GES 108

Lesson 1: The French Alphabet

Let us start our French class with the French Alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X ,Y, Z.

French Phonetic As inLetter: Symbols: English:A a [a], [] [h]B b [b] [bay]C c [s], [k] [say]D d [d] [day]E e [ә], [e], [ɛ] [e], [o]F f [f] [f]G g [Ʒ], [g] [ӡay]H h ––, [’] [ash]I i [i], [j] [he]J j [Ʒ] [ʒee]K k [k] [kah]L l [l] [l]M m [m] [m]N n [n] [n]O o [o] [oh]P p [p] [pay]Q q [k] [queue]R r [ʀ], [r] [ʀ]S s [s], [z] [s]T t [t] [tay]U u [y] [ewe]V v [v] [vay]W w [w], [v] [dublәvay]X x [ks], [s], [z] [iks]Y y [i], [j] [igʀk]Z z [z] [zd]

1.3.2. Let us continue our French class by learning French words through the Alphabet. A Ananas (pineapple)B Bébé (baby)C Cahier (notebook)D Dindon (turkey)E Eléphant (elephant) F Fourchette (Fork)G Garçon (boy)H Hôtel (hotel)I Igname (yam)

J Jardin (garden)K Kangourou (Kangaroo)L Lion (lion)M Mangue (Mango)N Natte (mat)O Orange (orange)P Poulet (hen)Q Queue (tail)R Radio (radio)S Souris (rat) T Télévision (television)U Université (University)V Vache (cow)W Wagon (Wagon)X Xylophone (Xylophone), Y Yahourt (yoghurt)Z Zèbre (Zebra)

The French Vowel and Consonant SoundsVowels: Examples: Consonants: Examples:[i] il, ici, Paris, ami, vie, lyre [p] papa, appétit, potage, obstacle[e] été, bébé, préféré, jouer, louez [t] table, vite, natte, grandami

[] aigle, tête, crème, laisser-faire [k] képi, cou, avec, qui, ticket

[a] abbé, salade, patte, papa, [b] bon, bébé, robe, bateau, abbé

[] âge, pâte, chasse, cadre, gra s [d] date, dans, addition, début

[ᴐ] objet, nord, rhum, album [g] gare, bague, aggraver, aiguiser

[o] aube, mot, bravo, arôme, [f] feu, neuf, photo, téléphone

[u] où, tout, nous, bouche, goût [s] sel, façade, classe, science, dix

[y] une, nu, vêtu, bureau, public [ʃ] chat, chic, tâche, charme

[ ̃ø] peu, deux, jeûne, lieu, Dieu [v] vous, vase, rêver, wagon

[œ] il, heure, s u r, peur, beurre [z] zéro, zèbre, hasard, maison

[ә] je, me, ce, que, petit, faisons [ʒ] je, page, joujou, bijou

[l] lac, lent, avril, aller, sol

Nasals: Examples: [ʀ] rat, rue, rouge, arrivée, venir

[ɛ̃] vin, plein, train, faim [m] mon, main, maman, imminent

[ɑ̃] an, France, ample, encore [n] nous, nature, tonne, ananas

[ᴐ̃] oncle, bon, long, ombre [ɲ] signe, oignon, montagne

[œ̃] un, brun, parfum, lundi [ŋ] camping, meeting, parking.

Semi-Consonants: Examples:

[j] bien, papier, paille, soleil, yaourt

[w] weekend, oui, ouest, douane

[ɥ] huit, lui, puits, huître, linguiste.

AccentsIn French, the accent is a sign on a vowel, and it gives precision to the pronunciation or differentiates homonyms. Given below are the accents in French with their phonetic transcriptions: English French Pronunciation

é (acute accent) = l’accent aigu(ë) [lakstgy] Exemple: été [ete]; répété [ʀepete]. è (grave accent) = l’accent grave [laksɑ̃ gʀav] Ex.:très [tʀ]; pères [pʀ].

^ (circumflex accent) = l’accent circonflexe [laksɑ̃siʀkᴐ̃flɛks] Ex.:tête [tɛt]. ï, ë (di(a)eresis) = le tréma [lә tʀema] Ex.:Moïse [moiz]; aiguë [egy].

(cedilla) = la cédille [la sedij] Ex.: leçon [lәsᴐ̃]; français [fʀɑ̃s].

Punctuation MarksThe Punctuation Marks in French and their phonetic transcriptions are as follows:

(English) French Pronunciation, Comma la virgule [la viʀgyl]. Full Stop or Period le point [lә pwɛ̃]: Colon les deux points [le dø pwɛ̃ / l dø pwɛ̃]; Semicolon le point-virgule [lә pwɛ̃ viʀgyl] Suspension Mark les points de suspension [le pwɛ̃ dәsyspɑ̃sjᴐ̃]? Question Mark le point d’interrogation [lә pwɛ̃ dɛ̃teʀᴐgasjᴐ̃]! Exclamation Mark le point d’exclamation [lә pwɛ̃ dɛksklamasjᴐ̃]( ) Parentheses or Brackets les parenthèses [le paʀɑ̃tɛz]<<…>>Quotation Marks les guillemets [le gijmɛ]’ Apostrophe l’apostrophe [lapᴐstʀᴐf]– Hyphen le trait d’union [lә tʀɛdynjᴐ̃]–– Dash le tiret [lә tiʀɛ] (‘go to the next line’/‘next paragraph’) à la ligne [a la liɲ] (‘inverted comma begins’/‘I quote’ ) Ouvrez les guillemets! <<… [uvʀe lɛ gijmɛ](‘inverted comma closes’/‘end of quote’) Fermez les guillemets!… »[fɛʀmelɛgijmɛ]

Lesson 2 : GreetingsGreetings in French:Bonjour. Good morning/Good day.Bon après-midi. Good afternoon.Bonsoir. Good evening.Bonne nuit. Good night.Félicitations ! Congratulations!Bon anniversaire/Joyeux anniversaire/Heureux anniversaire. Happy birthday.Bonne année/Heureuse année. Happy New Year.Comment allez-vous? How are you? (Formal)Comment vas-tu? How are you? (Informal)Très bien, merci. Fine, thank you.Au revoir. Good bye.

How do you congratulate someone in French?Félicitations! (Congratulations!)

For birthday, you can say: Joyeux anniversaire /Bon anniversaire. (Happy birthday.)

To the bereaved: Mes condoléances. (My condolences.)Désolé. (Sorry.)

Saying "thank you" in French:A: Merci beaucoup (Thanks a lot). B: Pas de quoi (Don’t mention). A: Merci (Thank you).B: Je vous en prie (You are welcome). A: Merci (Thank you). B: C’est gratuit (It’s free).

Se PrésenterA: Comment tu t'appelles (What is your name)? B: Je m'appelle Sola (My name is Sola). Et toi(What about you)? A: Moi, je m'appelle Ade (Me, My name is Ade). B: Quel âge avez-vous? How old are you? A: J'ai dix ans. Et toi? I am 10 years old. What about you?B: Moi, j'ai huit ans. Me, I am 8 years old.A: Quel âge a ton père ? How old is your father?B. Mon père a quarante ans My father is 40 years old.

Asking question by Qu’est-ce que c’est? ”Où” and the use of “C’est”Learn to ask questions in French:Q: Qu'est-ce que c'est ? What is this? A: C'est un livre. It is a textbook.

C'est une gomme. It is erazerC'est une règle. It is a ruler

Another simple way of asking questions in French is:Question: "C'est qui ? Who is it?" Answer: C'est Sola. It is Sola.

C'est le professeur. It is the teacher. C'est le pasteur. It is the pastor

It is easy to point at the location (near or far) of an object or person in French. Use ‘Voici’ ‘Here is’ for what is closer and “Voilà” “That is” for what is far.

Let us use ‘Voici’:Q: Où est la craie ? (Where is the chalk?)A: Voici la craie. (Here is the chalk.)Q: Où se trouve la chemise ? (Where is the shirt?)A: Voici la chemise. (Here is the shirt.)

Now to ‘Voilà’:E.g. Voilà la fille. (That is the girl.)

Voilà le Président. (That is the President)Voilà la bibliothèque. (That is the library.)Voilà la librairie (That is the bookshop.)

Class Activity:Q: Où est la banque ? (Where is the bank?)A: Voilà la banque. (That is the bank.) Q: Où est l'ordinateur ? (Where is the computer?)A: Voilà l'ordinateur. (That is the computer.)

Use of C’est (It is or This is):When we are referring to a particular object, we must say “il est” or “elle est” depending on the gender of the noun concerned, e.g.

Où est ta montre? – (Where is your wristwatch?) Elle est dans la chambre. – It is in the room.)Comment est ton livre? – Il est très petit.(How is your book?) – (It is very small.)

Generally, we use c’est when we are saying who a person is or what a thing is:

Qui est-ce? – (Who is it?)

C’est moi. – (It is me.)Qu’est-ce que c’est? – (What is that?)C’est une table. – (It is a table.)

N’est-ce pas? (Isn’t it?)This is the question tag that is always used in French and it is invariable. For instance, all question tags in French is the same “n’est-ce pas?” E.g.

Tu es fatigué, n’est-ce pas? (You are tired, aren’t you?)Tu n’es pas fatigué, n’est-ce pas? (You are not tired, are you?)Elle est là, n’est-ce pas? (She is there, isn’t she?)Ils sont travailleurs, n’est-ce pas? (They are hard-working, aren’t they?)Je suis professeur, n’est-ce pas? (I am a teacher, aren’t I?)Nous avons faim, n’est-ce pas? (We are hungry, aren’t we?)Ils viennent demain, n’est-ce pas? (They are coming tomorrow, aren’t they?)Vous avez peur des chiens, n’est-ce pas? (You are afraid of dogs, aren’t you?)Nous ne sommes pas fâchés, n’est-ce pas? (We are not angry, are we?)Cela n’est pas mauvais, n’est-ce pas? (That is not bad, is it?)Je ne mens pas, n’est-ce pas? (I am not telling a lie, am I?)Elle n’est pas là, n’est-ce pas? (She is not there, is she?)Vous n’êtes pas paresseux, n’est-ce pas? (You are not lazy, are you?)

Les jours de la semaine (Days of the Week):Lundi MondayMardi TuesdayMercredi WednesdayJeudi ThursdayVendredi FridaySamedi SaturdayDimanche Sunday

Les mois de l’année (Months of the Year):Janvier JanuaryFévrier FebruaryMars MarchAvril AprilMai MayJuin JuneJuillet JulyAoût AugustSeptembre SeptemberOctobre OctoberNovembre NovemberDécembre December

Les CouleursPopular Colours in French:These are popular colours in French: white blancblack noiryellow jaunered rougepurple pourpreblue bleugreen vert.

Let us learn the feminine of these colours:Masculin Fémininblanc blanchenoir noirejaune jaune vert vertebleu bleue

Dialogue 1 :A: Ma chemise est verte. My shirt is green.B: La mienne est blanche. Mine is white.A: Mon stylo est noir. My pen is black.B: Le mien est rouge. Mine is red.

Objects:Do you know how these class objects are called in French? Pen le bicPencil le crayonTable la tableChair la chaiseChalk la craieTelevision la télévisionAir-conditioning le climatiseurFan le ventilateurTextbooks les livresExercise books les cahiersBlackboard le tableau noirMarker la feutre

In the class:A: Qu'est-ce que c'est? What is that?B: C'est un ventilateur. It is a fan.

C'est une télévision. It is a television.Ce sont des stylos. These are pens.

C'est un tableau noir. It is a blackboard.

A la maison (At home):A: Qu'est-ce que c'est? What is this?B: C'est une armoire. It is a wardrobe.

C'est une ampoule. It is a bulb.Ce sont des chaussures. These are shoes.

In the city (Dans la ville):A: Qu'est-ce que c'est? What is it ?B: C'est un poteau électrique. It is an electric pole.

C'est un embouteillage. It is a traffic jam.C'est un gratte-ciel. It is a skyscraper.

On campus:A: Qu'est-ce que c'est? What is this?B: C'est un bureau. It is an office.

C'est un laboratoire. It is a laboratory.C'est la faculté. It is the Faculty.Ce sont les salles de classe. They are classrooms.

The Monuments in FranceAre you familiar with these monuments in France?

La Tour Eiffel Eiffel Tour L'Arc de Triomphe Triumphal ArkL'Arc de la Défense Defence bow

Learn about mountains in France:Les Pyrénées The PyreneesMont Blanc Mont Blanc Les Alpes The Alps.

Do you know that these are rivers in France?La SeineLa RhôneLa GaronneLa Loire La Dordogne La Gironde Le Rhin, and La Saône

French people travel in the following:L'autobus BusL'avion AeroplaneLa voiture Car

Le train TrainL'hélicoptère Helicopter

The Seasons Expressed in French:Le printemps = springL’été = summerL’automne = fallL’hiver = winter

Prepositions used with Seasons:À + le printemps = au printemps = in springEn + été = en été = in summerEn + automne = en automne = in fallEn + hiver = en hiver = in winter

La Date (Date):To express dates in French, the following expressions are used:Q : Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd’hui? What day is it today?A : Nous sommes Lundi le 1er décembre 2014. Today is Monday, 1st December

2014.Q : Quel jour est-ce aujourd’hui? What day is it today?A : C’est aujourd’hui le mercredi 3 décembre. Today is Wednesday, December 3.

C’est aujourd’hui le jeudi quatre avril deux mille quatorze. Today is Friday, April 4, 2014.

Other forms of writing the date in French are:Le 20 août 2012. = August 20, 2012.Le vendredi 10 janvier 1998 = Friday, January 10, 1998.

Other expressions for talking about dates:Au mois de janvier = in the month of JanuaryEn février = in FebruaryLe premier juillet = July 1, or the first of JulyLe quatre septembre = September 4 or 4thof September.

Lesson 3Definite and Indefinite ArticleThere are three kinds of articles in French. These are: the definite, the indefinite, and the partitive.

The definite articleThe definite article in English is ‘the’ which in French is ‘le’ before a masculine singular noun and ‘la’ before a feminine singular noun. The plural of these two words is ‘les’ which is used for both genders. However, before masculine and feminine singular nouns beginning with a vowel or a mute ‘h’, both ‘le’ and ‘la’ are shortened to l’. Consider the following examples:

Masculine Feminine Contracted Form Plural

Le la l’ les (the)

le livre (the book) les livres (the books)la gomme (the eraser) les gommes (the erasers)l’arbre (the tree) les arbres (the trees)l’hameçon (the fish-hook) les hameçons (the hooks)l’habitude (the habit) les habitudes (the habits)

The definite articles ‘le’, ‘la’, and ‘les’ combine with ‘à’ (to, in or at) in the following ways:à + le = au (to the, at the, in the)à + la = à la (to the, at the, in the)à + l’ = à l’ (to the, at the, in the)à + les = aux (to the, at the, in the)

Examples: Je vais au marché. (I am going to the market.)

Je parle au garçon. (I am talking to the boy.)Ils sont au jardin. (They are in the garden.)

Je parle à la fille. (I am speaking to the girl.)Nous allons à la rivière. (We are going to the river.)Est-elle à la maison? (Is she in the house?)

Je parle à l’enfant. (I am talking to the child.)Je parle à l’homme. (I am speaking to the man.)Il a couché à l’hôtel. (He spent the night at a hotel.)

Je parle aux enfants. (I am talking to the children.)Tu parles aux garçons. (You are speaking to the boys.)Elle va aux Etats-Unis. (She is going to the United States.)Nous parlons aux filles. (We are talking to the girls.)Je parle aux hommes. (I am talking to the men.)

In like manner, the definite article combines with ‘de’ (of or from) as follows:de + le = du (of the, from the) de + la = de la (of the, from the)de + l’ = de l’ (of the, from the)de + les = des (of the, from the)

Examples:Le livre du garçon (The book of the boy / The boy’s book)Le livre de la femme (The book of the woman / The woman’s book)Le livre de l’homme (The book of the man / The man’s book)Le livre des garçons (The book of the boys / The boys’ book)Nous arrivons du Togo. (We are coming from Togo.)

Elles viennent du Nigéria. (They are coming from Nigeria.) Le Nigéria est un grand pays de l’Afrique. (Nigeria is a great country of Africa.)

It should be noted here that the article ‘le’, ‘la’, or ‘les’ always precedes the names of countries, continents, mountains, rivers, and lakes, e.g.

le Nigéria (Nigeria), le Ghana (Ghana), l’Algérie (Algeria), la Guinée (Guinea),

l’Asie (Asia) la France (France),

le Nil (the Nile), ` le lac Tchad (Lake Chad),

le Togo (Togo), le Cameroun (Cameroon),la Gambie (Gambia), l’Afrique (Africa),l’Europe (Europe), les Etats-Unis (the United States),le Niger (the Niger), le Kilimandjaro (Mount Kilimanjaro), etc.

The following question may now be asked: ‘How do we know the gender of the names of countries?’ In answering this very important question, it suffices to say that apart from a very few exceptions, the names of countries that end in ‘e’ are feminine in gender, while those ending in any other letter of the alphabet are masculine. For instance, the following are feminine in gender:

la Gambie (the Gambia), la Sierra-Léone (Sierra Leone), l’Angleterre (England), l’Amérique (America), l’Allemagne (Germany), l’Italie (Italy), l’Espagne (Spain) etc.

Note the following points:

(i) ‘In’ and ‘to’ is ‘en’ if the name of the country is feminine, and ‘au’ if it is masculine.(ii) ‘From’ is ‘de’ or d’ if the name is feminine, and ‘du’ if it is masculine. (iii)‘Of ’ is ‘de la’ with feminine names, and ‘du’ with masculine names. (iv) ‘To’, ‘at’ or ‘in’ with names of towns is ‘à’; ‘from’ is ‘de’. E.g.

Je vais en France. (I am going to France.)Ils vont en Allemagne. (They go to Germany.)Elle va en Gambie. (She is going to the Gambia.)

Je vais au Togo. (I am going to Togo.)Ils vont au Cameroun. (They go to Cameroon.)Elle va au Canada. (She is going to Canada.)

Il revient d’Amérique. (He is coming back from America.)Elles sont revenues du Canada. (They came back from Canada.)Cela vient de France. (That comes from France.)

Ils vont à Lagos. (They are going to Lagos.)Je vais à Londres. (I am going to London.)

Elles sont à Toulouse. (They are in Toulouse.)

The indefinite articleThe indefinite article ‘a’ or ‘an’ in English is ‘un’ in French for the masculine, and ‘une’ for the feminine singular, while ‘some’ or ‘any’ in English is ‘des’ in French for both masculine and feminine singular. Consider the following examples:

Masculine Feminine

Singular

Un une (a, an)

Plural Des (some)

Singular Pluralun livre (a book) des livres (some books)une gomme (an eraser) des gommes (some erasers)un homme (a man) des hommes (some men)un arbre (a tree) des arbres (some trees)une femme (a woman) des femmes (some women)une fille (a girl) des filles (some girls)

Examples:J’ai un livre (I have a book.)Tu as une gomme. (You have an eraser.)Nous avons des livres (We have some books.)Ils ont des gommes. (They have erasers.)Il y a des arbres dans le jardin. (There are some trees in the garden.)Des enfants jouent dans le couloir. (Some children are playing in the corridor.)Y a-t-il des étudiants dans la classe? (Are there any students in the class?)

The Partitive Article (= some)‘Of the’meaning ‘some’ (du, de la, de l’, des) in French is derived as follows:

de + le = dude + la = de lade + l’ = de l’ de + les = des

For example,du riz = some ricede la confiture = some jamde l’alcool = some alcoholdes oranges = some oranges.

Therefore, in order to express ‘some’ of anything, we say ‘of the’ before the noun, and it is never omitted in French, e.g.

Nous buvons de la bière. (We are drinking beer.)Elle mange des gâteaux. (She is eating cakes.)

Also, we use these forms in questions, e.g.

Avons-nous de l’argent? (Have we any money?)A-t-il des oranges? (Has he any oranges?)

The French verb ‘Aller’ (to go) is conjugated thus in the present:

Je vais (I go/I am going/I do go)Tu vas (You go/You are going/You do go)Il/Elle va (He/She goes, He/She is going, He/She does go)Nous allons (We go/We are going/We do go)Vous allez (You go/You are going/You do go) Ils/Elles vont (They go/They are going/They do go).

N.B.‘aller’ is an irregular verb.

Let us form sentences with ‘Aller’:Je vais au marché. (I am going to the market.)Il va à Lagos. (He is going to Lagos.)Nous allons à la banque. (We are going to the bank.)Elles vont à l'église. (They are going to church.)Elle va à l'hôpital. (She is going to the hospital.) Ils vont au bureau. (They are going to the office.)

Apart from using ‘aller’ to tell where you are going, it can be used in greetings.

E.g.A: Comment ça va ? (How are you)? B: Ça va bien, merci. (Fine, thank you).A: Comment allez-vous? (How are you?)B: Je vais bien, merci. (I am fine, thank you.)A: Comment vas-tu? (How are you?)B: Je vais bien. (I am fine.)

Apart from greetings, ‘aller’ can be used to tell whether something befits one.E.g.A: La chemise me va? (Does the shirt fit me?)B: Oui, ça te va. (Yes, it befits you.)

Other expressions with ‘Aller’:

Aller à la pêche : to go fishingAller à la chasse : to go huntingAller à pied: to go on foot, to walkAller à bicyclette: to go by bicycleAller en voiture, en avion, par le train: to go by car, by plane, by trainAller loin: to succeedAller trop loin: to go too farAller bien, mal, mieux: to feel well, bad, betterAller à quelqu’un: to suit, to become

The Verb “Avoir” in the Present TenseJ'ai (I have),Tu as (You have), Il/Elle a (He/She has),Nous avons (We have),Vous avez (You have),Ils/Elles ont (They have).

Let us form some sentences with ‘avoir’:J'ai un pantalon. (I have a trousers.)Tu as dix doigts. (You have ten fingers.)Il/Elle a des chaussures. (He/She has some shoes.)Nous avons une cérémonie. (We have a ceremony.)Vous avez deux sœurs. (you have two sisters.)Ils ont cours. (They have lectures.)

In French, ‘avoir’ is used to tell age.Example:J'ai trente ans. (I am 30 years old.)Il a cinq ans. (He is 5 years old.)Vous avez soixante ans. (You are 60 years old.)

Dialogue:Q: Quel âge as-tu/Quel âge avez-vous? (How old are you?)A: J'ai seize ans (I am 16 years old.) Q:Et ton père ? (And your father?)A: Il a soixante-dix ans. (He is 70 years old.)

The French use ‘avoir’ to express their state of health and mind.E.g. J'ai soif (I am thirsty),

J'ai faim (I am hungry),

When one is sick:J'ai mal à l'estomac (I have stomach ache.)Il a mal de tête (He has headache.)

Elle a mal aux yeux (She has eye problem.)

Other Expressions with ‘Avoir’:Avoir chaud : to be warmAvoir froid : to be cold Avoir faim : to be hungryAvoir sommeil : to be sleepyAvoir peur de : to be afraid ofAvoir honte de : to be ashamed ofAvoir raison : to be rightAvoir tort : to be wrongAvoir mal à : to have an ache inAvoir lieu : to take placeAvoir beau : to do something in vainAvoir l’air : to look, to seemAvoir de la chance : to be luckyAvoir de la patience : to be patientAvoir envie de : to want toAvoir besoin de : to need/to be in need of

Let us examine with the verb ‘Être’ in the present.Je suis I amTu es You areIl/Elle est He/She isNous sommes We areVous êtes You areIls/Elles sont They are (m./f.)

You can use the verb ‘Être’ to say your nationality.E.g. Je suis Nigérian (masculin). I am a Nigerian.Je suis Nigériane (féminin). I am a Nigerian.Tu es de quelle nationalité? What is your nationality? Je suis Togolais. I am a Togolese (masculin). Je suis Togolaise. I am a Togolese (féminin).Ils/Elles sont Béninois(es). They are Benineses.Vous êtes Malien. You are a Malian.Nous sommes Burkinabées. We are Burkinabés.

‘Être’ can be used to say your profession:E.g. Il est infirmier. He is a nurse.Elle est infirmière. She is a nurse.Je suis professeur(e). I am a teacher.

Class Activity:Q: Tu es étudiante? Are you a student?

A: Non, je suis professeure. No, I am a teacher.Q: Et toi? What about you?A: Moi, je suis ingénieur. Me, I am an engineer.

Class Activity-contd.A: Il est médecin? Is he a medical doctor? B: Non, il est tailleur. No, he is a tailor. A: Elle est chimiste ? Is she a chemist?B: Non, elle est vendeuse. No, she is a seller.

Learn to make use of ‘Être’ to express your mood/emotion:E.g. Je suis content(e). I am happy.Il est heureux. He is happy.Ils sont fâchés. They are angry.

Other Expressions with ‘être’ (to be):Être en train de: to be in the act ofÊtre à : to belong toÊtre de : to be fromÊtre égal à : to make no difference (e.g. Cela m’est égal).Être de retour : to be backÇa y est : It’s all right. It’s done

Lesson 4Masculine and Feminine of NounsThe following feminine nouns are derived from masculine nouns:

Adding silent ‘-e’ to the masculine version:Masculine FeminineUn ami Une amieUn voisin Une voisineUn étudiant Une étudianteUn cousin Une cousine

Syllabic modification of the masculine noun: Changing ‘-er’ endings to ‘-ère’ endings:Masculine FeminineUn infirmier Une infirmièreUn boulanger Une boulangèreUn épicier Une épicièreUn ouvrier Une ouvrièreUn étranger Une étrangèreUn couturier Une couturièreUn romancier Une romancière

Un berger Une bergèreUn dentellier (lacemaker/laceworker) Une dentellière

By changing -x endings to ‘-se’ endings:Masculine English Meaning FeminineUn époux Spouse Une épouseUn jaloux Jealous person Une jalouseUn ambitieux Ambitious person Une ambitieuseUn orgueilleux A proud person Une orgueilleuse

N.B.: Roux = Rousse (reddish-brown).

Changing -f endings to -ve endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineLe juif Jew La juiveUn veuf Widower Une veuveUn sportif Sportsman/sportswoman Une sportive

Changing ‘-c’ endings to ‘-que’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn laïc Layman/laywoman Une laïque

Un Turc Turkish Une Turque

N.B.: un Grec = Une Grecque.

Changing ‘-eau’ endings to ‘-elle’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn jumeau Twin Une jumelle

Un chameau Camel Une chamelle

Changing ‘-p’ endings to ‘-pe’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn loup Wolf Une loupe

Changing ‘-eur’ endings to ‘-euse’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn menteur Liar Une menteuseUn vendeur Seller Une vendeuseUn chanteur Singer Une chanteuseUn voleur Thief Une voleuseUn offreur Offerer Une offreuseUn dénicheur Talent scout/spotter Une dénicheuse

Un dénigreur Disparager Une dénigreuseUn contour Storyteller Une conteuseUn décideur A decision-maker Une décideuseUn empoisonneur Poisner/nuisance Une empoisonneuseUn acheteur Buyer Une acheteuseUn pêcheur Fisherman/fisherwoman Une pêcheuse

Changing ‘-deur’ endings to ‘-drice’:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn ambassadeur Ambassador Une ambassadrice

Changing ‘-eur’ endings to ‘-esse’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn défendeur Defendant Une défenderesseUn vengeur Avenger Une vengeresseUn enchanteur Enchanter/charmer Une enchanteresseUn chasseur Hunter/huntress Une chasseresseUn docteur Doctor/female doctor Une doctoresse

Changing ‘-teur’ endings to ‘-trice’ endings:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn éditeur Editor/publisher Une éditriceUn exécuteur Executioner/executor Une exécutriceUn inventeur Inventor Une inventriceUn persécuteur Persecutor Une persécutriceUn cantateur Professional singer Une cantatriceUn impérateur Emperor/empress Une impératriceUn directeur Director Une directriceUn inspecteur Inspector Une inspectriceUn agitateur Agitator Une agitatriceUn dénonciateur Informer Une dénonciatrice

Others: -el to -elle ; -et to –ette; -at to -atte; -ot to -otte; -on to -onne; -en to -enne; -an to -anne:Masculine Meaning FeminineUn colonel Colonel Une colonelleUn cadet Younger/youngest Une cadetteUn chat Cat Une chatteUn boulot Chubby person Une boulotteUn sot Fool/idiot Une sotteUn baron Baron/baroness Une baronneUn félon Traitor Une félonneUn lion Lion/lioness Une lionneUn chien Dog/bitch Une chienne

Un doyen Dean/doyen/senior Une doyenneUn gardien Guardian/

keeper/watchman/watchwoman

Une gardienne

Un paysan Peasant/country dweller

Une paysanne

Some nouns with ‘-esse’ added to form the feminine:Masculine English Meaning FeminineUn âne Donkey/she-ass (jenny) Une ânesseUn clown Clown Une clownesseUn diable Devil Une diablesseUn maître Master/mistress Une maîtresseUn hôte Host/hostess Une hôtesseUn prêtre Priest Une prêtresseUn prince Prince/princess Une princesseUn tigre Tigre/tigress Une tigresseUn abbé Abbot.abbess/priest Une abbesseUn devin Diviner/soothsayer Une devineresseUn diacre Deacon/deaconess Une diaconesseUn dieu god/goddess Une déesseUn duc Duke/duchess Une duchesseUn nègre Negro/negress Une négresseUn pécheur Sinner Une pécheresseUn poète Poet Une poétesse

Some masculine nouns take ‘-ïne’, ‘-ine’ in the feminine:

Masculine English Meaning FeminineUn héros Hero/heroine Une héroïneUn speaker Announcer, news reader Une speakerineUn gosse Kid/youngster Une gosseline

Certain nouns are irregular:Masculine English Meaning FeminineUn copain Pal/mate Une copineUn canard Drake/duck Une caneUn dindon Turkey cock/turkey hen Une dindeUn perroquet Parrot/chatterbox Une perruche

Nouns derived from adjectives:Adjective English Meaning Noun English Meaning

Aimable Pleasant/kind L’amabilité Kindness/courtesy/ pleasantness

Divers Diverse/various/several La diversité Diversity/variety/rangeBon Good/lovely/fine/right La bonté Kindness/goodnessClair Clear/light/fresh/fair La clarté Clarity/light/fairnessCohérent Coherent La cohérence CoherenceGrand Big/tall/large/main/important/

grand/important/majorLa grandeur Greatness/size/magnitude

Certain Certain La certitude CertaintyDoux Soft/sweet/mild/gentle/pleasant/

lovelyLa douceur Softness/sweetness/

smoothness/mildness/ gentleness

Charmant Charming/delightful/nice/lovely/wonder-ful

Le charme Charm/spell

Fidèle Loyal/faithful/reliable La fidélité Fidelity/faithfulness/loyalit/reliability/accuracy

Réel Real La réalité Reality

Adjective English Meaning Noun English MeaningSage Wise/sensible/moderate/

reasonable//sober/ wellbehaved/wise man/expert

La sagesse Wisdom/common sense/ soundness/moderation/good sense

Jaloux Jealousy La jalousie JealousyMalade Sick/ill/diseased/bad/injured/

crazyLa maladie Sickness/illness/disease

Fou Mad/wild/crazy La folie Madness/craziness/wildnessPlein Full/solid/rounded La plénitude Fullness/amplenessExact Exact/correct/accurate/true/right/

/preciseL’exactitude Exactitude/correctness/

accuracy/precisenessClairvoyant Perceptive La

clairvoyancePerceptiveness

Petit Small/little/young/minor/little boy/petty

La petitesse pettiness

Large Wide, broad, big La largeur Width, breathPoli Polite, polished La politesse Politeness, decencyÉtrange Strange L’étrangeté StrangenessRapide Rapid, fast, quick, swift, speedy La rapidité Speed, brisknessSensuel Sensual La sensualité SensualityViolent Violent La violence ViolenceFort Strong La force StrengthImportant Important L’importance ImportanceSot Silly La sottise Sillyness, foolishnessGourmand Greedy, fond of sweet things La

gourmandiseGreediness, weakness for sweet things, gluttony

Las Weary La lassitude Weariness

Lent Slow La lenteur Slowness

Some are derived from verbs:Verb English Meaning Noun English Meaning

Administrer Administer L’administration AdministrationAnnexer Annex L’annexion Annexe, annex,

appendixApparaître Appear L’apparition Apparition/appearanceAutoriser Authorise L’autorisation AuthorisationConstruire Construct La construction ConstructionAbattre Beat L’abattement BeatingAcquitter Acquit L’acquittement AcquittanceAgir Act L’agissement/l’action ActionChanger Change Le changement ChangeDérober Steal from, hide from La dérobade Avoidance, refusal,

evasion, running outAbandonner Abandon L’abandon AbandonmentArrêter Stop, arrest, to

apprehend, to give upL’arrêt Arrest, stopping,

cancellation, halt, cessation

Chasser Chase away, drive away, hunt, shoot

La chasse Hunting, shooting, chase, pursuit

Etudier Study L’étude StudyFinir End, finish La fin EndAppeler Call L’appel Call, appeal, pleaPoser To ask question, to lay

down, to put down, to set down, to install, put in, put up, postulate

La pose Putting in, installation, putting up, hanging, pose

Réformer Reform, discharge La réforme Reform, dischargeSauter Jump Le saut JumpVoler Fly Le vol FlightBlesser Wound La blessure WoundBrûler Burn, set fire to, scald,

scorchLa brûlure Burn

Verb English Meaning Noun English MeaningCultiver Grow, cultivate La culture Cultivation, growingDéchirer Tear, rip up, break,

rend, shatter, splitLa déchirure Tear, break, rift

Lire Read La lecture ReadingCouvrir Cover La couverture Cover

Rompre Break, break off, upset, disrupt; end; interrupt fall out

La rupture Breaking off, break down, splitting up, gracture, failure

Signer Sign La signature SignatureCasser Break, crack La cassure Break, crack, split,

ruptureEplucher Peel L’épluchure Peeling, peelPlier Fold La pliure Fold, foldingMordre Bite La morsure BiteOuvrir Open L’ouverture OpeningCoiffer comb, brush La coiffure Hairdo, hairstyleGargouiller Rumble, gurgle Gargouillis/

gargouillement Rumbling, gurgling

Plural Forms of NounsIn French, ‘-s’ is basically added to nouns to form their plurals with ‘les’ accompanying them as their definite articles.

The plural form of indefinite articles ‘des’ is used when one is not specific about the object in question.

French Singular French Plural English Singular English PluralLe stylo les stylos Pen PensLa fille Les filles Girl GirlsLa voiture Les voitures Car CarsLe toit Les toits Roof RoofsLa toilette Les toilettes Toilet ToiletsLe bonbon Les bonbons Sweet SweetsL’ami(e) Les ami(e)s Friend FriendsL’orange Les oranges Orange OrangesL’homme Les hommes Man MenL’habit Les habits Dress/cloth Dresses/Clothes

However, there are exceptions to this rule. These exceptions are determined by the endings of the nouns whose formation of their plurals does not follow the above rule.For nouns ending in -s; -x; or -z, they are invariable in their plural forms.

Example: Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe bras Les bras Arm ArmsLe pas Les pas Step/footstep Steps/footprintsLe pays Les pays Country CountriesLe poids Les poids Weight WeightsLa fois Les fois Time TimesLe vers Les vers Verse Verses

Le fils Les fils Son SonsL’os Les os Bone BonesSingulier Pluriel Singular PluralLa souris Les souris Mouse MiceLa vis (screw) Les vis Screw ScrewsLe progrès Les progrès Progress ProgressesLe mets Les mets Dish dishesLa croix Les croix Cross CrossesLe prix Les prix Price PricesLe nez Les nez Nose NosesLe gaz Les gaz Gas GasesLa voix Les voix Voice VoicesLa noix Les noix Nut Nuts

Plurals of nouns with -au, -eau, -œu are formed by adding ‘-x’ at the end of the word.Example:Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe noyau Les noyaux Stone (of fruit)/nucleus Stones (of fruits) /nucleusesL’étau Les étaux Vice/stranglehold Vices/strangleholdsLe tuyau (drain-pipe)

Les tuyaux Drain-pipe Drain-pipes

Le bateau Les bateaux Boat BoatsLe bedeau Les bedeaux beadle/verger/usher/

campus policeman/porter.

‘Verger’ is an official whose job is to take care of the inside of the church and perform some simple duties duringchurchservice.

beadles/vergers/ushers/ campus policemen/porters.

Le manteau Les manteaux Coat CoatsLe cerneau (shelled) walnut)

Les cerneaux Shelled walnut Shelled walnuts

Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe chapeau Les chapeaux Hat/cap Hats/capsLe château Les châteaux Castle CastlesLe pinceau (paint brush)

Les pinceaux Paint brush Paint brushes

Le poteau Les poteaux Pole/post/mast Poles/posts/mastsLe dieu Les dieux god godsLe feu Les feux Fire FiresLe jeu Les jeux Game Games

Le cheveu Les cheveux Hair HairsLe neveu Les neveux Nephew NephewsLe lieu Les lieux Place/venue Places/venuesLe vœu Les vœux Wish Wishes

Exceptions to this rule are: le landau (carriage), le sorrau, le bleu, le pneu, le lieu (type of fish), which take an ‘-s’ in the plural.

The following nouns ending in -ou, take ‘-x’ in the plural:Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe bijou Les bijoux Jewellery jewelleriesLe caillou Les cailloux Stone StonesLe chou Les choux Cabbage CabbagesLe genou Les genoux Knee KneesLe joujou Les joujoux Toy ToysLe pou Les poux Louse Lice

Nouns with -al endings take ‘-x’ in the plural:Example:

Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralL’animal Les animaux Animal AnimalsLe bocal (jar) Les bocaux Jar JarsLe canal Les canaux Canal CanalsSingulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe cheval Les chevaux Horse HorsesL’hôpital Les hôpitaux Hospital HospitalsLe journal Les journaux Newspaper Newspapers

In exception to this rule, the following words ending in -al take ‘-s’ in the plural:Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralLe carnaval Les carnavals Carnival CarnivalsLe ceremonial Les ceremonials Ceremonial CeremonialsLe choral (choir/choral society)

Les chorals Choir/choral society

Choirs/choral societies

Le chacal (jackal) Les chacals Jackal JackalsLe festival Les festivals Festival FestivalsLe récital Les récitals Recital RecitalsLe régal (delight/treat) Les régals Delight/treat Delights/treatsLe final Les finals Final FinalsLe pal (stake/pale) Les pals Stake/pale Stakes/pals

Words ending in -ail take ‘-s’ in the plural:Example:

Singulier Pluriel Singular Plural

Le bétail (livestock/cattle)

Les bétails

Livestock/cattle Livestock/cattle

Le bercail (fold/family bases)

Les bercails

Fold/family base Folds/family bases

Le chandail (sweater) Les chandails

Sweater Sweaters

Le détail Les détails

Detail details

L’éventail (fan, range, spread, spectrum)

Les éventails

Fan/range/spread/spectrum Fans/ranges/spreads/spectrums

Some exceptions to this rule which have ‘-aux’ as their terminals are listed below: Singulier Pluriel Singular Singular

Le bail (lease) Les baux Lease Leases

Le corail (coral) Les coraux Coral Corals

L’émail (enamel) Les émaux Enamel Enamels

Le soupirail (air hole) Les soupiraux Air hole Air holes

Le travail Les travaux Work Works

Le ventail (ventail)  Les ventaux Ventail Ventails

Le vitrail (glass window)

Les vitraux Glass window Glass windows

Irregular Nouns:Listed below are some irregular nouns. These nouns have been thus classified because the formation of their plurals does not follow any of the above rules. They therefore have to be learned by heart.Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralL’aïeul Les aïeux Ancestor AncestorsL’ail (garlic) Les aulx Garlic GarlicsLe bonhomme (chap, old man/fellow/ little chap/lad

Les bonshommes Chap/old man/fellow/little chap/lad

Chaps/old men/fellows/little chaps/lads

Le ciel Les cieux Sky SkiesLe gentilhomme (nobleman/gentleman)

Les gentilshommes

Nobleman/gentleman Noblemen/gentlemen

L’œil Les yeux Eye EyesLe monsieur Les messieurs Mister MistersMadame Les Mesdames Madam MadamsMademoiselle Les

MesdemoisellesMiss Misses

Certain nouns are rendered in the plural:Les applaudissements = applauseLes meubles = furnitureLes mathématiques = mathematicsLes ténèbres = darknessLes fiançailles = engagementLes funérailles = funeralLes gens = peopleLes environs = outskirts, vicinity, around, regionLes renseignements = information, enquiries (when it means enquiries)Les vacances = holidays (but ‘la vacance’ meaning vacancy is rendered in

both singular and plural).Les vivres = food/foodstuffs/provisions.Les dépens = expense/cost.

Family names:When it is a simple family name, ‘-s’ is not added to the name except for the article

« les » which is the only mark that distinguishes it as plural.

Example: The Adeyemos = Les Adeyemo

When the name is that of a historical family, example: ruling families/dynasties as well as important biblical and ancient personalities, ‘-s’ is added. This gives it a meaning that connotes a generational sense.

Example: Les Akintolas, Les Awolowos, Les Adeyemis d’Oyo, les Sijuwades d’Ife, Les trois Maries bibliques qui sont les amies de Jésus.

Pluralisation of Loan-wordsLoan-words obey the same rules as in French words. Therefore, when foreign words end in -s, -x, -z as in French, they remain the same as the singular.

Example:Singulier Pluriel Singular Plural

Le boss Les boss Boss Bosses

Le kibboutz (kibbutz is a type of farm or factory in Israel where a group of people live together and share all the work, decisions and income)

Les kibboutz (or kibboutzim)

Kibbutz Kibbutz

Others would ordinarily take an ‘-s’ in the pluralised state:

Example:Singulier Pluriel Singular PluralL’alibi Les alibis Alibi AlibisL’auditorium Les auditoriums Auditorium AuditoriumsLe forum /fↄRↄm/ Les forums Forum Forums

The use of ‘il y a’ (there is/are):Consider first of all the following expressions:

Il y a (there is or there are)Il n’y a pas (there is not or there are not)Y a-t-il? (Is there or Are there?)N’y a-t-il pas? (Is there not or Are there not?/Aren’t there?)

Therefore, if we want to express something like ‘There is a book on the table’, we say:Il y a un livre sur la table.

Let us consider further the following expressions:Il n’y a pas un/de livre sur la table. (There is no book on the table.)Y a-t-il un livre sur la table? (Is there a book on the table?)N’y a-t-il pas un/de livre sur la table? (Isn’t there a book on the table?)

Please note that the question ‘Is there a book on the table?’ can be asked in the following three ways:

i) Il y a un livre sur la table?ii) Est-ce qu’il y a un livre sur la table?iii) Y a-t-il un livre sur la table?

Also, the negative question ‘Isn’t there a book on the table?’ can be asked thus:i) Il n’y a pas un livre sur la table?ii) Est-ce qu’il n’y a pas un livre sur la table?iii) N’y a-t-il pas un livre sur la table?

However, if we want to include something like ‘any’ or ‘some’ in our expression, then, we should combine this with ‘il y a’ as follows:

Oui, il y en a. (Yes, there is/are some.)Non, il n’y en a pas. (No, there isn’t/aren’t any.)Y en a-t-il?/Est-ce qu’il y en a? (Is there any?/Are there any?)N’y en a-t-il pas? (Isn’t there any?/Aren’t there any?)

Lesson 5

PronounsA pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, and it must agree in gender, number, and person with its antecedent. There are several kinds of pronouns, namely, the personal, possessive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, and indefinite pronouns.Personal or subject pronounsThese are called ‘pronoms personnels’ or ‘pronoms personnels sujets’.

French EnglishJe ITu YouIl HeElle SheOn (neuter) One, they, people, weNous WeVous YouIls TheyElles They

Example (used with a verb):Je mange I eat or I am eating or I do eatTu manges You eat or You are eating or You do eatIl mange He eats or He is eating or He does eatElle mange She eats or She is eating or She does eatOn mange One eats, or They eat, People eat, We eatNous mangeons We eat or We are eating or We do eatVous mangez You eat or You are eating or You do eatIls mangent They eat or They are eating or They do eat.Elles mangent They eat or They are eating or They do eat.

Examples with the use of personal pronounsJe vais au marché. (I am going to the market.)Il va à Lagos. (He is going to Lagos.)Nous allons à la banque. (We are going to the bank.)Elles vont à l'église. (They are going to church.)Elle va à l'hôpital. (She is going to the hospital.) Ils vont au bureau. (They are going to the office.)

Object PronounsObject pronouns are complements of personal pronouns.French EnglishMe MeTe Youle/la/l’ him/her/itNous Us

Vous YouLes Them

Example:

French English

Tola me voit. Tola sees me.

Je te regarde. I look at you.

Il bat le garçon.Il le bat.

He beats the boy.He beats him.

Kemi lave le chien.Kemi le lave.

Kemi washes the dog.Kemi washes it.

Nous conduisons la voiture.Nous la conduisons.

We drive the car.We drive it.

Le professeur enseigne Tunde et moi.Le professeur nous enseigne.

The teacher teaches Tunde and me.The teacher teaches us.

Ils invitent Bode et toi.Ils vous invitent.

They invite Bode and you.They invite you.

J’aime l’orange et la mangue.Je les aime.

I love orange and mango.I love them.

Bimbo achète le poisson.Bimbo l’achète.

Bimbo buys fish.Bimbo buys it.

Third Person Direct Object PronounsThird person direct object pronouns are: le, la, l’, and les.

Le replaces masculine singular nouns.Je mange le pain. = Je le mange.

La replaces feminine singular nouns.

Biodun lave la voiture. = Biodun la lave.

L’ replaces masculine or feminine singular nouns before verbs that start with vowels.

Nous écrivons la lettre = Nous l’ écrivons.

mas. sing. noun. dir. obj. pron.

fem. sing. noun. dir. obj. pron.

dir. obj. pron.

Les replaces masculine or feminine plural nouns.Vous cherchez les livres. = Vous les cherchez.

Ils descendent les valises. = Ils les descendent.

The Object pronouns are the pronouns that stand for the direct objects in a sentence. Let us consider the following sentences:

Je vois mon frère. (I see my brother.) – Je le vois. (I see him.)Je vois ma sœur. (I see my sister.) – Je la vois. (I see her.)Je vois mes relations. (I see my relatives.) – Je les vois. (I see them.)Je vois Marie et Alice. (I see Mary and Alice.) – Je les vois. (I see them.)

The Third Person Indirect Object Pronouns (lui, leur)The Indirect Object Pronouns stand for the indirect objects in a sentence. Let us consider the following:

Je parle à mon frère. Je lui parle. (I am speaking to my brother.) (I am speaking to him.)

Je parle à ma s œ ur . Je lui parle.(I am speaking to my sister.) (I am speaking to her.)

Je parle à mes relations. Je leur parle.(I am speaking to my relations.) (I am speaking to them.)

Je parle à Marie et à Alice. Je leur parle.(I am speaking to Mary and Alice.) (I am speaking to them.)

For the First and Second Person (Singular and Plural) Indirect Object pronouns, consider the following examples:

Il me parle. (He is talking to me.)Je te/vous parle. (I am talking to you.)Ils nous parlent. (They are talkingto us.)Nous te/vous parlons. (We are talking to you.)

The French Pronoun ‘on’‘On’ is a pronoun in French and it corresponds to the English ‘one’ as used in sentences

such as the following:On dit qu’elle est folle. (They say that she is mad. / It is said that she is mad.)On ne sait jamais. (One never knows. /You never know.)

On doit être travailleur. (One must be hard-working./You must be hard-working.)

fem. sing. noun.

masc. plu. noun. dir. obj. pron.

On frappe à la porte. (Someone is knocking at the door.)On croit que c’est vrai. (People think that it is true./It is thought that it is true.)Lorsqu’on est fatigué, on se repose. (When one is tired, one rests.)

The Pronoun ‘en’This little word ‘en’ is a pronoun and it always stands for de + something and it is always placed before the verb. It means either ‘of it’, ‘of them’, ‘some’ or ‘any’. Let us consider the following examples:

As-tu du cidre?–Oui, j’en ai beaucoup. (Have you any cider?––Yes, I have plenty of it.)

Avez-vous peur des vaches?–Oui, nous en avons peur.(Are you afraid of cows?––Yes, we are afraid of them.)

Combien de s œ urs as-tu?–J’en ai trois.(How many sisters have you?––I have three of them.)

A-t-elle des bonbons?–Oui, elle en a.Has she any sweets?––Yes, she has some.

As-tu du fromage?–Non, je n’en ai pas.(Have you any cheese?––No, I haven’t any.)

The Pronoun ‘Y’‘Y’ is another pronoun and it means ‘there’ in English. Just like ‘en’, it is placed before

the verb in French, e.g. Vas-tu à l’école aujourd’hui ? – Oui, j’y vais.(Are you going to school today? – Yes, I am going there.)

Êtes-vous dans la maison ? – Oui, j’y suis.(Are you in the house? – Yes, I am there.)

Allons-nous au marché cet après-midi ? – Oui, nous y allons.(Are we going to the market this afternoon? – Yes, we are going there.)

Vont-ils à la boulangerie ce soir ? – Non, ils n’y vont pas.(Are they going to the bakery this evening? – No, they aren’t going there.)

Possessive PronounsPossessive pronouns replace possessive adjectives with the objects possessed. Possessive pronouns are not frequently used. When used, they take the gender and number of the noun they replace or refer to. Possessive pronouns also agree in number with the object possessed.

Possessive pronouns replace possessive adjectives with the objects possessed.

Example: Possessive Adjective

English Meaning Possessive Pronoun English Meaning

Mon visage My face Le mien MineTon cahier Your exercise book Le tien YoursSon frère His brother Le sien Hers/hisNotre père Our father Le nôtre OursVotre stylo Your pen Le vôtre YoursLeur argent Their money Le leur Theirs

Observe that possessive pronouns are accompanied by definite articles depending on the gender.Possessive pronouns also agree in number with the object possessed. (See table of agreement below):

Masculine FeminineSingular Plural Singular PluralLe mien(Mine) Les miens La mienne Les miennesLe tien(Yours) Les tiens La tienne Les tiennesLe sien(His/Hers/Its)

Les siens La sienne Les siennes

Le nôtre(Ours) Les nôtres La nôtre Les nôtresLe vôtre(Yours) Les vôtres La vôtre Les vôtresLe leur(Theirs) Les leurs La leur Les leurs

i) J’ai ma montre et tu as la tienne. = I have my watch and you have yours.ii) Nous avons nos camarades. Vous avez les vôtres.= We have our friends. You have yours.iii) Vos enfants sont jolis et les leurs aussi. = Your children are beautiful and theirs also.iv) Leur voiture est dehors mais la mienne n’y est pas. = Their car is outside but mine is not there.v) Son sac est plein et le mien aussi. = Her/his bag is full and mine too.vi) Mon ami est là. Et le tien ? Est-ce qu’il est là aussi ?= My friend is there. And yours? Is he there too?

When the possessor is an indefinite subject pronoun, for example, on, personne, tout le monde, chacun, the following pronouns are used: le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes.

Example: On aime son enfant. On aime le sien. (One loves her/his child. One loves hers/his.)

Tout le monde a sa chance dans la vie. Tout le monde a la sienne.(Everyone has her/his chance in life. Everyone has hers/his.)

Chacun(e) a sa tour. = Chacun(e) a la sienne.(Each one has her/his turn. = Each one has hers/his.)

When chacun replaces a plural subject pronoun, the possessive pronoun agrees with the subject pronoun.

Example: Vous conduisez vos voitures chacun les vôtres. = (Each one drives their cars.)

The masculine plural of possessive pronouns are used to designate relatives, friends, and allies.Example: Vous êtes des leurs. = (You are one of them.)Nous sommes les vôtres. = (We are one of you.)Ils sont les nôtres. = (They are one of us.)

The Demonstrative PronounsDemonstrative pronouns in French are:

Singular PluralMasculine Celui CeuxFeminine Celle CellesThey are equivalent to that, these, and those in English.

Le père de Samuel et celui de Tomiwa. = (Lit.: The father of Samuel and that of Tomiwa)La voiture de ta mère et celle de la mienne = (Lit.: The car of your mother and that of mine)Les marchés à Ibadan et ceux à Abuja = (Lit.: The markets in Ibadan and those in Abuja)

Les écoles du Nigéria et celles des Etats Unis = (Lit.: The schools of Nigeriaand those of the United States)

When followed by a relative pronoun, they mean the one, the ones, he/she who, these or those.Example: Celui qui chante est mon favori. = (The one who sings is my favourite.)Les deux robes sont jolies mais je préfère celle qui est rouge. = (The two dresses are beautiful but I

prefer the one that is red.)Les formes du pronom démonstratif:Celui, celui-ci, celui-là = un nom masculin singulierCeux, ceux-ci, ceux-là = un nom masculin plurielCelle, celle-ci, celle-là = un nom féminin singulierCelles, celles-ci, celles-là = un nom féminin pluriel.

Followed by de, the demonstrative pronoun indicates possession:Example:Le livre de Bola et celui de Tinu = Bola’s book and Tinu’s

To make a distinction between this one and that one, and between these and those, these two suffixes -ci and -là are added:Example:J’aime celui-ci. Je n’aime pas celui-là. = I like this one. I don’t like that one.Je parle à celle-ci. Je ne parle pas à celle-là. =I talk to this one. I don’t talk to that one.

Between two things, ‘celui-ci’ and ‘celle-ci’ mean the latter; ‘celui-là’ and ‘celle-là’ mean the former.Example: Tola et Bola sont étudiantes. Celle-ci est intelligente mais celle-là n’est pas intelligente.(Tola and Bola are students. The latter is intelligent but the former is not intelligent.)

Wole Soyinka et Chinua Achebe sont écrivains. Celui-ci est mort et celui-là est vivant.(Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe are writers. The latter is dead and the former is alive.)

‘Celui-ci’ can be replaced by ‘ce dernier’ and ‘celui-là’  by le premier.

Ce dernier écrivain est Ibo tandis que le premier est Yorouba.(The latter is Ibo while the former is Yoruba.)

The Indefinite Demonstrative PronounsCe, ceci, cela (ça):Ce (C’) is used mainly with the verb ‘être’ and sometimes with‘aller’, ‘devoir’, or ‘pouvoir’.Ce is at times replaced by cela.Example:i) When used with a modified noun:Mangeons cette mangue! C’est un bon fruit.= Let us eat this mango! It is a good fruit.ii) before a proper noun:Je vois une belle femme. C’est Madame Oladele. (I see a beautiful woman. It is Mrs Oladele.)iii) before a pronoun:La voiture est devant l’église. Est-ce la vôtre? (The car is in the front of the church. Is it yours?)iv) before a superlative:Les étudiants de français sont intelligents. Ce sont les meilleurs étudiants de l’Université d’Ibadan.(The students studying French are intelligent. They are the best students of the University of Ibadan.)v) before an infinitive:Pour réussir à ses examens c’est de pouvoir lire et étudier.= (Passing one’s exams is being able to read and study.)Le problème c’est d’avoir un peu d’argent pour acheter le livre.= (The problem is to have a little money to buy the book.)Ce qui est important c’est de savoir vivre.= (What is important is to know how to live well.)

Ce qui est urgent c’est d’aller manger.= (What is urgent is to go and eat.)vi) before an adverb:C’est aujourd’hui un jour férié. = (Today is a public holiday.)C’est maintenant ou jamais. = (It is now or never.)vii) as a neuter subject:Il est lundi aujourd’hui. Oui, c’est vrai. = (Today is Monday. Yes, it is true.)

The Demonstrative Pronoun ‘ceci’, ‘cela’ (ça)When the demonstrative pronoun replaces an indefinite expression or an idea, ceci and cela is used. Ça is used in familiar style. It is not standard French. Cela is used when an expression has already been mentioned. Ceci is used to introduce an expression.

Ceci est excellent. C’est un bon résumé. = (This is excellent. It is a good summary.)C’est un cas d’accident. Cela est urgent. = (It is a case of an accident. It is urgent.)

(Ordinarily, ‘cela’ is not used before the verb ‘être’ except in the type of example given here, i.e., when an expression has already been mentioned).

‘Ceci’ refers to the closer/closest object and ‘cela’ to the farther/farthest object.

(The Reflexive Pronouns) Les pronoms réfléchis Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject or doer is the receiver of the action. They are: me, te, se, nous, vous, se. They can either be direct or indirect objects.Example: Je me vois dans le miroir. = I see myself in the mirror.Il se lave les dents chaque matin et soir.= He brushes his teeth each morning and evening.

Before verbs beginning with vowels or mute h, me, te, se become m’, t’, s’. E.g.Je m’aide. = I help myself. Tu t’habilles = You dress yourself.Il s’aime = He loves/likes himself.Elles s’aiment = They love themselves (f.).

(Position of Reflexive Pronouns) La place des pronoms réfléchisPronom (Sujet) Pronom réfléchi VerbeJe Me laveTu Te lavesIl/Elle/On Se laveNous Nous lavonsVous Vous lavezIls/Elles se lavent

Lesson 6AdjectivesIt should be noted that the definite articles (le, la, les), the indefinite articles (un, une, des), and the Possessive Adjectives (mon, ma, mes) take on the gender and number of the noun with which

they are placed. In like manner, ordinary adjectives like ‘big’, ‘small’, ‘handsome’, etc. do agree in gender and number with the noun that they describe.Thus, in order to obtain the feminine form of an adjective, we add ‘-e’ to the masculine form. E.g.

English Masculine Feminine

big/large/tall grand grandesmall/short/little petit petitepretty joli joliebad mauvais mauvaisewicked méchant méchanteblack noir noireall tout toutegreen vert vertegrey gris grise

It should be noted also that there are some adjectives which end in the silent or mute ‘e’ in the masculine form (e.g. jeune, young; malade, ill; jaune, yellow). These adjectives have the same form whether they are used with a masculine or a feminine noun. For example, ‘le jeune homme’(the young man)and ‘la jeune femme’(the young woman). Consider the following:

English Masculine Feminineyoung jeune jeunered rouge rougenear proche prochefast vite vitelovely aimable aimablehuge énorme énormeserious grave graveeasy simple simple

However, when the noun is plural in French, the qualifying adjective must also be in its plural form. For example,

Singular Plural

le petit enfant (the small child) les petits enfants (the small children)le joli tissu (the fine cloth) les jolis tissus (the fine cloths)le mauvais élève (the bad pupil) les mauvais élèves (the bad pupils)un garçon intelligent (a clever boy) des garçons intelligents (some clever boys)une fille intelligente(a bright girl) des filles intelligentes(some bright girls).

Agreement of AdjectivesThe Adjective must always agree in number and gender with the noun or pronoun that it describes or qualifies, e.g.

Le garçon est beau. Il est beau.(The boy is handsome.) (He is handsome.)

Les garçons sont beaux. Ils sont beaux.(The boys are handsome.) (They are handsome.)

La fille est belle. Elle est belle.(The girl is beautiful.) (She is beautiful.)

Les filles sont belles. Elles sont belles.(The girls are beautiful.) (They are beautiful.)

L’homme est content. Il est content.(The man is happy.) (He is happy.)

Les hommes sont contents. Ils sont contents.(The men are happy.) (They are happy.)

La femme est contente. Elle est contente.(The woman is happy.) (She is happy.)

Les femmes sont contentes. Elles sont contentes.(The women are happy.) (They are happy.)

Note that an adjective qualifying nouns of mixed gender is made masculine plural, e.g. Mon oncle et ma tante sont contents. – Ils sont contents.(My uncle and aunt are happy.) – (They are happy.)

Ma mère et ma tante sont contentes. – Elles sont contentes.(My mother and my aunt are happy.) – (They are happy.)

Ton père et ton frère sont là? – Oui, ils sont là.(Are your father and brother there?) – (Yes, they are there.)

Agreement of AdjectivesThe Adjective must always agree in number and gender with the noun or pronoun that it describes or qualifies, e.g.

Le garçon est beau. Il est beau.(The boy is handsome.) (He is handsome.)

Les garçons sont beaux. Ils sont beaux.(The boys are handsome.) (They are handsome.)

La fille est belle. Elle est belle.(The girl is beautiful.) (She is beautiful.)

Les filles sont belles. Elles sont belles.(The girls are beautiful.) (They are beautiful.)

L’homme est content. Il est content.(The man is happy.) (He is happy.)

Les hommes sont contents. Ils sont contents.(The men are happy.) (They are happy.)

La femme est contente. Elle est contente.(The woman is happy.) (She is happy.)

Les femmes sont contentes. Elles sont contentes.(The women are happy.) (They are happy.)

Note that an adjective qualifying nouns of mixed gender is made masculine plural, e.g. Mon oncle et ma tante sont contents. – Ils sont contents.(My uncle and aunt are happy.) – (They are happy.)

Ma mère et ma tante sont contentes. – Elles sont contentes.(My mother and my aunt are happy.) – (They are happy.)

Ton père et ton frère sont là? – Oui, ils sont là.(Are your father and brother there?) – (Yes, they are there.)

The Position of AdjectivesSome French Adjectives are placed before the nouns while many others come after the nouns that they qualify. For instance,a) le petit élève = the small pupil

le beau garçon = the handsome boyun grand homme = a tallmanla petite fille = the small girlla belle maîtresse = the beautiful mistressune grande femme = a tall woman

Some of the French adjectives that come after the nouns that they qualify are as follows:b) le livre rouge = the red book

un chien méchant = a wicked dogla voiture française = the French carune femme charmante = a charming woman

Comparison of AdjectivesIn English and French, there are three degrees of comparison, viz. positive, comparative, and superlative. Consider the following examples:

Positive Comparative Superlativebeau (pretty) plus beau (prettier) le plus beau (the prettiest)facile (easy) plus facile (easier) le plus facile (the easiest)gai (merry) plus gai (merrier) le plus gai (the merriest)grand (tall) plus grand (taller) le plus grand (the tallest)

vite (fast) plus vite (faster) le plus vite (the fastest)ancien (ancient) plus ancien (more ancient) le plus ancien (the most ancient)

E.g. Pierre est beau. (Peter is handsome.)Eke est plus beau que Pierre. (Eke is more handsome than Peter.)Paul est le plus beau de tous. (Paul is the most handsome of all.)

Marie est l’étudiante la plus intelligente de la classe. (Mary is the most intelligent student in the class.)Marie et Amadou sont les étudiants les plus intelligents de la classe.(Mary and Amadu are the most intelligent students in the class.)

Adjectifs possessifs (Possessive Adjectives) :In French, the preposition ‘de’ plus a proper noun indicates possession.Example:La voiture de Bola = Bola’s car

Le fils de Monsieur Bankole = Mr. Bankole’s son

Les formes des adjectifs possessifs :Masculine Singular

Feminine Singular Masculine/Feminine Plural

English Meaning

Mon Ma Mes MyTon Ta Tes YourSon Sa Ses Her /hisNotre Notre Nos OurVotre Votre Vos YourLeur Leur Leurs Their

The possessive adjective agrees in number and gender with the object possessed at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person singular levels. At the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural levels, they agree with number alone.

Mon livre = My bookMa règle = My rulerSon bébé = Her/His babySa chaise = Her/His chairTon cahier = Your exercise bookTa table = Your tableNotre maison = Our houseNos maisons = Our housesVotre mère = Your motherVos mères = Your mothersLeur sœur = Their sisterLeurs sœurs = Their sisters

Please note that the possessive adjective does not agree with the possessor.‘Mon, ton, son’ are used for feminine objects beginning with a vowel or silent ‘h’:Example:

Mon amie = My friend (female friend)Mon orange = My orange (feminine object starting with a vowel)Ton église = You church (feminine object starting with a vowel)Son histoire = Her/His story/her or his history (feminine object starting

with a silent ‘h’)Son ombre = Her/his shadow (masculine object starting with a vowel)Son hôpital = Her/His hospital (masculine object starting with a silent

‘h’)The possessive adjective is repeated before each object possessed:J’ai mon cahier d’exercices, mon sac à main et ma gomme.

When only an object is possessed by each person, the singular possessive adjective is used.Example:Les étudiants portent leur sac. = The students are carrying their bag.Nous avons notre stylo. = We have our pen.

The Demonstrative AdjectivesCe (this), cet(this), cette(this), ces(these):Ce is used for masculine noun.Cet is used for masculine noun beginning with a vowel or a silent ‘h’.Cette is used for a feminine noun when it begins with a vowel or a silent ‘h’.Ces is used for plural nouns.

Examples:J’aime ce cahier (masculine noun). = I like this exercise book.Tu regardes cet arbre (masculine noun). = You look at this tree/

You are looking at this tree.Il veut cette orange (feminine noun). = He wants this orange.Elle parle à cette dame (feminine noun). = She speaks to this woman/

She is speaking to this lady.Vous écrivez cette histoire (feminine noun). = You write this story/history/

You are writing this story/history. Nous voyons ces tables (plural feminine noun). = We see these tables/We are seeing these

tables.Lesson 7

AdverbsAdverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They are invariable. Most adverbs in French are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of adjectives.Regular forms of french Adverbs:Masculine Adjective

Feminine Adjective

Adverb English meaning (of Adverb)

Final finale finalement finallyfort forte Fortement stronglyParfait parfaite parfaitement perfectly

Complet complète complètement completelyHeureux heureuse heureusement happilyDoux douce doucement gently/SoftlyRapide rapide rapidement rapidlyFranc franche franchement frankly/really/definitely/clearlyFrais fraîche fraîchement freshlyLong longue longuement for a long time/long/

thoroughly /in depth/in detail/at length

Adverbs formed from adjectives ending in a vowel apart from mute ‘e’: add -ment to the masculine form of the adjective:French MasculineAdjective

French Adverb English Adverb

Hardi Hardiment boldlyPoli Poliment politelyVrai Vraiment trulyAbsolu Absolument absolutelyRésolu Résolument resolutelyExcept: Gai = gaîment or gaiement (gaily).

For some adjectives ending in -u in the masculine, add circumflex to the ‘-u’ when forming the adverb:Example: French Masculine Adjective

French Adverb English Adverb

Assidu Assidûment attentivelyContinu Continûment continuallyCru Crûment coarsely

Some adjectives ending in ‘e’ mute in the feminine form change the ‘e’ to ‘é’ before -ment to form the adverb:Example:Masc.Adjective FeminineAdjective Adverb EnglishAveugle Aveugle aveuglément blindlyCommode Commode commodément convenientlyCommun Commune communément commonlyConfus Confuse confusément confusinglyEnorme Enorme énormément enormouslyExquis Exquise exquisément exquisitelyImportun Importune importunément importunatelyOpportun Opportune opportunément opportunelyObscur Obscure obscurément obscurelyPrécis Précise précisément precisely

Profond Profonde profondément profoundlyUniforme Uniforme uniformément uniformly

Adjectives ending in -ant and -ent in the masculine form change ‘-ant’ to ‘-amment’ and ‘-ent’ to ‘-emment’ to form adverbs. For instance:Masculine Adjective Adverb EnglishAbondant Abondamment abundantlyBrilliant Brillament brilliantlyConstant Constamment constantlyCourant Couramment fluentlyPuissant Puissament powerfullyDecent Décemment decentlyEvident Evidemment evidentlyFréquent Fréquemment frequentlyPatient Patiemment patientlyPrudent Prudemment wisely

Irregular AdverbsMasculinAdjective Feminine Adjective Adverb EnglishBref Brève brièvement brieflyGentil Gentille gentiment nicelyImpuni Impunie impunément with impunity

Some adverbs differ from their corresponding adjectives. For example:MasculineAdjective Feminine Adjective Adverb EnglishBon Bonne Bien wellMauvais Mauvaise Mal badlyMeilleur Meilleure mieux betterPetit Petite Peu littleMoindre Moindre moins less

Some adverbs are identical to the masculine singular adjectives:MasculineAdjective FeminineAdjective Adverb EnglishBas Basse Bas lowBon Bonne Bon goodChaud Chaude chaud warmCher Chère Cher expensiveClair Claire Clair clearlyCourt Courte Court shortDur Dure Dur hardFaux Fausse Faux falseFort Forte Fort loudly, stronglyHaut Haute Haut highly, loudlyJuste Juste Juste straightMauvais Mauvaise mauvais bad

Net Nette Net clean, short

The Position of AdverbsIn simple sentences, adverbs are placed after the verbs they modify.Example:

Elle chante bien. = She sings well.

Il parle rapidement. = He speaks rapidly.

In compound tenses, short, common adverbs and some adverbs of manner are placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle. Some of these adverbs are as follows:Assez, bien, beaucoup, bientôt, déjà, encore, enfin, jamais, mal, mieux, moins, souvent, toujours, trop, vite.Examples Elle a beaucoup parlé. = He spoke a lot.Nous avons bien dormi. = We slept well.Elle a trop bu. = She drank too much.Elle est descendue enfin. = She has descended at last.

Adverbs of place and certain adverbs of time such as ‘hier, aujourd’hui, demain, avant-hier, après demain, autrefois, tard’ and adverbs ending in ‘-ment’ usually follow the past participle. E.g.Elle a voyagé partout. = She has travelled/She travelled.Elle est arrivée hier. = She has arrived yesterday/She arrived yesterday.Il est parti tard. = He left late.On l’a rencontré là-bas. = I/You/We saw her/him there.Elle a compris facilement. = She has understood easily/She understood easily.

The adverb that modifies an infinitive can be placed before or after it.Example:Je voudrais toujours garder mon sang-froid.= I would always like to keep my calmeness/composure/self-control.

Je voudrais garder toujours mon sang-froid.= I would like to always keep my calmness/composure/self-control.

Some adverbs may appear at the beginning of the sentence.Example:

Finalement, elle est arrivée. = Finally, she has arrived/she arrived.Elle est arrivée, finalement. = She has arrived/she arrived finally.Heureusement, il l’a bien fait = Happily, he has done well/he did well.Il l’a bien fait, heureusement. = He has done well/he did well, happily.

Many adverbs of time may appear at the beginning of a sentence.E.g.Enfin, il a fini. = Finally, he has finished/he finished.Aujourd’hui nous irons au cinéma. = Today, we will go to the cinema.

Demain nous partirons. = Tomorrow, we will leave.Lesson 8aVerb (Simple Present Tense)Example from first group verbs

Parler (to talk, to speak)Je parle francais (I speak french)Tu parles anglais (You speak English)Il parle haousa (He speaks hausa)Nous parlons Igbo (We speak Igbo)Vous parlez allemand (You speak German)Ils parlent ruse (They speak Russian)

Ecouter (to listen)J’écoute la radio (I listen to radio)Tu écoutes le professeur (You listen to the teacher)Il écoute la chanson (He listens to the song)Nous écoutons le programme (We listen to the programme)Vous écoutez l’arbitre (You listen to the referee)Ils écoutent le président (They listen to the president)

Teachers should use some first group verbs like manger, marcher, regarder, travailler, commencer, habiter, acheter etc conjugate and form sentences with them. Also, put the sentences in the negative using ne…pas

Example from second group verbsfinir (to finish)Je finis mon devoir (I finish my assignment)Tu finis la lessive (You finish washing)Elle finit l’inscription (She finishes)Nous finissons (We finish)Vous finissez (You finish)Elles finissent (They finish)

Je choisis le bic (I choose the pen)Tu choisis la chemise (You choose the shirt)Il choisit le foot (He chooses football)Nous choisissons les jupes noires (We choose the black skirts)Vous choisissez la belle fille (You choose the beautiful girl)Ils choisissent (They choose)

Teachers should use some second group verbs like refléchir, ralentir, remplir, réussir etc conjugate and form sentences with them. Also, put the sentences in the negative using ne…pas

Example from Third group verbsLire (to read)Je lis mon livre (I read my textbook)Tu lis le cahier de français (You read the french notebook)Il lit le journal (He reads newspaper)Nous lisons le roman (We read the novel)Vous lisez la Bible/le Koran (You read the Bible/Quran)Ils lisent leur cahiers (They read their notebooks)

Teachers should use some second group verbs like écrire, dire, faire, vouloir, pouvoir etc conjugate and form sentences with them. Also, put the sentences in the negative using ne…pas.

Lesson 8bLe Passé Composé(past tense) The past or perfect tense is used to indicate a past action in conversation, letter writing or accounts of recent happenings. In order to form the perfect tense, the auxiliary verbs ‘to have’ and ‘to be’ are used while the past participle remains unchanged except only in cases where it is preceded by a direct object. However, verbs conjugated with the auxiliary verb ‘être’ must agree in person and gender with the subject of the sentence.

First group Verbparler (to speak):J’ai parlé anglais. (I spoke English.) Tu as parlé français. (You spoke French.)Il a parlé haoussa. (He spoke Hausa.)Nous avons parlé igbo. (We spoke Igbo.)Vous avez parlé yorouba. (You spoke Yoruba.)Ils ont parlé arabe. (They spoke Arabic.)

J’ai parlé la langue anglaise. (I have spoken the English language.)Tu as parlé la langue française. (You have spoken the French language.)Il a parlé la langue haoussa. (He has spoken the Hausa language.)Nous avons parlé la langue igbo. (We have spoken the Igbo language.)Vous avez parlé la langue yorouba. (You have spoken the Yoruba language.)Ils ont parlé la langue arabe. (They have spoken the Arabic language.)

Teachers should use other verbs like saluer, donner, baigner etc in passé composé and put them in the negative sentences.Second group verbmentir(to tell a lie, to lie)J’ai menti. (I have told a lie or I told a lie or I did tell a lie.)Tu as menti. (You have told a lie or You told a lie or You did tell a lie.)Il/Elle/On a menti. (He/She/One has told a lie or He told a lie or He did tell a lie.)Nous avons menti. (We have told a lie or We told a lie or We did tell a lie.)Vous avez menti. (You have told a lie or You told a lie or You did tell a lie.)

Ils/Elles ont menti. (They have told a lie or They told a lie or They did tell a lie.)

Teachers should use other verbs like finir, obeir, sourire, rire etc in passé composé and put them in the negative sentences.

Third group verbLire - to readJ’ai lu (I have read)Tu as lu (You have read)Il//Elle a lu (He/She has read)Nous avons lu (We have read)Vous avez lu (You have read)Ils/Elles ont lu (They have read)

Teachers should use other verbs like entendre, répondre, élir, produire etc in passé composé and put them in the negative sentences.

More examples on passé composéJ’ai regardé la télévision. (I have watched television.) Tu as écrit une lettre. (You have written a letter.)Elles ont lu le livre. (They have read the book.) Nous avons mangé du riz (We have eaten some rice.) Les filles ont vu leurs amies. (The girls have seen their friends.)

Verbs conjugated with ‘être’ in passé composé : venir(to come) (i.e., a verb of motion):

French EnglishJe suis venu(e) (I came/I have come/I did come) Tu es venu(e) (You came/You have come/You did come.) Il est venu (He came/He has come/He did come) Elle est venue (fem./sg.) (She came/She has come/She did come) Nous sommes venu(e)s (We came/We have come/We did come) Vous êtes venu(e)s (You came/You have come/You did come)Ils sont venus (They came/They have come/They did come)Elles sont venues(fem./pl.) (They came/They have come/They did come)

ii) se laver(to wash oneself) (i.e. a reflexive verb):Je me suis lavé(e) (I washed myself/I have washed myself/I did wash myself) Tu t’es lavé(e) (You washed yourself/You have washed yourself.) Il s’est lavé (He washed himself/He has washed himself/He did wash himself) Elle s’est lavée (She washed herself/She has washed herself/She did wash herself) Nous nous sommes lavé(e)s (We washed ourselves/We have washed ourselves) Vous vous êtes lavé(e)s (You washed yourselves/You did wash yourselves) Ils se sont lavés (They washed themselves/They have washed themselves –masc.)

Elles se sont lavées. (They washed themselves/They did wash themselves – fem.)

The following are some examples of the use of the Perfect tense of the verbs conjugated with ‘être’. Please note that in French, the past participles of these types of verbs must always agree with their subjects in person, number, and gender, as indicated in French by the underlined agreeing letters or vowels in the French verbs below:Elle est arrivée hier. (She arrived yesterday. – fem./sing.) Ils sont déjà partis. (They have already left. – masc./plur.) Nous sommes déjà retournés. (We have already returned. – masc./plur.) J’y suis allé(e) avant-hier. (I went there the day before yesterday. –

masc./fem./sing.) Ils se sont lavés. (They have washed themselves – masc./plur.) Elles se sont aussi lavées. (They have also washed themselves – fem./plur.)

Lesson 8cFuture Simple(The Future tense)Le Futur Simple

As the name implies, the future tense is used in both English and French to express an action or a state of being which will take place sometime in the future. In English, however, to give the idea of future action, we have to bring in another separate word ‘shall’ for the personal pronouns I and We, and ‘will’ for other persons. But in French, the Future tense is expressed in one word. For example, the French ‘je parlerai’ translates ‘I shall speak’ in English, while ‘il parlera’ means ‘he will speak’.

The formation of the French Future tense is very simple. All we need to do is just to put the following terminations at the end of the infinitive form of the verb:

-ai-as-a-ons-ez-ont.

manger(to eat):Je mangerai du poisson (I shall eat fish)Tu mangeras des bananes (You will eat bananas)Il manger du pain (He will eat bread)Nous mangerons le petit-dejeuner (We shall eat breakfast)Vous mangerez du riz au poulet (You will eat rice with chicken)Ils mangeront des fromages (They will eat chesses)

se lever (to stand up):Je me lèverai à 8 heures (I shall stand up at 8 o’clock)Tu te lèveras très tôt (You will stand up very early)Elle se lèvera plus tard (She will stand up later)

Nous nous lèverons (We shall stand up)Vous vous lèverez (You will stand up)Elles se lèveront (They will stand up)

The second one is when we want to talk about the near future. In that case, one can use the verb ‘aller’ (to go). For instance: i) Je vais manger du riz. (I am going to eat rice.)ii) Je vais parler anglais. (I am going to speak English.)iii) Je vais voyager à Lagos demain. (I am going to travel to Lagos tomorrow.)iv) Nous allons écouter la radio. (We shall listen to the radio.)v) Nous allons nous asseoir. (We are going to sit down.)vi) Il va dire la vérité. (He is going to tell the truth.)vii) Il va me dire la vérité. (He is going to tell me the truth.)viii) Nous allons apprendre le français. (We are going to learn French.)

ImperativeThe Imperative is used to express commands, prohibitions, exhortations or mere wishes. However, it is important to note that a command can be given to three sets of people, namely, Second Person singular, First Person plural, and Second Person plural.

parler (to speak, to talk): je parle (I speak) Imperative:tu parles (you speak) Parle! (Speak!)il/elle parle (he/she speaks)nous parlons (we speak) Parlons! (Let us speak!)vous parlez (you speak) Parlez! (Speak!)ils/elles parlent (they speak)

choisir (to choose):

je choisis (I choose)tu choisis (you choose) Choisis! (Choose!)il/elle choisit (he/she chooses)nous choisissons (we choose) Choisissons! (Let us choose!)vous choisissez (you choose) Choisissez! (Choose!)ils/elles choisissent (they choose)

attendre (to wait, to wait for):j’attends (I wait)tu attends (you wait) Attends! (Wait!)il/elle attend (he/she waits)nous attendons (we wait) Attendons! (Let us wait!)vous attendez (you wait) Attendez! (Wait!)ils/elles attendent (they wait)

It would be observed that all the three verbs conjugated above are regular verbs. And as far as giving an order is concerned, we can give an order to three sets of people. We can give an order to a second person ‘ you’ (singular), we can give an order to ourselves, and we can give an order to ‘you’ (plural), e.g. Talk!, Let us talk!, and Talk! Respectively, as can be seen on the column at the right hand side above. Nevertheless, the imperative is not restricted to regular verbs alone. The irregular verbs also have their own forms of the imperative. Let us take a few examples of them:

être (to be): Sois (Be); Soyons (Let us be); Soyez (Be)avoir (to have): Aie (Have); Ayons (Let us have); Ayez (Have)savoir (to know): Sache (know); Sachons (Let us know); Sachez (Know)boire (to drink): Bois (Drink); Buvons (Let us drink); Buvez (Drink)

It would also be observed that (except for the sake of emphasis) the Imperative makes no use of the subject pronouns ‘ you’, ‘ we’, and ‘ you’, and this is true for both English and French. It is important to note here that the ‘-s’ of the stem of the Second Person singular vanishes in the Imperative of all the regular ‘-er’ verbs (including ‘aller’ which is an irregular verb), e.g. parle, donne, mange, etc. instead of: parles, donnes, manges of the present tense with ‘Tu’. Let us now conjugate the irregular verb ‘aller’ in relation to what we have just said:

aller (to go): Imperative:

je vais (I go)tu vas (you go) Va! (Go!)il/elle va (he/she goes)nous allons (we go) Allons! (Let us go!)vous allez (you go) Allez! (Go!)ils/elles vont (they go)

With regard to this irregular verb ‘aller’, the ‘s’ resurfaces in the second person singular when we want to express something like: Go on! Let us go on! and Go on! which in French are expressed as follows: Vas-y! Allons-y! and Allez-y! Respectively. Furthermore, the reflexive verbs themselves are not left out in the formation of the imperative mood. Consequently, it will be fruitful here for us to have a look at the conjugation of one of these verbs in the present tense which serves as a basis for the formation of the Imperative:

s’asseoir (to sit oneself down): Imperative:je m’assieds (I sit down)tu t’assieds (you sit down) Assieds-toi! (Sit down!)il/elle s’assied (he/she sits down)nous nous asseyons (we sit down) Asseyons-nous! (Let us sit down!)vous vous asseyez (you sit down) Asseyez-vous! (Sit down!)ils/elles s’asseyent (they sit down)

However, it is not impossible to hear something like: qu’ils s’asseyent (let them sit down), qu’elles partent (let them leave), qu’elle s’asseye (let her sit down), qu’il s’asseye? (may he sit down?), que je m’asseye? (may I sit down?), que nous nous asseyions? (may we sit

down?), and so on. Nevertheless, this usage belongs to a different mood entirely, namely, the subjunctive mood. Now, let’s take a few more examples of the imperative to clearly show its use in French:

Parle français ! (Speak French.)Parlons français! (Let us speak French.)Parlez français! (Speak French.)Finis ton devoir! (Finish your homework.) Finissons notre devoir! (Let us finish our homework.)Finissez votre devoir. (Finish your homework.)Attends un peu! (Wait a little.)Attendons un peu! . (Let us wait a little.)Attendez un peu! (Wait a little.)

Va à l’école! (Go to the school.)Allons à la librairie! (Let us go to the bookshop.)Allez au marché! (Go to the market.)

Sois calme! (Be calm.)Soyons gentils! (Let us be kind.)Soyez heureux! (Be happy.)Aie pitié de moi! (Have pity on me.)Ayons pitié de lui! (Let us have pity on him/her.)Ayez pitié de nous! (Have pity on us.)

Regarde Paul! (Look at Paul.)Regarde-le. (Look at him.)Regarde l’homme. (Look at the man.)Regarde-le. (Look at him.)Regarde Marie. (Look at Mary.)Regarde la dame. (Look at the lady.)

Regarde-la. (Look at her.) Regarde ce livre. (Look at this book.)Regarde-le. (Look at it.)Regardons la photo. (Let us look at the photo.)Regardons-la. (Let us look at it.)Regardez ces photographies. (Look at these photographs.)Regardez-les. (Look at them.)Regardez-les très bien. (Look at them very well.)Fermez la porte. (Close the door.)Fermez-la. (Close it.)

Donnez-moi le crayon. (Give me the pencil.)Donnez-le-moi. (Give it to me.) Donnons-lui la moto. (Let us give him the motor-cycle.)Donnons-la-lui. (Let’s give it to him.)

Donnez le cahier à Marie. (Give the exercise book to Mary.)Donnez le cahier à elle. (Give the exercise book to her.) Donnez-lui le cahier. (Give her the exercise book.)Donnez-le à elle. (Give it to her.)Donnez-le-lui. (Give it to her.)Donne l’argent à eux. (Give the money to them.)Donne-le à eux. (Give it to them.)Donne-le-leur. (Give it to them.)Donnons les livres à elles. (Let us give the books to them.)Donnons-les à elles. (Let us give them to them.)Donnons-les-leur. (Let us give them to them.)Donnez-nous des pommes. (Give us some apples.)Donnez-nous-en. (Give us some.)Donnons-lui du pain. (Let us give her some bread.)Donnons-lui-en. (Let’s give her some.)Donne-leur de la salade. (Give them some salad.)Donne-leur-en. (Give them some.)

Assieds-toi. (Sit down.)Asseyons-nous ici. (Let us sit down here.)Asseyez-vous là-bas. (Sit down over there.)Asseyez-vous là. (Sit down there.) On account of the importance of the imperative, I feel it is essential for us here to consider yet another verb. This time around, it is another reflexive verb, but one with some difference. The verb is:

s’en aller (to go away or to leave):Imperative:

je m’en vais (I go away)tu t’en vas (you go away) Va-t’en! (Go away!)il/elle s’en va (he/she goes away)nous nous en allons (we go away) Allons-nous-en! (Let us go away!)vous vous en allez (you go away) Allez-vous-en! (Go away!)ils/elles s’en vont (they go away)

The Imperative NegativeHowever, as we have seen some examples of the imperative in the positive form, it now

behoves us to see them also in the negative form. The negative imperative is very easy to form in French: just use ne … pas. In other words, we put ne before the imperative form of the verb and pas after it,e.g. ‘ne parle pas (Don’t talk). More examples are as follows:

Ne parle pas. (Don’t talk.)Ne parle pas anglais. (Don’t speak English.)Ne parlons pas anglais. (Let us not speak English.)Ne parlez pas anglais. (Don’t speak English.)

Ne finis pas ta tâche. (Don’t finish your task.)Ne finissons pas notre tâche. (Don’t let us finish our job.)Ne finissez pas votre tâche. (Don’t finish your job.)

N’attends pas ton ami(e). (Don’t wait for your friend.)N’attendons pas notre frère. (Let us not wait for our brother.)N’attendez pas vos sœurs. (Don’t wait for your sisters.)Ne les attendez pas. (Don’t wait for them.)

Ne va pas à l’école. (Don’t go to school.)N’y va pas. (Don’t go there.)N’allons pas à la bibliothèque. (Let us not go to the library.)N’y allons pas. (Don’t let us go there.)Ne regarde pas l’homme. (Don’t look at the man.)Ne le regarde pas. (Do not look at him.)Ne regardons pas la photo. (Don’t let us look at the photo.)Ne la regardons pas. (Don’t let us look at it.)Ne fermez pas la porte. (Don’t shut the door.)Ne la fermez pas. (Don’t shut it.)Ne donne pas le livre à Paul. (Don’t give the book to Paul.)Ne donne pas le livre à lui. (Don’t give the book to him.)Ne lui donne pas le livre. (Don’t give him the book.)Ne le lui donne pas. (Don’t give it to him.)Ne lui donnons pas les cahiers. (Let us not give her the exercise books.)Ne les lui donnons pas. (Don’t let us give them to her.)Ne me donnez pas le crayon. (Don’t give me the pencil.)Ne donnez pas le crayon à moi. (Don’t give the pencil to me.)Ne me le donnez pas. (Don’t give it to me.)Ne donne pas l’argent à eux. (Don’t give the money to them.)Ne leur donne pas l’argent. (Don’t give them the money.)Ne le leur donne pas. (Don’t give it to them.)Ne donnez pas les cahiers à elles. (Don’t give the note books to them.)Ne leur donnez pas les cahiers. (Don’t give them the note books.)Ne les leur donnez pas. (Don.t give them to them.)

Ne nous donnez pas de pommes. (Don’t give us apples.)Ne nous en donnez pas. (Don’t give us any.)Ne lui donnons pas de pain. (Don’t let us give him bread.)Ne lui en donnons pas. (Don’t let us give him any.)Ne leur donne pas de salade. (Don’t give them salad.)Ne leur en donne pas. (Don’t give them any.)

Ne t’assieds pas. (Don’t sit down.)Ne t’assieds pas là. (Don’t sit down there.)Ne nous asseyons pas ici. (Let us not sit down here,)Ne vous asseyez pas. (Don’t sit down.)

Ne t’en vas pas! (Don’t go away!)Ne nous en allons pas! (Don’t let us go away!)Ne vous en allez pas! (Don’t go away!)

Now that we have known the First Person singular and plural as well as the First Person plural forms of the Imperative, let us also learn the Imperative of Reflexive verbs. Consider the following examples:

se lever (to stand up):Present tense ImperativJe me lève (I stand up) ––Tu te lèves (You stand up) Lève-toi! (Stand up!)Il/Elle se lève (He/She stansd up) ––Nous nous levons (We stand up) Levons-nous! (Let us stand up!)Vous vous levez (You stand up) Levez-vous! (Stand up!)Ils/Elles se lèvent (They stand up) ––se laver (to wash oneself):

Present tense Imperative Je me lave (I wash myself) –– Tu te laves (You wash yourself) Lave-toi! (Wash yourself!) Il/Elle se lave (He/She washes him/herself) –– Nous nous lavons (We wash ourselves) Lavons-nous! (Let us wash

ourselves!) Vous vous lavez (You wash yourselves) Lavez-vous! (Wash yourselves!) Ils/Elles se lavent (They wash themselves) ––

s’asseoir (to sit down):Present tense ImperativeJe m’assieds (I am sitting down) ––Tu t’assieds (You are sitting down) Assieds-toi! (Sit down!)Il/Elle s’assied (He/She is sitting down) ––Nous nous asseyons (We are sitting down) Asseyons-nous! (Let us be seated!)Vous vous asseyez (You are sitting down) Asseyez-vous! (Sit down!)Ils/Elles s’asseyent (They are sitting down) ––

Having learnt the positive Imperative, let us now also learn its Negative forms. Consider the following examples:

s’asseoir (to sit down):Positive NegativeAssieds-toi! (Sit down!) Ne t’assieds pas! (Don’t sit down!)Asseyons-nous! (Let us be seated!) Ne nous asseyons pas! (Don’t let us be

seated!)Asseyez-vous! (Sit down!) Ne vous asseyez pas! (Don’t sit down!)

se lever (to get up):Positive NegativeLève-toi! (Stand up!) Ne te lève pas! (Don’t stand up!)Levons-nous! (Let us stand up!) Ne nous levons pas! (Don’t let us stand up!)Levez-vous! (Stand up!) Ne vous levez pas! (Don’t stand up!)

se laver (to wash oneself):Positive NegativeLave-toi! (Wash yourself!) Ne te lave pas! (Don’t wash yourself!)Lavons-nous! (Let us wash ourselves!) Ne nous lavons pas! (Let us not wash

ourselves!)Lavez-vous! (Wash yourselves!) Ne vous lavez pas!(Don’t wash yourselves!)

finir (to finish):Positive NegativeFinis! (Finish!) Ne finis pas! (Don’t finish!)Finissons! (Let us finish!) Ne finissons pas! (Don’t let us finish!)Finissez! (Finish!) Ne finissez pas! (Don’t finish!)

Lesson 9L’ImparfaitAll you need to do is just to add the Imperfect termination to the stem or radical of the present indicative form of the first person plural. For example, ‘Nous donnons’ leaves us with ‘donn-‘ after removing the first person plural ending ‘-ons’ of the verb. In like manner, ‘Nous finissons’ leaves us with ‘finiss-’ after removing the ‘-ons’ ending of the first person plural tense of the verb. It is to this remaining stem that we now add the Imperfect termination. The only exception to this rule that readily comes to mind is the verb ‘être’. Therefore, the Imperfect terminations are as follows:

-ais-ais-ait-ions-iez-aient

Examples:parler (to speak, to talk):Je parlais (I was speaking or I used to speak)Tu parlais (You were speaking or You used to speak)Il/Elle/On parlait (He/She/One was speaking or He/She/One used to speak)Nous parlions (We were speaking or We used to speak)Vous parliez (You were speaking or You used to speak)Ils parlaient (They were speaking or They used to speak)

finir (to finish):Je finissais (I was finishing or I used to finish)Tu finissais (You were finishing or You used to finish)Il/Elle/On finissait (He/She/One was finishing or He/She/One used to finish)Nous finissions (We were finishing or We used to finish) Vous finissiez (You were finishing or You used to finish)Ils/Elles finissaient (They were finishing or They used to finish)

vendre (to sell):Je vendais (I was selling or I used to sell)Tu vendais (You were selling or You used to sell)Il/Elle/On vendait (He/She/One was selling or He/She/One used to sell)Nous vendions (We were selling or We used to sell)Vous vendiez (You were selling or You used to sell)Ils/Elles vendaient (They were selling or They used to sell.)

On account of the difficulties that students of French encounter in the formation of this tense, particularly with regard to the ‘-ir’ verbs, we shall elaborate what we have just said before. It should be noted that the second group of verbs, i.e. those ending in ‘-ir’ behave somewhat differently from the other groups in the formation of the imperfect tense in French. The rule here, as said before, is to use the present tense of the verb ‘finir’, for instance, and then go to the ‘ Nous’ form of it, i.e. Nous finissons. It is the stem or radical of this conjugation to which we now add the Imperfect endings or terminations. For example, the imperfect stem of the verb ‘choisir’ will be ‘choisiss-’ because the present tense of the verb is ‘ Nous choisissons’. This is applicable to all the regular ‘-ir’ verbs whose present indicative stems end in ‘-iss-’. However, it is important to note that it is not all the verbs that end in ‘-ir’ that belong to the second group of verbs. For instance, verbs like ‘mentir’, ‘partir’, tenir, etc. are those belonging, not to the second group, but to the third group of verbs. For instance, the imperfect stem of the verbs ‘mentir’, ‘partir’, and ‘tenir’ will be ‘ment-’, ‘part-’, and ‘ten-’ respectively because we say: ‘Nous mentons’, ‘Nous partons’, and ‘Nous tenons’ in the present tense. The following is the conjugation of three of the ‘-ir’ verbs that belong to the third group of verbs:

mentir (to tell a lie, to lie):Je mentais (I was lying or I used to tell a lie)Tu mentais (You were lying or You used to lie) Il/Elle/On mentait (He/She/One was lying or He/She/One used to lie)Nous mentions (We were lying or We used to lie)Vous mentiez (You were lying or You used to tell a lie)Ils/Elles mentaient (They were lying or They used to lie)

sentir(to feel):Je sentais (I was feeling or I used to feel…)Tu sentais (You were feeling or You used to feel…)Il/Elle/On sentait (He/She/One was feeling…)Nous sentions (We were feeling…)Vous sentiez (You were feeling…)

Ils/Elles sentaient (They were feeling…)

accueillir(to welcome, to collect):J’accueillais (I used to welcome…)Tu accueillais (You used to welcome…)Il/Elle/On accueillait (He/She/One used to welcome…)Nous accueillions (We used to welcome…)Vous accueilliez (You used to welcome…)Ils/Elles accueillaient (They used to welcome…)

On account of the importance of this tense in French, we shall now give the imperfect forms of more verbs. It is important to note, however, that as far as the first and third groups of verbs are concerned, the formation of their imperfect tenses is as explained earlier on. In other words, we use the ‘Nous’ form of the verb in the present tense, remove the present stem of the conjugation and then add the imperfect terminations. As further examples, the conjugations of three second group ‘-ir’ regular verbs are as follows:

choisir (to choose):Je choisissais (I was feeling or I used to feel…)Tu choisissais (You were feeling)Il/Elle choisissait (He/She was feeling)Nous choisissions (We were feeling)Vous choisissiez (You were feeling)Ils/Elles choisissaient (They were feeling)

obéir (to obey):J’obéissais (I was obeying or I used to obey)Tu obéissais (You used to obey)Il/Elle/On obéissait (He/She was obeying)Nous obéissions (We used to obey)Vous obéissiez (You used to obey)Ils/Elles obéissaient (They were obeying)

réfléchir (to think, to meditate, to reflect):Je réfléchissais (I was meditating or I used to meditate)Tu réfléchissais (You used to meditate)Il/Elle réfléchissait (He/She was meditating)Nous réfléchissions (We used to meditate)Vous réfléchissiez (You used to meditate)Ils/Elles réfléchissaient (They were meditating)