Imperfect. étais-je, was I? étions-nous, were we ? étiez-vous, were you? étaient-ils, were they? Compound of the Imperfect. Avais-je été, had I been? avais-tu été, hadst thou been? avait-il été, had he been? avions-nous été, had we been? aviez-vous été, had you been? avaient-ils été, had they been? Preterite. Fus-je, was I? fus-tu, wast thou? fut-il, was he? fumes-nous, were we ? fûtes-vous, were you? furent-ils, were they? Compound of the Preterite. Eus-je été, had I been? eus-tu été, hadst thou been? eut-il été, had he been? eûmes-nous été, had we been? eûtes-vous été, had you been? eurent-ils été, had they been? Future. Serai-je, shall I be? seras-tu, wilt thou be? sera-t-il, will he be ? serons-nous, shall we be? serez-vous, will be? you seront-ils, will they be? Imperfect. N'étais-je pas, was I not? n'étais-tu pas, wast thou not? n'était-il pas, was he not? n'étions-nous pas, were we not? n'étiez-vous pas, were you not? n'étaient-ils pas, were they not? Compound of the Imperfect. N'avais-je pas été, had I not b.? n'avais-tu pas été, hadst thou n.b.? n'avait-il pas été, had he not b.? n'avions-nous pas été, had we n. b.? n'aviez-vous pas été, had you n. b.? n'avaient-ils pas été, had they &c. Preterite. Ne fus-je pas, was I not? ne fus-tu pas, wast thou not? ne fut-il pas, was he not? ne fûmes-nous pas, were we not? ne fûtes-vous pas, were you not? ne furent-ils pas, were they not? Compound of the Preterite. N'eus-je pas été, had I not been? n'eus-tu pas été, hadst thou n. b.? n'eut-il pas été, had he not been? n'eûmes-nous pas été, had we &c. n'eûtes-vous pas été, had you &c. n'eurent-ils pas été, had they &c. Future. Ne serai-je pas, shall I not be? ne seras-tu pas, wilt thou not be? ne sera-t-il pas, will he not be? ne serons-nous pas, shall we &c. shall ne serez-vous pas, you &c. ne seront-ils pas, shall they & RULES ON INTERROGATIVE VERBS. 1. When, in an interrogative sentence, a noun is the nominative to the verb, it is placed before it, and the pronoun il or ils, elle or elles (according to the gender and number of the noun), immediately follows the verb. Ex. Vos oncles sont-ils arrivés ? are your uncles arrived? Ses sœurs dîneront-elles avec will his sisters dine with us? nous ? 2. But if the sentence begins with que interrogative, the pronoun must not be expressed, and the noun should be placed after the verb. In sentences beginning with où, where, comment, how, combien, how much, the same order may also be followed. Que fait votre sœur? Combien coûte cet habit? what is your sister doing? how much does this coat cost? 3. If the third person singular of a verb, used interrogatively, end with a vowel, -t- is placed between the verb and the pronoun which follows it. Ex. Votre cousin a-t-il congé? has you cousin a holiday? PROMISCUOUS EXERCISES ON THE PRE CEDING RULES. Have I my books?—Am I not unhappy to have lost his malheureux de perdu friendship?-Has he no money?-Is my sister arrived ?— amitié, f. arrivé? Has not your father (a great deal) of love for you?— beaucoup Have not your parents sent you all the money (which you dont vous envoyé wanted)?-Have we not a garden?—Are we not very happy? aviez besoin? Have you a good gun ?-Are you dexterous?-Have not fusil! adroit? my brother and sister a beautiful coach?—Are not Paul and voiture, f. Thomas two pretty children?-Are your brothers arrived? joli -Are you not glad arrivés? (to him)?-Had you not a little dog?-Was not your paper lui? large enough? assez grand? Shall you have occasion for your dictionary?—Shall I not besoin de have the pleasure of seeing you to-morrow?-Were you de voir demain? not in the room?-Shall we not have leave?-Will they permission? salle, f. not be angry ?-Will you not have a better watch ?-If fâché? montre, f. Si France were as rich as England, would it not be the best était ce country in the world?-Will you not be ashamed?-Has honteux ? pays, m. de not your friend had bad weather?-Had not our admiral mauvais temps? better seamen than yours?-Has he not been victorious? victorieux? matelot, m. -Is not your hat too large ?—Is not your sister older than âgé trop grand? mine?-Shall not John have (a holiday) if he be diligent? Jean congé -Has not your cousin more money than you your wine very dear? ?-Was not OBSERVATIONS ON THE PECULIAR USE OF AVOIR. 1. When in English the verb to be immediately precedes an adjective expressive of hunger, thirst, cold, heat, or fear, it must be rendered in French by avoir, to have, and the adjective must be changed into its corresponding substantive. Ex. 2. The same change takes place with regard to the adjective old, when it is preceded by the adverb how, or followed by the substantive year. Ex. Quel âge avez-vous? Il a douze ans ; how old are you? EXERCISE. fille? an 6 How old is your daughter? She is eleven years old.-My Quel âge son will be eleven years old (in the) month of April.-I fils 6 au mois, m. Avril, m. was very hungry when I arrived.-Were you not very grand grand' thirsty?—He is not afraid.-You will soon be warm. quand je suis arrivé. peur, f. bientôt soif? chaud, m. Are you not cold?-How old are these two children ? froid, m. ces enfunt, m. The one is four years old, and the other is not yet three. encore -My sister was not more than ten years old when she died. quand mourut. plus de OF THE FOUR CONJUGATIONS. There are, according to most grammarians, four conjugations in French, which serve as models for conjugating all the regular verbs in the language. The conjugation to which a verb belongs may be ascertained by its termination in the present of the infinitive. Verbs are of the first conjugation, when, in the present infinitive, they end in ER, as parler, to speak; they are of the second conjugation, when they end in IR, as punir, to punish; of the third, when they end in oir, as recevoir, to receive; and of the fourth, when they end in RE, as vendre, to sell. |