Schaum's Outline of French Grammar | Schaum's Outline

Schaum's Outline of French Grammar

Authors: Mary Crocker

Published: August 2013

eISBN: 9780071828994 0071828990 | ISBN: 9780071828987

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Chapter 1 Nouns and Articles

Gender and the Definite Article

Singular Forms

Gender Identification by Word Endings

Nouns Indicating Occupations, Nationalities, Relationships and Domestic Animals

Words with Different Meanings in Masculine and Feminine Forms

Plural Forms of Nouns

Regular Plurals

Nouns Ending in -s, -x or -z

Nouns Ending in -au, -eau, -eu or -œu

Nouns Ending in -ou

Nouns Ending in -al

Nouns Ending in -ail

Irregular Plurals

Singular or Plural

Compound Nouns

Special Uses of the Definite Article

With General or Abstract Nouns

With Titles

With Languages and Academic Subjects

With Days of the Week, Seasons, Dates and Time Expressions

With Names of Continents, Countries, Provinces, Regions, Islands, Mountains and Rivers

With Weights and Measures

With Parts of the Body or Clothing

Omission of the Definite Article

Contractions of the Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

Omission of the Indefinite Article

After the Verb être

Other Omissions of the Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article

The Partitive Article Versus the Definite and Indefinite Articles

Exceptions to the Rule for Using the Partitive Article

When the Sentence is Negative

When an Adjective Precedes a Noun in the Plural

After Expressions of Quantity and Expressions with de

Chapter 2 Adjectives and Adverbs

Formation of the Feminine of Adjectives

Regular Forms

Adjectives Ending in a Vowel, Pronounced Consonant or Mute -e

Adjectives Ending in -el, -eil, -il, -en, -on, -et and -s

Adjectives Ending in -er

Adjectives Ending in -x

Adjectives Ending in -eur

Adjectives Ending in -f

Adjectives Ending in -c

Irregular Adjectives

The Adjectives beau, nouveau, vieux

Plural of Adjectives

Regular Forms

Adjectives Ending in -s or -x

Adjectives Ending in -eu or -eau

Adjectives Ending in -al

Agreement Problems of Certain Adjectives

Adjectives of Color

Compound Adjectives

Position of Adjectives

Adjectives That Change Meaning According to Position

Formation of Adverbs

Regular Forms

Adverbs Formed from Adjectives Ending in a Vowel

Adverbs Ending in -ément

Adverbs Ending in -amment and -emment

Irregular Adverbs

Position of Adverbs

Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs

Regular Comparisons

Comparative Followed by a Noun

Superlative of Adjectives and Adverbs

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

Adjectives without Comparative and Superlative Forms

Useful Phrases with Comparatives and Superlatives

Possessive Adjectives

Use of the Definite Article as a Possessive

With on, personne, tout le monde

With chacun

Demonstrative Adjectives

Indefinite Adjectives

Chapter 3 Prepositions

Uses of Certain Prepositions

Prepositions to Indicate Location or Direction to or from a Place

À, de, dans, en, chez

Prepositions with Geographical Names

À. En. Au. Dans. De

Prepositions with Modes of Transportation

Prepositions with Expressions of Time

À, at. Dans, en, in

Avant, before and après, after

Prepositions Used to Join Two Nouns

To Indicate Function or to Join a Noun that Modifies Another Noun

To Mean with

To Introduce the Material from Which an Object is Made

Prepositions of Cause

Prepositions After Indefinite Pronouns

Prepositions in Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Prepositions to Introduce an Infinitive Depending on a Noun or Adjective

To Indicate Function, Result or Tendency

After Expressions of Duration, Length of Time and Position of the Body

Chapter 4 Numbers, Dates, Time

Numbers

Cardinal Numbers

Ordinal Numbers

Collective Numbers

Fractions

Arithmetical Operations

Dimensions

Dates

Time

Chapter 5 Verbs

Moods and Tenses

Subject Personal Pronouns

The Present Tense

First Conjugation Verbs

Verbs Beginning with a Vowel

Verbs with Spelling Changes

Verbs ending in -cer and -ger

Verbs with -é- in the infinitive

Verbs with -e- in the infinitive

Verbs with -yer in the infinitive

Second Conjugation Verbs

Third Conjugation Verbs

Irregular Verbs

Verbs like ouvrir

Verbs like courir, rire, rompre, conclure

Battre and mettre

Verbs like partir

Vaincre

Verbs like connaître

Plaire and se taire

Verbs with Infinitives Ending in -ire

Lire, dire, conduire, traduire

Écrire, vivre, suivre

Croire, voir and mourir

Verbs like craindre, peindre, joindre

Verbs like prendre

Venir and tenir

Acquérir and conquérir

Pouvoir, vouloir, pleuvoir

Boire, devoir, recevoir

Avoir

Être

Aller

Faire

Savoir

Valoir and falloir

Special Uses of the Present Tense

Depuis, il y a ... que, voilà ... que, and ça fait ... que plus the present tense

Venir de plus the infinitive

Reflexive / Pronominal Verbs

S'asseoir

Reflexive Verbs with Parts of the Body

Reflexive versus Nonreflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in the Inflnitive

Imperatives

Affirmative Imperatives

The Affirmative Imperative of Reflexive Verbs

The Negative Imperative

The Negative Imperative of Reflexive Verbs

The Present Participle

Formation

Use

The Imperfect Tense

Regular Forms

Verbs with Spelling Changes

Étre

Uses of the Imperfect Tense

Continuing or Habitual Action

With Verbs Denoting Mental Activity or Conditions

Descriptions in the Past

Si and the Imperfect Tense

Depuis, il y avait. . . que, voilà. . . que, ça faisait. . . que and the Imperfect Tense

Venir de in the Imperfect Tense

The Conversational Past Tense (Passé Composé) of Verbs Conjugated with Avoir

The Passé Composé of -er Verbs

The Passé Composé of -ir Verbs

The Passé Composé of -re Verbs

Irregular Past Participles

Past participle ending in -é

Past participle ending in -i, -is, -it

Past participle ending in -ait

Past participles ending in -u

Past participles ending in -ert

Past participle of verbs ending in -indre

Agreement of the Past Participle with Verbs Conjugated with avoir

The Passé Composé of Verbs Conjugated with Être

Monter, descendre, sortir, entrer, rentrer with être and avoir in the Passé Composé

Passer with être and avoir in the Passé Compose

The Passé Composé of Reflexive Verbs

Agreement of the Past Participle with Reflexive Pronouns

Uses of the Passé Composé

Present Perfect

Past Action

Differences between the Passé Composé and the Imperfect Tense

Specific action versus habitual or continuing action

With souvent, parfois, quelquefois

Specific action versus ongoing action

Events versus background

Verbs with different meanings in the imperfect and passé composé

The Literary Past Tense (Passé Simple)

The Passé Simple of -er Verbs

The Passé Simple of -ir and -re Verbs

Irregular Verbs Building the Passé Simple upon the Past Participle

Verbs with past participles ending in -i

Verbs with past participles ending in -i plus a consonant

Verbs with past participles ending in -u

Irregular Verbs not Building the Passé Simple upon the Past Participle

The Future

Aller with an Inflnitive

Regular Forms of the Future Tense

Verbs Using the Third Person Singular Form of the Present Tense as the Future Stem

Verbs ending in -yer

Verbs with -e- in the infinitive

Verbs with Irregular Future Stems

Special Uses of the Future Tense

After certain conjunctions

After penser que, savoir que, espérer que, ne pas savoir si and in indirect discourse

To express probability

The Conditional

Formation of the Present Conditional

Uses of the Conditional

To express the idea would

After certain conjunctions

To soften a request, command or desire

To express possibility or unsure action

In indirect discourse

Compound Tenses

Pluperfect Tense (Plus-que-parfait)

Future Perfect Tense (Futur Antérieur)

Past Conditional (Passé du Conditionnel)

The Past Anterior (Passé Antérieur) and the Passé Surcomposé

Si Clauses

The Subjunctive Mood

Present Subjunctive

Regular Forms

Spelling Changes in the Present Subjunctive

Verbs with Internal Vowel Changes in the Present Subjunctive

Verbs with -é- in the infinitive

Verbs with -e- in the infinitive

Prendre, tenir, venir

Verbs with Variable Bases in the Present Subjunctive

Verbs with Irregular Bases in the Present Subjunctive

Uses of the Subjunctive

Subjunctive in noun clauses

Subjunctive with impersonal expressions that express opinion or emotions

Subjunctive with expressions of doubt

Subjunctive with subordinate conjunctions

Subjunctive as an imperative

Subjunctive after an affirmation

Subjunctive in relative clauses

Indefinite antecedent

After rien, personne, quelqu'un

With the superlative and seul, unique

Subjunctive after indefinite words such as si. . . que, quelque. . . que, quel. . . que, qui que. . ., etc

Avoiding the Subjunctive

The Past Subjunctive

The Imperfect Subjunctive

Use of the Imperfect Subjunctive

The Pluperfect Subjunctive

Use of the Pluperfect Subjunctive

Si Clauses in the Subjunctive

Sequence of Tenses in Indirect Discourse

Indirect Discourse in Sentences with an Interrogative Word

Interrogative Pronouns in Indirect Discourse

Inversion of the Subject in Indirect Discourse

Uses of the Infinitive

After Prepositions

As a Noun

As an Imperative

In an Interrogative Phrase Expressing Deliberation

In an Exclamatory Phrase

Faire in Causative Construction

Laisser and Verbs of Perception plus the Infinitive

The Use of the Prepositions à and de before an Infinitive

Passive Voice

Forms of the Passive Voice

True Passive with être

The Passive Voice with se

Chapter 6 Interrogative Words and Constructions

Forming Questions

Interrogative Forms by Inversion—Simple Tenses

Interrogative Forms by Inversion—Compound Tenses

Interrogative Adverbs and Adverbial Expressions

Interrogative Pronouns

Qu'est-ce que c'est? Qu'est-ce que?

Interrogative Adjective Quel

Interrogative Pronoun Lequel

Chapter 7 Negative Words and Constructions

Negation of Simple Tenses

Negation of Compound Tenses

The Negative Interrogative

Si in Answer to a Negative Question

Omission of Pas

Negation of the Infinitive

Negative Words and Phrases

Chapter 8 Pronouns

Subject Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Le, la, l, les

Special Use of the Pronoun le

Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

Me, te, nous, vous

Indirect Object Pronouns

Lui, leur

The Pronoun Y

The Pronoun En

Double Object Pronouns

Position of Object Pronouns

With Conjugated Verbs

With an Infinitive

With Infinitive Constructions: Causative faire (faire faire), laisser and Verbs of Perception

With Affirmative Commands

Reflexive Pronouns

Disjunctive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Indefinite Demonstrative Pronouns

Ce, ceci, cela (ça).

Relative Pronouns

Qui who, which, that

Que whom, which, that

Ce qui and ce que

Relative Pronouns with Prepositions Other than de

Qui, lequel

Où

Relative Pronouns with the Preposition de: Dont, duquel

Quoi, ce dont

Indefinite Pronouns

Chapter 9 Special Meanings of Certain Verbs

Expressions with Aller

Expressions with Avoir

Expressions with Être

Expressions with Faire

Special Uses of Other Verbs

Devoir, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir

Habiter, demeurer, vivre

Jouer, jouer à, jouer de

Manquer, manquer à, manquer de

Penser à, penser de

Partir, sortir, sen aller, laisser, quitter

Passer, se passer, se passer de

Plaire

Se rappeler, se souvenir de

Servir, se servir de

Savoir versus connaître

Venir de

Answers to Exercises

Verb Charts

Index