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?
