It is, she is, etc., relating to a place from which a thing or person comes, are expressed by il en est, etc.; as, Is not that quotation from Shakspeare ?-Yes, it is. Was not Corneille from Rouen ?- Ce passage n'est-il pas de Shak- Corneille n'était-il pas de Rouen ?- It is, she is, etc., relating to an adverb, an adjective, or a past participle, are expressed by il l'est, elle l'est, ils le sont, etc.; as, Is not the style of Milton frequently sublime?—Yes, it is. Are not the tragedies of Racine admirable?—Yes, they are. Le style de Milton n'est-il pas souvent sublime?-Oui, il l'est. Les tragédies de Racine ne sontelles pas admirables ?-Oui, elles le sont. 332. The student will perceive from the above, that in answers, the French language is less elliptical than the English. In the former it is always necessary to use some word directly applicable to the question, and not unfrequently to repeat the principal words, as will be seen by the following examples: Avez-vous écrit ?-Oui, j'ai écrit. Avez-vous envoyé de l'argent à votre Leur donnez-vous des traductions? N'est-ce pas monsieur R. qui est votre banquier?-Oui, c'est lui. N'est-ce pas mademoiselle G. qui est venue?-Oui, c'est elle. Mesdames, n'êtes-vous pas fâchées qu'il pleuve ? Oui, nous en sommes or nous le sommes. N'êtes-vous pas sujet à vous tromper?-Oui, je le suis. Le cheval n'est-il pas utile à l'homme?-Oui, il lui est utile or il l'est. Cet homme, n'est-il pas enclin à la colère?-Oui, il l'est. Have you written ?—Yes, I have. Have you sent any money to your Will you lend him any?—Yes, I will. Do you give them translations?- Is it not you who have done that ?- Is it not Mr. R. who is your banker? Is it not Miss G. who came?—Yes, Ladies, are you not sorry it rains? Are you not liable to make mistakes? Is not the horse useful to man ?- Is not that man subject to fits of NOTE. If the adjective in the question follows the verb ÊTRE used impersonally, then the answer must be with c'est, c'était, ce fut, etc.; as, N'est-il pas glorieux d'être utile à Is it not glorious to be useful to our ses semblables?-Oui, c'est glorieux. fellow-creatures?-Yes, it is. N'est-il pas plus noble de pardonner que de se venger?-Oui, c'est plus noble. Is it not more noble to forgive than to revenge?—Yes, it is. 333. NOTE. In sentences like the following: It rains, does it not? You have done your exercise, have you not? I told you so, did I not? etc., the interrogation in French is always expressed by N'EST-CE PAS; as, Il pleut, N'EST-CE PAS? Vous avez fait votre thème, N'EST-CE PAS? Je vous l'ai dit, N'EST-CE PAS? 334. NOTE. The English auxiliary verbs do, did, shall, will, should, would, can, could, etc., occasion both in questions and in answers a variety of elliptical constructions peculiar to the English language. The student should be careful to observe that the French language has no words corresponding to the above-mentioned do, did, shall, etc., as auxiliaries (164.), and consequently clearness and regularity will require the verbs to be repeated in French; as, Why do you complain? I do not complain.--My brother does. Does he!-Indeed he does, and he has complained for a long time. Pourquoi vous plaignez-vous? Je ne me plains pas.-C'est mon frère qui se plaint. Il se plaint! (or se plaint-il!)-Oui vraiment, et il y a longtemps qu'il se plaint. 335. NOTE. Interrogative exclamations, such as the following, are frequently used in English familiar conversation: My sister speaks French.-DOES SHE! I am going to Paris.-ARE YOU! These expressions Does she, are you, and similar exclamations, have no literal equivalent in French, and the student would make a ridiculous mistake if he translated them by the words Fait-elle! êtes-vous! etc. The French use a different exclamation, such as Ah! Vraiment! Thème. Have you my penknife? Yes, I have. Has he (it)? No, he has not. Have they what they want (192.)? Yes, they have. Would you have money if your father were here? Yes, I should. Are you an Englishman (273.)? Yes, I am.— Is she a French-woman? No, she is not.-Are those Molière's comedies? Yes, they are.-Was it a grammar you bought? No, it was not. Is it an Italian dictionary you want? Yes, it is. Are they pleased with (298.) me? Yes, they are.-Is not your uncle in Paris? Yes, he is.-Was not that work translated from the German? Yes, it was.- -Are those gentlemen gone? Yes, they are.-Is not the style of Racine more pure than that of any other French poet? Yes, it is.-Have you been this year to Versailles? Yes, I have.-Has your friend been with you? Yes, he has.-Have you seen the picture galleries of the Louvre? Yes, we have.-Have you written the letter? No, I have not. You have not written to him! No, I have not.-Is he in the library? Yes, he is. Do you think the binder will send those volumes in the course of the morning? Yes, he will.-Has the postman any change? No, he has not, but I have.-Have you change for five pounds? Yes, I have.-Is the king at St. Cloud? No, he is not.Have those merchants sent the wines you ordered in your last letter? Yes, they have.-Are you reading (219. 221.)? Yes, I am.-Do you read French as often as English? Yes, I do. Do you like music? Yes, I do.-Does your sister like music? Yes, she does. Has she a piano? Yes, she has. Do you speak German? Yes, I do a little1.-Was it he who did that? It was.-No, it was not; you are mistaken 5.-Do you not think that we shall speak that language in a short time if we persevere in our studies? Yes, I do. -Will you persevere? We will.-You improve", do you not (333.)? Yes, we do.-A knowledge of French is very useful, is it not? Indeed it is. 9 Is that house to be let (216.)? Yes, it is.-Do you wish to see it? Yes, I do.-Do you want a good servant? No, I do not, I have a very good one.-] -Has he served you long? Yes, he has.-How long? Six years.-Does he complain? No, he does not.-Does he not (334.)? Why should he? He has no reason to complain. My cousin is going to Dover by the railway. Is he (335.)!—I have been the whole way from London to Orleans in France by steam. Have you!-By steamboat to Havre, and by railway to Orleans, passing through Rouen and Paris. Really!-Was it a pleasant journey? Indeed, it was.-Do you like travelling? Yes, I do.-Was it necessary for you to have a passport? Yes, it was.— -Did the police-officers or gendarms 10 ask you for it? Yes they did, once, at the railway terminus11.-Should you like to reside in France? Indeed, I should, and particularly in the south.The climate of the south is mild and pleasant, is it not (333.)? It is particularly so." There are many learned men12 in Rome, are there not (333.)?” Milton asked a Roman. "Not so many as when you were there," answered the Roman. PRONOMS POSSESSIFS. En et l'article le, la, les, employés pour son, sa, ses, leur, leurs. 336. Les adjectifs déterminatifs possessifs son, sa, ses, leur, leurs, ne précèdent généralement un substantif complément direct d'un verbe, que quand ce complément est en rapport de possession avec un nom de Cet homme est fort aimable; chacun recherche sa société. Ou qu'étant un nom de personne : That man is very amiable; every one seeks his company. chose, il est en rapport de possession avec le sujet de la proposition où il se trouve: Chaque travail a sa fatigue, 337. Autrement l'adjectif l'un des articles le, la, les, J'habite la campagne, les agréments en sont sans nombre, Ces langues sont riches, j'en admire les délicatesses, Every labour has its fatigue. possessif est remplacé par précédé du pronom en : I live in the country, its pleasures are numberless. Those languages are rich, I admire their niceties. C'est par raison de clarté qu'on a d'abord employé en et le, la, les, pour l'adjectif possessif, qui fait souvent naître des équivoques. Exception. Quoique le mot possesseur ne soit pas le sujet de la proposition où se trouve l'adjectif possessif, on emploie son, sa, ses, leur, leurs lorsque le substantif possédé est le régime d'une préposition : Paris est une ville remarquable; les étrangers admirent la beauté de ses édifices. 338. NOTE. In a sentence of two members, containing two verbs, son, sa, ses are frequently used when the nouns following them are the nominatives of the second verb (étre generally excepted); as, j'ai vu Paris; ses édifices, ses promenades m'ont frappé. Dictée et analyse. Ces ouvrages ont leur mérite, chacun en apprécie la valeur. -Le soin qu'on apporte au travail empêche d'en sentir la fatigue. C'est parce que l'or est rare que l'on a inventé la dorure, qui, sans en avoir la solidité, en a tout le brillant. Ainsi, pour remplacer la bonté qui nous manque, nous avons imaginé la politesse, qui en a toutes les apparences. DE LÉVIS.-Le temps fuit, la perte en est irréparable.-La terre par son mouvement de rotation nous donne successivement le jour et la nuit. Thème. Every age has its pleasures. England sends her fleets into all seas. What a beautiful country! Everything conspires to make me love its abode; her laws appear to me extremely wise. That superb temple was upon the summit of a hill: its columns were of Parian1 marble, and its gates of gold. I like London, I admire the size of its streets. What a fine picture! do you not admire above all the richness of its colours? The Seine has its source in Burgundy, and its mouth at Havre. The Thames is a magnificent river: its channel is so wide and so deep below* London-Bridge, that several thousands of vessels lie at their ease in it3. Mon, ma, mes, etc., remplacés par le, la, les. 339. Les pronoms (adjectifs) possessifs doivent être remplacés par l'article, quand le sens indique clairement quel est l'objet possesseur : J'ai mal à la tête, Je lis les bons auteurs pour me perfectionner le goût, Nous vînmes tous les mains liées derrière le dos, Elle vint, les larmes aux yeux, Il s'est coupé au doigt, My head aches. head too small. I owe my life to him. I read good authors to improve my taste. We all came with our hands tied behind our backs. She came with tears in her eyes He has cut his finger. On se sert du pronom pour éviter l'équivoque: sa jambe continue d'enfler. 340. NOTE. Couper à in examples like the following, Il s'est coupé Au bras, Vous m'avez coupé au petit doigt, means to cut slightly or to make an incision. Without the preposition à, couper, in the above or similar examples, would mean to cut off: Le chirurgien lui a coupé la jambe. *Lier les mains derrière le dos est une expression condamnée par la plupart des grammairiens. Ils prétendent qu'elle présente un contre-sens et qu'il faudrait dire: Lier les mains AU ou SUR le dos; pourtant notre phrase a pour appui l'autorité de l'Académie française. |