Mon bon. — My fine fellow

9. Il y a longtemps que je ne vous ai vu. — It is a long time since I hâve seen you. Though no négative is used in English to correspond to the ne after il y a, etc., a slight change in the English sentence will show that there is really a négative idea ; thus instead of it is a long time since I hâve seen you, the sentence might read, I hâve not seen you for a long time. Eor the omission of pas after il y a, see Grammar, p. 292, § 10.