6.Fourth exception.The seven following, ending inail, change this intoaux, as:
N. B.--Peculiar are bétail,cattle, which makesbestiaux, and ail,garlic, which makesaulx.
7.Fifth exception.Those ending inalchange this intoaux, as:
N. B.--Bal,ball; carnaval,carnival; régal,a treat, takes.
8. Ciel, oeil, aïeul, have two plurals, as:
§ 6.Plural of Compound Nouns.
1. When two nouns form a compound, both take the plural ending, as:
2. When two nouns are connected by a preposition, the first only takes the plural ending, as:
N. B.--Peculiar are tête-à-tête,private interview, and pied-à-terre,temporary stopping-place, which are invariable.
3. A noun and adjective forming a compound take both the plural ending, as:
basse-cour, basses-cours,poultry-yard,poultry-yards.porte-cochère, portes-cochères,carriage entrance,carriage entrances.
basse-cour, basses-cours,poultry-yard,poultry-yards.porte-cochère, portes-cochères,carriage entrance,carriage entrances.
basse-cour, basses-cours,poultry-yard,poultry-yards.
porte-cochère, portes-cochères,carriage entrance,carriage entrances.
N. B.--Peculiar are:
grand'mère, grand'mères,grandmother,grandmothers.grand'messe, grand'messes,high mass,high masses.monsieur, messieurs,mister,sir,gentlemen.madame, mesdames,madam,ladies.mademoiselle, mesdemoiselles,miss,young ladies.
grand'mère, grand'mères,grandmother,grandmothers.grand'messe, grand'messes,high mass,high masses.monsieur, messieurs,mister,sir,gentlemen.madame, mesdames,madam,ladies.mademoiselle, mesdemoiselles,miss,young ladies.
grand'mère, grand'mères,grandmother,grandmothers.
grand'messe, grand'messes,high mass,high masses.
monsieur, messieurs,mister,sir,gentlemen.
madame, mesdames,madam,ladies.
mademoiselle, mesdemoiselles,miss,young ladies.
4. When a compound is formed of a noun joined to either a verb, a preposition, or an adverb, then the noun alone takes the sign of the plural--provided, however, it conveys the idea of plurality, as:
passe-port, passe-ports,passport,passports.avant-garde, avant-gardes,vanguard,vanguards.contre-maître, contre-maîtres,foreman,foremen.
passe-port, passe-ports,passport,passports.avant-garde, avant-gardes,vanguard,vanguards.contre-maître, contre-maîtres,foreman,foremen.
passe-port, passe-ports,passport,passports.
avant-garde, avant-gardes,vanguard,vanguards.
contre-maître, contre-maîtres,foreman,foremen.
5. Of the following compounds the nouns takesin both numbers, because they suggest plurality, as:
6. Compounds made of invariables, of course, do not change, as:
§ 7.Nouns having no Plural.
1. Such are the metals, as:
2. Abstract terms, as:
3. Adjectives used substantively, as:
§ 8.Nouns having no Singular.
§ 9.Proper Names.
1. These are used invariable, as:
2. When, however, we speak of famous men as a class, then the plural form is used, as:
§ 10.The Article.
1. The French fortheisle(masculine) andla(feminine), singular; for the plural of both genders it isles, as:
2. Before words beginning with a vowel or silenththeeofleandaoflaare dropped, as:
§ 11.Schemes of Declensions.
1. Before a consonant:
Singular.
Plural.
2. Before a vowel or silenthof both genders:
Nom. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.Gen. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,of the uncle, wife, guest.Dat. à l'oncle, à l'épouse, à l'hôte,to uncle, wife, guest.Acc. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.Abl. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,from the uncle, wife, guest.
Nom. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.Gen. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,of the uncle, wife, guest.Dat. à l'oncle, à l'épouse, à l'hôte,to uncle, wife, guest.Acc. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.Abl. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,from the uncle, wife, guest.
Nom. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.
Gen. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,of the uncle, wife, guest.
Dat. à l'oncle, à l'épouse, à l'hôte,to uncle, wife, guest.
Acc. l'oncle, l'épouse, l'hôte,the uncle, wife, guest.
Abl. de l'oncle, de l'épouse, de l'hôte,from the uncle, wife, guest.
The plural same as above.
3. The English indefinite articleaoranis rendered byun, masculine, andune, feminine. Declined in the two genders it stands thus:
§ 12.The Partitive Article.
This article is used when in English we wish to express a part of anything, indicating it bysomeorany. The following presentation will show that the article expressing this is analogous with the genitive in both numbers:
Observation.--Some, in the sense ofa certainone, must be rendered in accordance with this meaning, as: une certaine femme,some woman=a certain woman. In the plural we may say: des femmes,some women.
§ 13.Gender and Number of Adjectives.
The adjective varies its termination to accord with the gender and number of the noun it qualifies, as:
§ 14.Formation of the Feminine of Adjectives.
1. Adjectives ending with a silenteremain unchanged in the feminine, as:
Un frère
aimable
.
Une soeur
aimable
.
2. Adjectives which do not end with a silenteappend one, as:
Un fils
obéissant
.
Une fille
obéissante
.
3. Exceptions.
Masc.Fem.{el} {elle, as: tel = telle,such.{eil} {eille, " pareil = pareille,like.{en} {enne, " ancien = ancienne,ancient.Adjectives {et} change these {ette, " muet = muette,mute.ending in {on} terminations into {onne, " bon = bonne,good.{f} {ve, " neuf = neuve,new.{s} {sse, " gras = grasse,fat.{x} {se, " heureux = heureuse,happy.
Mauvais,bad; niais,silly; ras,close shorn, follow the general rule and takee; therefore mauvaise, niaise, rase.
4. Note the peculiar changes of the following:
5. Participial adjectives inant, when changing this termination intoeur, turn in this stage their finalrintose, as:
6. Peculiar ineur, used both adjectively and substantively, are:
7. Those inteur, identical with the Latin endingtor, maketrice, as:
8. The following adhere to the general rule of takinge:
9. Nouns used also adjectively, indicating occupations chiefly exercised by men, are alike in the masculine and the feminine, as:
10. The following have two forms for their masculine:
Masculine.Feminine.1. Before a consonant. 2. Before a vowel orhmute.beau, bel. belle,beautiful.fou, fol. folle,foolish.mou, mol. molle,soft.nouveau, nouvel, nouvelle,new.vieux, vieil. vieille,old.
11. Without any feminine are:
§ 15.Formation of the Plural of the Adjective.
1. The adjective, in its forms of masculine and feminine, comes under the general s rule of the noun, as:
Masculine.Feminine.Singular.Plural.Singular.Plural.franc, francs. franche, franches,free.long, longs. longue, longues,long.
2. Except those ending in their masculine form insorx, which remain unchanged, as:
3. Those whose termination iseauappendxin the plural, as:
4. Those ending inalchange this intoaux, as:
5. N. B.--The following, though ending inal, come under the general rule:
§ 16.Comparison.
1. Examples will best show this feature of the language.
Aussi ... que ...,as ... as ...,as much ... as ...; si ... que ...,as ... as ...; autant ... que ..., tant ... que ...,as much ... as ...,so much ... as ...
Equality.
With Adj.Je suisaussigrandquevous. Il estsidiligentqu'ilréuissira. Cette qualité estaussiestimablequerare. Cette qualité est estimableautant querare.
With Part.Nous sommes aussi bons,aussiaiméesquevous. Rien ne m'atantflattéquecette nouvelle.
With Adv.Il litaussipeuquevous. Il litsipeu!
With Noun.J'aime mon frèreautant quema soeur.
Inferiority.
2. Moins ... que ...less ... than ...
Vous êtesmoinspauvrequemoi. Je ne suis passipauvre que vous.
Note carefully these sentences: Il est moins habile que je ne pensais,he is less skillful than I thought. Il n'est pas moins habile que je pensais,he is not less skillful than I thought.
Superiority.
3. Plus ... que ...more ... than ...; davantage,more so.
La paresse estplusdangereusequela vanité,idleness is more dangerous than vanity. La vanité est dangereuse, la paressedavantage.Vanity is dangerous, idleness more so.
4.With Nouns only.Plus de ... que ...,more ... than; tant de ... autant de ... que ...,as much, as many ... as ...; tout autant de ... que ...quite as much, as many ... as ...pas autant de ... que ...,not as muchoras many ... as ...; moins de ... que ...,less, fewer ... than ...
J'aiplus delivresquevous. Vous avez reçuautant delettresquemoi. Les Etats-Unis n'ont pastant desoldatsquela France. J'aitout autant decelui-ciquede celui-là.I have as much of this as of that.Il n'a pasautant dechevauxquede chiens. New York amoins d'habitantsqueParis.
Superlative.
5. Le plus ...the most ...; le moins ...the least ...
Jean estle plusappliqué de mes élèves,John is the most diligent of my pupils. Quelle estla moinsdifficile de vos leçons?Which one is the least difficult of your lessons?
§ 17.Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives.
1. Adjectives:
bon, meilleur, le meilleur,good,better,the best.mauvais, pire, le pire,bad,worse,the worst.petit, moindre, le moindre,little,less,the least.
bon, meilleur, le meilleur,good,better,the best.mauvais, pire, le pire,bad,worse,the worst.petit, moindre, le moindre,little,less,the least.
bon, meilleur, le meilleur,good,better,the best.
mauvais, pire, le pire,bad,worse,the worst.
petit, moindre, le moindre,little,less,the least.
Ce vin estbon, le vôtre estmeilleur, mais le mien estle meilleur. Jean estmauvais, Jules estpire, mais Robert estle pirede l'école,orJean estmauvais, Jules estplus mauvais, mais Robert estle plus mauvaisde l'école. De deux maux il faut éviterle pire,of two evils avoid the worst. Ce n'est pas êtrepetitque d'êtremoindrequ'un grand.Being less great is not being small.On ne sentait pasle moindrevent,not the least wind was felt.
2. Adverbs:
bien, mieux, le mieux,well,better,best.mal, pis, le pis,bad,worse,worst.peu, moins, le moins,little,less,least.beaucoup, plus, le plus,much,more,most.
bien, mieux, le mieux,well,better,best.mal, pis, le pis,bad,worse,worst.peu, moins, le moins,little,less,least.beaucoup, plus, le plus,much,more,most.
bien, mieux, le mieux,well,better,best.
mal, pis, le pis,bad,worse,worst.
peu, moins, le moins,little,less,least.
beaucoup, plus, le plus,much,more,most.
Albert écritbien, Gustave écritmieux, mais Jacques écritle mieux. Thérèse litmal, sa soeur lit encorepis(or plus mal), et leur frère litle plus mal. Mon père apeuvoyagé; moi j'ai encoremoinsvoyagé, mais ma mère ale moinsvoyagé de toute notre famille.
§ 18.Demonstrative Adjectives.
Singular.
1.Masculine.--Ce,thisorthat, placedbefore a word beginning with a consonant. Cet,thisorthat, placedbefore a word beginning with a vowel orhmute.Feminine.--Cette,thisorthat.
Plural.
Ces,theseorthose, for both genders.
2. N. B.--In special designationsciandlàare placed after the noun, as:
§ 19.Possessive Adjectives.
1. These are always joined to a noun, and agree with the thing possessed.
2. Before feminine nouns beginning with a vowel, or such as begin withhmute,mon,ton,sonare used instead ofma,ta,sa, as:
Feminine Nouns.
mon (notma) armoire,my wardrobe.ton (notta) ardoise,thy slate.son (notsa) école,hisorher school.
mon (notma) armoire,my wardrobe.ton (notta) ardoise,thy slate.son (notsa) école,hisorher school.
mon (notma) armoire,my wardrobe.
ton (notta) ardoise,thy slate.
son (notsa) école,hisorher school.
3. The possessive adjectives must be repeated before every noun. Mon père, ma mère, et ma soeur sont arrivés,my father, mother, and sister have arrived.
§ 20.Numeral Adjectives.
3. In dating the year the abbreviated formmilis used, as:
L'an mil huit cent quatre-vingt-douze,the year eighteen hundred and ninety-two.
4. In speaking of the days of the month, with the exception of the first--le premier--the cardinals, not the ordinals, are used, as:
Le dix-neuf juillet,the 19th of July; le vingt-six novembre,the 26th of November.
5. The cardinals are also used in speaking of rulers and princes:
Charles dix,Charles X; Henri huit,Henry VIII; Louis quatorze,Louis XIV; Georges trois,George III.
6. We must say, however, Henripremier,Henry the first.
7.Deuxandsecondmay be used either way--Charlesdeuxor Charlessecond.
§ 21.Numeral Nouns.
§ 22.Fractional Numerals.
2. Demi before and after its noun:
§ 23.Ordinal Adverbs.
§ 24.Indefinite Adjectives.
2.Aucunrequiresnebefore the verb:
4.Mêmeas an adjective meanssame,very,self; as an adverb,even.
5.Nul, likeaucun, requiresnebefore the verb; it is stronger thanaucun.
6.Plusieursis invariable:
7.Quel,quelle;quels,quelles.
8.Quelconquestands after the noun:
9.Quelque, in the sense ofsome, is variable:
10.Quelque, in the sense ofabout, is invariable:
12.Tout, meaningevery, varies only for the feminine:
13.Tout, meaningall, varies in gender and number:
§ 25.The Pronoun.
There are five kinds of pronouns:
§ 26.The Personal Pronoun.