9. Adjectives ending in x change x into se. Ex. painful, dolorous. happy. jealous, &c. sweet. FORMATION OF THE PLURAL OF ADJECTIVES. 11. The French adjectives form their plural by adding ans to the singular, as un grand homme, a great man; de grands hommes, great men. 12. Adjectives ending in French in s or x, are the same in the singular and in the plural. un homme gras, des hommes gras, des enfants heureux, Ex. a fat man. fat men. 13. Adjectives ending in au form their plural by the addition of an x; those ending in al change al into aux : as, beau, fine, beaux; nouveau, new, nouveaux ; général, general, généraux. 14. But most of the adjectives ending in al have no plural for the masculine, as, conjugal, conjugal; fatal, fatal; filial, filial; final, final; frugal, sober; jovial, jovial; pectoral, pectoral; nasal, nasal; natal, natal; naval, naval; total, total. RULES ON THE ADJECTIVE. 1. The adjective must agree in gender and number with the substantive which it qualifies, as, un bon dictionnaire et une bonne grammaire, a good dictionary and a good grammar. 2. If an adjective qualifies two or more substantives, it must be put in the plural; and if the substantives be of different genders, the adjective must be put in the masculine plural. Ex. Son père et sa mère sont morts, his father and mother are dead. OF THE PLACE OF ADJECTIVES. 3. In French the adjective is generally placed after the substantive; as, un cheval blanc, a white horse. 4. We place after the substantive all participles used as adjectives; as, 5. Also adjectives ending in esque, il, ic, ique, or ule. Ex. un style burlesque, 6. All adjectives expressive une chambre carrée, 7. All those which express un chapeau noir, a burlesque style. of shape on form; as, a square room. a black hat. a bitter liquor. 8. Those which express the names of nations; as, 10. When a substantive is qualified by two or more adjectives, these adjectives must all be placed after the substantive. Ex. Une femme bonne, aimable, et a good, amiable, and virtuous vertueuse; woman. ON ADJECTIVES EXPRESSIVE OF MEASURE. The idea of size, length, breadth, &c. is always expressed in English by an adjective; but in French it may be rendered either by a substantive or an adjective. 1. When a French adjective is used in such a case, it must be placed immediately after the substantive, and be followed by the preposition de. Ex. A table ten feet long and une table LONGUE DE dix pieds, eight broad; et LARGE DE huit; which may be rendered literally in English by,—A table LONG OF ten feet and BROAD OF eight. 2. But if the English adjective is expressed by a French substantive, the order of the words must be altered according to the following example: A table ten feet long and une table de dix pieds DE loneight broad; gueur, et de huit DE largeur ; which may be literally rendered in English by,-A table of TEN FEET OF LENGTH and OF EIGHT OF BREADTH. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. ON THE ADJECTIVE. What change does the adjective undergo in French? What if it qualifies two or more substantives? What if these substantives be of different genders ? What place does the adjective generally occupy in French? Name those which usually precede the substantive. What classes of adjectives are always placed after the substantive? Where are the adjectives placed when several qualify a substantive? How are English adjectives, expressive of measure, rendered in French? EXERCISES ON THE ADJECTIVE. I. EXERCISE ON RULE 1, P. 31. The tall man, the little woman, and the pretty chil petit joli grand dren, whom I met yesterday with their grandmother *, que je rencontrai hier, adv. leur allaient (were going) to London: they were all very hungry avaient GRAND' faim* and thirsty. The polite inhabitants of that fine city 2 habitant1 -- 2 3 cette manière1, f. treat all strangers (in a) civil and frank manner. traitent étranger, m. d'une Lean sheep grow fat in good pastures.-Con Maigre brebis, f. deviennent dans pâturages, m. stant study, joined to a great application, makes men étude, f. joint learned. The new savant. m'avez donné application, f. rend coat which you (gave me) is neuft habit, m. que better than the old great-coat which my father had meilleur que, c. bought at his tailor's.-We went yesterday to the high achetée chez son tailleur. allâmes hier court, where we found all the judges already assembled. déjà, adv. assemblé. *In the following instances the adjective grand loses the e in the feminine, and, instead of it, takes the apostrophe : + New must be translated by neuf, when applied to a thing which has not been used, or worn; and by nouveau, when speaking of a new fashion, of something new. The book, lent II. EXERCISE on rule 2, p. 32. paper, pencil, and penknife, which you papier, m. crayon, m. canif, m. me, are excellent.-The pen, ruler, avez prêtés2 me1 excellent que desk, règle, f. écritoire, f. and grammar, which my brother has bought, are very que mon good. The king, queen, prince, and princesses, were gone. The corn, wheat, rye, peas, sorti. princesse, étaient achetées, p. très, adv. seigle, m. and beans, in a fève, f. en on the ground were terre, f. furent (country-seat) château, m. word, all the grains which were frozen. My father's house and my uncle's are (very much) alike.-He studies with an incredible bien, adv. semblable. étudie application and courage. She left the courage, m. laissa room, and the closet open.-I found chambre, f. cabinet, m. ouvert. ai trouvé incroyable, adj. trunk, the coffre, m. the doors, porte, f. the windows and the shutters, shut.-We found the fenêtre, f. children, father, and mother, quite recovered. When tout-à-fait rétabli. Quand we arrived on the frontiers, we found the soldiers, arrivâmes sur frontière, f. trouvâmes the officers, and the general in chief, assembled, and en chef, m. assemblé officier (drawn up) in (battle array). rangé en bataille, f. III. EXERCISE ON RULES 3 AND 4, p. 32. I have seen a handsome lady, who (was speaking) to an old gentleman. He had a fine hat and a pretty sword. monsieur. Il avait épée, f. -Your little sister deserved a better fate.-I know a chapeau, m. Votre young man who has a good horse, méritait destin, m. connais but a bad stable.-He cheval, m. écurie, f. Il |