leaving cert french

LEAVING CERT FRENCH - GRAMMAR
© PAUL STENSON
PRONOUNS – RELATIVE PRONOUNS (1)
1. A relative pronoun is a word replacing a noun which joins two short
sentences together in order to form one long sentence.
The two most common relative pronouns are QUI (who/which) and QUE
(QU’) (that).
QUI replaces the subject of one of the sentences.
QUE (QU’) replaces the object of one of the sentences.
e.g.
(a) Tu as trouvé le stylo
(subject ) (object)
(b) Le stylo était sur la table
(subject)
(object)
Tu as trouvé le stylo qui était sur la table.
Le stylo, que tu as trouvé, était sur la table.
Trick - qui is always followed by a verb; que is always followed by the subject
of another clause.
2. CE QUE and CE QUI (what)
I don’t understand what is happening
Je ne comprends pas ce qui arrive
I don’t understand what you are saying
Je ne comprends pas ce que tu dis
Note:
Do not confuse “what” used in a question, with the relative pronoun.
e.g.
What do you want? (Question)
Qu’est-ce que tu veux?
I don’t know what she wants
Je ne sais pas ce qu’elle veut
For one-to-one or group grinds in French, visit www.frenchgrinds.com
Tout is also followed by ce qui/ce que in French to mean ‘everything that’.
Test
Translate the following sentences into French
I don’t like the film we saw
You know the man who is coming tomorrow
This is the book that my friend is studying
I received the magazines that your mother sent me
She won’t ask what you said
What will they drink?
They want to see everything I buy
We will do everything they ask
I like the woman we met this morning
For one-to-one or group grinds in French, visit www.frenchgrinds.com