Demonstrative Adjectives And Pronouns Flashcards
What is the equivalent of demonstrative adjectives in english? Where are they in the sentence?
French demonstrative adjectives, ce/cette/ces—the equivalent in English of singular this/that and plural these/those—always precede a noun and agree with the noun in gender and in number. Ce becomes cet before masculine singular nouns that start with a vowel or mute h. Plural ces is the same for masculine and feminine.
Masculine singular demonstrative adjectives
Ce (this) livre
Cet (this) homme
- Et cet homme là-bas? (And that man over there?)
- Je trouve ce manteau très convenable (I find this/that coat quite suitable)
Masculine plural demonstrative adjectives
Ces livres
Ces hommes
*On aime bien ces hommes d’état (Those statesmen are much appreciated.)
Feminine singular demonstrative adjectives
Cette chaise
Cette adresse
*Qui est cette dame? (Who’s this/that woman?)
Feminine plural demonstrative adjectives
Ces chaises
Ces adresses
Pnonunciation before a vowel or mute h
Pronounce the liaison between the demonstrative adjectives cet and ces before a vowel or mute h.
- Cet-appartement est bien équipé. (This/That apartment is well equipped)
- Ces-œuvres sont très intéressantes. (These/Those works are very interesting)
“This [here]” or “that [there]”
- Ci (this [here])
- là (that [there])
Where is -Ci and Là in the sentence and when are they used?
Ci (this [here]) or -là (that [there]) is sometimes attached to nouns that are preceded by a demonstrative adjective. -Ci and -là may indicate relative distance and are also used to make a simple distinction between persons or objects.
- Amélie parle de cette maison-ci. (Amélie is talking about this house.)
- Cette maison-là n’est pas à louer. (That one isn’t for rent)
What do demonstrative pronouns show? What must they be followed by?
Demonstrative pronouns (in English: this one, that one, those) refer to a person, thing, or idea mentioned previously in a conversation. In French, they agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace. Demonstra- tive pronouns must be followed by -ci or -là, a preposition, or a relative pronoun.
Singular masculine demonstrative pronoun
Celui (this one, that one, those)
*Un dictionnaire? J’aime celui qui a de bonnes définitions. (A dictionary? I like the one that has good definitions.)
Plural masculine demonstrative pronoun
Ceux (this one, that one, those)
*Ces étudiants? Ceux qui sont des Verts sont plutôt militants. (Those students? Those who are Greens are rather militant.)
Singular feminine demonstrative pronoun
Celle (this one, that one, those)
*La maison? Celle que j’achète a un prix raisonnable. (The house? The one I’m buying has a reasonable price)
Plural feminine demonstrative pronoun
Celles (this one, that one, those)
*Des idéologies? Les gens choisissent celles qu’ils peuvent comprendre. (Ideologies? People choose the one (those) they can understand.
What do demonstrative pronouns are used with which suffixes? To make a distinction between?
With the suffixes -ci or -là to make a distinction between objects or persons
*Voici plusieurs magazines. Tu veux celui-ci ou celui-là? (Here are a few magazines. Do you want this one or that one?)
Demonstrative pronouns can be followed by what prepositions?
Followed by a preposition (often de/d’ or a compound preposition with de/d’)
1.) Quelle littérature aimes-tu mieux? Celle d’Amérique latine ou celle de France?
(Which literature do you prefer? Latin American or French? [Literlly: That of Latin America or of France?])
2.) De quel restaurant parle-t-il? Celui à côté de la banque ou celui au coin de la rue?
(Which restaurant is he talking about? The one next to the bank or the one at the corner?
Demonstrative pronouns can be followed by what prepositions?
Followed by a clause introduced by a relative pronoun (qui, que, or dont)
1.) Cet auteur a une douzaine de romans policiers. Celui que je lis est formidable!
(That author has a dozen mystery novels. The one I’m reading is terrific!)
2.) Mireille veut suivre trois cours, mais on n’offre pas ceux dont elle a besoin.
(Mireille wants to take three classes, but they’re not offering the ones she needs.)
What are indefinite demonstrative pronouns
Ceci (this), cela (that), and ça (that, informal) are indefinite demonstrative pronouns. They refer to an idea or object (not a person) with no definite antecedent. The indefinite demonstrative pronouns do not show gender or number. They sometimes precede the indefinite subject ce/c’.
- Cela (Ça) m’est égal. (It is all the same to me.)
- Tu vois ceci? (Do you see this?)
- Ça, c’est tout ce dont nous avons besoin. (That is all we need.)
What are the indefinite demonstrative pronouns vocab
Ceci (this), cela(that), and ça (that, informal)
