LESSON XXI
Difference between interrogative adjectives and pronouns. — Y avoir to express time and distance. — Neuter demonstrative ce as subject. — Irregular verbs lire, prendre, apprendre, comprendre, surprendre
*82. Difference between interrogative adjectives and pronouns. — Do not confuse the interrogative adjectives which, what (quel, quelle, etc.) with the interrogative pronouns which (one, ones), what (one, ones) (lequel, laquelle, etc.). The following are the main differences :
a. The adjective forms are used to indicate the particular class or thing under consideration.
Quelle fleur aimez- vous mieux ? Which (what) flower do you prefer ? Quels livres achetez-vous ? Which (what) books are you buying ?
Quel garçon est arrivé ? Which boy has arrived ?
b. The pronoun forms are used to indicate the particular one or ones of the class or things under consideration.
Laquelle des plumes avez-vous ?
Lesquelles des fleurs choisissezvous?
Which (one) of the pens have you ?
Which of the flowers are you choosing?
Note. These principles also hold when the nouns are omitted. Do not fail to observe that the gender of the adjective or pronoun is the same as that of the omitted noun.
Quel est le texte du sermon ?
Quelle est cette musique sur le
piano ?
Voici deux pommes sur la table.
Laquelle aimez-vous mieux ?
What is the text of the sermon ?
What is that music on the piano?
Here are two apples on the table.
Which (one) do you prefer?
83. Y avoir to express time and distance. — Y avoir, i.e.. the forms il y a, il y avait, etc., are used to express time and distance.
J'ai vu ma sœur il y a deux ans.
Combien y a-t-il d'ici à la ville ?
Il y a cinq milles d'ici à Boston.
Il y a quinze jours.
/ saw my sister two years ago.
How far is the city from here?
It is five miles from here to Boston.
A fortnight ago.
84. Neuter demonstrative ce as subject. — This unstressed pronoun (equivalent to this, that, these, those, he, she, it, they, according to the context) is used with être (sometimes with devoir, pouvoir) as the grammatical subject :
a. When the logical subject is a determinate noun or pronoun or a noun clause, and follows the verb.
C'est moi; ce sont eux.
C'est son frère. Ce sont nos livres.
Ce peut être mon père.
Ce doit être ma sœur.
Ce sont les miens.
C'est que je ne l'aime pas.
It is I ; it is they.
It is his brother. Those are our
books.
.That may be my father.
That must be my sister.
Those are mine.
The fact is that I don't like him.
b. As real subject with adjective predicate (or adverb, or prepositional clause).1
C'est vrai (bien, clair). That (it) is true (well, clear).
C'est pour lui. That (it) is for him.
c. In date idioms. (See Section 77.)
C'est le quinze du mois. It is the fifteenth of the month.
C'est aujourd'hui dimanche. To-day is Sunday.
Ce sera demain le vingt. To-morrow . will be the twentieth.
C'était hier qu'il est venu. It was yesterday that he came.
85. Irregular verbs. — Study the irregular verbs lire, to read; prendre, to take; apprendre, to learn, teach2; comprendre, to understand ; surprendre, to surprise.
EXERCISE
(a) 1. How far is your house from here? 2. Take the books that I borrowed yesterday. 3. How long have you been studying German? 4. There is the house that was destroyed by the fire. 5. What did John read to his mother when he returned from school? 6. That must be the house that your brother bought. 7. I am learning French because I wish to travel in France next summer. 8. Let us drink what there is in the glass. 9. Which house is your aunt going to buy? 10. If a dog bit me, I should have him killed.
(b) 11. What is your opinion of that law? 12. How much did you pay for the apples that you are cooking? 13. There are many small nations in Europe. 14. How many pages have you read in that book? 15. I should like to believe John, but
1 Notice, however, when être is followed by de + infinitive or by a que clause, that the impersonal il construction is required.
Il est vrai que vous avez raison. It is true that you are right. II est facile d'écrire une lettre. It is easy to write a letter.
2 To teach a subject, as French, mathematics, etc., is enseigner. Elle enseigne le français. She is teaching French.
I cannot. That is true; he lies too much. 16. It was two kilometers from there to the old schoolhouse. 17. Which of these three young girls is the tallest? 18. Do what your mother taught you and you will be right. 19. Which automobile did your father select? 20. It is true that there are many apples on the grass this morning. The fact is that it was windy last night.
(c) 21. She had just read the newspaper when her father called her. 22. If you pay attention, you will understand the lesson. 23. I visited him several years ago when he was living in the country. 24. Which boy did your mother send to the store? 25. I did not write because I wanted to surprise my parents. 26. John slipped on the carpet and struck his head against the armchair. 27. What is the city that he is talking about? 28. John was reading the announcement when somebody struck him on the shoulder. 29. That is the man who took my things and put them in his pocket. 30. That is true. There is the boy who stole all our apples last night.
(d) 31. How many rooms will there be in his new house? 32. Which of the men is the better player? t,^. He understands what I told him. 34. It was clear that the boys were surprised 1 to see their mother enter the barn. 35. With whom did he spend the night? 36. She was born rich, but the war destroyed her fortune. 37. Which do you prefer, cigarettes or cigars? 38. How many inhabitants are there in this city?
