Literary Fr. Flashcards
literary equivalent of the passé composé
passé simple (classification: simple past)
literary equivalent of the past perfect
past anterior (classification: compound past)
literary equivalent of the subjunctive
imperfect subjunctive (classification: simple past subjunctive)
literary equivalent of the past subjunctive
pluperfect subjunctive (classification: compound past subjunctive)
literary equivalent of the conditional perfect
conditional perfect, 2nd form (classification: conditional past)
Ne … pas become
ne … point in literary French.
‘Ne’ can be used on its own to negate a few verbs. Which ones?
In formal, usually written French, there are certain verbs and constructions that can be made negative with just ne – the inclusion of ‘pas’ or some other negative word is not required.
There are three groups:
1.
Cesser, oser, and pouvoir never need pas and are commonly used without it.
2.
Bouger, daigner, and manquer can take the ne littéraire, but usually don’t.
Savoir is unique. It can use the ne littéraire in three instances:
a) When it means “to be uncertain”
b) In the conditional
c) With an interrogative word
BUT
But “savoir” cannot use the ne littéraire when it means “to know a fact” or “to know how to do something.” With those meanings, it requires ‘pas’.
Additional constructions that allow the ‘ne’ littéraire
1) si clauses, with just about any verb:
ex. 1:
On ne le fera si tout le monde n’est d’accord.
(We won’t do it if everyone doesn’t agree)
ex. 2:
Il commence à 19h, si je ne me trompe.
It starts at 7pm, if I’m not mistaken.
2) questions (usually hypothetical or rhetorical)
ex. 1
Qui n’aimerait voyager à Tahiti ? (Who wouldn’t like to travel to Tahiti?)
ex. 2
Que ne ferais-je pour vous ?
(What wouldn’t I do for you?)
3) certain expressions of time used with compound verb forms:
cela fait ___ que
depuis que
il y a ___ que
voici ___ que
voilà ___ que
ex. 1
Il y avait deux mois que je n’avais dîné en ville.
(I hadn’t eaten out in two months.)
ex. 2
Voilà un bon moment que nous ne nous étions vus.
(It had been a long time since we’d seen each other.)
What are historical tenses?
Négation formelle
What is the “‘Ne’ explétif”
qui est usité sans nécessité pour le sens ou la syntaxe d’une phrase. (Source : Le Petit Robert)
“which is used without being needed for the meaning or syntax of a sentence.”
(This meaning also exists in English)
So the ne explétif does not add any meaning – negative or otherwise – to the sentence; it’s just there to draw attention to what precedes it. It’s formal and optional, and used after certain verbs and expressions that have a negative meaning, in either sense of the word: negative as in bad (fear, warning) or negative as in negated (denial, doubt).
ex.
1. Évitez qu’il ne vous voie.
(Avoid letting him see you.)
- Avant que vous ne preniez une décision…
(Before you make a decision…) - J’ai moins de travail que vous n’en avez. (I have less work than you (do).)
- Rarement n’ai-je vu un tel spectacle. (I’ve rarely seen such a spectacle.)
The most important thing to remember is that the ne explétif does not negate the verb it precedes; for that, you need pas.
En comparaison…
J’ai peur qu’il ne le fasse.
(I’m afraid he’ll do it.)
vs
J’ai peur qu’il ne le fasse pas.
(I’m afraid he won’t do it.)
Complete list of ne explétif triggers
1) Verbs and expressions of doubt, fear, and prevention
appréhender que – to dread, fear that
avoir peur que – to be afraid that
contester que* – to dispute that
craindre que – to fear that
douter que* – to doubt that
empêcher que – to prevent that
éviter que – to avoid that
s’en falloir que – to almost (do/happen)
il dépend de (stressed or indefinite pronoun) que* – it depends on (him, this, etc) whether
il y a un danger que – there’s a danger that
il y a un risque que – there’s a risk that
nier que* – to deny that
prendre garde que – to be careful, to watch out that
redouter que – to dread that
risquer que – to risk, be at risk that
tenir à ce que* – to be anxious that, to insist that
trembler que – to be terrified that
À noter : These all require the subjunctive.
- These call for the ne explétif only in negative or interrogative constructions.
2) Conjunctive phrases
à moins que – unless
avant que – before
de crainte que – for fear that
de peur que – for fear that
plutôt que – rather than, sooner than
sans que** – without
These phrases all require the subjunctive as well.
** Needs ne explétif only when the verb before sans que is negated.
3) Comparatives of inequality
autre que – other than
autrement que – differently than
meilleur que – better than
mieux que – best than
moindre que – least than
moins que – less than
pire que – worse than
plus que – more than
These might require the subjunctive and may be used with a neuter object pronoun (le).
4) Rarement, when it’s at the beginning of a sentence.
Pas sans ne
The first thing French students learn about negation is that the two parts of the negative adverb ne … pas are required on either side of the verb. In fact, pas is very often used informally without ne with several different parts of speech.
Pas + Adjectives
– Il est grand ?
– Non, pas grand.
(– Is he tall?
– No, not tall.)
C’est un homme pas fier.
(He’s not a proud man.)
Pas bête, ça
(That’s not a bad idea
Pas possible !
No way! That’s not possible!
Pas + Adverbs
– Tu as faim ?
– Pas trop.
– Are you hungry?
– Not very.
– Comment ça va ?
– Pas mal.
– How are you ?
– Not bad.
Pourquoi pas ?
Why not?
J’en ai deux, pas trois.
I have two of them, not three.
pas demain
not tomorrow
Pas de + Nouns
Pas de fraises aujourd’hui (on a sign) No strawberries today
Pas de sucre pour moi.
No sugar for me.
Pas de problème
No problem
Pas de pot
No luck
Pas de panique !
Don’t panic!
Pas + Pronouns
– Qui va conduire ?
– Pas moi !
– Who’s going to drive?
– Not me!
J’ai faim, pas toi ?
I’m hungry, aren’t you?
Il vient à la fête mais pas elle. He’s coming to the party but not her / but she’s not.
Ah non, pas ça !
Oh no, not that!
Pas + Phrases
pas du tout
not at all
pas tout à fait
not exactly
pas tout de suite
not quite yet
Tag Questions
Tu le feras, pas ?
You’ll do it, right?
Tu viens, ou pas ?
Are you coming or not?
Elle est belle, pas vrai ?
She’s beautiful, right?
