Lesson 39:Fourth Conjugation. Ne vendez pas la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué. chickens before they are hatched.1 - Do not count your In verbs of the fourth conjugation the infinitive ends in -re, and the past participle in -u. vendre, to sell; vendant, selling; PRESENT INDICATIVE. vendu, sold. TERMINATIONS: -s, -s, (-t), -ons, -ez, -ent. The ending-t of the 3d person singular is dropped after c, d, t.2 As the stems of all the regular verbs of this conjugation, except rompre, to break, end in d, the verb vendre is given as a model. The indefinite pronoun on, one, we, you, they, people, even when plural in meaning, is used only as the subject of a verb in the third person singular. In many cases it is used where the passive form is used in English. On vend des pommes ici, they sell apples here. On chante, parce que l'on est heureux, one sings (we sing) because one is (we are) happy. Où trouve-t-on des aiguilles, where do you find needles? Où vend-on du lait et de la crème, where are milk and cream sold? 1 Literally, Don't sell the bear's skin before killing the bear. 2 In the irregular verb mettre, to put : je mets, tu mets, il met; in vaincre, to conquer, also irregular: je vaincs, tu vaincs, il vainc. 3 Notice that l'on may be used instead of on whenever it sounds better. It is often used after et, ou, où, que, lorsque, pourquoi, si, etc., but not when the following word begins with 1. 4 Like il and elle in a question (Lesson 3), on is joined by -t- to a verb ending in a vowel. ta dentelle, the lace. la mousseline, the muslin. des ciseaux (m.), scissors. le lit, the bed. Vocabulary. le drap, the cloth, the sheet (of a bed). la réponse, the answer. attendre, to wait, to wait for. Exercise. 1. Répondez-vous aux lettres de votre cousine ? 2. Répond-on toujours à vos questions? 3. Oui, presque toujours. 4. Quand je joue avec mon frère, je perds souvent. 5. Ой vend-on des rubans ? 6. On en vend ici. 7. On vend aussi des aiguilles, des épingles et du fil, n'est-ce pas ? 8. Il attend des réponses aux lettres qu'il a déjà écrites. 9. On trouve que la vie est chère dans les grandes villes. 10. Trouvet-on des livres intéressants dans ce grand magasin? 11. On a apporté des pommes et des poires. 12. On les a apportées à ma mère. 13. On a perdu mes ciseaux bien des fois. 2. He always waits 4. I am waited for 5. Where do they 1. Is he waiting for your brother? for him. 3. I am waiting for mine. too sometimes (one waits for me, etc.). sell gloves and hats? 6. Do they sell them near here? 7. Where are scissors sold? 8. Where do you find beds, tables, and chairs? 9. We find iron, copper, and several Jacob's. 10. Do your friends always return your books? 11. Almost always. 12. When people have friends, they are fortunate. 13. Do you hear me? I do. 14. Are you waiting for me? I am. 15. Give me back those needles you borrowed. 16. Here they are. other metals at Mr. 17. There are pins, thread, and a thimble in that box. 18. She has bought lace, muslin, ribbons, and wool. 19. Now I have answered all your questions. Oral Drill. 1. You are losing; are you not losing? she not losing? 3. One loses; one is lost. she is not lost. 5. I am waiting; are 6. Wait; do not wait. 7. Is he waiting? waiting? 9. Let us wait; let us not wait. 11. Do I not hear? they wait. 12. Have they heard? Lesson 40: Negative Uses. 2. She loses; is 4. She loses; you waiting? 8. Are people 10. Do I hear? 13. They hear; Exception to Rule for Use of the Partitive Article. After a Negative. (1) When the noun is the direct object of a negative verb, some or any (expressed or understood in English) is expressed by de without the article. Je n'ai pas d'argent, I haven't any money, or I have no money. Elle n'a pas de souliers, she hasn't any shoes, or she has no shoes. Vous n'avez pas de livre, you haven't a book. (2) After ni ni, neither... nor, and sans, without, both de and the article are omitted. Il n'a ni amis ni argent, he has neither friends nor money. Il est sans amis, he is without friends. (3) After ne.. que, only, both de and the article are used. Nous n'avons que des pièces de cinq sous, we have only five-sou pieces. Il n'a que des amis, he has nothing but friends. (4) Jamais without a verb means never; with a verb preceded by ne, it means never; without ne it means ever. Avez-vous jamais vu des lions, have you ever seen lions? Jamais, never. N'en avez-vous jamais vu, have you never seen any? Notice the position of jamais: before the past participle in a compound tense. (5) Ni... ni, without a verb, have a negative meaning: ni l'un ni l'autre, neither one; used with a verb, the verb must be preceded by ne. 1. N'attendez pas de réponse à vos lettres. 2. Je n'en attends jamais. 3. M. Jacob ne vend ni dentelle ni mousseline. 4. Il ne vend que des rubans. 5. Ce garçon n'a jamais lu de livre français. 6. Je n'ai pas de soie, mais j'ai du fil blanc. 7. Vous en avez beaucoup. 8. En avezvous jamais assez ? 9. Jamais. 10. N'en avez-vous jamais 11. Presque jamais. 12. M'apporte-t-on du pain et du beurre ? 13. Apportez-nous du lait. Merci (thank you), madame. 14. En voulez-vous deux ou trois verres ? 15. Mon père n'a ni porte-monnaie ni argent. assez ? 1. These men are very poor; they have neither friends nor money. 2. She hasn't any muslin; she has only lace. 4. That is (there is) the question. 3. Has she enough? 7. We have neither books nor paper. 8. I have not an umbrella. 9. Take mine. 10. Thank you, I have already borrowed one. 11. Do you ever return the umbrellas you borrow? most never. 13. Not (pas) always, but sometimes. 18. 12. Al 14. Have 17. My friends never Now I have only one. 20. Have you? 21. I you returned the one you borrowed on Thursday ? 15. Not yet. 16. Return it to-day, please. return those that they borrow. 19. He has money, but I haven't. have. 22. How much have you? deal. 24. One never has enough. tion: have I as much as you? 26. answer? 23. I have a good 25. Answer this quesAre you waiting for an Exception to Rule for Use of the Partitive Article. Adjective before the Noun. - When an adjective stands before the noun in French, some or any (expressed or understood in English) is expressed by de without the article. 1. Vous n'avez pas encore vu de lion, je pense. 2. J'ai vu des tigres, des léopards, des loups et des serpents. 3. Les lions, les éléphants et les loups sont des animaux. éléphants sont de gros animaux. tous les autres animaux. 4. Les 5. Ils sont plus gros que 6. Que regardez-vous? 1 Literally, For a good cat a good rat. 7. Je 2 The position of adjectives must be learned largely by observation. For a more complete treatment of this subject, see Lesson 43. |