Accom Let him speak of it to them. Let him not speak of it to them. it to me.* Do not accompany me Finish it and bring REPETITION OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS. Rule 68.—The personal pronouns of the first and second persons, used as nominatives must be repeated before every verb, if those verbs be of different tenses:† these pronouns of the third persons are hardly ever repeated before verbs in the same tense.‡ I study and always will study, EXAMPLES: J'ÉTUDIE et J'ÉTUDIERAI toujours. You loved and love still an ungrateful man, He took several cities, conquered considerable provinces, and over. turned powerful empires, IL prit plusieurs villes, conquit des provinces considérables, et renversa de puissants empires. Rule 69.-The personal pronouns nominative, are repeated, 1st, when two members of a sentence are joined by any conjunction, but et, mais, or ni. EXAMPLES: He is active, although advanced in years, • When two or more verbs succeeding each other are used in the imperative affirmative, and joined by et or ou, the personal pronoun or pronouns precede the second or last (if more than two), as: apportez-LE, et ME LE montrez ; lisez-LA, signez-LA, et ME La donnez. †Though not absolutely necessary, the repetition is better even when the verbs are in the same tense. When the verbs are in different tenses, the pronouns of the third persons may or may not be repeated. 2nd. When we pass from an affirmative to a negative, or, from a negative to an affirmative sentence. EXAMPLES: He gains nothing and spends much, Vous le dites, et vous ne le pensez pas. Rule 70.-The personal pronouns used as the government of verbs, are always repeated in French, before each verb. EXAMPLES: I honour and respect him, That news grieves and afflicts me, Cette nouvelle m'attriste et м'afflige. N.B. It is deemed unnecessary to say more on the repetition of personal pronouns, as in many instances, taste or the necessity of clearness must direct the choice. EXERCISE ON THE REPETITION OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS. He was learned although so very young. You say you abhor the wicked because you fear them; as for me, I fear God alone. What! you do not esteem him, and you frequent him! I see them, but I will not speak to them. I believe and shall believe it until I have proofs to the contrary. I say and will always2 say1 that you were in the wrong. Grace spoils nothing; it adds to beauty, heightens modesty, and gives it lustre. I have seen them and have spoken to them. She does and undoes it incessantly. He respects, honours, and loves her. It is taste that selects the expressions of a discourse, that combines, arranges, and varies them, so as to produce the greatest effect. *The conjunctions marked * govern the subjunctive mood in French. Rule 71.-The possessive pronouns mine, thine, his, hers, ours, yours, and theirs, are expressed in French by le mien, le tien, le sien,* &c. (see page 46). Except : 1st. When used with the verb to be, in the sense of to belong, in which case mine is generally expressed by è moi, thine, by à toi, and so forth. This hat is mine, EXAMPLES: Ce chapeau est à м01, not le mien. That house is not hers, Cette maison n'est pas à ELLE, not la sienne. Are these keys yours? Ces clefs sont-elles à vous, not les vôtres ? Are not those gloves theirs? Ces gants ne sont-ils pas à EUx, not les leurs? 2nd. When used with of after a substantive,† in which case mine is expressed by MES, thine by TES, his, hers, its by SES, and so on. When les miens, les tiens, les siens, etc., are used in an absolute manner, that is to say, without reference to any noun antecedent, they express one's relations, friends, tribe, etc., as: He takes care of his own kindred, il a soin des SIENS. Dieu connaît LES SIENS. Should the substantive be preceded by this, that, these or those, we simply turn the sentence thus: What have you done with that seal of mine? Where have they put those papers of hers? EXAMPLES: A relation of mine, An aunt of hers, un de MES parents. OBSERVE.-Le mien, le tien, le sien, &c., are used in French for my own, thy own, his own, one's own,* &c. EXAMPLES: He has contributed nothing of his own, Il n'y a rien mis DU SIEN. Every one his own is fair, Chacun LE SIEN n'est pas trop. EXERCISE ON THE POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS. Here are my verses; show me yours. Your action is praiseworthy, but his is not so. Your reasons are better than theirs. Your parents are rich; hers are poor. That carriage is not hers. Is that dog yours? Are all these lands theirs? This is not yours. It belongs to a pupil of mine. I have just seen a friend of yours. Take care of that letter of mine. Shall you want these books of yours to-day? That horse of yours is lame. He has no ideas of his own. They live in a house of their own. I tell you that I have seen it with my own eyes. It is your own fault. He is my own brother. He is happy only among his own tribe. Our own safety requires it. OF DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS (see page 47). Rule 72.-The demonstrative pronoun ce is used in conjunction with a relative pronoun, to express the English word what in the sense of that which. These are sometimes expressed by à moi, à toi, à lui, etc., and also by the adjective propre, thus: I have an estate of my own, j'ai une terre à MOI, Practice alone can teach these different modes of expression, EXAMPLES: What I fear is to be found out (i. e. that which), What you say is surprising (i. e. that which), Ce is used for he, she, it, they, when the verb être is followed by a substantive, or moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eur, elles: as; c'est la vérité; c'était moi; étaitCE-elle ? Ce or il may be used when être is followed by an adjective only as; c'est impossible, or IL est impossible; c'est, or IL est vrai; but if anything follow the adjective, il alone can be used, as: IL est impossible d'être heureux sans pratiquer la vertu ; IL est vrai que je l'admire. Rule 73.-When the English personal pronouns he, she, they, are the antecedent of who, or whom, they are expressed in French by the demonstrative pronouns celui, celle, ceux, celles.† EXAMPLES: He who gives himself up to the pleasures of this world, is unworthy the glory of heaven, CELUI QUI S'abandonne aux plaisirs du monde n'est pas digne de la gloire du ciel. They who are contented with their condition are happy. Rule 74.-When the English pronoun it, holds the place of that, the demonstrative pronoun cela (or ce, before the verbs être, pouvoir, and devoir), must be used in French. When the verb être, in all such sentences is followed by a noun, or by another verb, in any tense but the participle past, ce is repeated. The use of ce before être is also necessary in the second member of the sentence even when it is not used in the first, as: le seul moyen d'obliger les hommes à dire du bien de nous, c'est d'en faire. When used in reference to things, celui, celle, etc., correspond to the one which, that which, those which, as: give me a better pen; the one which I have is good for nothing, donnez-moi une meilleure plume; CELLE que j'ai ne vaut rien. |