Week 9

Objective
Chapter 9 - Lesson 1 (Temporal Expressions)
This lesson on ‘Temporal expressions’ enables the learner to -
- Distinguish between an adverb and a preposition;

- Learn the various adverbs of time;
- Learn the various prepositions of time;
- Use different adverbs and preposition for conveying the same meaning;
- Learn new meanings of the prepositions à and en;
Glossary
Les verbes - verbs
aboyer – to bark aider – to help
ajouter – to add aller – to go
appeler – to call arranger – to arrange
bavarder – to chat commencer – to begin
connaître – to know demander – to ask
déranger – to disturb devoir - must
dire – to tell échanger – to exchange
entendre – to hear faire – to do
fermer – to close monter – to assemble
(né) naître – to be born nettoyer – to clean
neiger – to snow parler – to speak
partir – to go passer – to drop by / to happen
pêcher – to fish perdre – to lose
pleuvoir – to rain pouvoir – to be able to
rencontrer – to meet rentrer – to return
revoir – to see again s’asseoir – to sit
se casser – to break ones’ leg / bone se dépêcher – to hurry up
se lever – to get up se marier – to get married
sonner – to ring sortir – to go out
terminer – to complete venir – to come
verser – to pour vider – to empty

vivre – to live voir – to see
vouloir – to want
Les noms – nouns
ami(e) – friend an (m) – year
août (m) – August arrêt (m) – stop
bruit (m) – noise bureau (m) – office
carton (m) – carton box chambre (f) – bedroom
chapeau (m) – hat chose (f) – thing / object
cloche (f) – bell coiffeur / coiffeuse – hair-dresser
crémaillère – house-warming party déjeuner (m) – meal
école (f) - school élève (m) – student
étagère (f) - shelf faim (m) – hunger
farine (f) – flour femme (f) – wife
fenêtre (f) – window heure (f) – o’clock / hour
hôpital (m) – hospital invité(e) – guest
jour (m) – day lait (m) - milk
magasin (f) – shop / store maison (f) – house
mariage (m) – marriage mer (f) – sea
minuit (f) – midnight mois (m) – month
nuit (f) – night numéro (m) – number
placard (m) – cupboard personne (f) – person
porte (f) – door poulet (m) – chicken
repas (m) – meal salon (m) – hall

soir (m) – evening tasse (f) – cup
temps – time thé (m) – tea
travail (m) – work vacances (f pl.) - vacation
Les adjectives – adjectives
deux – two cinq – five
demi(e) – half dernier/dernière – last
indisponible – unavailable quatre – four
quinze – fifteen sept – seven
supplémentaire – extra trois – three
à – at à peine – hardly
actuellement – currently après - after
après-demain – day after tomorrow au bord de – at the side of
autrement – otherwise bientôt - soon
chez – at (home) combien – how much / how many
dans – in demain – tomorrow
depuis – since dès – since
donc – therefore / so en – in
encore – still / more hier – yesterday
maintenant – now parfois - sometime
pendant – during pour – for
pourquoi – why puis – then / next
quelque – some quoi – what

sans – without souvent – often
toujours – always vite - fast
Expressions
À l’heure – on time Allô – hello
D’accord – Okay Dernière fois – last time
En retard – late Pas du tout – not at all
Qu’est-ce-qu’il y a? – what is it? Sans arrêt – non-stop
Zut! – Blast!
Faire des heures supplémentaires – to work extra hours
Pendre la crémaillère – to hold a house-warming party

SCRIPT
Bonjour and welcome, viewers and students, to “Let’s speak French” (Parlons français)”.
These lessons on basic French are short and easy. And if you follow the program regularly, I
can assure you that very soon, you will be able to understand French quite easily.
The previous session focused on direct and indirect objects featuring in the same sentence. In
today’s class, we will learn about the various temporal expressions that exist in French. This
lesson has been divided into three sections. In this first section, I will read out a French text
which has different temporal expressions and prepositions of time. Then in the next section, I
will explain when and how to use these various temporal expressions. And finally in the third
section, we will do an exercise to revise what we learnt in today’s session.
I. French text on temporal expressions
We’ll begin the lesson with a French text. This text consists of a dialogue that takes place
between two friends. Chloé wants Émilie to come over to her new apartment and help her set
it up for the housewarming party. Fred who was suppose to help Chloé, is held up at office
and can’t make it home early.
Pendre la crémaillère
Chloé : Allô Émilie, je te dérange?
Émilie : Non, pas du tout. Dis-moi, qu’est-ce-qu’il y a?
Chloé : On a fixé la date pour la crémaillère. C’est le douze.
Émilie : Ah, demain!
Chloé : Non, après-demain. Demain c’est le onze.
Émilie : Ah d’accord. Tu veux que je passe chez toi le soir?
Chloé: Tu peux venir...maintenant?
Émilie : Zut! Je suis actuellement chez le coiffeur. Je serai chez toi dans deux heures.
Pourquoi, qu’est-ce-qu’il y a ?
Chloé: Depuis hier, je demande à Fred de monter les placards et les étagères. Mais il ne l’a
pas encore fait. Et maintenant, il m’appelle pour dire qu’il doit faire des heures
supplémentaires au bureau. Donc, je veux que tu m’aides à monter les placards et les
étagères. Autrement je ne peux pas vider les cartons, ni arranger les choses.
Après deux heures.
Émilie : Les invités arrivent à quelle heure?
Chloé: À six heures.
Émilie : Vous invitez combien de personnes?
Chloé: Allons voyons, il y a Tom et Marguerite, Jacques, Théo et Gabrielle..
Émilie : Jacques? Jacques Laurent?
Chloé: Ah non...Jacques Chenier. C’est un ami de Fred.
Émilie : Je le connais. Je l’ai rencontré pendant votre mariage. On avait échangé les numéros
et on se parlait souvent. Mais depuis un an, on a à peine parlé. Il m’avait dit qu’il allait à
Pérou et qu’il sera indisponible pour quelques temps...C’était la dernière fois qu’on a parlé.
Chloé: Ah bon! Il était à Pérou pour six ou sept mois. Tu vas le revoir bientôt!
Émilie : Ça fait, quoi...quatre ans que tu es mariée?
Chloé: En août, ça sera quatre ans. Comme le temps passe vite!
So this was a short text where we come across many temporal expressions. In the next
section, I will explain to you about these French expressions.
II. Temporal expression in French: usage
A temporal term or indicator is a word or an expression that allows one to situate an event in
time. Three distinct moments have been identified: the present, the past and the future. Every
single event takes place within one of these moments. Generally, the present serves as a
reference for situating an event. What I mean by reference is that every event that occurs
before the present is considered past, while any event that occurs after the present is
considered future.
Each of these moments encompasses a variety of expressions that indicate the different
fractions within that moment.
It is impossible to cover all the temporal expressions of a language in one lesson. So I will
select for today’s lesson, the most frequently used expressions when situating an event in
time. I will also touch upon expressions that are used to convey the different aspects of time,
such as frequency, duration and simultaneity.
All temporal expressions can be divided into two groups:
• Prepositions of time
• Adverbs or adverb phrases of time
So let’s begin with the French prepositions of time.
a. Prepositions of time - Les prépositions de temps
In this lesson, we will examine seven of the most commonly used prepositions of time. We
have come across a few of them in our earlier lessons because they can have more than one
meaning.
À: The preposition à indicate a precise time at which an event occurs. It is translated as ‘at’ in
English:
• J’entends un bruit à minuit - I hear a noise at midnight

• Je termine mon travail à 5h30 - I finish work at 5:30 p.m.
Here’s an example from the text:
• Les invités arrivent à quelle heure ? - À six heures.

At what time are the guests coming? - At six o’clock.
En: The preposition en indicates two different things. It can be used to express the duration
of an action, for example:
• Il a préparé le repas en vingt minutes - He prepared lunch in twenty minutes.
En can also be used before a month, season or year to indicate when the action occurs.
• Il est né en 2014 - He was born in 2014
Here’s an example from the text. This example illustrates the second use of en:
• En août, ça sera quatre ans - In August, it will be 4 years.

Dans: The preposition dans indicates the amount of time before an action begins. The idea of
the future is expressed in this preposition. However, the present tense can be used for
constructing the sentence. For example:
• Je reviendrai dans une demie-heure - I’ll come back in half an hour.

• Dépêchez-vous, le film commence dans quinze minutes! - Please hurry up, the film
begins in fifteen minutes!
• Je serai chez toi dans deux heures - I’ll be at your place in two hours.
Pendant: The preposition pendant expresses the entire duration of an action. However, it has
two slightly different meanings. It can be used to indicate either a past or a present action that
is over. In this case, the verb is generally in the compound past. For example:
• J’étais assise au bord de la mer pendant des heures - I sat by the sea for hours.
Pendant can also be used to indicate a duration in the future. The verb can be in the present or
in the future tense.
• Pendant les vacances d’été, on visitera la côte d’Azur – During the summer holidays,
we will visit the French Riviera.
Durant can replace pendant in a sentence. Both words indicate an entire duration. However,
durant isn’t used very frequently in French.
• Je l’ai rencontré pendant votre mariage - I met him during your marriage.
Dès: The preposition dès indicates from a particular point of time. It can also indicate an
immediacy. For example:
• Dès que la cloche sonne, les élèves ferment leurs livres - As soon as the bell rings, the
students close their books.
• Elle est rentrée dès qu’il a commencé à pleuvoir - She returned as soon as it started
raining.
Depuis: The preposition depuis indicates the duration of an action that started in the past and
at the time of speaking the action or its effects are still continuing. For example:
• Depuis qu’il a perdu sa femme, il ne sort plus de la maison - Ever since he lost his
wife, he doesn’t go out anymore.
• Elle vit chez nous depuis qu’elle s’est cassée la jambe - She lives with us from the
time she broke her leg.
• Mais depuis un an, on a à peine parlé - But since a year, we’ve hardly spoken.
Il y a: The preposition il y a indicates an action of the past that is completed. The sentence is
generally in the compound past. It can be translated as ‘ago’ in English.
• Je l’ai vu il y a quelques jours - I’ve seen him a few days ago.

• Il y a dix minute qu’il est parti - He left ten minutes ago.
In spoken French, voilà and ça fait are frequently used instead of il y a.
• Ça fait quelques jours que je l’ai vu - I last saw him a few days ago.
• Voilà dix minute qu’il est parti - He left ten minutes ago.
• Ça fait, quoi...quatre ans que tu t’es mariée? - It’s been, what...four years since you
were married?
b. Adverbs and adverbial phrases of time
Now let us look at the adverbs and adverbial phrases of time. Two examples for each
moment have been provided. The rest are some of the most frequently used adverbs.
Présent: maintenant et actuellement
Maintenant: This adverb indicates the current time or moment. It is translated as ‘now’ in
English.
• On va sortir maintenant -We will go out now.

• J’ai faim maintenant - I’m hungry now.
• Tu peux venir maintenant? - Can you come now?
Actuellement: is an adverb of time that looks like the English word ‘actually’. But
actuellement means ‘right now’ or ‘currently’.
• Qu’est-ce-qui se passe à Paris actuellement? - What’s currently happening in Paris?

• Actuellement, il est à l’hôpital - He’s in the hospital right now.
• Je suis actuellement chez le coiffeur - I’m at the hairdresser’s right now.
Passé: Hier et avant-hier
Hier: This adverb translates as ‘yesterday’.
• J’ai perdu mon chapeau hier - I lost my hat yesterday.

• Hier, nous sommes allés pêcher - Yesterday, we went fishing.
Avant-hier: The adverb avant-hier translates as ‘the day before yesterday’
• Vous avez rencontré Michelle avant-hier ? - Did you all meet Michelle day before
yesterday?
• Avant-hier, je ne suis pas allée à l'école - Yesterday, I didn’t go to school.
Futur: Demain et après-demain
The adverb demain means ‘tomorrow’, while après-demain means ‘day after tomorrow’.
Although both terms indicate the future, the sentence can be used in the present tense,
provided the temporal adverb is included.
• Elle vient demain - She’s coming tomorrow.

• On visitera le musée après-demain - We will visit the museum day after tomorrow.
• Ah, demain! - Non, après-demain. Demain c’est le onze.
Oh, tomorrow! - No, day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is the 11th.

Puis: The adverb puis is used for indicating a chronological sequence. This can also be
replaced with après, which means ‘later’ or ‘after’. Since this adverb indicates a distribution
of actions, it can be used in any of the three moments. In example no.1, puis connects a
sequence of present actions, while in example no. 2, it binds together a sequence of past
actions.
• Je ferme la porte. Puis, je ferme les fenêtres - I close the door. Then, I close the
windows.
• D’abord j’ai ajouté de la farine. Puis, j’ai versé du lait - First I added some flour.
Then I poured some milk.
Bientôt: The adverb bientôt indicates something that is forthcoming or about to happen in a
short while. The idea of the future is generally indicated in this adverb. It can be translated as
‘soon’ in English.
• Elle arrivera bientôt - She will come soon.

• Il sera bientôt l’heure du déjeuner - It will soon be lunchtime.
• Tu vas le revoir bientôt! - You will soon see him again!
Toujours: The adverb toujours indicates a continuity. It is translated as ‘always’ in English. It

can be categorized as an adverb of frequency.
• Elles arrivent toujours en retard - They always come late.
• Il prend toujours deux tasses de café - He always takes two cups of coffee
Parfois: The adverb parfois again indicates a frequency. It can be translated as ‘sometime’ in
English. There are other words that can replace parfois in French, such as quelquefois, des
fois.
• Je prend du thé parfois - I take tea sometimes.
• Parfois il travaille toute la nuit - Sometimes, he works the whole night.
III. Revision
In this third section, we will revise what we learnt in today’s session on temporal expressions.
A short exercise has been provided below. Chose the right answer from the three options
given, and complete the sentence.
1. Il neigeait sans arrêt ... le matin.
a. depuis b. à c. dans
The right answer is A. Il neigeait sans arrêt depuis le matin. This sentence translates as: ‘It
snowed non stop since morning.’
2. Je nettoie le salon, … je nettoie les chambres.
a. Toujours b. bientôt c. puis
The right answer is C. Je nettoie le salon, puis je nettoie les chambres. This sentence
translates as: ‘I clean the hall, then I clean the bedrooms.’
3. Le magasin ferme … une heure.
a. pendant b. dès c. dans
The right answer is C. Le magasin ferme dans une heure. This sentence translates as: ‘The
shop closes in an hour.’
4. Nous allons préparer du poulet ...
a. après-demain b. avant-hier c. hier
The right answer is A. Nous allons préparer du poulet après-demain. This sentence
translates as: ‘ We will cook chicken day after tomorrow.’
5. … qu’il entend un bruit, il commence à aboyer.
a. en b. dès c. il y a
The right answer is B. Dès qu’il entend un bruit, il commence à aboyer. This sentence
translates as: ‘He starts barking as soon as he hears a noise’.
With this we come to the end of our third lesson. This lesson was divided into three sections.
In the first section I read out a French text which had different temporal expressions and
prepositions of time. In the second section I explained when and how to use these various
temporal expressions. And finally in the third section, we revised today’s lesson by doing an
exercise.
I hope you enjoyed today’s session. In the next lesson, we’ll learn different structures of
advising someone. I hope to see you in the next session. Thank you, and à bientôt! See you
soon!
Summary
In French, there are many temporal expressions. A temporal expression is a word or a phrase that allows one
to situate an event in time. Temporal expressions can be classified into two groups –prepositions of time and
adverbs and adverb phrases of time. Some of these prepositions, such as à and en have various meanings and
can be used in different contexts. Most adverbs of time are used with a specific tense since the adverbs
belong to a particular moment in time. There are three distinct moments in time – the present, the past and
the future – and each has a set of temporal adverbs.
For further tips and exercises on this lesson, a separate section has been created. This will include a series of
frequently asked questions regarding the lesson, ten multiple-choice questions based on the lesson, some
assignments and a few reference books and website links. A glossary has also been included to help
remember the French words learnt in the lesson.
Reference
• Alter Ego - Méthode de Français, A1 (2006): Berthet, Hugot et al., Hachette

• Alter Ego – Cahier d’activités, A1 (2006): Berthet, Hugot et al., Hachette
• Écho - Méthode de Français, A1 (2013): Girardet, Pecheur, CLE International
• Écho - Cahier personnel d’apprentissage, A1 (2013): Girardet, Pecheur, CLE
International
• A votre service – 1, A1 (2011): Chanderasekar, Hanga et al., Hachette
FAQ’s
1. Temporal expressions can be divided into how many groups?
Temporal expressions can be divided into two groups:
a. Prepositions of time;
b. Adverb or adverb phrases of time;
2. What is the English equivalent of the preposition à?
The French preposition à can have many meanings. It can mean ‘at’, ‘to’ and also ‘in’. It can be used
to indicate time: Je viendrai à 4h (I’ll come at 4 o’clock); It can indicate a destination: Je vais à Paris
(I’ll going to Paris); It can also indicate a location: J’habite à Paris (I live in Paris).
3. What is the English equivalent of the preposition en?
The French preposition en can have many meanings. Some of its meanings ‘in’, ‘to’, ‘at’ and ‘by’. It
can be used to indicate time: Je reviendrai en deux mois (I’ll return in two months); It can indicate a
destination: Je vais en France (I’ll going to France); It can indicate a location: J’habite en France (I
live in France); And it can indicate by what means: Je vais en voiture (I’m going by car).
4. Can pendant and durant replace each other?
Yes, grammatically both have the same meaning. However, durant isn’t as frequently used as
pendant.
5. Can voilà, ça fait and il y a replace each other?
Yes, grammatically all three have the same meaning. However, voilà and ça fait are more colloquial
and are mostly used in spoken French.
Web-Links
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-temporal-prepositions-4104644
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-temporal-words-and-phrases-1371403
• http://www.madbeppo.com/french-language/temporal-expressions/
• http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/depuisilya.htm
• http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/time.htm
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF FRENCH TEXT
The housewarming party
Chloé: Hello Émilie, am I disturbing you?
Émilie: No, not at all. Tell me, what is it?
Chloé: We have fixed the date for the housewarming party. It’s on the twelfth.
Émilie: Oh, tomorrow!
Chloé: No, the day after. Tomorrow’s the eleventh.
Émilie: Oh yes. Do you want me to come over to your place this evening?
Chloé: Can you come…now?
Émilie: Oh blast! I’m at the hairdresser’s right now. I’ll be at your place in two hours. Why,
what happened?
Chloé: Since yesterday, I’m asking Fred to assemble the cupboard and the shelves. But he
hasn’t yet done it. And now he calls me up to say that he has to work overtime at the
office. So, I want you to help me assemble them. Otherwise I cannot empty the
cartons, nor arrange the things.
After two hours:
Émilie: At what time are the guests coming?
Chloé: At six o’clock.
Émilie: How many have you invited?
Chloé: Let’s see…there’s Tom and Marguerite, Jacques, Théo and Gabrielle…
Émilie: Jacques? Jacques Laurent?
Chloé: Oh no...Jacques Chenier. He’s a friend of Fred.
Émilie: I know him. I met him at your wedding. We exchanged numbers and we often spoke
over the phone. But since a year, we have hardly spoken. He told me he would be
going to Peru and wouldn’t be available for a while…that was the last time we spoke.
Chloé: Is it! He was in Peru for six to seven months. You will see him again very soon!
Émilie: It’s been what…four years since you were married?

Chloé: In August, it will be four years. How times flies!
Objective
Chapter 9 - Lesson 2 (Structures of Advice)
This lesson on ‘Structures of advice’ enables the learner to -
- Learn various ways of giving an advice;

- Learn various ways of advising against something;
- Learn a different use of the imperative;
- Learn a different use of the future tense;
- Identify impersonal verbs;
Glossary
Les verbes - verbs
adopter – to adopt aller – to go
boire – to drink bloquer – to block
boucler – to buckle calmer – to calm
conseiller – to advise convaincre – to convince
courir – to run déconseiller – to advise against
détendre – to relax devoir – must
dormir – to sleep écouter – to listen
empêcher – to prevent essayer – to try
éviter – to avoid exercer – to exercise
faire – to do falloir – to have to
fumer – to smoke hésiter – to hesitate
lire – to read manger – to eat
mettre – to put penser – to think
pouvoir – to be able to prendre – to take
prescrire – to prescribe ralentir – to slow down
réduire – to reduce regarder – to watch
remédier – to cure remercier – to thank
rendre – to make rester – to remain
retourner – to turn again revenir – to return
s’endormir – to fall asleep se coucher – to go to bed
se décourager – to be discouraged se reposer – to take rest

sortir – to go out suivre – to follow
tirer – to draw (curtain) tourner – to turn
utiliser – to use valoir – to be worth
Les noms – nouns
aliment (m) – food alimentation (f) – diet
ami(e) – friend baladeur (m) – Walkman
boisson (m) - beverage camomille (f) – camomile
carrefour (m) – intersection casque (f) – headphone
ceinture (f) – belt ceinture de sécurité (f) – seat belt
chambre (f) – bedroom chose (f) – thing
conseil (m) – advice consommmation (f) – consumption
corps (m) – body début (m) – beginning
dîner (m) – dinner douleur (m) – pain
eau (f) – water estomac (m) – stomach
expérience (f) – experiment faim (m) – hunger
habitude (f) – habit heure (f) – o’clock / hour
idée (f) – idea insomnie (f) – insomnia
journée (f) – day lait (m) – milk
légume (m) – vegetable lit (m) – bed
lumière (f) - light mal (m) – pain
manteau (m) – coat masque (m) – mask
matin (m) – morning médecin (m) – doctor
médicament (m) – medicine minuit (f) – midnight

nerf (m) – nerve obscurite (f) – darkness
patient(e) – patient prix (m) - cost
randonnée (f) – hike régime (m) – diet
remède (m) – remedy repas (m) – meal
rideau (m) – curtain rue (f) - street
sel (m) – salt semaine (f) – week
sommeil (m) – sleep somnifère (f) – sleeping pill
télé (f) – T.V. tisane (f) – herbal tea
verre (m) – glass vitesse (f) – speed
voiture (f) – car
alcoolisé(e) – alcoholic deux – two
copieux/copieuse – heavy (meal) faux / fausse – wrong
gras / grasse – greasy hydraté(e) – hydrated
léger/légère - light petit(e) – small
rigoureux / rigoureuse – rigorous sain(e) - healthy
sombre – dark tiède – warm
ainsi – thus au lieu de – instead of
aujourd’hui – today aussi – also
avant – before avec – with
beaucoup – a lot of bien – well / good
comme – since dans – in

diligemment – diligently exactement – exactly
jusque – till là - there
lorsque – when mais – but
mieux – better moindre – least
non – no par – by
pendant – during peut-être – maybe
pendant – during plus – more
pour – to quelque – some
sans – without si – if
sur – on tard – late
tôt – early trop – too much
vers – at about / at around
Expressions
avoir du mal à dormir – to have difficulty sleeping à tout prix – at all cost
avoir sommeil – to be sleepy bon courage ! - all the best !
ne pas arriver à – to not be able to de bonne heure - early
faire un randonnee – to go for a hike suivre un regime – follow a diet
trois fois – three times / thrice
tourner et retourner dans son lit – to toss and turn in one’s bed
être en bonne forme – to be hale and hearty / to be in good health

SCRIPT
The previous session focused on temporal expressions. In today’s class, we will learn about
the different structures that are used for advising someone. This lesson has been divided into
three sections. In this first section, I will read out a French text which features different
structures of giving advice. Then in the next section, I will explain the construction of these
structures. And finally in the third section, we will do an exercise to revise what we learnt in
today’s session.
I. A French text on giving advice
We’ll begin the lesson with a French text. This text consists of a dialogue between a doctor
and his patient. The patient suffers from insomnia.
Remède contre l’insomnie
Patiente : Docteur...j’ai du mal à dormir. Je n’arrive pas à m’endormir.
Médecin : Qu’est-ce-qui vous empêche de dormir ? Quelques maux ou douleurs ?
Patiente : Non. Je suis en bonne forme.
Médecin : Le stress peut-être...êtes-vous stressée ?
Patiente : Non Docteur. Ce n’est pas le stress.
Médecin : À quelle heure vous allez-vous coucher ?
Patiente : Vers deux heures.
Médecin : Mais non ! C’est trop tard. Vous devez vous coucher plus tôt.
Patiente : Comme je n’arrive pas à dormir, je pense qu’au lieu de tourner et retourner dans
mon lit, c’est mieux de regarder la télé ou de lire quelque chose jusqu’à ce que j’aie
sommeil.
Médecin : Il s’agit là d’une idée fausse. Lorsque vous allez au lit à deux heures du matin, est-
ce-que vous vous endormez ? … Non. Exactement. Si vous allez au lit plus tôt, il y
a plus de chance que vous finirez par vous endormir. Ainsi vous aurez quelques
heures de sommeil...pas convaincue ? On va faire une petite expérience.
Aujourd’hui, je vous conseille de vous mettre au lit à 22 heures. Tirez les rideaux
pour rendre la chambre aussi sombre que possible. N’hésitez pas d’utiliser un
masque de sommeil pour bloquer la moindre lumière. L’obscurité et le silence vont
calmer vos nerfs et vont détendre votre corps.
Patiente : A 22 heures je prends mon dîner.
Médecin : Il vous faut un estomac léger pour bien dormir. Il vaut mieux dîner à 19h. Je
déconseille un repas copieux. Si vous avez faim, prenez un verre de lait tiède. Je
vous conseille aussi une tisane de camomille. Evitez, à tout prix, la caféine.
Patiente : Vous ne prescrivez pas des médicaments ?
Médecin : Mon conseil, c’est : adopter de bonnes habitudes. Si vous suivez mes conseils et
vous arrivez à remédier votre insomnie naturellement, les médicaments ne sont pas
nécessaires. Vous ferez diligemment ce que je vous ai conseillé pendant deux
semaines. Au début ce sera dure, mais ne vous découragez pas.
Patiente : Il sera certainement difficile d’aller au lit si tôt, mais je vais essayer. Je vous
remercie docteur. Je reviendrai en deux semaines.
Médecin : Vous pouvez le faire ! Bon courage.
So this was a short text where we come across different structures for giving advice. In the
next section, I will explain to you the construction of these structures.
II. Structures for giving advice
There are many different ways of giving advice in French. We have come across a few of
these structures in our previous lessons. So we’ll begin with those structures that you are
already familiar with.
Imperative:
In the 7th chapter we learnt about the imperative mood. This mood is used to express an
order, a request, a wish or an advice. Since today’s lesson focuses on the structures used for
giving advice, let us consider the imperative in this particular context only. By this time you
know how to form the imperative mood and conjugate it. So we will directly proceed to the
structure construction: When giving an advice using the imperative, one must always
accommodate the imperative into a sentence. Simply stating the verb is not considered as
advice, but an order. For example, compare the two sentences:
• Bois de l’eau! - Drink water!

• Bois beaucoup de l’eau pendant la journée pour rester hydraté - Drink a lot of water
throughout the day to stay hydrated.
Both sentences indicate drinking water. But the way the two sentences are structured changes
the tone of the sentence. In the text we have three instances of the imperative being used for
advising. We also have one case of the imperative used in the negative form. Note how each
time the verb has been used within a sentence to soften the commanding tone:
• Tirez les rideaux pour rendre la chambre aussi sombre que possible - Draw the
curtains to make the room as dark as possible.
• N’hésitez pas d’utiliser un masque de sommeil pour bloquer le moindre lumière -
Don’t hesitate to use an eye-mask to block any light.
• Si vous avez faim, prenez un verre de lait tiède - If you are hungry, have a glass of
warm milk.
• Au début ce sera dure, mais ne vous découragez pas - In the beginning, it will be
difficult. But don’t give up.
Future tense:
The future tense was covered in the seventh chapter as well. In the lesson that focused on
simple future, we learnt that apart from indicating an action or event that is to happen, the
future tense can also indicate a polite request or a less compelling command. The future can
therefore also be used for giving advice. For example:
• Vous irez courir trois fois par semaine - You will go for a run thrice a week.
• Vous éviterez les aliments gras - You will avoid greasy food
In the text we have one example where the simple future has been used for giving advice:
• Vous ferez diligemment ce que je vous ai conseillé pendant deux semaines - For two
weeks, you will diligently do what I’ve advised you.
Devoir / pouvoir + infinitive:
We learnt about the verbs devoir and pouvoir in the fifth chapter. Devoir, which means
‘must’ or ‘have to’ and pouvoir, which means ‘to be able to’ or ‘can’, are used frequently for
giving advice. Both verbs are followed by a verb in the infinitive form. Since the verbs
pouvoir and devoir function like French ‘modal’ verbs, it’s the action of the second verb that
is given as the advice. For example:
• Vous devez manger plus de légumes - You must eat more vegetables.
Here, the advice is to eat more vegetables. The verb devoir functions only as a modal verb.
• Vous pouvez réduire votre consommation de sel - You can reduce your salt intake
Here, the advice is to reduce the salt intake. The verb pouvoir functions only as a modal verb.
In the text we have an example of these two cases:
• Vous devez vous coucher plus tôt - You must go to bed earlier.
• Vous pouvez le faire - You can do it!
Éviter + noun / Éviter de + infinitive:
Éviter means ‘to avoid’. So by itself this verb indicates an advice. Éviter can be followed by a
noun or the preposition de and a verb in the infinitive form. For example:
• Évitez les boissons alcoolisées - Avoid hard drinks.
Here, the verb eviter is followed by a noun.
• Évitez de boire les boissons alcoolisées - Avoid drinking hard drinks.
And here, the verb éviter is followed by de and verb boire in the infinitive form. The main
verb that indicates the advice is boire, not éviter.
In the text, we have an example of éviter being followed by a noun:
• Évitez, à tout prix, la caféine - Avoid coffee at all costs.
Il faut + noun / infinitive and Il vaut + noun / infinitive:
The verbs falloir and valoir are two impersonal verbs. An impersonal verb isn’t conjugated in
all the eight persons, like the regular verbs. Falloir means ‘to have to’, ‘to need to’ or ‘must’.
And valoir means ‘to be worth’. Valoir is generally followed by a verb, but it’s possible to
give an advice using valoir + noun, though it isn’t as common.
• Il faut bien se reposer - You must rest well.

• Il faut une alimentation plus saine - You need a healthier diet.
In the first sentence, falloir is followed by a verb, while in the second sentence, a noun
follows falloir.
• Il vaut mieux se reposer - It’s better to rest.

• Il vaut mieux une alimentation plus saine - It’s better to have a healthier diet.
In the first sentence, valoir is followed by a verb, while in the second sentence, a noun
follows valoir.
We have two examples in the text:
• Il vous faut un estomac léger pour bien dormir - You need a light stomach in order to
sleep well.
• Il vaut mieux dîner à 19h - It’s better to dine at 7pm.
Conseiller + noun / de + infinitive and Déconseiller + noun / de + infinitive:
The verb conseiller means ‘to advice’, while the verb déconseiller means ‘to advice against’.
Both verbs can be followed by a noun, or the preposition de and the verb in the infinitive
form. The structure for this type of advice is very straightforward: subject + COI + conseiller
+ noun / de + verb in infinitive form. For example:
• Je vous conseille des exercices plus rigoureux - I advise you more strenuous exercises
• Je te conseille d’exercer plus - I advise you to exercise more..
• Je vous déconseille des somnifères - I advise you against sleeping pills.
• Je te déconseille de fumer - I advise you against smoking.
In the text we have an example for each of them:
• Aujourd’hui, je vous conseille de vous mettre au lit à 22 heures - Today, I advise you
to go to bed at 10pm.
• Je vous conseille aussi une tisane de camomille - I also advise you to drink herbal tea.
• Je déconseille un repas copieux - I advise against a heavy dinner.
Mon conseil, c’est: infinitive:

And the final structure of advice is - Mon conseil, c’est: verb in infinitive form. In this
structure, the term c’est is the keyword. C’est is a small word, but it is used for highlighting a
part of the sentence. When one wishes to emphasize a word or a phrase, the word c’est can be
placed right before that term. In the structure Mon conseil, c’est:infinitive the verb that
follows is highlighted. Hence the speaker is emphasizing on what needs to be done, or
followed. For example:
• Mon conseil, c’est: se mettre au lit de bonne heure - My advice: to go to bed early.
• Mon conseil, c’est: ne pas regarder la télé avant de dormir - My advice: not to watch
T.V. before sleeping.
As you may have noticed, the word c’est is not translated into English. C’est literally means
‘it is’ and the term doesn’t have the same value in English as it does in French. In the text, we
have an example that uses this structure of advice:
• Mon conseil, c’est: adopter des bonnes habitudes - My advice: adopt good habits.
Before we proceed to the 3rd section, let me list out the various structures that can be used for
giving advice in French:
• Imperative
• Future tense
• Devoir + infinitive
• pouvoir + infinitive
• Éviter + noun / Éviter de + infinitive
• Il faut + noun / infinitive
• Il vaut + noun / infinitive
• Conseiller + noun / de + infinitive
• Déconseiller + noun / de + infinitive
• Mon conseil, c’est: infinitive
III. Revision
In this third section, we will revise what we learnt in today’s session on different structures of
giving advice. A short exercise has been provided below. Rewrite the advice using the
structure mentioned within the brackets.
1. Mettre un manteau avant de sortir de la maison. (Il faut + infinitive)

Il faut mettre un manteau avant de sortir de la maison. This sentence translates as:
‘You must wear a coat before leaving the house.’
2. Boucler la ceinture de sécurité dans la voiture (Conseiller + infinitive)
Je vous conseille de boucler la ceinture de sécurité dans la voiture. This sentence

translates as: ‘I advise you to buckle the seat belt when in the car.’
3. Ralentir la vitesse aux carrefours (Mon conseil, c’est: infinitive)
Mon conseil c’est: ralentir la vitesse aux carrefours. This sentence translates as: ‘My
advice is: Slow down at the crossroads.’
4. Parler au portable en conduisant (Déconseiller + infinitive)
Je vous déconseille de parler au portable en conduisant. This sentence translates as: ‘I

advise you against speaking on the phone while driving.’
5. Écouter la musique sur les baladeurs et le casque lorsque vous êtes sur la rue (Éviter +
infinitive)
Éviter d’écouter la musique sur les baladeurs et le casque lorsque vous êtes sur la rue.
This sentence translates as: ‘Avoid using headphones and earphones when in the road.
With this we come to the end of our second lesson. This lesson was divided into three
sections. In the first section I read out a French text which featured different structures of
giving advice. In the second section I explained the construction of these structures. And
finally in the third section, we revised today’s lesson by doing an exercise.
I hope you enjoyed today’s session. In the next lesson, we’ll learn about another type of
pronouns - the relative pronouns. I hope to see you in the next session. Thank you, and à
bientôt! See you soon!
Summary
In French, there are many structures of advice. Some of the most common ones are:
• Imperative
• Future tense
• Devoir + infinitive
• pouvoir + infinitive
• Éviter + noun / Éviter de + infinitive
• Il faut + noun / infinitive
• Il vaut + noun / infinitive
• Conseiller + noun / de + infinitive
• Déconseiller + noun / de + infinitive
• Mon conseil, c’est: infinitive
All the structures, a part from Éviter + noun / Éviter de + infinitive and Déconseiller + noun / de +
infinitive, which already indicate an advice against something, the rest of the structures can be used in the
affirmative as well as in the negative.
For further tips and exercises on this lesson, a separate section has been created. This will include a series of
frequently asked questions regarding the lesson, ten multiple-choice questions based on the lesson, some
assignments and a few reference books and website links. A glossary has also been included to help
remember the French words learnt in the lesson.
Reference

International
FAQ’s
1. Can the imperative be used to give advice?
The imperative is generally used for expressing an order. But when the imperative is
accommodated in a sentence, the tone of the command is soften. This therefore turns the
order into an advice. Consider the two following sentences.
• Bois de l’eau! - Drink water!

• Bois beaucoup de l’eau pendant la journée pour rester hydraté - Drink a lot of water
throughout the day to stay hydrated.
The first one is clearly an order. But the second sentence is an advice since the extra
information in the sentence softens the tone of the command.
2. Are there more such structures that can serve a dual purpose?
The future tense can also indicate a polite request or a less compelling command. For
example: Vous éviterez les aliments gras - You will avoid greasy food.
The verb pouvoir + infinitive is another structure that is often used for expressing an
advice: Vous pouvez réduire votre consommation de sel - You can reduce your salt
intake.
3. Can all these structures of advice be used in the negative form?
Except for the structures with éviter and déconseiller, all the other structures can be
used in the negative form. To use these structures in the negative form, the verb will be
placed between the negative word-pair. As for éviter and déconseiller, these two
structures already imply the negative.
4. If the imperative is not used in a sentence, can it still be an advice?
The imperative always indicates an order or a request. But if the imperative is used in
a sentence, the tone softens and the order is converted into an advice.
5. What is an impersonal verb?
The majority of verbs in French are personal. A personal verb means one that must be
conjugated for different grammatical persons (Je parle, tu parles, il parle, etc.). But
some verbs are used impersonally. This means that these verbs have only one
conjugation, the third person singular. This is usually the impersonal subject
pronoun il, meaning ‘it’.
Web-Links
• http://www.bonjourdefrance.com/exercices/16/parler-francais/conseiller-
B1/index.html
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/impersonal-verbs/
• https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-french-imperative-mood-1368858
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/imperative-mood/
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-verb-falloir-1368847
Cure for insomnia
Patient: Doctor, I have difficulty sleeping. I can’t fall asleep.
Doctor: What prevents you from sleeping? Any aches and pains?
Patient: No, I’m in good health.
Doctor: Stress maybe… are you stressed?
Patient: No, Doctor. It’s not stress.
Doctor: At what time do you go to bed.
Patient: Around two o’clock.
Doctor: But no! That’s too late. You must go to bed much earlier.
Patient: Since I don’t get sleep, I think instead of tossing and turning in bed, it’s better to
watch TV or read something till I feel sleepy.
Doctor: That’s a misconception. When you go to bed at two o’clock, do you fall asleep? …
No. Exactly. If you go to bed earlier, there are more chances that you’d fall asleep
Thus, you would get some hours of sleep. You aren’t convinced? Let’s do a small
experiment. Today, I suggest to you go to bed at 10pm. Draw the curtains to make
the room as dark as possible. Wear a mask if you need to block out the light
completely. The darkness and the silence will calm your nerves and relax your
body.
Patient: At 10pm, I have dinner.
Doctor: In order to sleep well, you need to go to bed with a light stomach. It’s better if you
have dinner at 7pm. I strongly advise you against a heavy dinner. If you are hungry,
have a glass of warm milk. I would also advise you to have camomile tea. Avoid
caffeine, at all cost.
Patient: Won’t you be prescribing any medicines?
Doctor: My advice is: practice good habits. If you follow my suggestions and you cure your
insomnia naturally, medicines won’t be necessary. Please follow diligently, for two
weeks, what I have recommended. In the beginning, it will be hard, but don’t be
disheartened.
Patient: Going to bed so early will definitely be difficult…but I’ll try. Thank you, Doctor, I’ll
come back after two weeks.
Doctor: You can do it! Don’t give up.

OBJECTIVE
This lesson on ‘Relative pronouns’ enables the learner to -
- Learn about clauses – main clause and subordinate clause;

- Identify an antecedent;
- Understand the different types of antecedents;
- Learn how to avoid repetition by using qui and que;
- Understand when the past participle agrees with the antecedent;
Glossary
Chapter 9 - Lesson 3 (Relative pronouns)
Les verbes - verbs
acheter – to buy aimer – to like
aller – to go appeler – to call
apporter – to bring apprécier – to appreciate
arroser – to water attraper – to catch
barrer – to steer chercher – to look for
choisir – to choose comprendre – to understand
compter – to count connaître – to know
construire – to construct croiser – to cross
dîner – to dine écrire – to write
établir - to establish faire – to do
guider – to guide habiter – to live
lire – to read manger – to eat
manquer – to miss nettoyer – to clean
parler – to speak offrir – to offer
organiser – to organise ouvrir – to open
passer – to spend préparer – to cook
raconter – to recount ramasser – to pick up
recevoir – to receive recommander – to recommend
régner – to reign rentrer – to return
rester – to remain revivre – to relive

s’amuser – to enjoy oneself s’appeler – to be called
s’ouvrir sur – to open onto se souvenir – to remember
se trouver – to be located situer – to be situated
sourire – to smile tomber – to fall
visiter – to visit vouloir – to want
Les noms – nouns
ami(e) – friend après-midi (m) – afternoon
arbre (m) – tree balade (f) – walk
balcon (m) – balcony bateau (m) – boa
bateau de pêche (m) – fishing boat calanque (f) – rocky inlet
chaleur (f) – warmth chemise (f) – shirt
ciel (m) – sky convivialité (f) – friendliness
enfant (m) – child étage (m) – floor/storey
été (m) – summer étoile (f) – star
famille (f) – family fenêtre (f) – window
fils (m) – son fleur (f) – flower
frère (m) – brother gens (m pl.) – people
grand-père (m) – grandfather heure (f) – o’clock / hour
histoire (f) – story hôtel (m) – hotel
journée (f) -day larme (f) – tear
lettre (f) – letter maison (f) – house
mal du pays (m) – homesickness mari (m) – husband
matin (m) – morning mer (f) – sea

midi (m) – noon monsieur (m) – Mr. / gentleman
parc (m) – park pays (m) – country
pêcheur (m) – fisherman plage (f) – beach
plante (f) – plant poème (m) – poem
poisson (m) – fish pomme (f) – apple
randonnée (f) – walk rue (f) – street
saison (f) – season soir (m) – evening
souvenir (m) – memory tristesse (f) – sadness
vélo (m) – bicycle vie (f) – life
ville (f) – city yeux (m.pl.) – eyes
beau / belle – beautiful célèbre – famous
chaud(e) – hot deux – two
faible – weak français(e) – French
froid(e) – cold / distant jeune – young
magnifique – magnificent meilleur(e) – best
natal(e) – native petit(e) – small
parisien/parisienne – of Paris / Parisian pittoresque – picturesque
sympathique – friendly tendre – fond
touristique – touristic troisième - third
avec – with aussi – also
beaucoup – a lot centre-ouest de – central west of

chaque – each chez – at (home)
combien – how much dans – in
derrière – behind durant – during
encore – still / more heureusement – luckily
mais – but lorsque – when
par terre – on the ground pendant – during
personne – nobody pour – for
près de – near sans doute – undoubtedly
soigneusement – with care souvent – often
tellement – so much tandis que – whereas
trop – too much un peu – a bit
vide - empty
Expressions
à vélo – by bicycle faible population – small population
tout le monde – everybody un peu trop – a bit too

SCRIPT
The previous session focused on the different structures that are used for advising someone.
In today’s class, we will learn about relative pronouns. This lesson has been divided into
three sections. In this first section, I will read out a French text where these pronouns occur
several times. Then in the next section, I will explain what these pronouns are and how to use
them. And finally in the third section, we will do an exercise to revise what we learnt in
today’s session.
I. French text on relative pronouns
We’ll begin the lesson with a French text. This text tells how Isabelle, who is studying in
Paris, misses her village and her family in Corsica.
Mal du pays
Le village natal d’Isabelle lui manque beaucoup. Ce petit village pittoresque qu’elle aime
tellement, est connu comme un des plus beaux villages français. C’est un village qui compte
une faible population. Située au centre-ouest de la Corse, ce village qui s’appelle Piana, est
célèbre pour ses magnifiques calanques. Isabelle se souvient combien elle s’amusait durant
l’été dans son village. Pendant la saison touristique, Isabelle offrait ses services à un club qui
organisait des randonnées et des visites guidées à vélo pour les touristes. L’après-midi,
lorsqu’il faisait un peu trop chaud pour des balades, elle passait la journée sur la plage avec
des amis. Ces tendres souvenirs qu’Isabelle revit lui apportent souvent des larmes aux yeux.
La famille d’Isabelle qui habite encore à Piana, lui manque aussi. Le père d’Isabelle, que tout
le monde appelle Capitaine, est un des meilleurs pêcheurs. Chaque matin, le père d’Isabelle
va à la mer avec deux bateaux de pêche. Il barre le bateau que son père a construit tandis que
Phil, son fils, barre le second bateau. Ils restent à la mer jusqu’à midi. Ensuite ils rentrent
chez eux avec les poissons qu’ils ont attrapés. La maman d’Isabelle nettoie les poissons et les
prépare pour le soir. A cinq heures, la famille d’Isabelle ouvre Chez nous, le restaurant
familial que la grand-mère d’Isabelle avait établi lorsqu’elle était jeune.
Isabelle veut rentrer chez elle. Elle n’aime pas sa vie parisienne. La ville est sans doute belle,
mais vide. Les gens qui la croisent dans la rue, sont froids. Personne ne fait attention
lorsqu’elle leur sourit. La chaleur et la convivialité qui règne à Piana n’existent pas chez les
Parisiens. Mais heureusement, elle a des amis sympathiques qui comprennent sa tristesse.
So, this was a short text where relative pronouns have been used many times. In the next
section, I will explain to you all about these pronouns.
II. The relative pronouns in French
Before we learn about relative pronouns, let me briefly explain to you what a clause is. A
clause is a basic sentence, which consists of at least one subject and a verb. The difference
between a clause and a sentence is that the latter can be composed of two or more clauses. In
other words, a sentence is a more complex structure, which can comprise two or more
clauses. These clauses are connected to each other through two types of words:
• Conjunctions, such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘however’, etc., and

• Relative pronouns.
There are different categories of clauses, but I will only explain what a main clause and a
subordinate clause are, because they are related to our lesson. A main clause is an
independent clause that can be used on its own. A subordinate clause, on the other hand, can
never be used independently because it always begins with a relative pronoun. It needs to be
attached to a main clause. So when a sentence has more than one verb, the different verbs
generally indicate a different clause. Now that we know what a main clause and a subordinate
clause are, let us begin our lesson on relative pronouns.
Relative pronouns are first and foremost pronouns. A pronoun, as we know, replaces a noun
previously mentioned, in order to avoid repetition. A relative pronoun however, is a slightly
complex pronoun. Apart from replacing a noun, which is known as the antecedent, relative
pronouns also introduce a clause that describes or explains the antecedent. By introducing a
clause, the relative pronoun is actually linking two clauses and making one single sentence.
The clause that is introduced by the relative pronoun is the subordinate clause. The
subordinate clause brings additional information to the main clause by describing the
antecedent.
In French, there are two main relative pronouns, qui and que, which are translated as ‘that’,
‘which’ or ‘who’ in English. Let me show you an example of how a relative pronoun can
unify two clauses into one sentence.
• Je vais au parc - I go to the park.
This is my main clause. Now if I wish to describe the park, for example indicate its location, I
could add a second clause.
• Les soirs je vais au parc. Le parc se trouve derrière ma maison - In the evenings I go
to the park. The park is situated behind my house.
Now we have two clauses, or two sentences. And we notice that the word parc is repeated. So
to avoid the repetition, we replace parc, with the relative pronoun qui. This replacement not
only avoids a repetition, but it also binds the two clauses into one sentence:
• Je vais au parc qui se trouve derrière ma maison - I go to the park that is situated
behind my house.
Upon replacing the antecedent with the relative pronoun, the two clauses automatically unify.
The full stop that separated the two clauses is removed so that the two clauses join into one
sentence. Although there is now one single sentence, the two clauses are distinct. Je vais au
parc is the main clause, while qui se trouve derrière ma maison is the subordinate clause.
Let me show you another example:
• Nous mangeons les pommes. Maman apporte les pommes – We are eating apples.
Mother brings the apples.
We notice the word les pommes is repeated. So to avoid the repetition, we replace les pommes
with the relative pronoun que. Replacing a word with the relative pronoun que requires a
change in the word order. So the new sentence is:
• Nous mangeons les pommes que Maman apporte – We are eating the apples that
mother brings.
Now that you have learnt the two forms and the function of the relative pronouns, let me
show you how to know which relative pronoun to use. Should you use qui or should you use
que? Both are relative pronouns, but they cannot be used interchangeably. The factor that
decides which relative pronoun is to be used is the grammatical role that the relative pronoun
plays in the subordinate clause.
Let me illustrate this with an example. To simply things, we will first divide the sentence into
clauses. Next we will identify which word or term needs to be replaced. Then finally,
depending on the role of the replaced term, we can decide which relative pronoun to use.
Let’s reconsider the previous example:
• Je vais au parc. Le parc se trouve derrière ma maison.
Next let us identify the term that needs to be replaced. We see that le parc is repeated in both
sentence. So this is the word that needs to be omitted and replaced with the relative pronoun.
Now we will focus on the 2nd clause to see what is the role of le parc in this clause. The
reason why we focus on this clause, and not the 1st clause is because a pronoun always
replaces a term that is repeated, not a term that is mentioned for the first time. So in the 2nd
clause le parc is the subject. When a relative pronoun replaces a word, it assumes the role of
that word. Le parc is the subject, hence the relative pronoun that replaces it, assumes the role
of the subject. So when the relative pronoun is a subject, qui must be used:
• Je vais au parc qui se trouve derrière ma maison.
In this sentence, Je vais au parc is considered the main clause, while qui se trouve derrière
ma maison is the subordinate clause. The relative pronoun qui is the subject of the
subordinate clause.
I’ll now give you a second example. But this time, we’ll not have two separate clauses, but
one single sentence. Identifying the grammatical role of the relative pronoun gets a bit
challenging when the clauses are combined. Let’s consider a sentence from the text:
• Isabelle a des amis sympathiques qui comprennent sa tristesse – Isabelle has kind
friends who understand her sadness.
It always helps to divide the sentence into clauses and then identify the role of the relative
pronoun. If we divide this sentence into two clauses, we have:
• Isabelle a des amis sympathiques.

• Les amis sympathiques comprennent sa tristesse.
Now we follow the same procedure as the above examples. Les amis sympathiques, which is
repeated in both clauses, will be replaced by the relative pronoun. Since les amis
sympathiques is the subject of the 2nd clause, qui is used to replace it.
Here are a few other examples from the text where the relative pronoun qui has been used:
• C’est un village qui compte une faible population – It’s a village that has a small
population.
• Ce village qui s’appelle Piana, est célèbre pour ses calanques – This village called
Piana, is famous for its rocky inlets.
• Isabelle offrait ses services à un club qui organisait des randonnées pour les touristes
– Isabelle volunteered at a club that organised treks for the tourists.
Now I’ll show you when to use que. Que is used when the word that is replaced is the object
of the subordinate clause. Let me illustrate with an example. We’ll again begin with the
clauses or two sentences:
• Nous mangeons les pommes. Maman apporte les pommes – We are eating apples.
Mother brings the apples.
The term that is repeated, and therefore needs to be replaced is les pommes. This term will be
replaced in the 2nd clause, not in the first one. The role of les pommes in the 2nd clause is that
of the object. Since the relative pronoun will be replacing an object, it assumes the role of the
object. When the relative pronoun is the object of the subordinate clause, we need to use que.
The new sentence will therefore be:
• Nous mangeons les pommes que maman apporte – We are eating the apples that
mother brings.
One important point regarding this replacement is the change in word order. Since the
subordinate clause, which begins with the relative pronoun, describes or explains the
antecedent, it will always be placed directly after the antecedent.
I’ll give you a second example. But this time, we’ll not have two separate clauses, but one
single sentence. Let’s consider a sentence from the text:
• Il barre le bateau que son père a construit – He steers the boat his father built.
Let’s begin by dividing the sentence into clauses and then identifying the role of the relative
pronoun. If we divide this sentence into two clauses, we have:
• Il barre le bateau – He steers the boat.

• Son père a construit le bateau – His father built the boat.
Now we follow the same procedure as the above example. Le bateau, which is repeated in
both clauses, will be replaced by the relative pronoun. Since le bateau is the object of the 2nd
clause, que is used to replace it.
We have two more examples of que in the text:
• La famille d’Isabelle ouvre le restaurant familial que la grand-mère d’Isabelle avait

établi lorsqu’elle était jeune – Isabelle’s family opens the family restaurant which her
grandmother had started when she was young.
• Le père d’Isabelle, que tout le monde appelle Capitaine, est un des meilleurs pêcheurs
– Isabelle’s father, whom everyone calls Captain, is one of the best fishermen.
The relative pronoun que becomes qu’ before a vowel. The elision does not occur with qui.
We have two examples in the text where que is written as qu’:
• Ce petit village pittoresque qu’elle aime tellement, est un des plus beaux villages
français – This little picturesque village qui she loves so much, is one of the most
beautiful French villages.
• Ces tendres souvenirs qu’Isabelle revit apportent souvent les larmes aux yeux.
One last point that I’ll make regarding the relative pronouns is the agreement of the past
participle with qui and que. Although the relative pronouns are invariable, they agree with the
gender and number of the antecedent. When the subordinate clause is in the compound past,
the past participle agrees with que since que functions as the direct object that precedes the
verb. If the verb of the subordinate clause uses the auxiliary être for the compound tenses, the
past participle will agree in number and gender with qui. Here’s an example from the text:
• Ils rentrent chez eux avec les poissons qu’ils ont attrapés – They returned home with
the fish they had caught
Que replaces les poissons, which is the direct object of the verb attraper. Since the object is
masculine plural, the past participle of the verb reflects the agreement.
Before we proceed to the third section, let me summarise the lesson on relative pronouns in
French: There are two main relative pronouns – que and qui. Que is used when the antecedent
is the object of the subordinate clause. Que changes to qu’ in front of a vowel. Qui is used
when the antecedent is the subject of the subordinate clause. In the compound tense, the past
participle of the verb will agree in number and gender with que since que functions as the
direct object that precedes the verb. If the verb of the subordinate clause uses the auxiliary
être for the compound tenses, the past participle will agree in number and gender with qui.
III. Revision
In this third section, we will revise what we learnt in today’s session on different structures of
giving advice. A short exercise has been provided below. Join the two clauses to make one
sentence using qui or que.
1. J’arrose les plantes. Les plantes sont au balcon.
In this sentence, les plantes is the subject of the 2nd clause. So we replace les plantes
with qui : J’arrose les plantes qui sont au balcon. This sentence translates as: ‘I’m
watering the plants that are in the balcony.’
2. Elle lit la lettre. Son mari lui a écrit la lettre.
In this sentence, la lettre is the direct object of the 2nd clause. So we replace la lettre
with que. Since la lettre is feminine singular, we add ‘-e’ to the past participle of écrire:
Elle lit la lettre que son mari lui a écrite. This sentence translates as: ‘She is reading the
letter her husband wrote to her.’
3. Les enfants ramassent les fleurs. Les fleurs sont par terre.
Les fleurs is the subject of the 2nd clause. So we replace les fleurs with qui: Les enfants
ramassent les fleurs qui sont par terre. This sentence translates as: ‘The children pick up
the flowers that are on the ground.’
4. J’ai acheté les chemises. Tu m’a recommandé les chemises.
Les chemises is the direct object of the 2nd clause. So we replace les chemises with que.
Since les chemises is feminine plural, we add ‘-es’ to the past participle of recommender:
J’ai acheté les chemises que tu m’a recommandées. This sentence translates as: I bought
the shirts you recommended.
5. Il regarde les étoiles. Les étoiles brillent dans le ciel.
Les étoiles is the subject of the 2nd clause. So we replace les étoiles with qui: Il regarde
les étoiles qui brillent dans le ciel. This sentence translates as: ‘He watches the stars that
shine in the sky.’
With this we come to the end of our third lesson. This lesson was divided into three sections.
In the first section I read out a French text where these pronouns occur several times. In the
second section I explained what these pronouns are and how to use them. And finally in the
third section, we revised today’s lesson by doing an exercise.
I hope you enjoyed today’s session. In the next lesson, we’ll learn about the structures used
for comparing two objects. I hope to see you in the next session. Thank you, and à bientôt!
See you soon!
Summary
Qui and que are two important relative pronouns in French. Relative pronouns are a complex
type of pronouns. They replace a noun, a proper noun or a nominal group known as the
antecedent. Apart from this, the relative pronoun also introduces the subordinate clause,
which describes or explains further the antecedent.
Relative pronouns are almost always placed immediately after the antecedent and always at
the head of the subordinate clause. Qui is used when the antecedent is the subject of the
subordinate clause while que is used when the antecedent is the object of the subordinate
clause. Que becomes qu’ when the following word begins with a vowel or a mute ‘H’.
For further tips and exercises on this lesson, a separate section has been created. This will
include a series of frequently asked questions regarding the lesson, ten multiple-choice
questions based on the lesson, some assignments and a few reference books and website
links. A glossary has also been included to help remember the French words learnt in the
lesson.
Reference

International
FAQ’s
1. What are some of the other relative pronouns?
Some of the other relative pronouns of the French language are:
- où which means ‘where’
- dont which means ‘of which’ or ‘that’
- lequel and its derivations (laquelle/ lesquels / lesquelles / auquel, etc.)
2. What is an antecedent?
In grammar, the antecedent is a noun, a proper noun or even a nominal group of the main
clause that precedes a relative pronoun. The antecedent and the relative pronoun are
closely related because the relative pronoun introduces the subordinate clause which
further explains or describes the antecedent.
3. Does the phenomenon of elision occur with qui?
The phenomenon of elision occurs only with the relative pronoun que, and never with qui.
4. Ils rentrent chez eux avec les poissons qu’ils ont attrapés. Why is the past participle in
the plural form in this sentence?
The verb attraper has the auxiliary avoir. So technically speaking, the past participle of
attraper is invariable. But since the object of this verb (poissons) is placed before the
verb, the past participle must agree with the gender and number of this word. As
poissons is a masculine plural noun, the past participle is in the masculine plural form.
5. When the subordinate clause is in the compound tense, does the past participle
agree with qui and que?
When the subordinate clause is in the compound tense, the past participle agrees only
with que. Since que functions as the direct object of the verb, it agrees with the gender
and number of the antecedent when placed before the verb. This agreement never occurs
with qui as this relative pronoun is the subject of the verb, and not the object. In the
following sentence, the past participle a organisé agrees with the antecedent les visites
guidées which is a feminine plural noun: J’adore les visites guidées que le club a
organisées.
Web-Links
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/relative-pronouns-que-qui/
• http://laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/pror1.html
• http://frenchyourway.com.au/how-to-use-qui-and-que-in-french
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-relative-pronouns-1368937
• https://frenchcrazy.com/2013/12/french-relative-pronouns-don't-qui-que-lequel-ou.html/
Homesickness
Isabelle misses her native village. This small picturesque village that she loves so much, is
said to be one of the most beautiful French villages. The village has a small population.
Situated in the central-west of Corsica, this village called Piana, is famous for its magnificent
rocky inlets. Isabelle remembers how much fun she used to have during the summers in her
village. During the tourist season, Isabelle used to work at a club that organised walks and
guided cycling tours for the tourists. In the afternoons, when it would be too hot for walks,
she used to spend the day at the beach with friends. These fond memories bring tears to
Isabelles’ eyes.
Isabelle misses her family, which still lives in Piana. Isabelle’s father, whom everyone calls
‘The Captain’, is one of the best fishermen. Every morning, he goes to the sea with two
fishing boats. He steers the boat his father had constructed, while his son, Phil, steers the
other boat. They fish till noon. Then they return with the fishes they have caught. Isabelle’s
mother cleans the fishes and prepares them for the evening. At five o’clock, Isabelle’s family
open Chez nous, the family restaurant started by her grandmother when she was young.
Isabelle wants to return home. She doesn’t like the Parisian life. Paris is no doubt a beautiful
city, but it’s empty. The people that she crosses on the road, are distant. Nobody reacts when
she smiles at them. The warmth and friendliness that people display in Piana does not exist in
Paris. But luckily, Isabelle has a few kind friends who understand her sadness.
Objective
Chapter 9 - Lesson 4 (Structures of comparison)
This lesson on ‘Structures of Comparison’ enables the learner to -
- Understand what the comparative is in French;

- Learn the structures of comparison;
- Understand what the superlative is in French;
- Learn the structures of superlative;
- Identify the irregular comparative and superlative forms of certain adjectives;
Glossary
Les verbes - verbs
acheter – to buy bavarder – to chat
chanter – to sing courir – to run
coûter – to cost croire – to believe
dessiner – to draw donner – to give
écrire – to write faire – to do
finir – to finish fréquenter – visit
mener – to lead to obtenir – to obtain
offrir – to offer parler – to speak
passer – to spend posséder – to possess
recevoir – to receive rêver – to dream
rouler – to drive stationner – to park
travailler – to work utiliser – to use
venir – to come vouloir – to want
Les noms – nouns
activité (f) – activity ami(e) - friend
animal (m) – animal année (f) - year
bureau (m) – office chambre (f) – bedroom
chemise (f) – shirt choix (m) – choice
devoir (m) – homework église (f) – church
emplacement (m) - location espace (m) – space

étudiant(e) – student faute (f) – error
fille (f) – girl fleur (f) – flower
foot (m) – football frère (m) – brother
garçon (m) – boy immeuble (m) – building
inconvénient (m) - inconvenience jeune (m) - youngster
joie (f) – joy liberté (f) – freedom
livre (m) – book logement (m) – accommodation
lumière (f) – light magasin (m) – shop
maison (f) – house mère (f ) – mother
périphérie (f) – outskirt pièce (f) - room
prix (m) – cost quartier (m) - neighbourhood
risque (f) – risk robe (f) – dress
route (f) – way / road rue (f) – street
ruelle (f) – alley salon (m) – hall
tante (f) - aunt temps (m) – time
terrain (m) – ground / field terrain de foot (m) – football ground
ville (f) – city voisinage (m) – neighbourhood
voiture (f) - car
aéré(e) – aerated ancien(ne) – old
belle / beau – beautiful blanc/blanche – white
bleu(e) – blue bon(ne) – good
certain(e) – some chanceux/chanceuse – lucky

cher/chère – expensive culturel(le) – cultural
dernier/dernière – last/previous déserté(e) – deserted
difficile – difficult éclairé(e) – lighted
étroit(e) – narrow fort(e) - strong
frais / fraîche – fresh grand(e) – big
grave – serious heureux/heureuse – happy
incommode – inconvenient indépendant(e) – independent
inoccupé(e) – unoccupied jeune – young
mal – bad méticuleux/méticuleuse - meticulous
nouveau/nouvelle – new petit(e) – small
principale – main seul(e) – only
soupe (f) – soup rapide – fast
résidentiel(le) – residential tranquille – quiet
vaste – vast vingt - twenty
autre – other avant – before
beaucoup – much / a lot bien – well
comme – like / as complètement – completely
dans – in derrière - behind
diligemment – diligently il y a – there is / are
loin de – far from mais – but
même si – even if mieux – better
moins – less parce que – because
plus – more propre – own

rapidement – rapidly rien – nothing
sans – without suffisamment – sufficiently
tel – such toujours – always
tout d’abord – first of all trop – too (much)
vite - fast
Expressions
aussi…que – as … as autant de … que – as many … as
bien sûr – of course en voiture – by car
en effet – in fact être fou de joie – to be ecstatic
le moins – the least le plus – the most
meilleur que – better than moins que – less than
rien de mieux que – nothing better than

SCRIPT
The previous session focused on the relative pronouns. In today’s class, we will learn about
the structures used for comparing objects. This lesson has been divided into three sections.
In this first section, I will read out a French text where these structures occur several times.
Then in the next section, I will explain what these structures are and how to use them. And
finally in the third section, we will do an exercise to revise what we learnt in today’s
session.
I. French text: Comparative structures
We’ll begin the lesson with a French text. This text describes Anaïs and Fabien’s new
house.
Une maison à nous
Anaïs et Fabien sont fous de joie. La nouvelle maison qu’ils viennent d’acheter est
beaucoup mieux que ce qu’ils rêvaient. Leur ancien logement n’était pas trop mal, mais
l’emplacement de l’appartement était incommode. L’appartement était à la périphérie de la
ville. Il donnait sur un vaste terrain inoccupé qui était toujours utilisé comme un terrain de
foot par les jeunes. L’appartement n’avait pas un parking suffisamment grand. Stationner la
voiture dans la rue n’était pas sans risque.
Le nouveau logement est sublime. Tout d’abord, c’est une maison indépendante. Même si
elle est aussi grande que leur ancien logement, rien de mieux que posséder sa propre
maison. Il y a autant de pièces qu’avant, mais il y a plus d’espace dans le salon parce que
les chambres sont plus petites. La ventilation est bonne car les pièces sont bien aérées. Il y
a plus de lumière et d’air frais dans la maison. Le voisinage est aussi meilleure qu’avant.
La maison se trouve dans une ruelle qui mène à l’église Notre-Dame du St. Cordon. Loin de
la route principale, ce quartier est plus tranquille que l’ancien quartier.
Anaïs et Fabien passent moins de temps sur la route car leur bureau est à vingt minutes en
voiture. Il y a plus d’activités culturelles et ils ont plus de liberté dans le choix des
restaurants et des magasins qu’ils veulent fréquenter. Bien sûr il y a certains inconvénients,
mais moins qu’avant. La maison est le seul immeuble résidentiel du quartier. Le soir, la
ruelle est complètement désertée. En ce qui concerne la maison elle-même, le petit jardin est
entouré de hautes murailles. Mais ces inconvénients ne sont pas trop graves. En effet, ce qui
compte le plus c’est que Anaïs et Fabien sont plus heureux qu’avant. Ils croient qu’ils sont
le couple le plus chanceux. Obtenir une maison pour un tel prix est une rare occasion.
So this was a short text that covers the structures used for comparing objects. In the next
section, I will explain to you all about these structures.
II. Structure of comparison in French
In French there are different structures for expressing the many nuances of comparison. In
French, it is through the comparative and the superlative that a comparison can be made.
Comparative, as the name suggests, compares two or more objects, while the superlative
expresses extremes.
Let’s begin with the comparative. When comparing two objects, there are three distinct
levels:
- superiority
- inferiority
- equality
Superiority: Superiority indicates something is more than something else. In French a

distinction is always made between comparing a quality (adjective and adverb) and a
quantity (noun). When comparing a quality, the following structure is used:
Plus + adjective / adverb (+ que)
• Anna est plus jeune que son frère – Ann is younger than her brother;
• Anna est plus rapide que son frère – Ann is quicker than her brother;
In the 1st sentence, an adjective has been used, while in the 2nd sentence, an adverb has been
used with the plus que structure to indicate a superiority of quality. In English, there are two
ways of expressing the superiority: For example with the adjective ‘beautiful’, we don’t say
‘beautifuler’, but ‘more beautiful’. The last component of the structure, i.e. que, is not
mandatory because one can make out from the context what is being compared to what.
In the text, we have a few examples of this comparison:

• Les chambres sont plus petites – the bedrooms are smaller
• Ce quartier est plus tranquille que l’ancien quartier – This neighbourhood is more
quiet than the older neighbourhood.
• Anaïs et Fabien sont plus heureux qu’avant – Anaïs and Fabien are happier than
before.
These examples indicate that the adjective will agree with the noun that is being described.
When comparing a quantity, the following structure is used:
Plus de + nom (+ que)
• Anna a plus de patience que sa sœur – Anna has more patience than her sister;
In the text, we have a few examples of this:
• Il y a plus d’espace dans le salon – There is more space in the hall ;

• Il y a plus de lumière et d’air frais dans la maison – There is more light and fresh air
in the house ;
• Il y a plus d’activités culturelles – There are more cultural activities ;
• Ils ont plus de liberté dans le choix des restaurants qu’ils veulent fréquenter – They
have more freedom in choosing the restaurants they want to visit.
Inferiority: Inferiority indicates something is less than something else. When comparing a
quality, the following structure is used:
Moins + adjective / adverb + que
• Anna est moins flexible que Thomas – Ann is less flexible than Thomas;
• Anna est moins fort que Thomas – Ann is less strong than Thomas;
used with the moins que structure to indicate an inferiority of quality.
In the text, we have an example of this comparison:
• Bien sûr il y a certains inconvénients, mais ils sont moins qu’avant – Naturally there
are inconveniences, but they are less than before;
Moins de + nom (+ de)
• Anna a moins de patience que moi – Ann has less patience than me;
In the text we have an example of this:
• Anaïs et Fabien passent moins de temps sur la route – Anaïs and Fabien spend less
time commuting to work.
Equality: Equality indicates something is equal to something else. When comparing a

quality, the following structure is used:
Aussi + adjective / adverb + que
• Anna est aussi belle que toi – Ann is as beautiful as you.

• Anna est aussi rapide que toi – Ann is as quick as you.
used with the aussi que structure to indicate an equality of quality.
In the text, we have an example of this comparison:
• Même si elle est aussi grande que leur ancien logement, rien de mieux que posséder
sa propre maison – Even if the house is as big as their former house, nothing is better
than possessing your own home.
Autant de + nom (+ de)
• Anna a autant d’amis que toi – Ann has as many friends than you.
• Il y a autant de pièces qu’avant – There are as many rooms as before.
Now let’s look at the superlative. The superlative does not compare two objects. It simply
states if one thing is the most or the least of all. Unlike the comparative, which had three
levels, the superlative has only two levels, the two extremes:
- Superior
- Inferior
Superiority: superiority indicates something is the ultimate superior. The structure used for
the superlative in this context is:
Le / la / les plus + adjective / adverb
• Thomas est le plus méticuleux – Thomas is the most meticulous.

• Anne est la plus méticuleuse – Ann is the most meticulous.
• Anne et sa sœur sont les plus rapides – Ann and her sister are the most quick.
• Ils croient qu’ils sont le couple le plus chanceux – They believe that they are the
luckiest couple.
Inferiority: Inferiority indicates something is the ultimate inferior. The structure used for the
superlative in this context is:
Le / la / les moins + adjective / adverb
• Thomas est le moins diligent – Thomas is the least diligent.

• Anne est la moins diligente – Ann is the least diligent.
• Anne et sa sœur sont les moins rapides – Ann and her sister are the least quick.
Before we proceed to the third section, let me summarize the lesson on the structures of
comparison: In French, it is through the comparative and the superlative that a comparison
can be made. When comparing two objects, there are three distinct levels: superiority,
inferiority and equality. The structures used for quality (adjectives and adverbs) and
quantity (noun) are different. Here’s a table that summarizes the structures:
Comparative Superlative
Adjective / adverb Noun
Superiority Plus que Plus de Le plus (de)
Inferiority Moins que Moins de Le moins (de)

Equality Aussi que Autant de -
III. Revision
In this third section, we will revise what we learnt in today’s session on comparative and
superlative structures. A short exercise has been provided below. Fill in the blank with the
structure as indicated within the brackets:-
1. Pierre est … intelligent … Claude (superiority)
Pierre est plus intelligent que Claude. This sentence translates as: ‘Peter is more
intelligent than Claude.’
2. Ce professeur est … stricte … M. Lamar (inferiority)
Ce professeur est moins strict que M. Lamar. This sentence translates as: ‘This
teacher is less strict than Mr. Lamar.’
3. Elles ont … livres … moi. (equality)
Elles ont autant de livres que moi. This sentence translates as: ‘They have as many
books as I have.’
4. Nous avons reçu … notes que toi (inferiority).
Nous avons reçu moins de notes que toi. This sentence translates as: ‘We have
received less marks than you.’
5. Je suis … forte … qu’elle.
Je suis aussi forte qu’elle. This sentence translates as: ‘I’m as strong as her.’
With this we come to the end of our third lesson. This lesson was divided into three
sections. In the first section I read out a French text where these structures occurred several
times. In the second section I explained what are these structures and how to use them. And
finally in the third section, we revised today’s lesson by doing an exercise.
I hope you enjoyed today’s session. In the next lesson, we’ll learn how to use the verb
servir. We’ll also revise interrogative and demonstrative articles. I hope to see you in the
next session. Thank you, and à bientôt! See you soon!
Summary
In French there are different structures for expressing the many nuances of comparison. A
comparison can be made through the comparative and the superlative. The comparative compares
two or more objects. The comparison occurs on three distinct levels:
- superiority
- inferiority
- equality
There is a difference between comparing a quality (adjective and adverb) and a quantity (noun).
That is why there are distinct structures for each level.
The superlative, which expresses extremes, does not compare any object. It simply states the highest
and lowest degree in quantity or quality of an object. The superlative has only two levels - the two
extremes.
For further tips and exercises on this lesson, a separate section has been created. This will include a
series of frequently asked questions regarding the lesson, ten multiple-choice questions based on the
lesson, some assignments and a few reference books and website links. A glossary has also been
included to help remember the French words learnt in the lesson.
Reference

International
FAQ’s
1. What are the three levels in comparative and superlative?
The comparative has three distinct levels:
- Superiority
- Inferiority
- Equality
The superlative has only two levels, the two extremes:
- Superior
- Inferior
2. When comparing two objects or two persons, do we use the same structure?
Two different structures are used depending on what is being compared. If a

comparison is being made between a quality, an adjective or an adverb will be
used. But if a comparison is being made between a quantity, a noun will be used.
For example:
• Cette pièce est plus éclairée que l’autre (This room is more lighted than the
other) or Cette pièce est plus éclairée (This room is more lighted).
• Cette pièce a plus de lumière que l’autre (This room has more light than the
other)
Cette pièce a plus de lumière (This room has more light)
In the first set of sentences, a comparison is made between the quality.
Therefore, an adjective is used in the structure. In the second set of sentence, a
comparison is made between the quantity of light, therefore a noun is used.
The two structures are:
- Plus + adjective / adverb (+ que)

- Plus + de + noun (+ que)
3. Can a verb be used with the comparative and superlative?
Yes, it can be used. The following table displays the structures used with a verb
Comparati Superlati
ve ve
Superior
Plus (que) Le plus
ity
Inferiori Moins Le
ty (que) moins
Autant
Equality -
(que)
Comparative:
• Il parle plus (que toi) – He speaks more / He speaks more than you.
• Il parle moins (que toi) – He speaks less / He speaks less than you.
• Il parle autant (que toi) – He speaks as much / He speaks as much as you.
Superlative:
• Il parle le plus – He speaks the most.

• Il parle le moins – He speaks the least.
4. In English, there are some irregular comparative and superlative forms

(good, better, best, etc.). Are there irregular forms in French as well?
Yes, the French language also has a few irregular comparative and superlative
forms. Here’s a table with one such irregular form: Good (bon) – Well (bien)
Adjective Adverb
meilleur/meilleure Mieux
Superiority
(que) (que)
moins
moins bon/bonne
Inferiority bien
Comparative (que)
(que)
aussi
aussi bon/bonne
Equality bien
(que)
(que)
le meilleur / la
le
Superiority meilleure / les
mieux
meilleur(s)
Superlative le moins bon / la
le
moins bonne / les
Inferiority moins
moins
bien
bons/bonnes
Comparative
• Adjective: Cette maison est bonne – This house is good.

o Cette maison est meilleure – This house is better.
o Cette maison est moins bonne – This house is worse.
o Cette maison est aussi bonne – This house is as good.
• Adverb: Elle chante bien – She sings well.
o Elle chante mieux – She sings better.
o Elle chante moins bien – She sings worse.
o Elle chante plus bien – she sings better
Superlative
• Adjective:
o Cette maison est la meilleure – This house is the best.
o Cette maison est la moins bonne – This house is the worst.
• Adverb:
o Elle chante le mieux – She sings the best.
o Elle chante le moins bien – She sings the worst.
5. What are some other irregular comparative and superlative forms?
Here are two more few irregular comparative and superlative forms.
• Mauvais – bad
• Petit - small
Web-Links
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-superlative-adverbs-1368958
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-comparative-and-superlative-adverbs-1368803
• https://www.talkinfrench.com/french-comparatives-and-superlatives/
• http://www.learnfrenchlanguageguide.com/learn-french-grammar/french-superlatives/
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/superlative-adverbs/
A house of our own
Anais and Fabien are ecstatic. The new house they’ve just bought is much better than they
had imagined. The previous residence wasn’t too bad, but the location of the apartment was
inconvenient. The apartment was at the outskirts of the city. It overlooked a huge empty
space that was always used as a football field by the youngsters. The apartment’s carpark
wasn’t big enough. And it was risky leaving the car parked outside on the road.
The new place is fantastic. Firstly, it is an independent house. Even though it isn’t as big as
the previous place, nothing is better than living in one’s own house. There are as many
rooms as before, but there is more space in the hall because the bedrooms are smaller. The
ventilation is good because the rooms are well-aired. There is more light and fresh air in the
house. The neighbourhood is also better than the previous one. The house is located in a
lane that leads to the church Notre-Dame du St. Cordon. Far from the main road, this
neighbourhood is quieter than their previous neighbourhood.
Anais and Fabien spend less time commuting to work since their office is a 20-minute drive
from home. Their new location offers much more cultural activities and a wider choice of
shops and restaurants to choose from. Of course, there are a few downsides as well, but less
than before. The house is the only residential building in the neighbourhood. In the evening,
the lane is completely deserted. As for the house itself, the small garden is surrounded by
high walls. But these aren’t major inconveniences. In fact, what matters the most is that
Anais and Fabien are happier than before. They feel they are the luckiest couple because it’s
very rare to come across a house at such an affordable price.
OBJECTIVE
This lesson on ‘Servir and Interrogative and Demonstrative Adjectives’ enables the learner to
- Understand the uses of the verb ‘servir’;

- Distinguish the different meanings of servir à and servir de;
- Review interrogative adjectives in French;
- Review demonstrative adjectives in French;
Glossary
Chapter 9 - Lesson 5 (Servir and interrogative and demonstrative adjectives)
Les verbes - verbs
accueillir – to greet acheter – to buy
admirer – to admire adorer – to love
aller – to go aplanir – to smoothen
apprendre – to learn assaisonner – to season
composer – to dial corriger – to correct
couper – to cut étudier – to study
faire – to do frapper – to hit
grandir – to grow habiter – to live
indiquer - to indicate introduire – to introduce
marcher – to work / walk ouvrir – to open
parler – to speak partir – to leave
permettre – to permit prendre – to take
regarder – to watch rentrer – to return
ressembler – to resemble s’ennuyer - to get bored
se déplacer – to move oneself / to shift se lever – to wake up
servir – to serve tailler – to carve
tracer – to trace travailler – to work
trouver - to find vendre – to sell
visiter – to visit vouloir – to want
Les noms – nouns

apprenti(e) – apprentice bois (m) – wood
boîte (f) – box cahier (m) – notebook
carnet (m) – diary chanson (f) – song
chapitre (m) – chapter choix (m) – choice
ciseau (m) – scissors ciseau à bois (m) – chisel
contour (m) – outline courbe (f) – curve
découpe (f) – cut devoir (m) – homework
église (f) – church employé (m) – employee
enfant (m) – child enveloppe (f) – envelope
étudiant(e) – student fauteuil (m) – armchair
fauteuil roulant (m) – wheelchair film (m) - film
fonction (f) – function grenier (m) – attic
heure (f) – o’clock/hour huile (f) – oil
jour (m) – day lame (f) – blade
langue (f) – language littérature (f) – literature
livre (m) – book maillet (m) – mallet
maison (f) – house marqueteur (m) – woodworker
marteau (m) – hammer menuiserie (f) – carpentry
menuisier (f) – carpenter modèle (m) – model
numéro (m) – number oiseau (m) – bird
outil (m) – tool outil à percussion (m) – striking tool
paire (f) – pair parents (m pl.) – parents
pays (m) – country peinture (f) - painting
pièce (f) – piece planche (f) – plank/board

professeur (m) – teacher quartier (m) – neighbourhood
rabot (m) – plane raison (f) – reason
robe (f) – dress scie (f) – saw
scie à chantourner (f) – fret-saw semaine (f) – week
serveur/serveuse – waiter/waitress stylo (m) – pen
tonton (m) – uncle travail (m) - work
ancien(ne) – old beau/belle – beautiful
blanc/blanche – white bleu(e) – blue
élaboré(e) – elaborated fin(e) – delicate
français(e) – French gros(se) – fat
italien(ne) - Italian japonais(e) – Japanese
jeune – young long/longue – long
même – same nocturne – nocturnal
parfumé(e) – scented petit(e) – small
préféré(e) – favourite rouge – red
serré(e) – tight vert(e) – green
vieux/vieille - old
aussi – also beaucoup – a lot
automatiquement – automatically comme – as
dans – in délicatement - delicately
et – and ici – here

il y a – there is/there are lorsque – when
mais – but par – by
plusieurs - many pour – for
près de - near seulement – only
sous – under sur – on
très – much / a lot
Expressions
c’est-à-dire – that means comme ça – like this
en voie d’extinction - endangered

SCRIPT
The previous session focused on the structures used for comparing objects. In today’s class,
we will learn about the verb servir. We will also revise interrogative and demonstrative
adjectives. This lesson has been divided into five sections. In this first section, I will read out
a French text where the verb servir occurs several times. The text also contains demonstrative
and interrogative adjectives. Then in the next three sections, I will explain each of the three
grammatical points. And finally in the fifth section, we will do an exercise to revise what we
learnt in today’s session.
I. French text on servir à / de, interrogative and possessive adjectives
We’ll begin the lesson with a French text. This text consists of a dialogue between a young
boy and his uncle, who is a carpenter. The young boy, who’s spending the afternoon at his
uncle’s workshop, is fascinated by his surroundings.
Le jeune apprenti
Pedro : Tonton, c’est quoi cet outil?
Tonton Roland : C’est un rabot. Il sert à aplanir la surface d’une planche.
Pedro : Et cette machine…qu’est-ce-qu’elle fait ?
Tonton Roland : C’est une scie à chantourner. Elle sert à faire des découpes très précises et
des courbes très serrées. La scie permet des travaux très fins et élaborés. Le marqueteur se
sert beaucoup de cette scie.
Pedro : Tu fais ce puzzle lorsque tu t’ennuies ?
Tonton Roland : Quel puzzle ? Ah…celui qui est sur la table ! Non, je me sers des pièces du
puzzle comme modèle. Je les place ici…comme ça, et je trace les contours des pièces.
Pedro : Il est bizarre ce marteau. Il est si gros et en bois…pour quelle raison ?
Tonton Roland : Ce n’est pas un marteau. C’est un maillet. Un maillet sert d’outils à
percussion. C’est-à-dire, on frappe le ciseau à bois avec un maillet pour tailler le bois.
Pedro : Je n’ai jamais vu un ciseau à bois.
Tonton Roland : Va regarder dans cette boîte-là. Il y en a plusieurs ciseaux à bois.
Pedro : Quelle boîte ?
Tonton Roland : Celle qui est sous la table.
Pedro : Il n’y a pas de ciseaux ici. Il y a seulement ces longues lames…
Tonton Roland : Ce sont des ciseaux à bois. Il ne ressemble pas à une paire de ciseaux. Mais
la fonction est la même. Les deux servent à couper.
Pedro : La menuiserie est très intéressante. Moi aussi je serai un menuisier, comme toi,
lorsque je grandis.
So this was a short text that covers three things – the verb servir, interrogative adjectives and
demonstrative adjectives. In the next section, I will explain to you all three in detail.
II. Servir
The verb servir is a 3rd group verb. Servir means ‘to serve’. This verb can be used in many
contexts. Here are a few examples of these situations:
• La serveuse sert le dessert – the waitress serves the dessert.

• En composant le numéro indiqué, le client est automatiquement accueilli et servi par un
employé dans la langue de son choix – By dialing the number indicated, the client is
automatically greeted and served by an employee in the language of his or her choice.
This verb can also be followed by two prepositions – à and de. The meaning is slightly
different when these prepositions are added.
Servir à and servir de:
Servir à and servir de both indicate the same thing, which is ‘to function as’ or ‘to serve as’.
Servir à is always followed by a verb in the infinitive form, while servir de is always
followed by a noun. For example:
• Ce chapitre sert à introduire la littérature française – This chapter introduces French

literature
• Ce chapitre sert d’introduction à la littérature française – This chapter provides an
introduction to French literature.
In the text we have a few examples where the verb servir is followed by à and de:
• Il sert à aplanir la surface d’une planche – It’s used for smoothening a board.
• Un maillet sert d’outils à percussion – A mallet functions as a striking tool.
• Les deux servent à couper – Both are used for cutting.
There is also a reflexive form of the verb – se servir de. This verb means ‘to make use of’.
For example
• La vieille dame se sert d’un fauteuil roulant pour se déplacer – The old woman uses a
wheelchair to get around.
In the text there is an example where the verb servir is followed by à and de:
• Le marqueteur se sert beaucoup de cette scie – The woodworker uses this saw a lot.
Before we proceed to the next section, let me summarize this section. Servir à and servir de
both mean ‘to function as’ or ‘to serve as’. Servir à is always followed by a verb in the
infinitive form, while servir de is always followed by a noun. The reflexive verb se servir de
also means ‘to use’ or ‘to make use of’.
III. Interrogative adjectives
In French, there is only one interrogative adjective and its three inflected forms: quel, quels,
quelle and quelles. The English -equivalent of these are ‘what’ and ‘which’. Interrogative
adjectives are determiners that are always placed before a noun. Since they modify the noun
they precede, the interrogative adjectives always agree with the number and gender of this
noun. Here is a table of the French interrogative adjectives:
Masculine Feminine
Singular quel quelle
Plural quels quelles
Here are a few examples that show how interrogative adjectives are used in a sentence:
• Tu rentres quel jour ? – On which day are you coming back?

• Quels chapitres tu étudies ? Which chapters are you studying?
• Quelle heure est-il ? What time is it?
• Quelles sont tes chansons préférées ? Which are your favourite songs.
In the text we have two instances where the interrogative adjective is used:
• Quel puzzle ? - Which puzzle ?

• Il est si gros et en bois…pour quelle raison ? - It’s so big and made of wood…why ?
IV. Demonstrative adjectives
A demonstrative adjective is a determiner that always precedes the noun it modifies. A

demonstrative adjective must therefore agree in gender and number with the modified noun.
In French, there are three demonstrative adjectives: ce, cette and ces. In English there are
however four: ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’. But unlike their English equivalents that
clearly indicate proximity and distance, the French demonstrative adjectives don’t. Generally,
it’s the context that helps the listener to distinguish what the speaker means. However, if one
wishes to emphasize the proximity or distance, the suffixes –ci (here) or –là (there) need to
be added to the modified noun.
Here’s a table that lists the different inflected forms of the French demonstrative adjectives.
The table includes cet, which is the inflected form of ce. Cet always precedes a masculine
noun that begins with a vowel or a mute H.
Masculine Feminine
Singular ce / cet cette
Plural Ces ces
Here are a few examples that show how demonstrative adjectives are used in a sentence:
Ce:
• Ce stylo ne marche pas – This / that pen doesn’t work.

• Ce stylo-ci marche très bien - This pen works very well.
• Ce stylo-là est bleu – That pen is blue.
In the text we have two instances where ce is used:
• Tu fais ce puzzle lorsque tu t’ennuies ? – Do you do this puzzle when you get bored ?
• Il est bizarre ce marteau – This is a strange-looking hammer.
Cet:
• Cet oiseau est bleu– This / that bird is blue.

• Cet oiseau-ci est nocture - This bird is nocturnal.
• Cet oiseau-là est en voie d’extinction – That bird is endangered.
In the text we have one instance where cet is used:
• Tonton, c’est quoi cet outil? – Uncle, what is this tool?
Cette:
• Cette maison est belle– This / that house is beautiful.

• Cette maison-ci est ancienne - This house is ancient.
• Cette maison-là est à vendre – That house is up for sale.
In the text we have two instances where cette is used:
• Et cette machine…qu’est-ce-qu’elle fait ? – And this machine…what does it do ?

• Va regarder dans cette boîte-là – Go see in that box.
Ces:
• Ces étudiants sont japonais– These students are Japanese.

• Ces étudiants-ci sont intelligents - These students are intelligent.
• Ces étudiants-là parlent bien français – Those students speak French well.
In the text we have one instance where ces is used:
• Il y a seulement ces longues lames… - There are only these long blades.
V. Revision
In this fifth section, we will revise what we learnt in today’s session on the verb servir,
interrogative adjectives and demonstrative adjectives. A short exercise has been provided
below. Fill in the blank with the right option:-
1. Le professeur sert … un stylo rouge pour corriger les cahiers.
a. à b. d’ c. de
Stylo is a noun, hence the preposition should be de. But since the next word begins with a
vowel, the right answer is B: Le professeur sert d’un stylo rouge pour corriger les cahiers.
This sentence translates as: ‘The teacher uses a red pen to correct the notebook.’
2. Cette huile délicatement parfumée sert … assaisonner les salades.
a. à b. de c. d’
Assaisonner is a verb, hence the preposition should be à. Hence, the right answer is A:
Cette huile délicatement parfumée sert à assaisonner les salades. This sentence translates
as: ‘This delicately flavoured oil is used for seasoning salads.’
3. J’ai trouvé … vieilles photos dans le grenier.
a. cet b. ce c. ces
Photos is a feminine plural noun. Hence the answer is C: J’ai trouvé ces vieilles photos
dans le grenier. This sentence translates as: ‘I have found these old photos in the attic.’
4. … petit carnet est pour noter les devoirs.
a. cette b. ce c. cet
Carnet is a masculine singular noun. Hence the answer is B: Ce petit carnet est pour noter
les devoirs. This sentence translates as: ‘This small notebook is for noting down the
homework.’
5. Elle préfère … robe blanche?
a. quelles b. quel c. quelle
Robe is a feminine singular noun. Hence the answer is C: Elle préfère cette robe blanche.
This sentence translates as: ‘She prefers this white dress.’
6. Tu prends … dessert?
a. quel b. quels c. quelle
Dessert is a masculine singular noun. Hence the answer is A: Tu prends quel dessert? This
sentence translates as: ‘Which dessert are you taking?’
With this we come to the end of our fifth lesson. This lesson was divided into five sections. In
the first section I read out a French text where the verb servir occurred several times. The text
also contained demonstrative and interrogative adjectives. In the next three sections I
explained each of the three grammatical points. And finally in the third section, we revised
today’s lesson by doing an exercise.
I hope you enjoyed today’s session. In the next lesson, we’ll begin the 10th chapter. In this
final chapter, we will review the first few lessons of this program. In the first lesson, we will
revise the alphabets, the numbers and the qualifying and possessive adjectives. I hope to see
you in the next session. Thank you, and à bientôt! See you soon!
SUMMARY
In French there are different structures for expressing the many nuances of comparison. A
comparison can be made through the comparative and the superlative. The comparative
compares two or more objects. The comparison occurs on three distinct levels:
- superiority
- inferiority
- equality
There is a difference between comparing a quality (adjective and adverb) and a quantity
(noun). That is why there are distinct structures for each level.
The superlative, which expresses extremes, does not compare any object. It simply states the
highest and lowest degree in quantity or quality of an object. The superlative has only two
levels - the two extremes.
For further tips and exercises on this lesson, a separate section has been created. This will
include a series of frequently asked questions regarding the lesson, ten multiple-choice
questions based on the lesson, some assignments and a few reference books and website
links. A glossary has also been included to help remember the French words learnt in the
lesson.
Reference

International
FAQ’s
1. What are the two prepositions that follow the verb servir ?
The two prepositions that follow the verb servir are à and de. Servir à and servir de both
indicate the same thing, which is ‘to function as’ or ‘to serve as’. Servir à is always
followed by a verb in the infinitive form, while servir de is always followed by a noun.
- Ce chapitre sert à introduire la littérature française – This chapter introduces French

literature.
- Ce chapitre sert d’introduction à la littérature française – This chapter provides an
introduction to French literature.
2. How many interrogative adjectives are there in French?
In French, there is only one interrogative adjective and its three inflected forms. Since
interrogative adjectives always agree with the number and gender of the noun they
modify, the four forms are:
- Masculine singular: quel

- Masculine plural: quels
- Feminine singular: quelle
- Feminine plural: quelles
3. What are some of the common questions that begin with the interrogative
adjective?
• Quel âge avez-vous? – What’s your age ?
• Quelle est votre nationalité? – What’s your nationality?
• Quelle est votre date de naissance? – What’s your date of birth?
• Quelle est votre numéro de portable? – What’s your mobile number?
• Quelle heure est-il? – What time is it?
• Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd’hui? – What day is it today?
4. How many demonstrative adjectives are there in French?
Demonstrative adjectives always agree with the number and gender of the noun they
modify. That is why, there are three inflected forms of ce:
- Masculine singular: ce / cet

- Feminine singular: cette
- Plural: ces
The masculine singular has two separate forms: cet always precedes a masculine noun
that begins with a vowel or a mute H.
5. Is there a distinction between ‘this’ and ‘that’ in French?
French demonstrative adjectives don’t indicate proximity and distance. Generally, it is the
context that helps the listener to distinguish what the speaker means. However, if one
wishes to emphasize the proximity or distance, the suffixes –ci (here) or –là (there) is
added to the modified noun.
Web-Links
• https://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/adejctives_demonstrative.htm
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/demonstrative-adjectives/
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-demonstrative-adjectives-1368790
• https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/interrogative-adjectives/
• https://www.thoughtco.com/french-interrogative-adjectives-1368795
The young apprentice
Pedro: Uncle, what is this tool?
Uncle Roland: It’s a plane. It’s used for smoothening the surface of a plank.
Pedro: And this machine…what does it do?
Uncle Roland: That’s a fretsaw. It is used for making fine cuts and tight curves. The saw is
used for all kinds of intricate and delicate work. The woodworker uses this tool a lot.
Pedro: Do you do this puzzle when you get bored?
Uncle Roland: What puzzle are you talking about? Ah…the one on the table! No, I’m just
using the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle as a model. I place them here…like this, and I outline
the border of the pieces.
Pedro: This hammer is so strange. Why is it so chunky and made of wood?
Uncle Roland: That’s not a hammer. That’s a mallet. A mallet serves as a striking tool. That
means, we strike the chisel to carve the wood.
Pedro: I’ve never seen a chisel before.
Uncle Roland: Go look in that box. There are many chisels there.
Pedro: Which box?
Uncle Roland: The one under the table.
Pedro: There aren’t any chisels here. There are only these long blades…
Uncle Roland: Those are chisels. They don’t resemble a pair of scissors. But the function is
the same. Both are used for cutting.
Pedro: Carpentry is so interesting. I too want to be a carpenter like you, when I grow up.

Week 9

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Week 9

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Week 9

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Objective

Chapter 9 - Lesson 1 (Temporal Expressions)

This lesson on ‘Temporal expressions’ enables the learner to -

- Distinguish between an adverb and a preposition;

Les verbes - verbs

aboyer – to bark aider – to help

ajouter – to add aller – to go

appeler – to call arranger – to arrange

bavarder – to chat commencer – to begin

connaître – to know demander – to ask

déranger – to disturb devoir - must

dire – to tell échanger – to exchange

entendre – to hear faire – to do

fermer – to close monter – to assemble

(né) naître – to be born nettoyer – to clean

neiger – to snow parler – to speak

partir – to go passer – to drop by / to happen

pêcher – to fish perdre – to lose

pleuvoir – to rain pouvoir – to be able to

rencontrer – to meet rentrer – to return

revoir – to see again s’asseoir – to sit

se casser – to break ones’ leg / bone se dépêcher – to hurry up

se lever – to get up se marier – to get married

sonner – to ring sortir – to go out

terminer – to complete venir – to come

verser – to pour vider – to empty

Les noms – nouns

ami(e) – friend an (m) – year

août (m) – August arrêt (m) – stop

bruit (m) – noise bureau (m) – office

carton (m) – carton box chambre (f) – bedroom

chapeau (m) – hat chose (f) – thing / object

cloche (f) – bell coiffeur / coiffeuse – hair-dresser

crémaillère – house-warming party déjeuner (m) – meal

école (f) - school élève (m) – student

étagère (f) - shelf faim (m) – hunger

farine (f) – flour femme (f) – wife

fenêtre (f) – window heure (f) – o’clock / hour

hôpital (m) – hospital invité(e) – guest

jour (m) – day lait (m) - milk

magasin (f) – shop / store maison (f) – house

mariage (m) – marriage mer (f) – sea

minuit (f) – midnight mois (m) – month

nuit (f) – night numéro (m) – number

placard (m) – cupboard personne (f) – person

porte (f) – door poulet (m) – chicken

repas (m) – meal salon (m) – hall

temps – time thé (m) – tea

travail (m) – work vacances (f pl.) - vacation

Les adjectives – adjectives

deux – two cinq – five

demi(e) – half dernier/dernière – last

indisponible – unavailable quatre – four

quinze – fifteen sept – seven

supplémentaire – extra trois – three

actuellement – currently après - after

après-demain – day after tomorrow au bord de – at the side of

autrement – otherwise bientôt - soon

chez – at (home) combien – how much / how many