5. The word demi, preceding the word heure, does not vary. Placed after it, it is variable. [§ 84, (2.) (3.)]

actively [§ 43, (2,) (3,)] in French, in an, year, is always expressed.

How old are you lit. What age have you?

I am more than twenty.

7. Plus de, moins de, are used for more than, less than, before a number.

Avons-nous plus de dix mètres de Have we more than ten metres of this cette toile d'Hollande?

1. Votre beau-frère est-il plus âgé que le mien? 2. Le vôtre est plus jeune que le mien. 3. Quel âge votre belle-mère a-t-elle ? 4. Elle a près de cinquante ans. 5. Quelle heure est-il maintenant ? 6. Il est six heures passées. 7. Êtes-vous certain de cela? 8. Oui, monsieur; j'en suis certain. 9. Est-il plus de deux heures à votre montre? 10. Il n'est que midi à ma montre. 11. Avez-vous plus de cinq ans, mon enfant? 12. Je n'ai pas encore quatre ans. 13. Avez-vous plus de six verges d'indienne? 14. J'en ai moins de trois mètres. 15. Combien d'aunes de ruban votre beau-père a-t-il ? 16. Il n'a guère de ruban, il n'en a qu'une demi-aune. 17. Est-il midi moins un quart? 18. Il est plus tard, monsieur; il est midi et quart. 19. Quel jour du mois avons-nous? 20. Nous avons le six octobre. 21. N'est-ce pas le huit février? 22. Non, madame; c'est le huit de mars. 23. Combien de jardins votre cousin-germain a-t-il ? 24. Il n'en a qu'un, mais il est très beau. 25. Il en a plus de dix,

EXERCISE 38.

1. How old is your brother-in-law? 2. He is fifty years old. 3. Is your sister-in-law older than mine? 4. No, sir; my sister-inlaw is younger than yours. 5. Is your son twenty-five years old? 6. No, madam; he is only sixteen. 7. What day of the month is it to-day? 8. It is the eleventh. 9. Have you the twentieth volume of Chateaubriand's works? 10. No, madam; we have the eleventh. 11. What o'clock is it, sir? 12. It is only twelve o'clock. 13. Is it no later? 14. It wants a quarter of one. 15. It is a quarter after five. 16. How many yards of this Holland (toile d'Hollande, f.) have you? 17. I have ten ells and a half. 18. I have six metres of it, and sixteen yards of Italian silk. 19. Is your motherin-law younger than your father-in-law? 20. She is younger than he. 21. Are you twenty years old? 22. No, sir; I am only nineteen and a half. 23. We are sure (sûr) that it is ten o'clock. 24. We are sure that it is noon. 25. Is it twenty minutes of ten? 26. No, sir; it is a quarter before twelve (midi). 27. How many houses have you? 28. I have only one, but my sister-in-law has two. 29. Have you mine (f.) or yours? 30. I have neither yours nor mine, I have your son-in-law's. 31. Has your mother-in-law five yards of that printed calico? 32. She has only two yards of it. 33. What o'clock is it by (a) your watch? 34. It is half-past four, by my watch. 35. It is more than seven o'clock by mine (à la mienne.)

LEÇON XXI.

LESSON XXI.

THE FOUR CONJUGATIONS OF VERBS.

1. The four classes or conjugations, into which the French verbs are divided are distinguished by the endings of the present of the infinitive [§ 44]. The first conjugation ends in ER; as CHANTER, to sing; DONNER, to give; PARLER, to speak; CHERCHER, to seek.

The second conjugation ends in IR; as CHÉRIR, to cherish; PUNIR, io punish; MUNIR, to provide; FINIR, to finish.

The termination of the infinitive of the regular verbs of the third conjugation, is EVOIR; as DEVOIR, to owe; RECEVOIR, to receive; that of the irregular verbs is OIR, as VALOIR, to be worth.

The fourth conjugation ends in RE: as, RENDRE, to render; FENDRE, to split; TENDRE, to stretch; VEndre, to sell.

2. A verb preceded by another verb (other than the auxiliaries avoir and être), or by a preposition (other than en), is put in the present of the infinitive.

Il va travailler ou lire,

He is going to work or to read. 3. In French, verbs are often connected with others by prepositions not answering literally to those which accompany the same verbs in English. They also often come together without prepositions. The student will find in § 129, and the following sections of the Second Part, lists of verbs, with the prepositions which they require after them.

4. The following idioms are followed by the preposition de when they come before a verb (§ 132):

A-t-elle le temps de les écrire ?
Elle n'a pas dessein de les écrire.
Elle n'a pas l'intention de les écrire.
Elle n'a pas envie de les écrire.
Avez-vous peur de danser?
Je n'ai pas honte de danser.
Votre cousin a raison de sortir.
N'avez-vous pas soin d'écrire ?
Avez-vous le courage de lui parler?

cheter, to buy;
Champ, m. field;
Danser, to dance;
De bonne heure, early;
Dormir, to sleep;
Écrire, to write;

Has she time to write them?
She does not design to write them.
She does not intend to write them.
She has no desire to write them.
Are you afraid to dance?

I am not ashamed to dance.
Your cousin is right to go out.
Do you not take care to write?
Have you the courage to speak to him •

EXERCISE 39.

Faire, to make, to do;
Fatigué, e, tired, weary;
Gazette, f newspaper;
Juillet, m. July;
Juin, m. June;
Lire, to read;

Marcher, to walk;
Mars, m. March;
Ne-rien, nothing;
Page, f. page;
Seize, sixteen;

Travailler, to work, labor.

1. Votre belle-mère a-t-elle quelque chose à faire? 2. Elle n'a rien à faire. 3. A-t-elle deux pages à écrire? 4. Non, monsieur; elle n'en a qu'une. 5. Avez-vous l'intention de lire cette gazette? 6. Oui, madame; j'ai l'intention de la lire. 7. Avez-vous raison d'acheter un habit de velours? 8. J'ai raison d'en acheter un. 9. Votre petite fille a-t-elle besoin de dormir? 10. Oui, monsieur; elle a besoin de dormir, elle est fatiguée. 11. Avez-vous peur de tomber? 12. Je n'ai pas peur de tomber. 13. Le jardinier a-t-il le temps de travailler dans les champs? 14. Il n'a pas envie de travailler dans les champs. 15. Vos champs sont-ils aussi grands que les miens? 16. Ils sont plus grands que les vôtres. 17. Avez-vous honte de marcher?

18. Je n'ai pas honte de marcher, mais j'ai honte de danser. 19. Quel âge votre fils a-t-il ? 20. Il a seize ans. 21. Avons-nous le deux mars ou le cinq juin? 22. Nous avons le vingt-huit juillet. 23. Estil midi? 24. Non, monsieur; il n'est pas encore midi, il n'est que onze' heures et demie. 25. Il est encore de bonne heure.

EXERCISE 40.

1. What has your brother-in-law to do? 2. He has letters to write. 3. Does he want to work? 4. Yes, sir; he wants to work. 5. Does he intend to read my book? 6. He does not intend to read your book, he has no time. 7. Is your sister ashamed to walk? 8. My sister is not ashamed to walk, but my brother is ashamed to dance. 9. Has your cousin any thing to say? 10. My cousin has nothing to say, she is afraid to speak (parler). 11. Is it late? 12. No, madam; it is not late, it is early. 13. Have you a wish to read my

1 No elision takes place before onze, onzième, &c.

sister's letter (f.)? 14. Have you the courage to go to the war? 15. I have not the courage to go to the war. 16. Is your sister right to buy a silk dress (f.)? 17. Yes, sir; she is right to buy one. 18. Does that child want to sleep? 19. No, sir; that child does not want to sleep, he is not tired. 20. Has your brother's gardener a wish to work in my garden? 21. He has a wish to work in (dans) mine. 22. How old is that child? 23. That child is ten years old. 24. What is the day of the month? 25. It is the ninth of March. 26. Are you afraid to walk? 27. I am not afraid to walk, but I am tired. 28. Have you time to read my brother's book? 29. I have time to read his book. 30. Has the joiner a wish to speak? 31. He has a wish to work and to read. 32. Is your son afraid of falling? 33. He is not afraid of falling, but he is afraid of working. 34. What o'clock is it? 35. It is twelve.

LEÇON XXII.

LESSON XXII.

AVOIR BESOIN, ETC.-ÊTRE FÂCHÉ, ETC.

1. The expressions, avoir besoin, to want; avoir soin, to take care; avoir honte, to be ashamed; avoir peur, to be afraid, require also the preposition de before a noun. Those idioms mean literally, to have need, to have care, etc.

Avez-vous besoin de votre frère ?
J'ai soin de mes effets.

Il a honte de sa conduite.

Elle a peur du chien.

Do you want your brother?
I take care of my things.

He is ashamed of his conduct.
She is afraid of the dog.

2. As these expressions require the preposition de before their object, they will, of course, require the same preposition before the pronoun representing that object.

J'ai besoin de vous.

J'ai soin de lui.

De qui avez-vous besoin?

De quoi a-t-elle besoin?

I want you.

I take care of him.
Whom do you want?
What does she want?

3. When the object is not a person, and has been mentioned before, the pronoun en takes the place of the preposition de, and that of the pronoun representing the object.

Avez-vous besoin de votre cheval?
J'en ai besoin.

Do you want your horse?
I want it.

4. The expressions, être fâché, to be sorry; être étonné, to be aston