French Grammar Learning
Abbreviations and Meanings
If you are studying French grammar learning French grammatical terms and their abbreviations is essential to understanding how a French phrase is constructed.
Plus the French just love their grammar – well the teachers love teaching it! And the better your French grammar, the more tolerant the French are of your attempts to speak their language.
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Basic Structure of a French Phrase
The basic structure of a French phrase is similar to that in English in the use of subject, verb, adverb, adjective, and noun and so on.
A typical French phrase will contain:
- A subject (sujet: S) - person or thing which provides the action
- A verb (verbe V) - the action
- An object (objet : O) - person or thing affected by the action
- The circumstances (complément circonstanciel : CC) under which the action takes place - time, location
Example
I (S) studied (V) French (O) at college (CC)
J' (S) ai étudié (V) le français (O) à l'université (CC).
Added to this the phrase might be:
- Normal e.g I like chocolate (J'aime le chocolat)
- Negative (négatif): I don't like chocolate (Je n'aime pas le chocolat)
- Interrogative (interrogatif): Do you like chocolat (Aimez-vous le chocolat ?)
- Imperative (impératif): Eat up ! (Mangez !)
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Glossary of Important French Grammatical Terms
Articles
Compléments Circonstanciels (CC)
Complément d'Objet Direct (COD)
Complément d'Objet Indirect (COI)
Conjonctions
Déterminants
Groupe Nominal Sujet (GNS)
Groupe Verbal (GV)
Prépositions
Articles are an essential addition to the noun in the French language. As a general rule if you see a noun there is usually an article but this could be replaced with a possessive (mon, ma, mes...) or demonstrative adjective (ce, cette, ces...).
There are 3 main articles:
* Article Défini : le, la, l', les
* Article Indéfini : un, une, des
* Article Partitive : du, de la, de l', des
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- Compléments Circonstanciels (CC)
The CC is a word or group of words which compliment the verb and provides us with information on the date, time, place, manner, means and cause of an action.
** It is often accompanied by a preposition (à, de, pour, sans....)
** It could be a noun, pronoun, infinitive, adverb, gerund or preposition.
** It's usually the part of the phrase that answers: where, when, how, why?
Example
Il viendra demain (temps et adverbe)
Il viendra en train (manière et nom)
Il viendra dans cette maison (lieu)
Ils ont agi par jalousie (cause)
Il avance en reculant (gérondif)
Ils travaillent pour s'enrichir (infinitif)
C'est pour elle qu'il est venu (pronom)
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- Complément d'Objet Direct (COD)
The COD is a complement to the verb.
** It is attached to the verb.
** It answers a question who/what?
** It cannot be removed but it can be replaced by a personal pronoun (him, her, it, them).
Example
Gabrielle écrit une lettre.
Gabrielle écrit quoi? une lettre.
Gabrielle l'écrit
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- Complément d'Objet Indirect (COI)
The COI is a complement to the verb.
It is attached to the verb by a preposition.
It answers a question to whom/to what? (à qui/à quoi?)
It cannot be removed but it can be replaced by certain pronouns.
Example
Gabrielle écrit une lettre à son père.
Gabrielle écrit à qui? A son père.
Gabrielle lui écrit
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A Conjunction is a word that links words or groups of words.
They mean nothing on their own.
There are 2 types: Coordinating and subordinating.
Coordinating conjunctions join words or word groups which are both equally important.
Tip: Remember the following phrase and you will never forget the subordinating conjunctions. "Mais où est donc Or-Ni-Ca?" (But Where Is Ornica?)
Example
Voulez vous aller en France ou en Angletterre?
Le repas n'est pas gratuit mais pas cher.
Elle ne mange ni la viande ni le poisson.
Subordinating conjunctions join together a dependant clause (i.e relies on the main/independent part of the phrase to complete its meaning) and an independent clause. They are easy to recognize as they usually have 'que' in them.
Example
Ses parents sont très fiers qu'il ait réussi le concours
Qu' Introduces the dependant clause 'il ait réussi le concours.'
Le travail avance parce que Pierre est là.
Parce que introduces the dependant clause 'Pierre est là.'
Marc travaille tandis que l'équipe est absente.
Tandis que introduces the dependant clause 'l'équipe est absente'.
Je t'aiderai quand j'aurai le temps
Quand introduces the dependant clause 'j'aurai le temps'.
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Déterminants are words that introduce nouns.
In the French language there are 5 types of déterminants:
* Articles : le, la, un , une, des...
* Démonstratifs : ce, cette, ces, cet...
* Possessifs : son, sa, mon, ma, notre, votre, ton, ta....
* Indéfinis : aucun, certain, plusieurs, chaque...
* Autres : deux, cent, mille...
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- Groupe Nominal Sujet (GNS)
The GNS is the person or thing that makes the action.
It can be replaced by a pronoun (il, elle, ils, elles, nous, vous)
It could be a proper noun, a personal pronoun or an infinitive verb
It can be plural or singular
Example
Toi et moi avons les mêmes goûts
Nous avons les mêmes goûts
Chanter réconforte (to sing brings comfort).
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The GV is the action past of the phrase.
It can be a verb (V)on its own or can have a complement (GN complément du verbe)
The 'GN complément du verbe' is an essential part of the phrase and cannot be removed or replaced. It is often referred to as the 'complément d'objet du verbe'.
The 'GN complément' can be surrounded by 'C'est.....que'.
Example
Sa collègue porte (V) un chapeau (GN complément)
'C'est.....que': C'est un chapeau que sa collègue porte.
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A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. They are placed in front of a noun or object pronoun (you, him, her, them etc).
Example
J'ai dormi pendant le film.
Nous sommes de Toulouse.
Le cadeau est pour toi.
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