OF NOUNS OF MULTITUDE. Rule 19.-Nouns collective general. We call collective general those nouns which represent the whole of the persons or things mentioned, as le peuple, la forêt, l'armée, &c.; such nouns require that the verb which they govern (as also any adjective or pronoun referring to them) should, in French, be put in the singular. EXAMPLES: The people wish for peace, le PEUPLE DÉSIRE la paix. Rule 20.-Nouns collective partitive. Such nouns as une infinité, une foule, le nombre,* &c., are called partitive collective. These require that the verb of which they are the nominative, as also any adjective or pronoun having reference to them, should be put in the singular, if they are preceded by the definite article, le, la, les; when preceded by the indefinite un or une, they usually agree in gender and number. EXAMPLES: The number of inhabitants amounts to 20,000, A crowd of children followed him, UNE FOULE d'enfants le SUIVAIENT. EXERCISE ON THE TWO PRECEDING RULES. Parliament have adopted this measure. The whole2 nation1 rebelled. The family will not leave town this year. The2 whole1 fleet set sail the day before yesterday. The army began the attack as soon as the enemy were in sight. The enemy, soon discouraged, were obliged to retire. The people love the king. In France a great number of young men enlist themselves voluntarily every year. A crowd of nymphs crowned with flowers swam behind the car of the goddess. A great number of friends remained attached to him. Most men are of that opinion. * La plupart used in an absolute manner requires that the following verbs should be put in the plural, as: la plupart écrivent ce nom de telle manière; le sénat fut partagé, la plupart voulaient que, &c., when la plupart is followed by de and a noun, the verb, adjective or pronoun, coming after, agrees with that noun and not with la plupart; thus we say, la plupart du monde PRÉTEND; la plupart des troupes se DÉBANDÈRENT. OF THE AGREEMENT OF ADJECTIVES WITH THEIR SUBSTANTIVES. Rule 21.-Adjectives and participles adjectively used, agree in gender and number with the substantives to which they refer. EXAMPLES: Un homme CONSTANT, une femme CONSTANTE, des enfants Gâtés. She sings out of tune, Those ladies speak too low, These pictures cost dear, EXAMPLES: elle chante FAUX. ces dames parlent trup BAS. Also the adjectives NU (naked); DEMI (half); SUPPOSÉ supposed; and EXCEPTÉ, when placed before a substantive, and the adjective FEU (late), when followed by an article. * They agree when coming after; thus we say: pieds-nus, une journée et demie, ses messieurs exceptés; feu agrees also when the article precedes, as: la feue reine. Bare-footed, Half a day, Except those gentlemen, The late queen, EXAMPLES: Nu-pieds. Rule 22.-An adjective or a participle qualifying two or more distinct substantives, must be in the masculine plural if the substantives are masculine; feminine plural, if the substantives are feminine; and masculine plural when the substantives are of different genders, EXAMPLES: The father and son are arrived, The father and mother are arrived, OBSERVE. From this rule must be excepted adjectives qualifying two or several substantives nearly synonymous and not joined by the conjunction ET: as, toute sa vie n'a été qu'un travail, une occupation CONTINUELLE; and also those that are joined by the conjunction ou, as, un courage ou une prudence ÉTONNANTE, in which cases the adjective agrees with the last noun only. EXERCISE ON THE AGREEMENT OF ADJECTIVES. Pride and misery are but too often united. These flowers smell sweet. He renders his father and mother happy. The rich and the poor are equal before God. Your mother and sister are satisfied. The queen and the princesses equally virtuous do much good to the poor. His son and yours are prudent and attentive. Give me half a guinea, and you will then only owe me a guinea and a half. Why does he go bare-footed? The late Mrs. D. was an accomplished? woman1. He had his mouth and eyes shut. His courage and activity were astonishing. Sylla acquired in Rome an absolute power and authority. I found the doors, the windows, and the The adjective absolute must be placed after the two substantives. Р shutters open. Under Charlemagne's reign all pretences to elude duties were removed, neglect corrected, abuses in the state reformed or prevented, and crimes punished. Virtue and science can alone make a man happy. The genius of the French Language requires adjectives to be placed after the substantives: but this cannot be given as a general rule, as there are adjectives which, for the sake of harmony, are placed before; and others which have a different meaning according as they precede or follow their substantives. Without entering into all the niceties of this intricate point of the language, we subjoin those rules only which we deem most essential to the student. Rule 23.-Cases in which the adjective is placed after the substantive. We place after the substantive, adjectives of COLOUR, FORM, TASTE, in short of physical qualities, and those which express the names of nations, EXAMPLES : Un habit VERT; une table RONDE; un fruit AMER; une vue DÉLICIEUSE; la révolution FRANÇAISE. * Henceforth adjectives will be given in the masculine singular. Also participles of verbs used adjectively. A learned man, A confused thought, A forbidden action, EXAMPLES: uu homme INSTRUIT. une pensée EMBROUILLÉE. Adjectives modified by an adverb or by something coming after it, always follow the substantive. An extremely brave man, EXAMPLES: un homme EXTRÊMEMENT BRAVE. A misfortune common to all, un malheur COMMUN À TOUS. When two or more adjectives refer to the same substantive, they are usually placed after it, and a conjunction is put before the last, whether there is one or not in English. EXAMPLE: A good, amiable and virtuous woman. Une femme BONNE, AIMABLE, et vertueuse. We also place after the noun, adjectives of several syllables qualifying monosyllabic substantives. Rainy weather, A melodious voice, EXAMPLES: un temps PLUVIEUX. des soins TERRESTRES. une voix MÉLodieuse. Those adjectives of several syllables which do not end in French with an e, always come after their substantives, as well as those which end in esque ique, and ule. The public good, A doubtful case, A gigantic monument, A credulous woman, EXAMPLES: le bien PUBLIC. un cas DOUTEUX. un monument GIGANTESQUE. une femme CRÉdule. Rule 24. Cases in which the adjective is placed before its substantive. Monosyllabic adjectives are usually placed before the substantives they qualify.* * They follow whenever they are united by another adjective with the conjunction et, as: un discours long et ennuyeux. |