Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

270.-There are also a great many adverbs in ment formed from adjectives by adding ment to the masculine; as vrai, vraiment, triste, tristement, when they end with a vowel; by adding ment to the feminine, as:-cruel, cruelle, cruellement; actif, active, activement; sec, sèche, sèchement, when they end with a consonant; and by changing nt into -mment, as:— Méchant, méchamment; prudent, prudemment, when they end in ant, or ent.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

272.-Most of the prepositions are only one word, as :— sur, on; entre, between; nonobstant, notwithstanding. Few prepositions are formed of more than one word, as:—à travers, through; vis-à-vis de, opposite. We call the latter prepositive locutions.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

274.-No other preposition but en can be placed before a present participle.

275.-à, de, en, must be repeated in French, though they are not repeated in English.

Wine is dear in London, Brussels, and Paris; but beer is cheap in England, Belgium, and Germany. Le vin est cher à Londres, à Bruxelles, et à Paris; mais la bière est à bon marché en Angleterre, en Belgique, et en Allemagne.

The trains start punctually from London, Liverpool, Paris,

Marseilles, and all large towns. Les trains partent ponctuellement de Londres, de Liverpool, de Paris, de Marseille, et de toutes les grandes villes.

276.-What hotel were you going to? What are you complaining of? To translate such sentences as these, you must put the words in their grammatical order and write the prepositions just before the complement, as :-To what hotel were you going? à quel hôtel alliez-vous ? Of what are you complaining? de quoi vous plaignez-vous ?

CONJUNCTIONS.

277.-There are but few conjunctions of one word; but there are many combinations of words (conjunctive locutions) equivalent to a conjunction.

[blocks in formation]

There is, besides, a great number of interjective locutions.

The pupil should now write the literal translation of the following fables :

LES DEUX RENARDS.

Deux Renards entrèrent la nuit par surprise dans un poulailler; ils étranglèrent le coq, les poules et les poulets; après ce carnage, ils apaisèrent leur faim. L'un, qui était jeune et ardent, voulait tout dévorer; l'autre, qui était vieux et avare, voulait garder quelque provision pour l'avenir. Le vieux disait: Mon enfant, l'expérience m'a rendu sage; j'ai vu bien des choses depuis que je suis au monde. Ne mangeons pas tout notre bien en un seul jour. Nous avons fait fortune; c'est un trésor que nous avons trouvé, il faut le ménager. Le jeune répondait: Je veux tout manger pendant que j'y suis, et me rassasier pour huit jours: car pour ce qui est de revenir ici, chansons! il n'y fera pas bon demain; le maître, pour venger la mort de ses poules, nous assommerait. Après cette conversation, chacun prend son parti. Le jeune mange tant, qu'il se crève, et peut à peine aller mourir dans son terrier. Le vieux, qui se croit bien plus sage de modérer ses appétits et de vivre d'économie, veut, le lendemain, retourner à sa proie, et est assommé par le maître.

6

Ainsi chaque âge a ses défauts: les jeunes gens sont fougueux et insatiables dans leurs plaisirs; les vieux sont incorrigibles dans leur avarice.

1. Write down the verbs of the first conjugation in this way: entrèrent, third person plural past definite of entrer, first conjugation.

2. Write down the verbs of the second conjugation.

3. Write down the verbs of the third conjugation.

4. Write down the verbs of the fourth conjugation.

5. Why is there an e in mangeons ?

6. Why is there a grave accent in crève ?

« PreviousContinue »