QUESTIONS FOR THE PUPILS. What have you remarked on vingt and cent? They take an (s) in the plural if they are not followed by an adjective of number; see No. 238, 239. When do you use (et)? Only before un (see No. 241) and from 70 to 79, and from 70th to 79th. Does mille take an (s)? Never when it is an adjective; but it does when it is a substantive, see No. 249. In conversation can you say, le deux Janvier, le trois février, le cinq mars, &c. ? Yes; but in writing it is better to use the ordinal adjective, as le deuxième de Janvier le troisième de février, &c. Cardinal adjectives, are they used sometimes substantively? Yes; as le huit de pique, the eight of spade; jouer au trente et un, to play at thirty-one. The Cardinal Adjectives, do they take the mark of the plural? They do ; as les premiers, les seconds, les troisièmes, &c. The Ordinal Adjectives, do they take the sign of the plural? They do not; les quatre, les sept, les huit. You must except VINGT, CENT, and MILLION. The Numeral Collective Adjectives, do they take an article after them? No; only the preposition de, as une douzaine de pommes, a dozen of apples; deux douzaines de poires, two dozen of pears, &c. ELEVENTH LESSON. ON POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES. 251. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES are words which, joined to a substantive, show the possession of the person or thing of which one speaks; they are always placed before the substantive, and agree with it; they are 252. Mon, ton, son, are used also before substantives feminine, beginning with a vowel or h mute, instead of ma, ta, sa, to prevent a bad sound; as, mon amie, (my friend); ton ame, (thy soul); son indifférence, (her indifference). 254. Ma is used before every substantive feminine beginning with a consonant. 256. Observe, we must repeat the possessive adjectives before every substantive, when they do not qualify the same noun, as J'ai loué ma maison de ville, ma ferme, mon château, et mes forêts, Il m'a envoyé ses nouveaux modèles, et ses anciens ta bleaux, I have let my town-house, my farm, my castle, and my forests. He has sent me his new models, and his old pictures. J'ai vu votre grand pré, et I have seen your large vos petits jardins, meadow, and your small gardens. 257. However, if the adjectives qualify the same noun, do not J'ai vu vos beaux et vastes I have seen your fine and jardins, spacious gardens. 258. Remark.-In the following phrases (in speaking of the members of the body, the article is used instead of the possessive adjective. DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES are those which, joined to a substantive, serve to indicate the persons or things of which one speaks; they are always placed before the substantive, and agree with it. They are ce, cet, cette, this or that; ces, these or those. They are declined thus 259. Ce is used before every substantive masculine beginning with a consonant. 260. Cet is only used before substantives masculine beginning with a vowel, or h mute. 261. Cette is only used before substantives feminine beginning with a consonant, a vowel, or an h 262. Ces is used before all substantives plural, masculine or feminine, beginning with a consonant, a vowel, or an h mute. QUESTIONS FOR THE PUPILS. Why are mon (my), ton (thy), son (his), called adjectives possessive in French, and pronouns in English? Because in English they are used instead of a noun, and agree with their antecedent, therefore must be pronouns; but in French it is quite the reverse, they agree in gender, number, and case with the noun to which they are joined, for example:It is her father, C'est son père; it is his mother, c'est sa mère. Ce, this or that, joined to a noun, can it be considered as a pronoun in English ?-Impossible. Why? Because it is never used instead of a noun, therefore it cannot be a pronoun; it is an adjective in all languages, as ce livre, this book; cette plume, this pen; ces livres, these books. When do you use (cet)?-Only before a substantive masculine singular beginning with a vowel or h mute. When do you use (cette) ?-Before all substantives feminine singular. When do you use (ces)? Before all substantives plural. TWELFTH LESSON. ON INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES. 263. The INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES are those which indicate persons and things in a vague and indeterminate manner, that is to say, without particularizing them; they are always placed before their substantive, and agree with it. They are * This adjective is an indefinite pronoun when used instead of a substantive. |