apôtre était has lent it to an honest man.-The apostle Paul was a a2 prêté3 le1 holy man. My brother has bought a good watch.-Your acheté montre, f. Votre father was a brave general, and a well-bred man.-You était bien élevé have lost all your money.-Vile, creature, I have heard avez perdu votre créature, f. conversation, f. your wicked conversation. IV. EXERCISE ON RULES 5-10, p. 32, 33. entendu We have a just, wise, and bountiful king.-Mr. Nous avons juste sage Brown's daughter is with a sincere and generous lady.—I sincère généreux have a scholar of a solid, bright, and lively disposition.écolier, m. solide brillant vif esprit, m. Miss Preston is a young, handsome, and wellMademoiselle bien informed lady.-She has married a learned, virtuous, and instruit dame. Elle α épousé savant vertueux amiable man. That is my brother's only daughter.aimable C'est mon frère unique2 fille1 I like a French comedy, an English tragedy, and an J'aime Français comédie, f. Anglais tragédie, f. Italian opera.-Some persons like sweet wines, others Italien opéra, m. Quelques personnes aiment doux vins, d'autres prefer strong drink. He has many bound books.— préfèrent fort boisson. Il a beaucoup de reliélivre, m. They live in that white house. Ils demeurent dans cette blanc maison, f. V. EXERCISE ON ADJECTIVES EXPRESSIVE OF MEASURE. N.B. This Exercise must be written TWICE; first according to Rule 1, and then according to Rule 2, p. 33. I saw a tree eighteen feet J'ai vu un arbre, m. dix-huit pied, m. a box large. I have gros four inches thick, ten feet long, and une boîte, f. quatre pouce, m. épais dix pied, m. long ON THE DEGREES OF SIGNIFICATION. 37 six broad. I know a man seven feet high.-(It is) a large connais un haut. C'est un sept ditch nine feet six inches deep, and five feet broad. fossé, m. neuf six profond, cing (There is) a room fifty paces long, and chambre, f. cinquante pas, m. Voilà twenty broad.-The vingt feet three inches high, and two feet broad.—I have a tree trois sixty feet high, and eighteen round. soixante dix-huit gros, ON THE DEGREES OF SIGNIFICATION. Adjectives are suceptible of three degrees of signification: the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. The positive degree expresses the quality abstractedly, without conveying any idea of comparison, as to superiority or inferiority, of the same quality in another object; as, Un homme heureux, a happy man. The comparative degree implies that a comparison is made between two objects as to the same quality; and as the one may be equal, superior, or inferior to the other, there are three sorts of comparatives, viz. the comparative of equality, of inferiority, and of superiority. 1. The comparative of equality is expressed in French by placing aussi (as) before the adjective, and que (as) after Ex. it. Ma sœur est AUSSI grande QUE VOUS, my sister is as tall as you. 2. The comparative of superiority is expressed by placing plus (more) before the adjective, and que (than) after it. Ex. Il est PLUS sage QUE vous, he is wiser (or more wise) than you. 3. The comparative of inferiority is formed by placing moins (less) before the adjective, and que (than) after it. Ex. Il est MOINS fier QUE sa sœur, he is less proud than his sister. 4. Remember that the adverb aussi, plus, or moins, must be repeated before every adjective used in a sentence. Ex. Il est PLUS âgé et PLUS he is older and more clever than his cousin. 5. Three adjectives in French form their comparative degree in an irregular manner: they are, BON, good, which makes MEILLEUR, better; MAUVAIS, bad, which sometimes makes PIRE, worse; and PETIT, little, which sometimes makes MOINDRE, less. 6. But care must taken, when translating better, worse, and less into French, not to confound meilleur, pire, and moindre with mieux, pis, and moins. The difference between them is, that meilleur, pire, and moindre are adjectives, and can only qualify substantives; as, un MEILLEUR homme, a better man: while mieux, pis, and moins are adverbs; as, il écrit MIEUX que vous, he writes better than you. 7. The adjective is used in the superlative degree, to express a quality possessed in a very high, or in the highest possible degree; there are, therefore, two kinds of superlatives the superlative relative and the absolute. 8. The superlative relative, which serves to express a quality possessed in the highest possible degree, is expressed in French by placing the definite article before the comparative, thus: le plus sage, the wisest; le meilleur, the best; le pire, the worst; le moindre, the least. Adverbs, used comparatively, may also be made superlatives by prefixing the article: le plus, the most, &c. Ex. Voilà LE MEILLEUR des hommes, Votre sœur est LA PLUS heureuse des femmes, there is the best of men. your sister is the happiest of women. 9. The superlative absolute, which expresses a quality possessed in a very high degree, is expressed in French by placing très, fort, or bien, very, before the adjective. Ex. Cet homme est TRÈS-religieux et TRÈS-charitable, that man is very religious and very charitable. 10. Observe that the words which serve to express the superlative degree must, in French, be repeated before every adjective. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. ON THE DEGREES OF SIGNIFICATION IN ADJECTIVES. Of how many degrees of signification are adjectives susceptible? What is the use of the positive degree? What is the use of the comparative degree? What is the use of the superlative degree? How many sorts of comparatives are there ? How is the comparative of equality expressed How is the comparative of superiority expressed? How is the comparative of inferiority expressed? How often are the comparative adverbs repeated? What French adjectives form their comparatives in an irregular manner? What is the difference between meilleur and mieux, pire and pis, moindre and moins? How many superlative degrees are there? What is the use of each ? How is the superlative relative expressed in French? Should the adverbs in the superlative be repeated? EXERCISES ON THE DEGREES OF SIGNIFICATION OF ADJECTIVES. I. EXERCISE ON RULE 1, p. 37. Alexander was as ambitious as Cæsar.-I am as tall César. Je suis grand Alexandre était ambitieux as you. My father is as rich as yours. riche le vôtre. Miss D. Mademoiselle is as amiable as her cousin.-If my father were as rich sa cousine, f. Si, c.mon était as my uncle, he (would make) a better use ferait of his meilleur usage, m. ses oncle, riches. Your brothers are as esteemed as we.—I am as Vos rich as you, and as honest and civil as my companions.— compagnons, m, My cousin is as merry, lively, and amiable as his II. EXERCISE ON RULES 2, 3, and 4, p. 37, 38. Miss A. is handsomer and more learned than her beau et que, c. ses sisters.-Lucy is taller and more proud than her little orgueilleux · sa cousin.-Nothing is pleasanter to the mind than the Lucie Rien ne, adv. vérité, f. agréable esprit, m. light of truth.-Nothing is more lovely than virtue, lumière, f. aimable and nothing is more desirable than wisdom.-My daughter désirable sagesse, f. Ma is taller than your son by two inches.-Your brother is taller de pouce, m. than you (by the whole head).-In winter the roads En hiver, m. chemin, m. (will be) more attentive, industrious, and rich, than he. sera attentif, industrieux, lui Mrs. P. is less polite than her sister, and her sister is Madame not so revengeful as she.-You are less dutiful than your vindicatif elle brother.-Paris is less populous than London. To translate this adjective, handsomer, it must be changed into more handsome, and the same must be done with all others, the comparatives of which are formed by the addition of er or r in English. Ex. Happy, happier. |