TWENTY-THIRD LESSON. COMPARATIVE ADVERBS WITH VERBS AND WITH NOUNS. MODEL VERBS, FOURTH NEGATIVE WORDS.-IRREGULAR CONJUGATION, CONTINUED. 155. Comparative Adverbs with Verbs and with Nouns. 1. The comparative adverbs of quantity, plus, more; moins, less, fewer; autant, as much, as many; pas autant, or pas tant, not so much, not so many, are used with verbs and with nouns. Il étudie plus que son frère. He studies more than his brother. Henri travaille autant que Pierre. Henry works as much as Peter. 2. Comparative adverbs require the preposition de before the noun (72). J'ai plus de livres que vous. Il a moins de patience que son frère. François a autant de courage que Jules, mais il n'a pas tant de prudence. I have more books than you. He has less patience than his brother. Francis has as much courage as Julius, but he has not so much prudence. 3. When the comparison is between two objective nouns, the preposition de is used before each noun. Je brûle plus de bois que de I burn more wood than coal. charbon. + In a negative sentence, either autant or tant may be used. Il a moins d'amis que d'ennemis. He has fewer friends than enemies. Autant de prudence que de cou- As much prudence as courage. rage. 4. Plus and moins require the preposition de before a numeral adjective. Plus d'une fois. Moins de dix. More than once. Less than ten. 5. The adverb tant is also used to express quantity or number, without comparison. Il lit tant qu'il n'a pas le temps He reads so much that he has no de faire autre chose. time to do anything else. Elle possède tant de talents que She possesses so many accomplishments that every body admires her. tout le monde l'admire. We have had, in the preceding lessons, the negatives non (40), (ne) pas (7), (ne) rien (14), (ne) personne (28), ne) plus (45), (ne) jamais (127), (ne) aucun, (ne) nul (120) and sans (67)†: we now add the following, 1. Ni-ni (ne), neither-nor. Je ne suis ni son ami ni son en- I am neither his friend nor his nemi. enemy. Sans is classed among the negative words; it imparts a negative sense to a sentence. We therefore say, sans apporter d'argent, without bringing any money. See foot note, p. 151. In a negative sentence, rien is used for anything, personne, for anybody, jamais, for ever, and aucun, for any; as, sans rien dire à personne, without saying anything to anybody, sans jamais revenir, without ever returning, sans aucune connaissance de la langue, without any knowledge of the language. REM.-After ni-ni, a noun taken in an indefinite sense is not preceded by a limiting word. Je n'ai ni frère ni sœur. Il n'y a ni papier ni encre. I have neither a brother nor a sister, 2. Ne-que, but, only. Ne-guère, but little, not much. Je n'ai qu'un frère. Nous n'avons guère de fruit. I have but one brother. We have but little fruit. REM.-Ne--que is used with a verb. The word only, used without a verb, must be expressed by seulement. Seulement depuis ce matin. Only since this morning. 3. Point not. Pas du tout, or point du tout, not at all. Point is a stronger negative than pas Je ne veux pas. I do not wish. Je ne veux point. I will not. Du tout is joined to other negative words for the sake of emphasis. Il n'a pas d'argent du tout. He has no money at all. 157. Omission of Pas with certain Verbs. The negative pas is generally omitted in the negative conjugation of the verbs cesser, to cease; oser, to dare; pouvoir, to be able; savoir, to know; principally before an infinitive. Pas is also omitted in familiar style, with the verb bouger, to stir. Elle ne cesse de pleurer. Il ne bouge de là. She does not cease weeping. I dare not speak of that. I cannot conceive it. I do not know where he is. I cannot do it. He does not stir from there. REM. 1.-Pas is not suppressed when we deny absolutely. Je ne peux pas. Je ne sais pas cela. I cannot. I do not know that. REM. 2.-Pas is suppressed with the verb savoir, before an infinitive that is preceded by que or an interrogative adverb; as, Il ne sait que dire. Je ne sais qu'en faire. He does not know what to say. are: 158. Irregular Model Verbs, 4th Conjugation, cont'd. (152) The remaining irregular model verbs of the fourth conjugation Conclure,* concluant, conclu. Je conclus, etc. Croître,* croissant, crû. To conclude, concluding, concl'ded. To sew, sewing, sewed. I sew, etc. To grow, growing, grown. Je vaincs, tu vaincs, il vainc, etc. I vanquish, etc. Vivre,* vivant, vécu. Je vis, etc. To live, living, lived. I live, etc. 159. List of the 25 Irregular Model Verbs of the 4th Conj. 1. Battre* (152), to beat; 3. Conclure* (158), to conclude; 8. Croître* (158), to grow; 9. Dire* (98), to say; to tell; 10. Ecrire* (98), to write; 11. Etre* (54), to be; 14. Mettre* (152), to put; to put on; 23. Traire* (158), to milk; 12. Faire* (91), to do; to make; 25. Vivre* (158), to live. Hereafter, irregular verbs that appear for the first time in these lessons, will be referred to the number of the model verb, after which they are respectively to be conjugated. |