nous étions arrivés n. fussions arrivés n. serions arrivés v. fussiez arrivés vous seriez arrivés ils fussent arrivés ils seraient arrivés

Fut. Imperfect. I shall be arriving. I shall be arriving.

Future Perfect. Ishall have arrived. I shall have arrived

je serai arrivé je sois arrivé, etc.

VARIATIONS AND IRREGULARITIES IN VERBS. § 350. The irregularities (so-called) of French verbs may be conveniently divided into two great divisions:—

Division 1. Those irregularities which are mere variations made according to fixed rules in modern pronunciation.

Division 2. Those irregularities which, although like the above often arising from fixed rules, have their origin in Old French or even in Latin.

DIVISION I.

VARIATIONS MADE ACCORDING TO FIXED RULES IN
MODERN PRONUNCIATION.

These variations may be further divided thus:
Variations depending upon hiatus.

Variations depending upon the changeable pronuncia-
tion of c and g.

Variations depending upon the tonic accent and mute e.

§ 351. Variations of spelling connected with hiatus.' (1.) To prevent hiatus, some verbs in the 2nd person imperative add 's' (the characteristic ending of the 2nd person of every tense) whenever the pronouns en or У follow. Parles-en, mais dépêche-toi. Speak of it, but be quick. Va, vas-y, si tu veux. Go, go there-if you like.

The only verbs in which such an addition is necessary are those of the 1st conjugation and the verbs assaillir (Imp. assaille), offrir (offre), ouvrir (ouvre), cueillir (cueille), savoir (sache), avonr (ale). In all other verbs 's' is always present: as, Viens voir ma maison; come and see my house. chez moi; run to my house.

Cours

(2.) Also to prevent hiatus, some interrogative forms of the 3rd person singular add 't,' the characteristic ending of the 3rd person. The 't,' like 's,' ought to have been joined to the verb, but custom has established the use of a hyphen :

Will he do it?

Le fera-t-il?
Oui, sans doute il le fera. Yes, no doubt he will do it.

§ 352. Variations of spelling, etc., depending upon the changeable pronunciation of c and g. (§§ 102 and 120.) k: car, code, cube.

=

c before a, o, u

The pronunciation which c or g has in the Present Infinitive must by some expedient be preserved throughout the verb: 1. To retain the sound of s, the c before a, o, u takes a cedilla avancer, j'avançais, nous avançons.

2. To retain the sound of j, the g before a, o, u keeps the e of the ending: manger, mangeant, nous mangeons.

§ 353. Variations of spelling connected with 'e mute.'

i.

У is changed into i before an e mute: employer, j'emploie, j'emploierai; ayant, j'aie.

ii. The syllable which precedes a mute syllable (§ 65) always bears either a full or a semi-accent (§ 52), and often needs strengthening. This is done-(1) by change of accent from acute to grave. (2) by the addition of a grave accent. (3) by the addition of a consonant. (4) by changing the syllable altogether. The last way is old, and occurs in about twelve verbs only ($$ 357, 358.) The other ways are living ways.

(a.) When during the conjugation of any verb (§ 393. 1) an acute and a mute syllable occur in succession, it is usual to strengthen the first syllable by changing the acute accent into a grave: as, répéter, répète.

In the Fut. Ind. and Conditional the acute accent is usual, je répéterai, but sometimes the grave is found, je répèterai. In verbs in ége the acute accent is usual throughout the verb, but here again the grave is sometimes put. (§ 393. 2.)

(b.) When during the conjugation of any verb two mute syllables would occur in succession, it is usual to strengthen the first syllable by means of a grave accent: mener, je mène, je mènerai. But most verbs in -eler and cter double the consonant, instead of putting an accent: appeler, j'appelle, j'appellerai; jeter, je jette, je jetterai. (§ 392. 1.)