77. They are called pronominal reflexive when they indicate an action done and received by the subject, the two pronouns indicating the same person. 78. They are called pronominal reciprocal when they signify that the persons designated by the subject are doing to each other the act which is indicated by the verb. 79. They are called pronominal reciprocal direct when the second pronoun is used as a direct object. All essentially reflexive verbs, except s'arroger, and all accidentally reflexive verbs coming from a transitive or active verb belong to this class. 80. They are called pronominal reciprocal indirect when the second pronoun is used as an indirect object; and these verbs are always accidentally reflexive, and derived from a neuter verb. Ils se sont dit des injures Ils se sont montrés en public They reviled one another They showed themselves in public 81. The reciprocal verbs of every kind can only be conjugated in the plural, never in the singular. CHAPTER XIII. AUXILIARY VERBS. 82. There are two auxiliary verbs Avoir and Être. 83. Auxiliary verbs are used to form compound tenses. 84. Active or transitive verbs always form their compound tenses with avoir. 85. Neuter or intransitive verbs have only the active voice, and generally form their compound tenses like transitive verbs, i.e. with the auxiliary avoir. 86. Among intransitive verbs there are about fifty which form their compound tenses with the auxiliary être instead of avoir. 87. These verbs express a movement towards a place, or a change of state, or rest in a place. 88. The following are the chief ones: All er, to go Arriv er, to arrive or adven ir, to happen Déch oir, to decline Naît re, to be born Mourir, to die Part ir, to set out Repartir, to set out again. Ranc ir, to become rancid Sort ir, to go out, and its compounds Ven ir, to come, and its compounds, except Contrevenir Subvenir 89. There are also some intransitive verbs which form their compound tenses sometimes with avoir } according to the meaning; as, Il est monté dans sa chambre et il y est resté, He went into his room and remained there. Cette fontaine est surgie depuis hier, Votre tante est descendue dans le salon, This fountain has been flowing since yesterday. 91. Some intransitive verbs change the auxiliary in changing their meaning; as, 92. Here is the list, almost complete, of verbs taking the two auxiliaries avoir and être to form their compound tenses: When active, they take the auxiliary avoir in their compound tenses. 94. It is only when they are intransitive that they can be conjugated with the two auxiliaries, avoir and être, when it is possible to conjugate them with both. Transitive, with avoir: Il a monté ses livres dans sa chambre, He has taken his books to his room. Intransitive, with avoir and être : — Les actions ont monté de 3 francs à la Shares have risen 3 francs at the stock Le blé est monté jusqu'à 30 francs Corn has gone up to 30 francs the 95. All reflexive verbs form their compound tenses with the auxiliary être. 96. Verbs essentially impersonal have only an active voice, and form their compound tenses with avoir. 97. Verbs accidentally impersonal take, in the compound tenses, the same auxiliary that they would require in their active voice. Il a paru une comète, Il est tombé de la pluie, Il s'y est glissé une erreur, A comet has appeared. It has rained. An error has slipped in there. D 98. Verbs in the passive voice form their compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir, always followed by the past participle été, being followed itself by the past participle of the verb. 99. Besides the two auxiliaries avoir and être, the French use also as auxiliary the verbs Devoir expresses a past Imperfect, a Future, or a Conditional. |