -s or -x adds nothing to form the plural.

Un nuage gris ou deux nuages gris.

- One gray cloud or two gray clouds.

Un geste gracieux ou deux gestes gracieux.

- One gracious gesture or two gracious gestures.

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Naturally, the