Glossary of Grammatical Terms

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1 Glossary of Grammatical Terms ACCORD (m.) (AGREEMENT) There is agreement when a word takes the gender and the number of another word it modifies. Articles and adjectives agree with the noun they modify, as do past participles of verbs conjugated with être. C est une femme indépendante. She is an independent woman. Elles sont arrivées à temps. They arrived in time. ADJECTIF (m.) (ADJECTIVE) A word that describes a noun or a pronoun. It agrees in number and gender with the word it modifies. Adjectif interrogatif (Interrogative adjective) An adjective used to form questions. Adjectif qualificatif (Descriptive adjective) An adjective that specifies size, color, or other qualities. Quelles affiches cherchez-vous? What posters are you looking for? Quel livre? Which book? Elles sont intelligentes. They are smart. C est une grande maison. It s a big house. ADVERBE (m.) (ADVERB) A word that describes an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. Adverbe interrogatif (Interrogative adverb) An adverb that introduces a question about time, place, manner, or quantity (amount). Il écrit très bien. Elle est plus efficace. He writes very well. She is more efficient. Combien ça coûte? How much is it? Quand est-ce que vous partez? When are you leaving? ANTÉCÉDENT (m.) (ANTECEDENT) A word, usually a noun, that is replaced by a pronoun in the same or a subsequent sentence. In the example, Jeanne is the antecedent of elle, and un gant is the antecedent of le. Jeanne a perdu un gant et elle ne le retrouve plus. Jeanne lost a glove, and she can t find it anymore. ARTICLE (m.) (ARTICLE) A determiner that sets off a noun. Article défini (Definite article) An article that indicates a specific noun. Article démonstratif (Demonstrative article) An article that points out a particular noun. Article indéfini (Indefinite article) An article that indicates an unspecified noun. Article partitif (Partitive article) In French, an article that denotes part of a whole. Some is not always expressed in English, but the partitive is almost always expressed in French. Article possessif (Possessive article) An article that indicates possession or a special relationship. le pays, la chaise, les femmes the country, the chair, the women ce garçon, ces livres this boy, these books un garçon, une ville, des carottes a boy, a city, some carrots du chocolat, de la tarte, de l eau (some) chocolate, (some) pie, (some) water leur voiture, ma sœur their car, my sister COMPARATIF (m.) (COMPARATIVE) The form of adjectives and adverbs used to compare two nouns or actions. Léa est moins bavarde que Julien. Léa is less talkative than Julien. Elle court plus vite que lui. She runs faster than he does. Glossary of Grammatical Terms 1

2 CONDITIONNEL (m.) (CONDITIONAL) CONJUGAISON ( f.) (CONJUGATION) The different forms of a verb for a particular tense or mood. A present indicative conjugation: je parle tu parles il/elle/on parle nous parlons vous parlez ils/elles parlent I speak you speak he/she/it/one speaks we speak you speak they speak CONJONCTION ( f.) (CONJUNCTION) An expression that connects words, phrases, or clauses. Christophe et Diane Christophe and Diane Il fait froid, mais il fait beau. It s cold, but nice. CONTRACTION ( f.) (CONTRACTION) Two words combine to form one. In French, this occurs when à and de precede the definite articles le and les. Ils parlent aux étudiants. He s talking to the students. C est le livre du professeur. It s the teacher s book. ÉLISION ( f.) (ELISION) The replacement of the final vowel of a word by an apostrophe before the initial vowel or vowel sound of the following word. Il arrive à l université à 8 h. He arrives at the university at 8:00. J ai compris qu il reviendrait. I understood that he would come back. GENRE (m.) (GENDER) In French, there are two genders: feminine and masculine. This distinction affects the forms of nouns, articles, adjectives, and pronouns. masc. fem. articles and nouns le DVD la vidéo adjectives lent, beau lente, belle pronouns il, celui elle, celle IMPARFAIT (m.) (IMPERFECT) In French, a verb tense that expresses a past action with no specific beginning or end. Nous nagions souvent. We used to swim often. IMPÉRATIF (m.) (IMPERATIVE) INDICATIF (m.) (INDICATIVE) INFINITIF (m.) (INFINITIVE) LIAISON ( f.) (LIAISON) The pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant (typically -n, -s, -t, and -x) before a word beginning with a vowel or vowel sound. Word-final -s and -x are pronounced as [z]. (C est (un animal. [s tœ nanimal] (aux (États-Unis [ozetazyni] 2 Glossary of Grammatical Terms

3 MODE (m.) (MOOD) A set of categories for verbs indicating the attitude of the speaker toward what he or she is saying. Mode conditionnel (Conditional mood) A verb form conveying possibility. Mode impératif (Imperative mood) A verb form expressing a command. Mode indicatif (Indicative mood) A verb form denoting actions or states considered facts. Mode infinitif (Infinitive mood) A verb form introduced in English by to. In French dictionaries, this form appears as the main entry. Mode subjonctif (Subjunctive mood) A verb form, uncommon in English, used primarily in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, or emotion. French constructions with the subjunctive have many possible English equivalents. J irais, si j avais le temps. I would go if I had time. Allez-y! Go ahead! Je vais à la bibliothèque. I am going to the library. jouer, vendre, venir to play, to sell, to come Je veux que vous y alliez. I want you to go there. J ai peur qu elle dise non. I m afraid she will say no. MOT APPARENTÉ (m.) (COGNATE) In two languages, words spelled similarly with similar meaning. état, sérieux, ordre state, serious, order NOM (m.) (NOUN) A word that denotes a person, place, thing, or idea. Proper nouns are capitalized names. avocat, ville, journal, Louise lawyer, city, newspaper, Louise NOMBRE (m.) (NUMBER) Distinction between singular and plural that affects the forms of nouns, articles, adjectives, or pronouns. Nombre cardinal (Cardinal number) A number that expresses an amount. Nombre ordinal (Ordinal number) A number that indicates position in a series. singular: plural: deux bureaux, quatre ans two desks, four years Le fromage est bon. Les fromages sont bons. le deuxième bureau, la quatrième année the second desk, the fourth year PARTICIPE PASSÉ (m.) (PAST PARTICIPLE) The form of a verb used in a compound tense (such as the passé composé) with forms of to have in English, and with avoir and être in French. mangé, fini, perdu eaten, finished, lost PASSÉ COMPOSÉ (m.) In French, a verb tense that expresses a past action with a definite ending. It consists of the present indicative of the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) and the past participle of the conjugated verb. There are several equivalent forms in English. J ai mangé I ate, I did eat, I have eaten Elle est tombée She fell, she did fall, she has fallen PERSONNE ( f.) (PERSON) The form of a pronoun or a verb that indicates the person involved in an action. singular plural 1 st pers. je / I nous / we 2 nd pers. tu / you vous / you 3 rd pers. il, elle, on / he, ils, elles / they she, one, it PRÉPOSITION ( f.) (PREPOSITION) A word or phrase that specifies the relationship of a word (usually a noun or a pronoun) to another. The relationship is usually spatial or temporal. près de l aéroport, avec lui, avant 11 h near the airport, with him, before 11:00 Glossary of Grammatical Terms 3

4 PRONOM (m.) (PRONOUN) A word used in place of one or more nouns. Pronom accentué ou disjoint (Stressed or disjunctive pronoun) In French, a pronoun used for emphasis or as the object of a preposition. Pronom démonstratif (Demonstrative pronoun) A pronoun that singles out a particular person or thing. Pronom d objet (Object pronoun) A pronoun that replaces a direct object noun or an indirect object noun. Pronom interrogatif (Interrogative pronoun) A pronoun used to ask a question. Pronom réfléchi (Reflexive pronoun) A pronoun that represents the same person as the subject of the verb. Pronom relatif (Relative pronoun) A pronoun that introduces a dependent clause and denotes a noun already mentioned (its antecedent). Pronom sujet (Subject pronoun) A pronoun representing the person or thing performing the action of the verb. Toi, tu es incroyable! You are unbelievable! Je travaille avec lui. I work with him. Voici deux livres: celui-ci est intéressant, mais celui-là est ennuyeux. Here are two books: this one is interesting, but that one is boring. direct: indirect: Je vois Alain. Je le vois. I see Alain. I see him. Je donne le livre à Daniel. Je lui donne le livre. I give the book to Daniel. I give him the book. Qui parle? Qu est-ce que vous voulez? Who is speaking? What do you want? Je me regarde dans le miroir. I am looking at myself in the mirror. On parle à la femme qui habite ici. We re talking to the woman who lives here. C est le stylo que vous cherchez? Is it the pen (that) you re looking for? Ils travaillent bien ensemble. They work well together. PROPOSITION ( f.) (CLAUSE) A construction that contains a subject and a verb. Proposition principale (Main clause) A clause that stands on its own and expresses a complete idea. Proposition subordonnée (Subordinate clause) A clause that cannot stand on its own because it does not express a complete idea. Je cherche la femme qui joue au tennis. I m looking for the woman who plays tennis. Je cherche la femme qui joue au tennis. I m looking for the woman who plays tennis. SUJET (m.) (SUBJECT) The word(s) denoting the person, place, or thing performing an action or existing in a state. Mon ordinateur est là-bas. My computer is over there. Marc arrive demain. Marc arrives tomorrow. SUBJONCTIF (m.) (SUBJUNCTIVE) SUPERLATIF (m.) (SUPERLATIVE) The form of adjectives or adverbs used to describe nouns or actions to distinguish them above all others in quality, quantity, or intensity. In English, the superlative is expressed by using most or -est. Elle a choisi la robe la plus chère. She chose the most expensive dress. Béatrice court le plus vite. Béatrice runs the fastest. 4 Glossary of Grammatical Terms

5 TEMPS (m.) (TENSE) The form of a verb indicating time: present, past, or future. VERBE (m.) (VERB) A word that reports an action or state. Verbe auxiliaire (Auxiliary verb) A verb used in conjunction with an infinitive or a participle to convey distinctions of tense and mood. In French, the main auxiliaries are avoir and être. Verbe impersonnel (Impersonal verb) A verb that always takes the impersonal pronoun il as its grammatical subject. Verbe pronominal (Pronominal verb) In French, a verb with a reflexive pronoun as well as a subject pronoun in its conjugated form. Its infinitive is preceded by se. Elle est arrivée hier. She arrived yesterday. Elle était fatiguée. She was tired. J ai fait mes devoirs. I did my homework. Nous sommes allés au cinéma. We went to the movies. Il fait beau aujourd hui. It is nice today. Il faut travailler dur. One has to work hard. se souvenir, je me souviens to remember, I remember Il se coupe quand il se rase. He cuts himself when he shaves (himself). Glossary of Grammatical Terms 5