VII— POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

115. (See p. 318, No. VII; p. 297-299, Nos. 4 and 14; p. 300, No. 22). A substantial illustration of the possessive adjectives is given on

p. 87, Exercises, and p. 88, first two lines. See also p. 330, No 123, section (4).

Meanings and Uses

OF

French Pronouns I-PERSONAL PRONOUNS (Subject and Object) and PRONOMINAL ADVERBS en and y (see p. 318, No. I)

116. (a) Subject: (see p. 17, No. 6, and p. 21, first paragraph):

(1) Predicate adjectives, or past participles take the gender and number of the actual subject, e.g. :

je (a man) suis occupé I am busy

je (a woman) suis occupée I am busy

nous (men) sommes occupés we are busy nous (women) sommes occupées we are busy vous (one man) êtes occupé (sing.) you are busy vous (one woman) êtes occupée " you are busy

(2) ils must be used when the actual subject to which it refers comprises collectively masculines and féminines, e.g.:

ils (Marianne et Louis) sont en retard: they are late (p. 99, 3rd para., last line)

(3) tu, and generally the second pers. sing. of any French pronoun is used only in addressing children, or animais, and in poetic or spiritual language. (See also p. 68, No. 8, footnote incl.).

(4) The subject pronoun must usually be repeated before each verb to which it is related.