Junior Freshman LanguageGrammar and Grammatical analysis

Grammar Lecture 8Pronouns (2)

Pronouns1. Personal pronouns2. Reflexive pronouns3. Interrogative pronouns4. Demonstrative pronouns5. Possessive pronouns6. Relative pronouns7. Indefinite pronouns

(1) Personal pronouns (continued): (a) object pronouns Object pronouns are used when a pronoun is

either a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.

Object pronounsIn English:Most object pronouns are different from

subject pronouns, but the same pronouns are used as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of a preposition.

Subject and object pronouns in EnglishSubject Object

Singular

1st person I me

2nd person you you

3rd person he/she/it him/her/it

Plural

1st person we us

2nd person3rd person

youthey

youthem

In French…..As in English, the pronouns used as objects

are different from the ones used as subjects.Unlike English, the form of an object pronoun

often changes depending on whether it is a direct object, or an object of a preposition.

First and second persons singular and plural

Subject Direct object

Subject Direct object

Singular1st person2nd person

jetu

mete

Iyou

meyou

Plural1st person2nd person

nousvous

nousvous

weyou

usyou

Identifying the function of nous and vous can be confusing:

same forms are used as subject and object.both subject and object forms are placed

before the verb.

Third person singular and plural (him, her, it and them)

Subject Direct object

Subject Direct object

SingularmasculineFeminine

ilelle

lela

he, itshe, it

him, ither, it

Pluralmasculinefeminine

ilselles les they them

French indirect object pronounsFirst, make sure that the French verb takes

an indirect object.

First and second persons singular and plural

Subject Indirect object

Subject Indirect object

Singular1st person2nd person

jetu

mete

Iyou

(to) me(to) you

Plural1st person2nd person

nousvous

nousvous

weyou

(to) us(to) you

Third person singular and plural (him, her, it and them)

Direct object

Indirect object

Direct object

Indirect object

SingularmasculineFeminine

lela

People Things

lui y

him, ither, it

(to) him(to) her(to) it

Pluralmasculinefeminine

les leur ythem (to) them

There is only one form of the 3rd person indirect object pronouns referring to things and ideas: y:

(1) Are you answering the letter? Yes, I am answering it.

(2) Do you obey the laws? Yes, I obey them.

TranslateHe gives his sister the giftHe gives her the gift

Personal pronouns (continued) Disjunctive (Stressed) pronounsFrench stressed pronouns (also known as

disjunctive pronouns) are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun that refers to a person. There are 9 forms in French

Personal pronouns (continued)Disjunctive (Stressed) pronounsSubject

Direct object

Indirect object

Reflexive

Stressed

je me* me* me* moi

tu te* te* te* toi

il,elle,on

le, la lui se lui,elle,soi

nous nous nous nous nous

vous vous vous vous vous

ils,elles les leur se eux,elles

Use of stressed pronouns for emphasis:To highlight or emphasise a pronoun, a

common strategy is to ‘double up’ by the addition of a stressed pronoun.• e.g. Subject pronouns:• Toi, tu le crois peut-être mais lui, il ne le croit

pas• YOU might believe that, but HE doesn’t

Stressed pronouns: (subject) The stressed subject pronoun copy may

equally appear at the end of the clause with the same effect:• Tu le crois peut-être toi, mais il ne le croit pas,

lui.

Stressed pronouns: (subject)• When third person subject pronouns are

highlighted or emphasised, the stressed pronoun alone may, on occasions, be used:

HE could do itTHEY would know what to say

Stressed pronouns: (object)A common strategy is to add a second,

stressed pronoun at either the beginning or the end of the clause:

He confides in ME (and not in you)HE is known to be innocent

Stressed pronouns standing aloneStressed pronouns are normally used where

the pronoun stands alone, or is in a phrase without a verb:

Qui est là? Moi (not *je)Qui as-tu vu? Lui (not *il)

Reflexive verbs and pronounsA reflexive verb is a verb which is

accompanied by a pronoun, called a reflexive pronoun, which serves ‘to reflect’ the action of the verb back to the subject.

Reflexive pronounsSubject Direct

objectIndirect object

Reflexive Stressed

je me* me* me* moi

tu te* te* te* toi

il,elle,on

le, la lui se lui,elle,soi

nous nous nous nous nous

vous vous vous vous vous

ils,elles les leur se eux,elles

Reflexive pronounsReflexive pronouns are used only with

pronominal verbs (‘les verbes pronominaux’). They always agree with the subject of the

sentence. Like object pronouns, the reflexive pronoun

is placed directly in front of the verb in all tenses except the imperative.

e.g. tu te lèves → lève-toi

Reflexive pronouns Reflexive pronouns always agree with their

subjects, in all tenses and moods.1. I will get up2. We went to bed3. Are you going to shave?

Reflexive verbs are common in French.There are many English expressions that are

not reflexive in English, but whose French equivalent is a reflexive verb.

to get up to make a mistaketo go to bed to stopto wake up to take a walkto be boredto have fun