for the person or the thing we wish to designate or point out; as. Ce n'est pas moi, Ce n'est pas vrai, It is not I. It (that) is not true. See, in the Syntax, Ce, cela, comparé avec il. 123. Ce is much used with a relative pronoun; as, Ce qui nous plaît, Ce dont je me plains, Ce à quoi je m'applique, Ce que je vois, That which pleases us. That of which I complain. What I apply to. What I see. 124. NOTE.-Ce que is used before a substantive or a pronoun which is the subject of the verb être. The relative que (109.) signifying quelle chose, which thing; as, 126. Ci (here) and là (there) are often added to the noun, to point it out more distinctly; as Vos plumes et celles de Jean, Your pens and those of John. Take those. 128. Celui, celle, ceux, celles, are also used with a relative pronoun, in reference to a noun previously expressed, and are applied to both persons and things. Celui qui me voit, Nominative. he who. or that which. } they who, or those which. Accusative. he whom, or that which. } they whom, or those which. Examples. Quel livre?—Celui qui est sur le pupitre, Celui que je vous montre, He who sees me. Which book?—That which is The one that I show you. Read, translate, and parse: Ce n'est pas là (or cela n'est pas) ce que vous m'aviez promis. Ce livre me plaît. Ceci mérite attention. Cette gravure n'est pas celle que vous m'aviez promisc.-Que dites-vous de cela? Rien.-Cet enfant n'est pas celui que j'ai vu. Ces raisins sont bons, mais ceux-ci sont meilleurs.-Que dites-vous de ces jeunes personnes? Celle-là est aimable, mais celle-ci me plaît davantage. Ceci est bon, cela est mauvais. Exercise. This child. That general. Those gentlemen. This woman. That (121.) m. général friendship. This book or that one. I do not like that. This is for n'aime pas (125.) (125.) (126.) ou (127.) you. That which pleases me. (123.) plaît Give me this or that. Of several Donnez (125.) plusieurs hats, this one or that one, these or those. Of several pens, this one (127.) or that one, these or those. It is you. It is useful. (127.) (122.) (122.) utile INDEFINITE PRONOUNS. ce Tout ce que, } whatever. Qui que ce soit, whoever. 129. Indefinite pronouns have a vague and general signification; as, On, one, people, they, etc. Plusieurs, several. Nul (ne), no one. Autres, others. Autrui, other people. Chacun, every one. Personne (ne), nobody. Quelqu'un, some one. Tel, such a one. Tout, everything, all. Tout le monde, everybody. Aucun, any; with ne, none. On dit qu'il est malade, ... ⚫que, however. Examples. Nul n'est content de sa fortune, (One says) It is reported that he is ill. No one is satisfied with his for tune. Read, translate, and parse: Quelqu'un m'a dit vous avoir vu. Ne faites pas à autrui ce que vous ne voudriez pas qu'on vous fît. On dit que la paix est faite. Nul n'est exempt d'erreur. Quiconque passe par là, doit payer tant. On frappe à la porte. Chacun pense à soi. On ne doit pas compter sur la prospérité. Exercise. They say so. (129.) le dit No one knows it. Some one came. Every one vint 130. The verb is a word whose function is to express existence, possession, action or passion, either present, past, or future. Je suis, I am. J'ai, I have. 131. Whatever performs the act, or is in the state expressed by the verb, is its nominative case, subject, or agent; as JE marche, I walk; JE suis estimé, I am esteemed. 132. Whatever the act immediately falls upon is called its accusative case, object, or regimen (régime ou complément direct); as, J'aime MON PÈRE, I love MY FATHER. 133. When the noun or pronoun comes after a preposition, either expressed or understood, it is said to be in an oblique case. The oblique cases are the genitive (génitif), dative (datif), and ablative (ablatif). The genitive is the noun or pronoun after the preposition de, meaning of. It names the possessor of another noun; as La maison DE MON PÈRE, My father's house. The dative is the noun or pronoun after the preposition to or for; as, Il ME le dit, he tells it (to) me. It shows to whom or to what the thing spoken of is directed; as, Envoyez ces lettres À VOTRE SŒUR, Send those letters to your sister. The ablative names the person or thing from which something is taken away or received; as, J'ai reçu une lettre DE VOTRE AMI, I have received a letter from your friend. It is also known by other prepositions expressed or understood, as in, with, by, etc. The oblique cases are called in French, régimes ou compléments indirects, or régimes ou compléments de prépositions. There is another case, called the vocative (vocatif), which is used whenever a person or thing is addressed by name; as, Charles! viens jouer, Charles! come and play. Examples of the cases. Nominatif. Je suis, I am. Je parle, I speak. Génitif. Datif. Ablatif. C'est le livre DE MON FRÈRE, It is my brother's Je Lui donne la plume, I give (to) him the pen. JULES! viens ici. Julius! come hither. J'ai reçu une lettre DE MON PÈRE, I have received a letter from my father. 134. The verb étre, as it expresses existence, is called a verb substantive; all other verbs, as they contain an attribute or quality, are called verbs attributive. These are divided into : Verbs active, or transitive; Verbs passive; Verbs neuter, or intransitive; Verbs reflective; and Verbs unipersonal or impersonal. 135. Active or transitive Verbs.-The action expressed by the active or transitive verb passes directly to an object; as, Je cueille une fleur, J'estime mon précepteur, I gather a flower. I study music. I esteem my preceptor. 136. Passive verbs are verbs which present the subject as receiving the effect of an action produced by another subject; as, Un enfant sage est aimé de A good child is beloved by his ses parents, relatives. The subject producing the action is frequently understood; as, Une fleur est cueillie, A flower is gathered. |