Position of object pronouns with regard to each other
a. When two object pronouns are used in the same sentence, the indirect precedes the direct, unless they are both of the third person, in which case the direct precedes the indirect.1
Il me le donnera demain. He will give it to me to-morrow.
Nous vous le porterions. We should carry it to you.
Je lui en 2 parlerai. / shall speak to him {her) about it.
Elle les lui vendra. She will sell them to him {her).
b. In the case of the imperative positive, the disjunctive pronouns moi, toi, are used (for both direct and indirect object) instead of me, te, except when these come before en and y.
Montrez-le-moi. Show it to me.
Lave-toi, or, lavez-vous. Wash yourself.
Parlez-m'en. Speak to me about it.
33. Interrogative and exclamatory use of adjectives quel, quelle, quels, quelles. — Notice that these forms translate the adjectives what? which? as well as the exclamatory what (a) !
Quel livre achetez-vous? What {which) book are you buying?
Quelle est votre opinion? What {opinion) is your opinion?
Quelle belle maison! What a beautiful house!
Quels braves hommes! What brave men!
34. Irregular verbs. — Study the irregular verbs dire, to say, tell; tenir, to hold; envoyer, to send.
1 If both pronouns refer to persons, and the conjunctive direct object is any other pronoun than le, la, les, the other object must be put in the disjunctive form.
Je vous présente à lui. I introduce you to him.
Il me présente à elles. 1 He introduces me to them.
But,
Je le (la, les) leur présente. / introduce him {her, them) to
them.
2 Observe that en generally means some, about it, about them, etc., and that it always follows the other object pronouns.
EXERCISE
{a) i. I shall hold it for him if he is so tired. 2. Let him tell it to her when his mother comes back.1 3. Give me some but don't give her any. Where are hers? 4. Let us wash ourselves in the bathroom. 5. She would have spoken to me about it if I had been there. 6. You sent it to John because he is sick. 7. Why didn't she hold it for me? 8. Let him sell it to me. 9. She would have sent me some. 10. Here it is. I was holding it when your father arrived.
(b) 11. Let him do it as soon as I am gone. 12. My uncle had told me it. 13. Hold it and I shall pay you. 14. What a pretty hat ! Let us send it to her. 15. I am holding the book for the children. 16. I should have given it to them if they had been at church. 17. She is washing herself . 18. Tell it to her when she comes. 19. She would have given it to you, but you were walking in the woods. 20. Let me tell you it.
(c) 21. What little apples! Don't give them to me. Mine are larger. 22. We should have sent the books to you. Here they are. 23. They are holding the dog for her. 24. Let him show it to us. 25. Who will send those books to her ? 26. Don't speak to him about it. 27. Why don't you send it to her immediately? 28. He would not have sold it to her. 29. Are you speaking about the red book? To whom did you give mine? 30. We should have told you it if you had been there.
(d) 31. I was sending it to you. 32. Who used to tell it to us? 33. What fine cakes! I shall send them to him tomorrow. 34. He didn't speak to her when she was there. 35. Tell him where your father is. 36. What fine cherries ! Let her send them to my mother. 37. Didn't you tell her it? 38. To whom were you speaking when I arrived? 39. What a pretty little village ! Does John live here ? 40. What is your opinion about it ?
1 Quand and aussitôt require the future tense in French if futurity is implied.
