Grammar Flashcards
When do you use a definite articles? (7)
- Before abstract nouns or nouns used to generalise
- Before names of continents, countries, regions and languages
- Before arts, sciences, school subjects, sports, illnesses.
- Before parts of the body
- Before meals and drinks
- Before fractions
- Before titles
When do you not use indefinite articles? (a, an, some, any)
- When stating a person’s occupation
- After quel, comme, en, en tant que, sans, ni.
- In a list
What are the partitive articles?
du, de la, de l’, des- meaning “some” “any”
When do you use de specifically?
- After a negative verb
- In expressions of quantity, e.g. assez de ou trop de
- With plural nouns preceded by an adjective:
e.g. On fait des efforts/ On fait de gros efforts pour… (We’re making great efforts to) - In expressions such as:
bordé de , couvert de, être entouré de (be surrounded by), plein de, rempli de
What are the direct object pronouns?
me te le la nous vous les
What are the indirect object pronouns?
(to) me
(to) te
(to) lui
(to) nous
(to) vous
(to) leur
Object pronouns precede…
verbs in other tenses
What are the disjunctive pronouns?
moi toi lui elle soi - one, oneself nous vous eux elles
When do you use qui?
It represents something or someone that is the subject of the verb
When do you use que?
Que represents something or someone that is the object of the verb that follows (followed by a pronoun usually)
After a preposition qui…
is used for “who” or “whom”- avec qui par exemple.
When to use ce qui?
Ce qui is used for the subject of the verb:
Ce qui est essentiel
When to use ce que?
Ce que is used for the object of a verb:
ce que je prefere
When to use quoi?
Quoi is used for “what” after prepositions such as “de”:
Je ne sais pas de quoi tu parles
When to use dont?
Dont means “whose” or “of which”. It replaces de +qui or de + lequel and can refer to people or things
When to use y?
- Meaning there or to there, replacing a place already mentioned
- Replacing a noun (not a person) or a verb introduced by a, such as penser a quelque chose
When to use en?
- Meaning “from there” or “out of there”
2. Replacing a noun ( not a person) or a verb introduced by de, such as empecher quelqu’un de faire
What is the order of pronouns?
me te le lui se la leur y en nous les vous
What are demonstrative adjectives and when do you use them?
The equivalent of “this” “that “those “these” and used before a noun
Singular Plural
masc. ce ces
fem. cette ces masc. sing. is cet
before vowel or silent h
What are the demonstrative pronouns and when do you use them?
Replace the noun and so are the equivalent of “this one” “that one” “these ones” “those ones”
Singular Plural
Masc. celui ceux
Fem. celle celles
What are the possessive adjectives?
masc. : mon, ton, son, notre, votre, leur
fem: ma, ta, sa, notre, votre, leur
masc. & fem. plural: mes, tes, ses, nos, vos, leurs
What are the possessive pronouns?
masc.sing. fem. sing. masc.p fem.p
mine le mien la mienne les miens les miennes
yours le tien la tienne les tiens les tiennes
his le sien la sienne les siens les siennes
ours le notre la notre les notres les notres
yours le votre la votre les votres les votres
theirs le leur la leur les leurs les leurs
How do you express possession with etre?
a (avec accent) + name, a + disjunctive pronoun, or a + qui.
Which verbs take etre in the perfect tense? (16)
aller venir arriver partir entrer sortir monter descendre naitre mourir retourner rentrer rester tomber devenir revenir
What is the preceding direct object rule?
In the perfect tense, the past participle must agree with the direct object that precedes the verb.
When do you use the imperfect tense?
- a general description in the past
- a continuous or interrupted action in the past
- a repeated or habitual action in the past
How do you form the imperfect tense?
The stem is the nous form of the present tense minus -ons, and add the following endings: -ais -ais -ait ions -iez -aient
What are the irregular imperfect stems?
etre - et
What are the five other uses of the imperfect?
- etre en train de + infinitive + I was just (in the middle of)
- with depuis, meaning had been doing
- imperfect of venir de + infinitive to say “had just done”
- After si when the main verb is in the conditional
- After si when making a suggestion
What is the immediate future?
To talk about the near future and to say something “is going to happen”.
It is made up of two parts; the present tense of aller and an infinitive.
How do you form the future?
Say something "will" happen, including in si sentences after the future tense. The stem is the same as the infinitive, except for -re verbs when you remove the final e first. -ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont
What are the irregular stems in the future?
aller= ir- avoir= aur- devoir= devr- envoyer= enverr- etre= ser- faire= fer- pouvoir= pourr- savoir= saur- venir= viendr- voir= verr- vouloir= voudr- falloir= faudr-
When do you use the conditional and the modal verbs in the conditional?
Use the conditional to convey would, could, or should.
Modal Verbs:
Devoir in the conditional + infinitive: should / ought to
Pouvoir + infinitive: Could / might
Vouloir + infintive: would like to
Il faudrait + infinitive: It would be necessary to, would have to
Il vaudrait + infinitive: It would be worth, it would be better to
When do you use the subjunctive mood?
- After specific conjunctions
- After impersonal verbs like il faut que or il est important que
- When expressing doubt, uncertainty, wish, regret, or fear.
- It is used after words with a sense of the superlative, followed by qui or que:
le seul, l’unique, le premier, le dernier, le meilleur
How do you form the present subjunctive?
Stem: Ils form of the present tense minus -ent
endings: e, es, e, ions, iez, ent
What are the irregulars of the subjunctive?
aller- aille avoir- aie etre- sois faire- fasse falloir- il faille pouvoir- puisse savoir- sache vouloir- veuille
