A Grammar of the French Language, with Exercises

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ...long, J ' Avoir instead of to be. Cette riviere a six cents pieds de largeur or de large, I That river is six hun Cette riviere est large de six dredfeet wide. cents pieds, J Observe.--By or and denoting comparative dimensions, or relative proportions, is rendered in French by sur, as follows: Un salon de trente pieds A drawing-room thirty de longueur sur seize feet long by or and sixde largeur, teen wide. Comparatives And Superlatives. See page 21. Hulk 30.--By after a comparative and before a noun of measure is always expressed by de. EXAMPLE. I am taller than you by the whole head. Je suis plus grand que vous de toute la tSte. Rule 31.--Than after more or less is always expressed by de when followed by a numeral. Example. He has more than ten horses, Il a plus de dix chevaux. Rule 32.--Than after a comparative is expressed by que de before an infinitive mood, and by que ne before any tense of the indicative or conditional mood. EXAMPLES. It is more noble to forgive than to revenge, Il est plus noble de pardonner que de se venger. He is richer than / thought, Il est plus riche que je ne pensais. The ne is omitted when the first part of the sentence is either interrogative or negative, or when there is a conjunction between que and the verb. EXAMPLES. Are you happier than you was? Etes-vous plus heureux que vous l'etiez? He is not richer than he was, Il n'est pas plus riche gw'il l'etait. He is better than when he was in India, Il se porte mieux que quand il etait dans l'Iode. Rule 33.--The more or the less, when repeated in comparatives of proportion, is expressed in French by plus, or moins, without an article. EXAMPLE. The more you study the more you improve, Plus vous etudiez, plus vous profitez. Rule 34.--So...