Plusieurs gens de lettres s'étaient empressés à lui plaire.

(ROUSSEAU.)

(3) Antecedent, a Collective Noun or Word of Quantity (see § 452).

Le peu de sûreté que j'ai vu pour ma vie. (BOILEAU.)
Le peu de troupes qu'il a rassemblées, ont tenu ferme.

(MARMONTEL.) (BESCHERELLE.)

Le reste de nos soldats s'est retiré. La plupart des bataillons que nous avons formés. (ID.) Combien de projets a-t-il faits! Combien d'ouvertures a-t-il données. Combien de services a-t-il rendus. (FLÉCHIER.)

(4) Participle with Infinitive following.

1. Je l'ai laissé chanter.

2. Je l'ai vu frapper.

3. Je l'ai entendu chanter.

As it stands, each of these sentences may bear two meanings: 1. I have allowed it to sing, or

I have allowed the singing (of) it (= it to be sung).

2. I have seen it strike, or

I have seen the striking (of) it (=it to be struck).

3. I have heard it sing, or

I have heard the singing (of) it (= it to be sung).

With the former meaning the Pronoun is treated as the grammatical Direct Object of the Participle. With the latter meaning the Pronoun is treated as the grammatical Direct Object of the Infinitive. Hence with a feminine or plural pronoun the ambiguity vanishes.

1. Je les ai laissées chanter.

I have allowed them to sing.

Je les ai laissé chanter.

I have allowed the singing (of) them (= them to be sung).

2. Je les ai vus frapper.

I have seen them strike.

Je les ai vu frapper

I have seen the striking (of) them (= them to be struck).

3. Je les ai entendus chanter.

I have heard them sing.

Je les ai entendu chanter.

I have heard the singing (of) them (= them to be sung).

Upon a like analysis depend the agreement or non-agreement of the Participle in such examples as the following: *

Agreement:

Je les ai vus prendre la fuite.

Je les ai vus voler des fruits.

Les enfants que j'ai vus dessiner.

Je les ai entendus louer leurs ennemis.

La maison que j'ai vue tomber en ruines.
Je les ai laissés partir.

Les livres que j'ai eus à lire.

Les leçons que j'ai eues à apprendre.
A peine l'avons nous entendue parler.

Non-agreement:

Je les ai vu prendre sur le fait.
Je les ai vu voler par des filous.
Les paysages que j'ai vu dessiner.
Les airs que j'ai entendu chanter.
La lettre que j'ai vu écrire.
La maison que j'ai vu bâtir.
Ils se sont laissé tuer.

La pièce qu'ils ont fait jouer.
Les disputes qu'il a fait naître.
Les obstacles que j'ai eu à vaincre.
Les peines qu'ils ont eu à souffrir.

D.

Intransitive Verbs which take 'être.' (See § 333.)

The Intransitive verbs which take être as auxiliary have a position intermediate between active and passive verbs (§ 371). They are active, but the Past Participle is treated as an adjectival complement, and is made to agree with the subject.+

Ta gloire est passée.

Elle est morte pour lui.

(DELAVIGNE.) (RACINE.)

Quand on fut à quelques pas du mûrier où étaient restés les

CHAPTER II.-MOODS.

Infinitive Mood.

§ 459. 1. The Infinitive Mood is distinctly substantival in its use:

Apprendre par cœur lui est facile, Learning by heart is easy to him.

Je voulais nager, I wished to swim.

Je sais lire et écrire, I can read and write.

Il m'apprend à lire, He teaches me to read.

Cessez de faire du bruit, Leave off making a noise.

2. In English the Infinitive in -ing (or Gerund) is often put instead of the simple Infinitive. This Verbal Substantive in -ing must be carefully distinguished from the Present Participle or Verbal Adjective in -ing.

Seeing is believing (Subst.), Voir, c'est croire.

Seeing this, he left me (Adj.), Voyant cela, il me quitta.

3. It is employed in Subordinate Sentences instead of the Indicative Conditional or Subjunctive when no ambiguity is caused by its use :

Je vous dis d'aller avec moi, I tell you to go with me. but:

Je veux que vous alliez, I wish you to go.

4. Notice the idiom with the Present Infinitive active : Hard to do (or) hard to be done, Difficile à faire. House to let (or) house to be let, Maison à louer.

§ 460. The Infinitive without Preposition is mostly equivalent to an Accusative of the Direct Object, and to a Nominative of the Subject; the Infinitive with de to a Genitive; the Infinitive with a to a Dative; but this is far from being always true.

§ 461. Verbs which require no Preposition before the following Infinitive. (For examples, see § 475.)

§ 462. Verbs which require 'de' before next Infinitive.

* In English, sometimes the simple infinitive with to, sometimes the gerund with some prepositions, is employed: J'affecte d'aller, I pretend Je m'abstiens d'aller, I abstain from going, etc., etc.

to go.

to fear, to hesitate, etc.
to disdain, to scorn, etc.
to forbid, etc.

to despair, to give up, etc.
to wish, to long, etc.
to put off, to delay, etc.
to tell, etc.

to give up, to dispense, etc.
to refrain, to forbear, etc.
to undertake, to attempt, etc.
to try, etc.

to be astonished, to be surprised, etc.
to avoid, to shun, etc.

to excuse oneself, to apologise, etc. to affect, to pretend, etc.

to congratulate oneself, to be satisfied. to flatter oneself, to hope, trust, etc. to shudder, etc.

to take heed, etc.

to groan, to lament, etc.
to glory, to boast, etc.
to hasten, to hurry, etc.
to swear, to declare, etc.
to fail, to want, etc.

to deny, etc.

manquer (de)

menacer (de)

to threaten, etc.

mériter (de)

to deserve, etc.

nier (de)