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296. Fourthly: after verbs implying belief and affirming, when the first member of the sentence is used NEGATIVELY, and followed by one of these relatives, que, dont, lequel, quoi, or où. (See No. 274.)

Je ne crois pas qu'il soit venu......... I do not believe he is come.

297. Fifthly after verbs implying belief and affirming, when the first part of the sentence is used INTERROGATIVELY, and followed by que, dont, &c. (See No. 274.) Croyez-vous qu'il soit de retour? Do you think he is returned?

:

...

298. Sixthly after a superlative, or superlative expression, preceding any of the relatives qui, que, dont, as above.*

C'est le plus grand homme que je connaisse,

He is the greatest man I know.

299. Seventhly: even after such words as l'unique, le seul, the only one, le premier, the first, and le dernier, the last, taken superlatively (not merely showing order), and followed by que, &c., as above.*

Le seul (or l'unique) enfant que vous avez,
The only child you have.

C'est le premier discours qui ait jamais plu,
It is the first speech which has ever pleased.

EXERCISE.

He doubts whether I am honest. You 293 douter que

wonder that he is not s'étonner

yet arrived. I will have you do that. We are afraid I he

encore

vouloir que

craindre

will come. I am glad you have taken that resolution.

*

ne

sorry he is gone. |

partir.

You are

You must write to your father. It is proper for you to do what

294

juste que vous

your master orders you. It is of consequence | you should write to

importer

your father. It is unjust | we should be punished.

* However the indicative is required, if the second member of the sentence expresses anything quite positive; Ex.

De ces dames, c'est la plus jeune que je connais.
It is the youngest of these ladies that I know,

Although you 295

Do not go

[blocks in formation]

without my being informed of it. He will be angry

partir sans que

unless you make an apology.

ne

des excuses.

fâche

Do you think he is ill? Are you sure he is poor? Do they say he 297

is arrived? Does he warrant these blades to be good steel?

on

I do not believe he is ill. You are not certain he is so poor as they 88

296

say. I do not say that you are the richest man in the city. We do not

warrant these blades to be good.

7

This is the richest vessel that has |

till now | arrived in this être jusqu'à présent

298

country. He is the best man I know. The most difficult language I

ever learnt.

c I

Ce

He is the only man (who is) of that opinion. The sole object

Ce

which keeps retenir

299

unique

me here. He is always the first who knows the news,

and he is the last who believes it.

Behold the only child I | have left. You are the first I ever heard speak in his favour.

Concord of Tenses.

300. When the first verb is in the present or future put the next verb in the present of subjunctive to express a present or future, and in the compound of the present of subjunctive to mark an action past.

Je crains, je craindrai que vous ne veniez trop tôt,
I fear, I shall fear you come (or will come) too soon.

Je crains que vous ne soyez venu trop tôt,

I fear you came too soon.

Turn-That I may be informed of it.

+ Turn-Who remains to me.

But when the first verb is in the past, conditional, or in any compound tense, the next verb is in the preterite of subjunctive to express an action that occurred at the same time as that of the first verb, and in the compound of the preterite to mark an action that took place before that of the first verb.

Je craignais, j'ai craint que vous ne vinssiez trop tôt.

Je craignais, j'ai craint que vous ne fussiez venu trop tôt.

301. However, with the compound of the present custom allows the next verb to be in the present or compound of the present of subjunctive, with the conjunctions afin que, pour que, de crainte que, de peur que, quoique, bien que. Ex.:

Nous lui avons écrit pour qu'il vienne,

We wrote him to come.

Je n'ai pas connu d'homme qui ait montré tant de générosité,
I did not know any man who showed so much generosity.

If there be a conditional expression after even the present tense, the preterite ought to be used.

Je ne crois pas qu'ils eussent été condamnés si les témoins fussent arrivés plus tôt.

I do not believe they would have been condemned if the witnesses had

come sooner.

EXERCISE.

I do not believe that he is an honest man. I did not believe he

[blocks in formation]

afraid you am are ill. I was afraid craindre ne

you were ill. Do you suppose he would be imprudent enough to

imaginer 301

pour

contrary to your orders ? Reason has been given to you, that

act

en opposition

170

you might discern good from evil. Have you ever heard a man d'avec

speaking with so much eloquence?

c 1

RECAPITULATORY EXERCISE IN WHICH THE INDICATIVE AND
SUBJUNCTIVE ARE CONTRASTED.

I assure you he knows his lessons. Do you assure me he knows his lessons? I do not assure you he knows his essons. We believe you

are i. the right. |

We do not believe you | are in the wrong. | Do

avoir tort.

avoir raison. you believe she is in the wrong? They will prove to you that she is guilty. Will they prove she is guilty? She becomes stronger and

handsomer in proportion as she grows. Let him take plenty of à mesure 382 que grandir.

exercise, in order that he may grow and become strong. It is proper for him to comprehend (or that he should comprehend) the worth of what he has so dearly purchased. It is to be regretted that she should à regretter

be so timid. It is a fortunate thing you have escaped justice, for it was

heureux

*

à

271

well known that you were guilty. These are the finest diamonds we

have ever seen.

such an act.

action.

271

You are the last man I should ever think guilty of 301

We were the last who went to the meeting.

You are

not the only one who is of that opinion. May you one day cause the happiness of your parents! That is the most instructive and the most entertaining book you can read. We were very much pleased you had written to him. Do not take that remedy before† you have consulted

que

your physician. I did not know you were born in England, but I knew your parents were English. Is it true that a sentence has been

passed prononcer

la

170

against him? I am sure it is, ❘ and it would be contrary

en

to justice if they had acted otherwise to him. There was nothing for

[blocks in formation]

which I had so great a mind as to live in the country. He would envie de que de

have us first get rid se défaire

*

of our former habits, and next
ancien

vouloir

imitate the ensuite que nous

before us as patterns.

170 donner

modèle.

manners of those who have been set

REMARK. The most common verbs, impersonals, adjectives, and conjunctions have been given above for the

*Puissiez-vous.

Que often stands for avant que, before, or jusqu'à ce que, until, &c., and then of urse governs the same mood.

purpose of elucidating the rules; but the pupil must be aware that not only a great many more of them might be added, but also that there are words and expressions the import of which may be assimilated to these, whether in point of doubt, fear, sorrow, joy, &c.

OF THE IMPERATIVE MOOD.

302. The Imperative, in French, as well as in English denotes commanding or intreating.

The use and construction of this mood, therefore, is nearly the same in both languages. Only let it be remembered that let is translated by que at the two third persons when marking command, and by laisser, permettre, when entreating or asking permission.

Faites ce que je vous dis ...
Qu'il fasse son devoir

Do what I tell you.
Let him do his duty.

Que ceux qui n'ont rien à faire quittent la chambre,
Let those who have nothing to do leave the room.

Monsieur, permettez que votre fils aille en France,
Sir, do let your son go to France.

EXERCISE.

Let us not

out.

à haute voix.

or,

meddle with what does not concern us.

se mêler de

regarder

Let her speak

Let him that is guilty acknowledge his fault. Let her,

160

in fact, anybody whatever, who is of a different opinion, act as be qui que ce soit,

| thinks

proper.

88 juger à propos.

Let not the innocent suffer for the guilty.

Of the different Ways of marking more precisely the
PRESENT, PAST, and FUTURE Tenses.

303.

Je parle

PRESENT TENSE.

I speak.

Je suis à parler (to mark the pre- I am speaking (or, in the

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