The pronominal form of the verb is often used in French, when, in English, the verb is intransitive or passive, as:

Pronominal verbs express either reflective or reciprocal action. Reflective action is confined to the subject; reciprocal action requires two or more persons; hence, in the latter case, the verb is always in the plural. S'aimer may mean to love one's self, or to love each other, or one another.

To distinguish between reflective and reciprocal action, it is sometimes necessary to make use of an additional pronoun, either a compound pronoun, to express reflective action; or an indefinite pronoun, to express reciprocal action.

Se coucher, to lie down; to go to Se rappeler, to recollect.

bed.

Se lever, to rise.

S'habiller, to dress (one's self).

Se déshabiller, to undress one's self.

Le voyage, the voyage; the journey.

Le chemin, the road; the way.

Le boulevard, the boulevard.
Le nom, the name.

Se promener, to walk; to take a Jacques, James.

walk.

Se tromper, to be mistaken.

Se porter, to be; to do.

S'appeler, to be called.

Le soir, in the evening.
Là-bas, yonder; there.

Lorsque, when.

Ensuite, then.

Avant de, before.

↑ Se tromper de. to be mistaken in; se tromper de chemin, to be mistaken in the road; to take the wrong road.

Lorsque, quand, when. Lorsque is a conjunction; quand is an adverb of time, often used interrogatively; it is also used as a conjunctive adverb.

§ Avant de is used before the infinitive, instead of avant. Je me promèné avant de me coucher, I take a walk before I go to bed.

Exercise 32.

SIMPLE TENSES. 1. Je me couche tard, et je me lève de bonne heure. 2. Je me promène pendant une heure avant de me coucher. 3. Comment vous portez-vous? 4. Je me porte bien. 5. Il ne s'habille jamais avant midi. 6. Ami, tu te trompes. 7. Comment s'appelle votre ami? 8. Il s'appelle Jacques. 9. Nous nous trompons quelquefois. 10. Les hommes se trompent les uns les autres. 11. C'est une histoire que je ne me rappelle pas. 12. Lorsque j'étais à Paris, je me portais bien. 13. Nous nous promenions tous les jours sur les boulevards. 14. Nous nous couchions tard, et nous nous levions de bonne heure. 15. Ma mère ne se portait pas bien pendant le voyage. 16. Elle se portera mieux quand elle sera à la campagne. 17. Je me lèverai demain matin à six heures. 18. Vous ne vous rappellerez pas cela. 19. Vous vous porteriez mieux, si vous vous couchiez de bonne heure. 20. Couche-toi de bonne heure, et ne te lève pas trop tard. 21. Promenez-vous pendant une heure avant de vous coucher. 22. Rappelons-nous ce que nous étions autrefois. 23. Ne nous trompons pas. 24. Il faut que je me lève de bonne heure. 25. Je voudrais que vous vous levassiez de bonne heure tous les jours.

COMPOUND TENSES. 1. Je me suis levé à six heures ce matin. 2. Je me suis habillé, et ensuite je suis allé me promener. 3. Je me suis trompé de rue, en revenant, et ie suis rentré très-tard. 4. Tu t'es couché de bonne heure hier au soir 5. Vous étiez-vous habillés quand je suis venu? 6. Nous ous sommes habillés de bonne heure. 7. Jacques s'était couché sans se déshabiller. 8. Nous nous étions trompés de chemin, et nous sommes arrivés à la maisor

après le dîner. 9. Il se sera couché quand vous arriverez là-bas. 10. Nous nous serions levés à six heures, si nous vous avions attendus avant le déjeuner. 11. Ils ne se seraient pas rappelé cette histoire, si je ne leur en avais pas parlé. 12. Il est bien que je me la sois rappelée. 13. Je voudrais que vous ne vous fussież pas trompé.

Theme 32.

SIMPLE TENSES.

1. I am mistaken.

2. Thou art often

mistaken. 3. In the evening, we walk for an hour before we go to bed. 4. You go to bed too late, and you rise too late. 5. We are in good health. † 6. What is that gentleman's name? 7. I do not recollect his name. 8. We were dressing when you came (have come). 9. I was not in good health when I was in Paris. 10. I used to walk every day on the boulevards. 11. I shall dress immediately, and then I shall breakfast. 12. We shall go to bed early, and we shall rise early. 13. They will not recollect what they have told you. 14. You would take the wrong road if you were alone. 15. He would be in better health, if he did not work so much. 16. Rise (sing.); it is nine o'clock. 17. Do not go to bed (sing.) too late. 18. Dress (plur.) immediately. 19. Recollect (plur.) what I have told you. 20. Let us take a walk before going to bed. 21. It is well that you recollect that. 22. It would be well that they should recollect it too. COMPOUND TENSES. 1. went to bed early last night; I was (imp.) tired. 2. He rose before six o'clock. 3. He dressed himself immediately, and then he went for a walk. 4. We took the wrong street. 5. I had dressed when you

+ To be in good health, se porter bien; to be in better health, se porter mieux. Past indefinite tense.

came (have come). 6. We had lain down without undressing (ourselves). 7. They had taken the wrong road, and arrived very late. 8. He will not have risen, when we (shall) arrive there. 9. They would not have gone to bed, if they had expected us. 10. You would not have recollected that, if I had not spoken of it. 11. I am glad that you recollected that. 12. I wish that we had dressed before breakfast.

THIRTY-THIRD LESSON.

IMPERSONAL VERBS.

1. An impersonal verb is only used in the third person singular, and is conjugated with the pronoun il, it, for subject.

Verbs are essentially impersonal when they cannot be used as personal verbs. Such verbs take, in the compound

tenses, the auxiliary verb avoir.

CONJUGATION OF THE IMPERSONAL VERB.

TONNER, TO THUNDER.-(MODEL VERB.)