c'est la meilleure pomme, | it is the best apple. 2o. Should the adjective in the superlative come after the noun, the article must be repeated before each, as c'est l'homme le plus savant de | he is the most learned man in la ville, or, que je connaisse, town, or, that I know. 3°. The superlative absolute is formed by prefixing to the adjective fort, très, bien, infiniment, extrèmement, asvotre montre est très-belle, | your watch is very beautiful. Note. When le plus, le moins, or le mieux qualify several adjectives in the same preposition, they must be repeated be fore each. EXERCISE XIII. 1o. My greatest torment is idleness; the surest means are tourment m. oisiveté f. €4 el sur the least glaring; it is his least fault; the best of men is he éclatant ce e9 e1 e1 who has the least vice; you have done your task without the faire devoir m. e8 least attention; the least excusable of all errors is that which f. ...m. ré.........f. erreur f. eo is wilful; the greatest reputations are not always the best volontaire grounded; the worst of states is a despotic government; fondé le despotique gou......m. unaffected civility is the best courtesy, and temperance the simple honêteté f. politesse f. ......é......f. best doctor. 2. The most learned men are not the most voici savant e tableau m. el médecin virtuous; these are the finest pictures I have ever seen; novels, e9 et roman m. even the purest, are hurtful; jealousy is the greatest of evils, même pur faire du mal m. jalousie f. and that which creates the least pity. 3. Constantinople is a celui inspirer es pitié f. very fine city; Mr. M.'s family is exceedingly happy; the style e ville f. famille f. infiniment heureux ...m. of Fénélon is very rich and very harmonious; he visits the coulant fréquenter 176 CHAPTER FOURTH. OF PRONOUNS. OF STATES AND CASES. As there are positively no cases in the French language, we have adopted the word state. The First State, or subject, corresponds to the nominative of the Latin. The Second State, always expressed by de, answers to the genitive or ablative. The Third State, always expressed by à, to the dative. The Fourth State, object or complement, to the accusative. Before the learner proceeds, it will be necessary that he make himself familiar with the differences of these states, and of the exact import of subject and object, as also how to distinguish between the direct and indirect object; for, without this knowledge, the rules, and those of the pronouns in particular, will not be clear, and his progress thereby considerably retarded. The first state, or nominative, is the subject of a preposition simply affirmed, and is a noun, or one of the pronouns with which a verb is conjugated in any form. The fourth state is the complement of another word by which it is governed; it is the direct object of an active verb, when completed without the aid of a proposition, neither expressed nor understood, as il loue son père, he praises his father. Il, he, is the subject; loue, praises, is the verb; and père, father, the direct object, being the person praised. It is the indirect object when it requires the association of the preposition de or à, either expressed or understood, asil donna cette lettre à son frère, | he gave this letter to his il lui donna cette lettre, he brother. gave him this letter. Il, he, is the subject; donna, gave, the verb; lettre, letter, the direct object, being the thing given; and à son frère, to his brother, and lui, him, for à lui, to him, the indirect objects being governed by the preposition à, expressed in the first case, and understood in the second. SECTION I. OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS AS SUBJECTS. RULE XIV.-83. Among the personal pronouns nous and vous never vary, whether subject or object, direct or indirect; but in particular cases je, tu, il, ils, as subjects of verbs, are rendered by moi, toi, lui, eux; elle, she, and elles, they, fem. remaining the same. 1o. When joined to a noun or pronoun, or when coming after each other as a kind of enumeration, as lui et son fils sont malade, lui et elle iront en ville, he and his son are ill. he and she will go to town. OBSERVE.-When a verb is accompanied by two or more subjects of different persons, the resuming pronoun, nous or vous, is generally used to represent them, and the verb is made to agree with the one used, nous or vous. If any of the pronouns are of the first person, nous must be used; and vous, if any are of the second person, and none of the first. resuming pronouns are always understood in English, as— eux et moi nous sommes d'accord, vous et votre sœur, vous avez gâté ce livre, These they and I (we) are agreed. you and your sister (you) have spoiled this book. 2o. When used immediately with the relative pronouns qui or que; the conjunction que, than or as, after a comparison; the word seul, alone; or a participle present, as— c'est moi qui vous le dis, 3o. When used with the verb it is I who tell you so. he alone will return. être, preceded by ce; and in 4o. When used in the second part of a sentence, as a contrast to the first, or when pointing out the different parts that persons have taken in an action, in which case je, tu, il, ils, elle, elles, are elegantly introduced as pleonasms, as il part, et moi, je reste; he sets out, and I remain. my son and I are partners, he sells and I write. EXERCISE XIV. 1o. My brother and I will accept your kind invitation; they se rendre aimable .........f. e2 d'accord and I are agreed; I, thou, and he are all guilty; he is not tout coupable so strong as they; she is as good as thee; thou, who e1 fort pretendest to be so faire tant seeing that you did et e2 brave, would'st thou dare go there? they le ...... oser e1 là not return, went away; he, whom I love, revenir s'en aller to treat me thus! they alone saw the enemy's colours. ainsi 3o. It battre ......ie m. drapeau m. e13 is not he who is the master, 'tis I; who is the guilty one? coupable m. thou. 4°. I serve my country with zeal, but thou betrayest zèle m. el servir trahir her interest; you like the country, and I the town; thou e2 campagne f. j'aime intérêt m. plu. tramplest on the laws1, I respect them; fouler aux pieds e respecter my glorious exploits, and you will glorieux....m. I will gain a name by e2 art. learned writings. e13 RULE XV.-84. 1°. It, used with the verb to be, impersonally, is rendered in French by il or ce. 1o. By il when the verb is followed by an adjective without a noun, in reference to something following, as— il est dificile d'apprendre sans it is difficult to learn without précepte, precept. 2o. By ce when it relates to something previously mentioned or understood, or when the verb être is followed by a pronoun or noun, though preceded by an adjective, as c'est bien malheureux, it is very unfortunate. it is he who is speaking. 3o. Nouns of trades, professions, adjectives of countries, &c., considered as absolute nouns, require ce before the verb; but if they are considered as attributes of persons or qualifications, the personal pronoun of the third person must be used as in English, as c'est un français, il est français, it is a Frenchman. he is a Frenchman. In the first instance français is a noun, and absolutely denoting a person, as if it were in answer to-Who is there? it is a Frenchman, a baker, an officer. But in the second, français is an attribute, to distinguish the person spoken of, as if it were in answer to this question-What countryman is your brother? he is a Frenchman; what trade, what profession? he is a baker, an officer; in this latter case a or an is omitted in French. EXERCISE XV. A A 1o. It is impossible for man to say what he will be in a el à art. e1 de quarter of an hour; it is difficult e10 A A dificile de elo ce que to believe the truth from a quart m. liar; it is a shame to do what we are ashamed to own. menteur m. honteux de els el5 on avoir honte f. de avouer 2o. It is a shameful thing to set the son against the father; honteux chose f. que de armer fils e2 A A A e2 it is a man I cannot bear; have you heard of their death? el que pouvoir souffrir ouïr yes, it is very unfortunate; it is the first time fois f. que chanter this song; it is you who force me to quit this country; it is chanson qui obliger me quitter pays m. patience and perseverance that enable us to overcome f. .é...... f. A faire surmonter art. adversity; it is a sad thing to be ill and to have no friend; .......té f. triste de malade de it is too difficult, it is an Italian who composed it; you thought e8 elő composer croire he was a German, but he is a Pole; who is with your nephew; A que e8 it is a minister; what is your father? he is a lawyer. neveu OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS AS OBJECTS. RULE XVI. 85. 1°. Personal Pronouns, as objects of verbs, are placed immediately before the verb, whether object direct or indirect, and the preposition understood. |