Le/La/Les Exercise Corrections

Question 1

Gender of:

1) Counties
2) Regions + vin rhyme

Answer 1

1) Masculin - (exclu La Cornouaille)

2) Fem- ‘UNE region a UN vin’

Question 2

Language rule

Answer 2

Always definite article in front of a language

e.g. Le français (apart from natives)

Question 3

Friday Nights

Answer 3

Le Vendredi Soir

Question 4

‘More than half’ translation

Answer 4

Plus de la moitié

Question 5

Expression of Quantity

Answer 5

‘De’ (jamais de biere/ bouteille de vin)

Question 6

A pound a kilo

Answer 6

une livre le kilo (uses definite article)

Question 7

Beaucoup… (2)

Answer 7

DE - general

DES- specific

Question 8

Jouer

• sport
• musical instrument

Answer 8

• Jouer A sport ou FAIRE DU SPORT

- Jouer DE musical instrument (Jouer un instrument)

Question 9

Tout

e. g: bus
e. g. 2: every six weeks

Answer 9

‘Tout’ + definite article + noun

e. g. il y a un bus tous les quarts d’heure
e. g. toutes les six semaines

Question 10

Exception to Quantity Expressions (4)

Instead followed by…
e.g. gateau

Answer 10

La plupart/ La majorité/ La minorité/ Bien des (in the sense of many)

the PARTITIVE
e.g. tu veux encore du gateau

Question 11

Blonde hair and green eyes

• The girl with blue eyes

Answer 11

Les chevaux blonds + les yeux verts

• La fille aux yeux bleus

Question 12

Profession (+ adj)

e.g. she would make a very talented personal shopper

Answer 12

Normalement- elle est mannequin
mais avec ADJECTIVE = need an article

e.g. elle ferait une acheteuse personnelle très talenteuse

Question 13

Pair of… (+ examples_

Answer 13

UN - Un pantalon, un short, un collant, une culotte

Question 14

de and adjectives

Answer 14

DE belles chaussettes

DES chaussettes exquises

Question 15

Avoir besoin…

e.g. I need jumpers

Answer 15

de

e.g. J’ai besoin de pulls

Question 16

Rule of ‘Islands’

Answer 16

Some used with/without articles

e.g. (La Crete/en Crete) vs (Malte/a Malte)

Question 17

Forms of determiners/pronouns beginning with ‘h’

Answer 17

• Those which behave as if ‘h’ were a vowel (l’heroisme/j’hesite)
• ‘h’ were a consonant (le héros/ la haine)

Question 18

Typical use (and exceptions) of the DEFINITE article (7)

Answer 18

• used with ‘the’ is deployed in english
• Refer to a general class/unique phenomenon/abstract quality
• with countries/regions/dep/states but NOT with some small european islands and their languages
• Languages- not with the expression ‘parler espagnol etc’ or fluency
• Seasons- l’hiver, le printemps etc (except en hiver, en printemps)
• With TITLES e.g. Monsieur Le Maire, Madame Le Pres (but not names of Kings/Queens: Francois premier)
• Expressions quoting prices for goods where english uses ‘a’ e.g. 5 euros LA piece

Question 19

Definite article is usually used with parts of the body: (3)

Answer 19

1) Describing a person’s CHARACTERISTICS e.g. Il a les yeux bleus

2) When people do things to their OWN or OTHERS’ BODIES
e. g. Il a plisse les yeux

4) When the part of the body is used in an ADVERBIAL PHRASE/EXPRESSION
e. g. Elle est partie, les mains dans les poches

Question 20

Possessive determiners (mon/ma/mes) are usually used: (2)

Answer 20

1) When the part of the body is the SUBJECT of the sentence e.g. Ma tete me fait mal
2) As an ALTERNATIVE to the definite article when people do things to others’ bodies e.g. je lui serre la main ou Je serre sa main

Question 21

Rule for using singular

e.g. they raised their right hand

Answer 21

When reference is made to a singular part of the body/item of clothing/personal attribute = use french SINGULAR

e.g. Ils ont levé la main droit

Question 22

Omission of des/du/de la/de l’ after the preposition ‘de’

Answer 22

1) When they follow the preposition DE = expressions like ‘des amis/du bois/de l’argent’ (i.e. indefinite and partitive expressions) LOSE their determiners

Question 23

Examples of indefinite/partitive expressions losing their determiners:

1) aide + amis
2) besoin + argent

Answer 23

1) avec l’aide de + d’amis
= avec l’aide d’ amis

2) J’ai besoin de + de l’argent
= J’ai besoin d’argent

Question 24

Examples of indefinite/partitive expressions keeping their determiners:

1) aide + amis
2) besoin + argent

Answer 24

1) avec l’aide de + les amis de Marie
= avec l’aide des amis de Marie

2) J’ai besoin de + de l’argent que j’ai économisé
= J’ai besoin de l’argent que j’ai économisé

Question 25

Meanings of

1) d’autre
2) les autres
3) des autres

Answer 25

1) others
2) the others
3) of the others

Question 26

adjectives and de/des

e.g. land and large land

Exception

Answer 26

Indefinite and partitive ‘des’ becomes ‘de’ when preceded by an adjective
e.g. des terres –> de grandes terres

Exception: If the adjective and noun phrases seen as a single unit (i.e. like a compound noun), then DES is used
e.g. des grands magasins/des petits poids

Question 27

Uses of partitive articles (3)

e. g. 1: wood and garlic
e. g. 2: she is intelligent

Answer 27

1) With mass nouns where english use ‘some’ or NO article at all:
- du bois (some wood), de l’ail (some garlic)

2) With abstract nouns which attribute qualities to people or things
- Elle a de l’intelligence

3) when they accompany a direct object and follow a negation (ne.. pas/ne..plus) etc

Question 28

Exceptions to partitive and negation (3)

Answer 28

• When verb is ETRE
• When the meaning is ‘not a single one’
• When the direct object is contrasted with something else

Question 29

Omission of articles (4)

e.g. a map of France and a map of mainland France

Answer 29

1) In noun and noun constructions linked by DE (une carte de France)- unless the second noun is modified (une carte de la France metropolitaine)
2) In participle and noun constructions e.g. couvert de boue
3) With nouns in apposition (Versailles, palais de Louis XIV) unless the 2nd noun is modified: Versailles, le celebre palais de Louis XIV
4) With nouns following verbs like etre/devenir/demeurer/elire/nommer/rester (unless noun is modified)

Question 30

List of Nouns

Answer 30

Either ALL or NO articles are omitted