LESSON XX

Ordinals. — Dates and titles. — Common date expressions. — Nonelision of the article. — Adjective last. — Idiomatic present indicative and imperfect with depuis (quand?). — Irregular verbs plaire, se taire, vaincre, convaincre

75. Ordinals. — See Section 2 of the Appendix for a complete list of ordinals.1

76. Dates and titles. — With the exception of first, all dates of the month, and all numerical titles of rulers are expressed in French by cardinals.2 In the case of first (not 21st, 31st, etc.) the ordinal premier, -ère, is used.

Le premier (deux, trois) juillet. July the first (second, third).

Henri Premier ; François Quatre. Henry the First; Francis the Fourth.

1 Fractions are usually formed thus : un cinquième, trois septièmes, sept dixièmes, etc. However, half is moitié, fern., as a noun, and demi as an adjective, or a noun in arithmetical calculations. Demi, masc, before its noun, is invariable and joined by a hyphen, but agrees elsewhere : une demi-heure, but une heure et demie. (Compare adjective nu, bare : nu-tête, bareheaded^) A quarter is un quart; a third is un tiers.

La moitié d'une pomme. (The) half of an apple.

2 See Section 1 of the Appendix for list of cardinals.

l6o GRAMMAR REVIEW