142.—Put a diæresis over the e (which still remains mute) 143. The feminine of the following is irregular : 144.-Adjectives ending in ique always apply to things when our language has two adjectives to express the same quality, es:—Soldat patriote, patriotic soldier; chanson patriotique, patriotic song. masc. hébreu (speaking of persons) hébraïque ( things) fem. hébreue hébraïque Hebrew FORMATION OF THE PLURAL OF QUALIFICATIVE ADJECTIVES. 145.-To form the feminine plural add an s to the feminine singular, as forte, plural fortes. (No exceptions.) 146.-To form the masculine plural add an s to the masculine singular, as: fort, plural forts. Adjectives of more than one syllable ending in ant or ent form their plural by adding an s, or by changing t into s, as:— content, contented; contents or contens. Exceptions: (a) Add an x to beau, jumeau, nouveau, hébreu. (b) Do not alter the adjectives ending in s or x, as:— (c) In most of the adjectives in al change al into aux, as:— égal, égaux, equal. The following alone have an s in the plural: 147. Most of the qualificative adjectives may be put either before or after the nouns. 148. But till you are taught by rules and experience how you are to place them, write them after the noun to which they relate. 149.-Notice, however, that the following are usually placed AND SUPERLATIVE DEGREES. 150. We are unable to express in French, as you do in English, by altering the termination of some adjectives, the comparative and superlative degrees. Stronger is the comparative degree, and Strongest the superlative of strong. We can therefore say that in French, adjectives have neither comparative nor superlative degree; as what is expressed by that new part er or est of strong, must be expressed in French by a word or words quite separate from the adjective. 151.-When you want to translate in French an adjective in the comparative or superlative degree, translate it as if it were in the positive, and place before it plus for the comparative; le plus, la plus, les plus, for the superlative, thus: les plus fortes Thus if you have the 152.-Bear in mind the rule (148). stronger brother, translate: the brother, le frère; stronger, plus fort; the strongest brother, translate: the brother, le frère; strongest, le plus fort; the strongest sister, translate: the sister, la sœur; strongest, la plus forte; the strongest brothers, les frères les plus forts. You see, then, that you must repeat the article. The lion is stronger (or more strong) than the tiger. Le lion est plus fort que le tigre. The tiger is less strong than the lion. Le tigre est moins fort que le lion. The lion is as strong as the tiger. Le lion est aussi fort que le tigre. 154.—Plus bon, le plus bon are not French; use instead meilleur, better, for the comparative of bon, good, and le meilleur, the best, for the superlative. 1. A dog small and ugly. 2. A great and ugly stork. 3. The ugly animals. 4. The education of a good son. 5. The wolf and the fox were ugly and vile. 6. The dogs and sows were famished. 7. The sweet-smelling flowers of the green meadow. 8. The defects and impatience of the shepherd were great. 9. The water of the stream was clear. 10. The fox and the hen were neighbours. 11. The dainty meat of the cat. 12. The treacherous she-cat tore to pieces the tender nurslings of the eagle. |