INDEFINITE CONSTRUCTIONS

Indefinite constructions involve pronouns and adjectives used to generalize or to stress nonspecificity.

1. On(one, we, you, people) is used with the possessive adjective son, sa, sesand reflexive pronoun se: On devrait aimer sa tamitte.(One should love one's family.) On ne se comporte pas ainsi.(One does not behave that way.)

2. The emphatic pronoun soi refers to any indefinite subject: Chacun pour soi!(Every man for himself!)

3. Tout toute, tous, toutes(every, all [adj]): Tous les mecs sont forts. Toute femme est belle.

   1. Tout tous(everything; everyone [pronoun]) Il aime tout. Tous sont partis.

4. Quelque(s)(some, a few): quelques rêves(a fewdreams).

   1. Quelque chose(something); Est-ce que tu veux quelque chose?(Do you want something?)

   2. Ouelqu'un, quelqu'une, quelques-uns, quelquesunes:someone, anyone; some, some people: Quelqu'un est parti.(Someone has left); Quelquesunes de mes amies sont riches. (Some of my(girl)friends are rich.)

   3. Use dewhen quelque choseor quelqu'unis modified by an adjective: quelque chose de joli(something pretty); quelqu'un d'intéressant(someoneinteresting).

5. Quelconque(s)[adj]: any..whatsoever: Je veux une réponse quelconque!(i.e., I just want an answer!)

   1. Quiconque[pronoun]: who(m)ever: Quiconque le veut le peut.(i.e.. Absolutely anyone who wants to can.)

6. Chaque[adj]: each, every. Always singular, jen reve chaque soir.

   1. Chacun(e)[pronoun]: each, everyone. Always singular. Chacun sait chanter. Chacune des titles pleure.

7. Autre[adj., pronoun]: other: un autre destin

   1. For 'another,' as in one more, use encore un: Encore un instant!

8. Aucun(e)...ne[sing. adj. and pronoun]: no, none: Aucun homme ne pleure. (No man cries.); Aucun des hommes ne pleure. (None of the men is crying.)

9. Nul(le)...ne[sing. adj. and pronoun]: no, none: Nulle femme/Nulle ne vit.(No woman lives.)

10. Personne...ne[sing, pronoun]: nobody, no one: Personne ne rigole.(Nobody is chuckling.)

11. Rien...ne[sing, pronoun] nothing: Rien ne le dérange. (Nothing bothers him.)

 

VERB / LE VERBE

A verb is a word that describes an action.French verbs change—are conjugated—to agree inperson(first, second, third) andnumber(singular or plural) with their subject, and to reflect thetense(past, present, future, etc.), andmood(indicative, conditional, subjunctive, imperative) of the action.

1. The infinitive is the basic form of the verb (English infinitives are preceded by to: to walk, to snivel). Most French verbs fall into one of three regular conjugation patterns according to the ending on the infinitive: -er (aimer), -ir (finir), or -re (vendre).

ORGANIZATION

Moods:Conjugated verb tenses in French are divided into four moods according to the speaker's attitude towards the action:indicative(real or probable action),subjunctive(imagined or possible action), imperative (command), andconditional(contrary to fact).

Infinitives, participles:Every verb also has an infinitive form, and two participle forms (present, past), (sometimes these are also considered moods.)

Simple and compound tenses:verb tenses can be simple (one word: hewhined, if Iwerewealthy), or compound (two or three words: theyhave seen, Julie would have beensad). In compound tenses, only the first verb is conjugated.