Exercise 5 - Radiolingua


© Radio Lingua Ltd 2015
Written by Mark Pentleton & Anne-Sophie McNeish
Audio materials presented by Mark Pentleton.
This edition first published 2015
1st Edition
All rights reserved.
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Coffee Break French Season 4 Companion - Book 1
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
3
Introduction
5
Section 1: Grammar
6
Point 1: Verbs which take être in the perfect tense
6
Exercise 1
9
Exercise 2
9
Point 2: The subjunctive
11
Exercise 3
13
Exercise 4
14
Point 3: Possessive Pronouns
15
Exercise 5
18
Exercise 6
18
Point 4: Using the word depuis
Exercise 7
Point 5: The gerund
19
20
21
Exercise 8
22
Exercise 9
23
Point 6: Past Participle Agreement with the Direct Object
24
Exercise 10
25
Exercise 11
26
Point 7: Direct Object Pronouns
27
Exercise 12
29
Exercise 13
29
Section 2: Interesting Vocabulary
Point 1: C’est dommage / quel dommage
Exercise 14
Point 2: Avouer quelque chose
Exercise 15
Point 3: Penser à / penser de quelque chose
Exercise 16
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30
30
31
32
33
34
35
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Point 4: avoir l’habitude de; être habitué à; s’habituer à
Exercise 17
Point 5: Faire rêver
Exercise 18
Point 6: Dans les mois à venir
Exercise 19
Point 7: Translating “to visit” in French
Exercise 20
Section 3: Idiomatic Expressions
Point 1: Avoir expressions
Exercise 21
Point 2: Tomber sur quelqu’un / Tomber nez-à-nez avec quelqu’un
Exercise 22
Point 3: En avoir marre
Exercise 23
Point 4: Aller de l’avant
Exercise 24
Point 5: Être aux anges
Exercise 25
Point 6: Avoir la pêche
Exercise 26
36
37
39
40
41
41
43
44
46
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
52
53
53
54
55
Bonus: musical review
56
Exercise Answer Key
59
Coffee Break French Season 4 Companion - Book 1
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Introduction
This book is based on lessons 1-10 of Season 4 of Coffee Break French. It is
intended for use by learners who are currently working through the Coffee
Break French course, or who have completed it.
The grammar points, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions covered in the
course have already been discussed in detail within the audio episodes and
transcripts of the course, but this book aims to provide a structure, allowing
learners to build on what they have learned in the course and deepen their
understanding of the complex areas of language covered.
In addition to the written content in this book, we have also provided audio
tracks accompanying each point. We would advise learners first to listen to
the audio track, then read the information covered in each point and
complete the exercises.
For more information about Coffee Break French, please visit http://
coffeebreakfrench.com.
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Point 3: Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in French and English are used in a similar
way. Be careful not to get mixed up with possessive adjectives and
possessive pronouns. Read on to find out more.
You will already be used to the concept of possessive adjectives:
• mon livre - my book
• ma maison - my house
• son père - her father
We use possessive pronouns to replace the noun, so in English, rather than
saying “my book”, you can use the word “mine”:
• it’s my book > it’s mine
• she’s our daughter > she’s ours
Something very similar happens in French and we can replace possessive
adjectives and the noun they accompany with possessive pronouns. As you
would expect, the correct pronoun to use is based on the gender and
number of the noun. The list below should help.
masc.
fem.
masc. plural
fem. plural
mine
le mien
la mienne
les miens
les miennes
yours
le tien
la tienne
les tiens
les tiennes
his / hers / its
le sien
la sienne
les siens
les siennes
ours
le nôtre
la nôtre
les nôtres
yours (plural/polite)
le vôtre
la vôtre
les vôtres
theirs
le leur
la leur
les leurs
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Consider the examples below to help you understand this better:
• c’est mon livre > c’est le mien
• c’est ma maison > c’est la mienne
• ce sont mes livres > ce sont les miens
• ce sont mes maisons > ce sont les miennes
Note that the pronoun changes its form depending on what it refers to, not
based on who is talking.
The same happens with “yours” (informal):
• c’est ton livre > c’est le tien
• c’est ta maison > c’est la tienne
• ce sont tes livres > ce sont les tiens
• ce sont tes maisons > ce sont les tiennes
With the third person, we have to take careful consideration of the forms of
the possessive pronouns. The English possessive pronouns “his”, “hers” and
“its” are both translated by le sien (for masculine objects), la sienne (for
feminine objects), les siens (for masculine or mixed plural) and les siennes
(for feminine plural). We’ll see this more in our examples below.
For “ours”, we use le nôtre, la nôtre and les nôtres.
• c’est notre livre > c’est le nôtre
• c’est notre maison > c’est la nôtre
• ce sont nos livres / nos maisons > ce sont les nôtres
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The same pattern is used for “yours” in the formal or plural forms: le vôtre,
la vôtre and les vôtres.
• c’est votre livre > c’est le vôtre
• c’est votre maison > c’est la vôtre
• ce sont nos livres / nos maisons > ce sont les vôtres
Finally, with “theirs” we use le leur, la leur and les leurs:
• c’est leur livre > c’est le leur
• c’est leur maison > c’est la leur
• ce sont leurs livres / leurs maisons > ce sont les leurs
Very often we use possessive pronouns in comparisons:
• Sa maison est plus grande que la mienne.
His house is bigger than mine.
• Je n’aime pas trop ma voiture, je préfère la leur.
I don’t like my car; I prefer theirs.
Examples from the episodes
1.
Je pense que les jeunes d’aujourd’hui qui veulent aller voir le
monde adoreraient avoir un métier comme le sien.
I think that young people today who want to go and see the world
would love to have a job like his. (episode 9 - Monique)
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Further examples
1.
Ne prends pas mon téléphone, utilise le tien.
Don’t take my phone, use yours.
2.
Sa maison est plus grande que la nôtre.
His house is bigger than ours.
3.
Je n’aime pas ce livre, je peux lire le tien?
I don’t like this book. Can I read yours?
Exercise 5
Traduis les phrases suivantes en français:
1.
Can you stop eating my food? Eat yours.
2.
I love their house. It is so much better than ours.
3.
His mum is stricter than mine.
4.
Her parents give her more freedom than mine.
5.
My work is more tiring than theirs.
6.
It is not your responsibility, but his.
Exercise 6
Complète les trous avec le bon pronom entre parenthèses:
1.
Je n’ai pas besoin de ta voiture, j’ai …………………… (mine).
2.
Mon père est plus sportif que …………………… (yours).
3.
Ne touche pas à ce livre, c’est …………………… (theirs).
4.
Il s’est trompé de t-shirt, ce n’est pas …………………… (his).
5.
Ma robe n’est pas de la même couleur que ……………………
(hers).
6.
Leurs enfants sont plus âgés que …………………… (theirs).
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