OF PREPOSITIONS.

210. A Preposition is an indeclinable part of speech that serves to connect words with one another, and to show the relation between them. They are placed, in French, before the word to which they relate.

211. Prepositions most in use :

À, at or to; après, after; avant, before; avec, with; chez, at, among or at the house of; contre, against; dans, in; de, of or from; dès, from or since; derrière, behind; devant, before; durant, during; en, in; entre, between ; envers, towards; jusqu'à, as far as; malgré, in spite of; par, by; parmi, among; pendant, during; pour, for; près de or près, near, next to; sans, without; selon, according to'; sous, under; suivant, according to; sur, upon; vers, towards; vis-à-vis, opposite.

Theme 106.

To whom do you speak? I speak to the gentleman who is sitting opposite the window, next to your son. Who is behind the door ? I have been in the room. What will you do during the holidays? Such was the custom among (chez) the Romans. I shall be at home this afternoon. It is difficult to study without books. I am going towards Brook-street.

A cause de, on account of; à côté de, by; à travers, through; attenant, near; attendu, considering; au dela de, beyond ; depuis, since; dessus et dessous, upon and under ; faute de, for want of; hormis, except; moyennant, by means of; nonobstant, notwithstanding ; outre, besides; pardessus, over; quant à, as for; sauf, except; touchant, concerning : vu, considering.

Theme 107.

He has been prevented from coming on account of an unforeseen (imprévue) circumstance. Take a chair and sit down near me. Put that book upon the table. Do not put it under the table. He has not been successful in that affair for want of money.

Thème 108.

Où demeurez-vous, monsieur ? Je demeure près de ce petit village que vous voyez là-bas. Est-ce que vous y resterez pendant toute l'année ? Je viendrai à Londres vers la fin du mois prochain. J'ai à vous parler touchant une affaire très importante. Ne marchez pas avant moi. Regardez par la fenêtre. Il est devant la porte de la maison, il sort toujours avant les autres.

OF CONJUNCTIONS.

212. A Conjunction is an indeclinable part of speech, used to connect words or sentences.

Several conjunctions are, in French, composed of two or several words: Pourvu que, provided; à moins que, unless.

Conjunctions most in use:

Et, and; ou, or; mais, but; que, that; si, if; comme, as; donc, then; ni, nor; quoique, although; car, because or for; puisque, since; pourquoi, wherefore; lorsque, when; pourtant, yet; cependant, however; savoir, namely.

Thème 109.

Il y a douze mois dans une année, savoir: Janvier, Février, Mars, Avril, Mai, Juin, Juillet, Août, Septembre, Octobre, Novembre, Décembre. Quoique vous sachiez les noms des mois, il ne s'ensuit pas que vous puissiez me dire en français les principales fêtes de l'année. Les voici : Noël (Christmas), le jour de l'an (New-year's day), le jour des Rois (Twelfth Night), Pâques (Easter), l'Ascension (Ascension), la Pentecôte (Whit-Sunday), la Saint-Jean (Midsummer), la Saint-Michel (Michaelmas), la Toussaint (All Saints). Je vois que vous avez une très-bonne mémoire, et pourvu que vous fassiez attention, vous ferez des progrès très rapides.

Thème 110.

We have been at your house, but you were not at home.

I

I am very sorry for it (en), for I wanted to speak to you. Why did not you wait (attendre) for me? Although he has not applied himself so closely as his brother, he has nevertheless made greater progress. Since you tell me so, I believe it. Whether I come or go, I meet him always at the same place.

OF INTERJECTIONS.

213. An Interjection is a word used to express emotion. Examples.

Encouraging: Allons! courage!

Surprise: Quoi! vraiment ! est-il possible.
Warning: Gare! prenez garde!

Grief: Hélas! ah! etc. etc.

Thème 111.

Good morning, sir. How do you do (se porter) this morning? Thank you (remercier), I am (se porter) pretty well (assez bien). How is your brother? I believe he is well. Is your mother well? Very well. I am very glad (bien aise) to see you in good health. How long is it since I have had the pleasure of seeing you? It is not more than a fortnight since I had the honour of meeting you. I hope you will remain (rester) in town for (pendant) some weeks. I am obliged to go into the country to-morrow. I am very sorry for it (j'en suis très fáché). Sit down a little. Indeed I cannot, I am in great haste (je suis bien pressé), I must be at home at half-past nine o'clock. Present my compliments to your mother (à madame votre mère). Good night, sir. I thank you for this visit. Farewell, sir (Adieu, monsieur).

Who is that gentleman? He is an Englishman. I took him for a German. Where does he live? He lives in Norfolk-street (rue f.). Does he keep house? No, he lives in furnished lodgings (en chambre garnie). At whose house does he lodge? He lodges at Mr. A.'s.

How old

is he? I believe he is five-and-twenty years old. I did not take (croire) him to be so old. He cannot be much younger. Is he married? No, sir, he is a bachelor (garçon). Are his father and mother alive? His father is still alive, but his mother has been dead these two years. Has he any brothers and sisters? He has two brothers and a sister. Is his sister married? Yes, sir, she married a friend of mine, Mr. C. Have you known him long (Y a-t-il longtemps que vous le connaissez)? About three years. Where did you become acquainted (faire connaissance) with him? I became acquainted with him at Rome.

Thème 112.

Do you speak English? I speak it a little, but I understand it better than I can speak it. English is very hard (difficile) for Frenchmen to learn. French is far more (bien plus) difficult for Englishmen. I can hardly believe it. The pronunciation of the French language is easier than that of the English, and I know many English gentlemen who pronounce French perfectly well, whilst there is hardly one Frenchman in a hundred who can pronounce English well. And yet I know some Frenchmen who pronounce English almost as well as the English themselves. Then they must have come very young to this country.

They say (on dit) there is a new play acted (qu'on joue une nouvelle pièce) to-night, is it a comedy, a tragedy, or an opera? It is (c'est) a tragedy. Who is the author of it? Mr. S. is the author of it. Is this the first time it is acted? No, sir, it is the third time. It was acted the first and second time with universal applause. Shall we go and see it? With the greatest pleasure; shall we go into a box (loge, f.)? I will do what you please (je ferai ce qui vous plaira), but I should rather go into the pit (mais j'aimerais mieux aller au parterre).

Thème 113.

Madam, have you any rooms to how many rooms do you want? drawing-room and a dining-room.

let (louer)? Yes, sir, I want a bed-room, a Must your rooms be

furnished (meublées)? Yes, I want them furnished. Will you take the trouble to come up stairs (monter)? We follow you, madam. Here is the apartment you desire to have on the first floor (étage m.). You see it is very well furnished, and all the furniture (meubles m.) is quite new; you have arm-chairs (fauteuil m.), chairs (chaise f.), a sofa (canapé m.), a clock (pendule f.), closets (armoire f.), drawers (tiroir m.), looking-glasses (glace f.), lamps (lampe f.), stools (tabouret m.), bells (sonnette f.), with bell-pulls (cordon m.), a sideboard (buffet m.), bolts (verrou m.) and locks (serrure f.) at every door; the floor (plancher m.) is covered with a new carpet (tapis m.), the ceiling (plafond m.) and the walls (mur m.) are painted; there are silk curtains (rideaux de soie) and Venetian blinds (persiennes f.) on the windows. You have seen the staircase (escalier m.) and the hall (vestibule m.). I am going to shew you now the kitchen (cuisine f.), the pantry (les offices), and the yard (cour f.). Have you a well (puits m.) or a pump (pompe f.) in your house? There is a well in the garden and a pump in the orchard (verger m.). Have you good chimneys in your house? You will be very comfortable in the winter, you will find in your rooms fine chimney-pieces (manteau de cheminée), fenders (garde-feu m.), fire-screens (écran m.), bellows (soufflet m.), pokers (fourgon m.), shovels (pelle f.) and tongs (pincettes f.), coals and wood. I must not forget to tell you that you will have candlesticks (chandelier m.), snuffers (mouchettes f.), an extinguisher (éteignoir m.), candles (chandelle f.) and wax candles (de la bougie).