Noble souls gain by being known. Les âmes nobles gagnent à être connues. Blessed be those charitable ladies. Bénies soient ces dames cha ritables. Mr. and Mrs. B. are going to M. et Mme. B. sont partis pour, Rouen. The letters are all written. My slate is broken. My buttons are lost. She appeared afflicted. II. or, sont allés à Rouen. Innocence and virtue are often oppressed. That woman died regretted by every body. Those trees fell, blown down by the wind. It is easier to say new things than to reconcile (concilier) those which have been said. The men who seem to be born for misfortune, ought to be prepared for any disgrace. Fidelity is always suspected when it is bought. My sisters are very sorry for having lost your friendship. — Have your sons gone to school? They have gone to pay a visit to their grandmother. — Ladies, have you been out to-day? No, sir; we were too busy. Have your children been out this afternoon? It rained, so that they staid at home. —When did Mr. and Mrs. C. leave Paris? They left last week.— Where did you go after breakfast? We went to the Jardin des Plantes. — Madam, when did you arrive in Europe? I arrived five months ago. - Did you stay long in England? I staid a fortnight in London, and came to Paris immediately after. - My father and mother came to see me, on Sunday last, in my school. RULE III. The past participle of an active verb, conjugated with avoir, is variable, if it is preceded by the direct object of the verb; then it agrees in gender and number with that object. An adjective can not be an accusative. Invariable-1st. If there is no direct object; 2d. If the direct object is after the participle. NOTE. This third rule is the most important and the principal one. Where did you meet Mr. and Mrs. F. yesterday? I met them at the banker's. - Did you invite them to come and see us? I did; and they promised to come on Saturday evening. — The strongest habits are those we have formed in our childhood. Truth dictated my words. They founded a colony. Your sister has studied the French language. The house you bought lately is very old. The books you bought the day before yesterday are very cheap. The fortune my father left is sufficient for us all. They who have instructed us, have sacred rights to our thankfulness. What were you speaking of, gentlemen, when I interrupted you? We were speaking of the ladies we saw yesterday at Mrs. R.'s. God created us, and grants us new benefits every day. Did you sing those beautiful songs at Mrs. R.'s? We sang them several times. She has two daughters; both have left the country and have gone to America. Did you know all the members of that family? I knew them all; three of them are dead. Did you prepare your lesson yesterday? I prepared it in the evening, and wrote two exercises. How many things you have done! The two young ladies you saw at Mrs. B.'s are from Bordeaux. These lessons need to be studied carefully, and I see you have not learned them well. I have not corrected (corriger) the exercises, because they were not legible (lisibles). She has received the letter you wrote to her. My little brother wrote us a letter from his boarding-school; we received it on Monday last; it was very well written. What lesson did I give you last week? I presented the letter to her; she read it; it was the same letter which you had returned (renvoyer) to me. REMARKS ON THE PAST PARTICIPLE. I. Participle followed by an Infinitive. The past participle of an active verb, preceded by a pronoun in the accusative, and followed by an infinitive with or without a preposition before it, is variable, if the preceding pronoun is the direct object of the principal verb; as: The ladies I heard singing. The children I saw playing. Les dames que j'ai entendues chanter (entendues elles chanter). Les enfants que j'ai vus jouer (vus eux jouant). The participle is invariable, if the preceding pronoun is the object of the infinitive; as: The robbers I saw condemned. The children I saw punished. Les voleurs que j'ai vu con damner (condamner eux). Les enfants que j'ai vu punir (punir eux par quelqu'un). NOTE. The participle fait, done, made, is always invariable before an infinitive; as: I have had them mended. Je les ai fait raccommoder. IV. The barristers I heard pleading compromised their cause. Circumstances prevented us from succeeding. Study the lessons I gave you to learn. He has left the way (la route, he had resolved to follow. The great orators I heard speaking convinced me; I adopt the opinions I heard them support (émettre). Your sister, whom I saw writing yesterday, was in a hurry to finish her letters. The two ladies we saw painting in the Louvre, are Americans. The lady I saw painted by Horace Vernet, was an English lady; she is very well painted. The stories I heard told were very interesting. The plays (les pièces, f.) I have seen played, were loudly applauded. The actors I heard praised, were extremely flattered. The actors I have seen playing, are the best actors I know. You heard them blaming me at first, and then applauding me. The children we heard singing are the pupils of the best music master I ever heard of. The lesson I began to give was interrupted by the arrival of the inspector. I saw them fly before the enemy. I saw them killed by the enemies. The three houses I had built are to be sold. The clothes I had made last year are almost worn out. The children I have seen drawing are Mrs. F.'s sons. She let them fall down. I let them go out. I heard them praised. The resolution which you have taken to go into the country, will permit me to transcribe the history you have given me to translate from English into French. The measures which they had advised me to take were full of difficulties. The rule which you had begun to explain seems to be clear. II. Past Participle of Reflective Verbs. - In reflective verbs, the auxiliary être always takes the place of avoir; as, je me suis habillé, for j'ai habillé moi-même, etc.; the participle of these verbs follows the third rule. 1. If the verb is essentially reflective, the participle agrees always with the second pronoun, which is the direct object of the verb; as: 2. If the verb is accidentally reflective, the participle is variable, and follows the third rule, when the reflective is derived from an active verb; and invariable, if the verb by itself is a neuter verb; as, se plaire, se rire, se parler, se succéder, se nuire, se ressembler, etc. What hard words they said to each Quelles dures paroles ils se sont other. They said hard words to each other. They were pleased with each other. dites (object, paroles, ƒ.). Ils se sont dit de dures paroles (object after, third rule). Ils se sont plu (a neuter verb). Essentially reflective verbs: s'emparer, s'abstenir, se moquer, se souvenir, etc. V. The letters they sent to each other were very friendly (amicales). K. and W. addressed letters to one another. She recollected all the good deeds she had done. They repented of their laziness. We remembered all the good services you rendered to us when we were in distress. Those gentlemen spoke to one another amicably for some time, and then they grew angry, and finished by giving each other blows with the fists (des coups de poing). Some days ago, Mr. E. and Mrs. P. met at Mrs. N.'s, and promised one another to be always good friends. The English troops have taken possession (s'emparer) of several towns. That woman had thrown herself into the river. Those two children have given each other the hand. Our good parents have flattered themselves that they will have well-trained children (bien élevés); and I fear they will not succeed in it. We took a walk with friends. Has your eldest sister been well since Sunday last? She has taken a walk every day with me. Did your children amuse themselves at the concert? The inhabitants of that village found themselves surrounded with water. They (f.) did not sit down; they were in a hurry to go back. Did you go away together? We went away one after the other. Mrs. B. went away at seven o'clock in the evening. Were not Mrs. B. and Mr. C. mistaken? They were mistaken, it is true, but you ought not to have laughed at them. Did we laugh at them? You did not perceive that they went away angry? We did not. Your brothers did not shave this morning. They did, because they had to go to a wedding. At what o'clock did they rise? They rose early; at about half-past six. Those women have given themselves up (s'abandonner, laisser aller) to despair. |