un enseigne, a flag bearer, the ensign. le garde, the guardian. un office, a religious service, a responsible situation. le vapeur, steamboat. le voile, the veil. le livre, book. le moule, mold, cast. le mousse, sailor boy. le page, page (servant). le poêle, stove. le poste, position, post (military). le somme, nap. le tour, trip, trick. le vase, vase. une enseigne, a sign. la guide, the bridle, reins. la Manche, the English Channel. la vapeur, steam. la poste, post office. la somme, sum. la tour, tower. la vase, mire. GENDER OF ADJECTIVES 8. a. Irregularities in the formation of the feminine of adjectives. turc, Turkish, turque. caduc, decrepit, caduque. conducteur, conducing, conductrice. benin, benign, bénigne. malin, malicious, maligne. coi, still, coite. roux, red, red-headed, rousse. b. The word grand is invariable in such expressions as grand'mère, grandmother. grand'route, highway. la grand'messe, high mass. avoir grand'peur, be very much frightened. à grand'peine, with great difficulty. ne pas valoir grand'chose, not to be worth much. Note that the apostrophe takes the place of e in the femi nine. 9. a. Some adjectives have no feminine. Aquilin, aquiline, dispos, nimble, fat, conceited, sot- b. Canine, canine, is never used in the masculine. Hebraïque is used in both genders. PLURAL OF NOUNS 10. Note the following irregular plural forms: un garde-manger, pantry, des garde-manger. un va-et-vient, a going and coming, des va-et-vient. II. Proper nouns may take an s in the plural. Les deux Corneilles vivaient au XVIIe siècle. Il y a de superbes Raphaëls au Louvre. The only exception being found in sentences where the article has been added before the name of the person itself. Les Racine, les Corneille, les Voltaire, et les Hugo ont illustré les trois derniers siècles de notre histoire (in which case only one Racine, one Corneille, one Voltaire, and one Hugo are meant). 12. Names of metals, sciences and arts, abstract nouns, and some words used as nouns, are not found in the plural. Such are l'argent, la justice, l'agriculture, le beau, le bien, et le vrai, le boire, et le manger. Exception. les mathématiques. 13. Note the change of meaning in the plural of the fol lowing nouns : la lunette, spyglass. les lunettes, spectacles. les ciseaux, scissors. 14. Gens most frequently occurs in the expression les jeunes gens, young people, young men. The adjective immediately preceding gens is feminine. The adjective which follows it or does not immediately precede it is masculine. Les bonnes gens sont rares! NUMBER 15. a. Le landau, carriage, is regular, les landaus. b. Le bal, le carnaval, le chacal, le régal are regular. c. The adjectives fatal, final, glacial, naval, théâtral, frugal, jovial, natal, automnal, colossal, pascal are not often used in the plural. 16. a. Irregular plurals are: le bail, the lease, les baux. le soupirail, the air hole, les soupiraux. le vitrail, the glass window, les vitraux. (See also §88.) b. Ciel is regular in the expressions: les ciels (des tableaux), the skies (of the paintings). les ciels de lit, bed canopies. Eil is regular in the expression, des œils-de-bœuf, little oval windows. Ail, garlic, has two plurals, aulx and ails. 17. a. Maximum, minimum, erratum form their plural by changing um to a as in Latin, maxima, minima, errata. b. Words of foreign origin are now regular except post-scriptum, statu-quo, in-pace, te-deum, credo, ave, magnificat, etc., which are invariable. APPENDIX B SOME COMMON VERBS REQUIRING THE PREPOSITION à BEFORE A NOUN Il l'a comparé à un mirage. He compared it to a mirage. Croyez-vous à la sincérité de ses paroles? Do you believe in the sincerity of his words? J'ai échappé au danger. I have escaped the danger. Ne vous fiez pas aux apparences. Don't trust appearances. Vous intéressez-vous à cette affaire? Are you interested in that affair? Il se met à pleurer. He begins to weep. Obéissez à votre tante. Obey your aunt. Pardonnez-lui son impolitesse. Excuse him for his impoliteness. Je n'y ai jamais pensé. I never thought of it. Avez-vous pris part à cette campagne? Did you take part in that campaign? Vous êtes-vous plu au spectacle? Did you enjoy the play? Vous avez pourvu à tout? You have provided for everything? Ils ont renoncé à leurs projets. They gave up their plans. Nous nous sommes soustraits à ses questions. We evaded his questions. Qui succéda à Louis XIV ? Who succeeded Louis XIV? Elle a survécu à tous les dangers. She survived all the dangers. Ne touchez pas à ce vase; il est brisé. Don't touch that vase; it is broken. |