5.6 Putting Things Together (Part 1) Language Lesson
Transcription
5.6 Putting Things Together (Part 1) Language Lesson
5.6 Putting Things Together (Part 1) Language & Culture Lessons This is what Rocket Languages does best. We’ve compiled everyday expressions into this lesson, so they’re conveniently available all in one place. At first glance, you may not recognize « Hors de question » as “out of the question” or « sans aucun doute » as “without a doubt” but it won’t take long before these types of common phrases will be second nature to you. Language Lesson Putting Things Together The focus of this Lesson is to bring together some of the most widely recognized essential words used in everyday communication. These small words help us to express ourselves fluently. In grammatical terms, these words are defined as conjunctions and prepositions. For the purposes of this learning program, we are grouping many of these grammatical principles under one umbrella so that you can use them practically. You will find these connecting words to be as vital to conversation as practice is to pronunciation. Using Connecting Words The purpose of these short expressions is to connect words and meanings together in a sentence. Look at the following examples which illustrate the type of context where connecting words belong. The words and expressions explained in this Lesson do not follow particular principles – they need to be learned just as they are. Je suis presque toujours en retard ! I am nearly always late! L'air est pur après la pluie. The air is pure after the rain. Il arrivera bientôt. He will be arriving soon. Pendant que j'étais au restaurant, Marie est venue me voir. While I was at the restaurant, Mary came to see me. Il y avait tellement de gens en ville. There were such a lot of people in town. Je serai là dès que possible. I will be there as soon as possible. Je suis presque toujours en retard ! I am nearly always late! Expressions Using Connecting Words The following expressions are frequently used in conversation and require memorizing so that your own conversation can be enriched. D'après toi According to you (casual) Parmi la foule Amongst the crowd Dès que possible As soon as possible À la main By hand À part Apart from Depuis hier Since yesterday À temps In time Hors de question Out of the question Depuis longtemps For a long time Vers Towards / Around Sans doute Probably Sans aucun doute Without a doubt Comme d'habitude As usual À moins que Unless Ensuite And then Aucun problème No problem Si seulement If only Tout va bien ! All is well! Everything is going OK C’est hors de question d’aller à la plage par cette pluie ! À part le mauvais temps, tout va bien ! Aucun problème It’s out of the question to go to the beach in this rain! Apart from the bad weather, everything is fine! No problem Culture The Big Day French weddings are a joyous occasion, filled with fun and family. Because of France's traditional catholic background, weddings are often quite traditional. Ceremonies have traditionally been held in a church, and officiated by a priest; but increasingly couples are opting to be married by a registered marriage celebrant in the City Hall. Pièce montée One thing still remains the same though: the reception is always a great party! The reception will feature the usual speeches, before the cutting of the pièce montée - a traditional wedding cake. A pièce montée is a crunchy taste sensation, shaped like a pyramid and constructed of small round custard-filled pastries, held together with spun sugar. The bride and groom will cut the cake together, serve all of the guests, and then feed themselves. What's left of the wedding night is spent dancing and celebrating. French wedding guests have historically made a habit of extending the celebrations for as long as possible. It's not uncommon for the party to rock on past 4:00am! Libros Media Ltd. - Copyright 2004-2014 USA: 10660 Page Avenue, PO Box 1261, Fairfax, VA 22038, USA | Phone: 703-349-0452 Asia/Pacific: 2-1008 Ferry Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand | Phone: +64-3-384-6350