14. Whenever the preposition to is used in English instead of of, the sign of the genitive case, it must be rendered in French by the preposition de, and not by à. Ex. The Duke of York, brother to the king (or the king's brother), le duc d' York, frère du roi.

RULES ON THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE.

1. This article, which is rendered in French by un for the masculine, and une for the feminine, must agree in gender with the substantive to which it is prefixed. Ex. Here is a book and a slate, voici Un livre et UNE ardoise.

2. When the English article a or an precedes a noun expressive of measure, weight, or number, it must be rendered into French by the definite article. Ex. A crown a bushel, un écu LE boisseau.

3. If it precede a noun expressive of time, it may be expressed by the definite article, or the preposition par. Ex. Five shillings a week, cinq chelins LA semaine, or par semaine.

4. The indefinite article, though used in English, must be omitted in French before a noun expressive of a title, dignity, office, trade, or of the native country of a person. Ex. Are you an Italian? êtes-vous Italien? He is a merchant, il est négociant.

5. If the noun expressing a title, dignity, &c. be qualified by an adjective or any other word, the indefinite article must be expressed in French, as well as in English. Ex. I am an unfortunate prince, je suis UN prince malheureux.

6. And if the noun, to which the English article a or an is prefixed, comes immediately after a verb which has for its nominative case the demonstrative pronoun ce or c', the indefinite article must be expressed in French, whether the substantive be qualified or not. Ex. He is an officer, c'est UN officier. She was an excellent princess, c'était UNE excellente princesse. That is a German, c'est un Allemand,

RULES ON THE PARTITIVE ARTICLE.

1. The partitive article is used in French whenever the word some or any is expressed or understood before the

substantive. Ex. Bread and water are sufficient for him, DU pain et DE L'eau lui suffisent. Give him some money, donnez-lui DE L'argent. Have you any wine? avez-vous DU vin?

2. But if an adjective precede the substantive, instead of the partitive article, we use de or d'. Ex. Bad wine, de mauvais vin. Excellent bread, d'excellent pain.

3. When the substantive is preceded by a word expressive of quantity, such as beaucoup, much or many; tant, so much or so many; peu, little; plus, more; trop, too much, too many; moins, less; &c., de or d is also used instead of the partitive article. Ex. He has many friends, il a BEAUCOUP d'amis.

The adverb bien, much or many, is the only exception to the above rule. Ex. He has much merit, il a BIEN DU

mérite.

4. When the expressions quelque chose, something; rien, nothing; que, what; sorte, kind; espèce, species, precede a substantive, the substantive takes the preposition de ord', and not the article. Ex. I do not like those kind of books, je n'aime pas cette sorte DE livres. What a noise you make! que DE bruit vous faites!

5. De or d' is also used before a substantive, instead of the partitive article, when the verb is used negatively. Ex. He has not any books, il n'a pas DE livres. Make no remarks, ne faites pas d'observations.

6. But if the substantive is used restrictively by the addition of an adjective, or any other word, it takes the partitive article, though the verb be used negatively. Ex. Make no useless remarks, ne faites pas DEs observations inutiles.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION,

ON THE ARTICLE.

How many sorts of articles are there in French?
What is the definite article? and decline it.

Decline the indefinite.

Decline the partitive.

When is the definite article used in French, though not in English?

What takes place with regard to the article when several substantives occur together?

Is the French article used before a noun expressive of relationship?

Is it used before those which express dignity, &c.?
Is it used after être, preceded by ce?

Is it placed in French before names of countries, &c.? When may the article be omitted before several nouns occurring together?

When is the English preposition to rendered by de?

What is the indefinite article?

When is the English indefinite rendered by the French definite article?

When is the indefinite article omitted in French, though expressed in English?

Define the partitive article.

When is it used in French?

When is it not used?

What effect have words expressive of quantity upon the partitive article?

Is the partitive article used after a negative verb?

EXERCISES ON THE ARTICLE.

I. EXERCISE

ON THE DEFINITE

ARTICLE.

See Rule 1, page 14.

The father.-The mother.-The sister.-The brother.

père

maître

From the master.-To the mistress. Of the boy.-The

maîtresse

house. -To the room. - From the garden.

chambre, f.

tante

jardin, m.

historien, m.

maison, f. -Of the child.-From the children.-The historians.

enfant, m.

The prudence. Of the amiability. From the study.

amabilité, f.

étude, f.

prudence, f. To the attention.-The king.-To the queen.-From the

attention, f.

roi, m.

reine, f.

prince, s. princesses.

princesse, s.

princes. The glory of the heroes.-The humanity of the

gloire, f.

The beauty of the spring.

-humanité, f.*

summers. From the cold of the winters.-To the army

héros, m.

The heat of the

beauté, f. printems, m.

chaleur, f.

I

estimable.estimable, adj.

hate idleness.-Virtue is Je, pro. hais, v. paresse, f. Vertu, f. est, v. Gold is preferable to silver. Do you

-

prefer

Or, m. préférable, adj. argent, m. a vous 2, pro. préférez1, v.

wisdom.. Do not

sagesse, f.

from

England to France? - Love Angleterre, f. France, f. Aimez, v. neglect study. She négligez, v. étude, f. Elle, pro. vient, v. speak of America, and not

ne1 pas3, adv. church.

église, f.

of Poland.

Pologne, f. to kings.

Nous, pro. parlons, v. Amérique, f. non pas, adv.
Grant
Accordez, v. nous, pro. paix, f. Honneur, m. dû, p. p.

-They

us

come

peace. Honour is due

roi, m.

from Africa. - Pride

Ils, pro. viennent, v.

Afrique, f. Orgueil, m.

disgraces dégrade, v.

homme. Charité, f. patiemment3, adv.

III. EXERCISE ON RULE 3, P. 14.

king.-Justice is the mistress and queen of Justice, f.

maîtresse, f. reine, f.

enfant, m. école, f. Promenez-vous, v.

the garden.-Tranquillity of soul is the height jardin, m. Tranquillité, f. âme, f. comble, m. to the gentlement.Messieurs, m.

felicity.- Give the tooth-picks

of

In the first exercises, the h mute will be indicated by a dash placed before it.

+ Gentleman is never to be rendered in French by gentil-homme, unless it means nobleman.

go to the park. allons, v. parc, m. C'est, v. volonté, f. fate of nations is governed

sort, m.

cleanliness is to propreté, f.

on the mountain.-We sur, p. montagne, f.

of the emperor.-The

empereur,

by Providence. You

nation, f. gouverné, p. p. par, p. Providence, f. play with the boys.Revenge is the pleasure of a jouez, v. avec, p. garçon. Vengeance, f. plaisir, m. de un weak mind. Italy is the garden of Europe. - The faible, adj. esprit1, m. Italie, f.

most noble of virtues is charity.-He plus, adv. noble, adj.

the Indies.

Europe, f.

comes from

Il, pro. vient, v.

Inde, f.

IV. EXERCISE ON RULES 4 AND 5, p. 14.
virtue to riches,

friendship to money,

Prefer Préférez, v. and utility to pleasure.-The father, mother, and children,

richesses, f. pl. amitié, f. argent, m.

utilité, f.

are dead.

sont morts, p. p.

enfant, m.

The men, women, and children, of the vil

lage, were all

père mère

femme, f.

at the burial.

lage, m. étaient tous, adj. à, p. enterrement, m.

and grey.-Peace and plenty

gris, m.

Wheat

make

I

abondance, f. rendent, v.

vil

like yellow aime, v. jaune, m.

men happy.heureux, adj.

and barley are dear.- -Bring the knives and Froment, m. orge, f. cher, adj. Apportez, V. couteau, m. Patience and perseverance are necessary.―The

fourchette, f. Patience, f. persévérance, f. nécessaire desire of glory, riches, power, and pleasure, is a disease

the table. (It is said) that America, France, and Spain,