It is not long since I breakfasted. It is a great while since. It is a short time since. † Il n'y a pas long-temps que j'ai déjeuné. + Il y a très long-temps que. + Il y a peu de temps que. How long is it since you heard of † Combien de temps y a-t-il que vous your brother? It is a year since I heard of him. It is only a year since. It is more than a year since. avez entendu parler de votre frère? + Il y a un an que j'ai entendu parler de lui. Il y a un an que j'en ai entendu parler. + Il n'y a qu'un an que. Obs. B. Than, before a cardinal number, is rendered by de. Obs. C. In English the state of existence or of action, when in its duraLion, is always expressed in the preterperfect tense, while in French it is expressed by the present tense. He has been in Paris these three Il y a trois ans qu'il est à Paris. years. I have been living here these two Il y a deux ans que je demeure ici. years. Obs. D. De temps is often not expressed, but understood. Ex. How long have you had that horse? I have had it these five years. Combien y a-t-il que vous avez ce cheval? (Instead of combien de temps y a-t-il.) Il y a cinq ans que je l'ai. 1 Literally, fifteen days. I have seen him more than twenty Je l'ai vu plus de vingt fois. times. It is six months since I spoke to him. Obs. E. When que means depuis Il y a six mois que je ne lui ai parlé. que, il y a must be followed by the negativo ne. In such instances the English use no negative. Since I saw you it has rained very | Depuis que je ne vous ai vu il a plu often. très-souvent. It is more than a year since I heard Il y a plus d'un an que je n'en ai enof him. To have just. tendu parler. Venir 2 de. I have just seen your brother. + Je viens de voir votre frère. Obs. F. To express an action recently past, we often make use of the verb venir * immediately followed by the preposition de, and the infinitive. He has fifty crowns a month to live Il a cinquante écus par mois à déupon. Have the horses been found? penser. Les chevaux ont-ils été trouvés? The passive participle agrees with the nominative in number; that is, when the nominative is plural, the participle takes an s. Our children have been praised and Nos enfants ont été loués et récom rewarded, because they have been By whom have they been rewarded? pensés, parce qu'ils ont été sages et De qui ont-ils été récompensés ? To pass. Passer 1. Devant. Obs. G. Before is expressed in French by avant when it denotes priority, (see Lesson XXVIII.,) and by devant, when it signifies in presence of. Ex. The merchant has failed to bring the Le marchand a manqué d'apporter money. You have missed your turn. l'argent. Vous avez manqué votre tour. You have failed to come to me this Vous avez manqué de venir chez morning. To be good for something. Of what use is that? It is good for nothing. The good-for-nothing fellow. Is the gun which you have bought a good one? moi ce matin. + Etre bon à quelque chose. + Cela n'est bon à rien. Le fusil que vous avez acheté est-il No, it is worth nothing, (good for Non, il ne vaut rien. nothing.) To throw away. Have you thrown away any thing? Jeter 1, (rejeter.) Avez-vous jeté quelque chose? Je n'ai rien jeté. EXERCISES. 151. Have you heard of any one?—I have not heard of any one, for I have not gone out this morning.-Have you not heard of the man who has killed a soldier ?—I have not heard of him.-Have you heard of my brothers?-I have not heard of them.-Of whom has your cousin heard?-He has heard of his friend who is gone to America. -Is it long since he heard of him?-It is not long since he heard of him.-How long is it?-It is only a month.-Have you been long in Paris ?—These three years.-Has your brother been long in London ?-He has been there these ten years.-How long is it since you dined-It is long since I dined, but it is not long since I supped. How long is it since you supped?-It is half an hour.-How long have you had these books?—I have had them these three months. How long is it since your cousin set out ?-It is more than a year since he set out.-What is become of the man who has lent -you money?—I do not know what is become of him, for it is a great while since (que je ne) I saw him.-Is it long since you heard (que vous n'avez entendu parler) of the soldier who gave your friend a cut with the knife ?-It is more than a year since I heard of him. -How long have you been learning French ?—I have been learning it only these two months.-Do you know already how to speak it ?— You see that I am beginning to speak it.-Have the children of the English noblemen been learning it long ?-They have been learning it these three years, and they do not yet begin to speak.-Why do they not know how to speak it ?-They do not know how to speak it, because they are learning it badly.-Why do they not learn it well --They have not a good master, so that they do not learn it well. 152. Is it long since you saw the young man who learned German with (chez) the master with whom we learned it ?-I have not seen him for nearly a year.-How long is it since that child ate ?-It ate a few minutes ago. How long is it since those children drank ?—They drank a quarter of an hour ago.-How long has your friend been in Spain ?-He has been there this month.-How often have you seen the king, (le roi ?)-I saw him more than ten times when I was in Paris. When did you meet my brother ?--I met him a fortnight ago. -Where did you meet him?—I met him before the theatre.-Did he do you any harm ?-He did me no harm, for he is a very good boy-Where are my gloves ?--They (on) have thrown them away -Have the horses been found ?-They have been found.-Where have they been found ?-They have been found behind the wood, on this side of the road.-Have you been seen by anybody?—I have been seen by nobody.—Do you expect any one ?—I expect my cousin the captain.-Have you not seen him?—I have seen him this morning; he has passed before my warehouse.—What does this young man wait for?-He waits for money.-Art thou waiting for any thing?—I am waiting for my book.-Is this young man waiting for his money?—He is waiting for it.—Has the king passed here, (par ici?)-He has not passed here, (par ici,) but before the theatre.— Has he not passed before the castle ?-He has passed there, but I have not seen him. you, 153. What do you spend your time in ?—I spend my time in studying. -What does your brother spend his time in ?-He spends his time in reading and playing. Does this man spend his time in working? —He is a good-for-nothing fellow; he spends his time in drinking and playing.-What do your children spend their time in?—They spend their time in learning.-Can you pay me what you owe me ? -I cannot pay it for the merchant has failed to bring me my money. Why have you breakfasted without me?-You failed to come at nine o'clock, so that we have breakfasted without you.-Has the merchant brought you the gloves which you bought at his house, (chez lui?)—He has failed to bring them to me.-Has he sold them to you on credit? He has sold them to me, on the contrary, for cash.— Do you know those men ?—I do not know them; but I believe that they are (ce sont) good-for-nothing fellows, for they spend their time in playing. Why did you fail to come to my father this morning?— The tailor did not bring me the coat which he promised me, so that I could not go to him.-Who is the man who has just spoken to you? -He is a merchant.—What has the shoemaker just brought ?—He has brought the shoes which he has made us.— -Who are the men that have just arrived ?—They are Russians.-Where did your uncle dine yesterday?—He dined at home.-How much did he spend ?— He spent five francs.-How much has he a month to live upon ?He has two hundred francs a month to live upon.-Do you throw your hat away?-I do not throw it away, for it fits me very well.— How much have you spent to-day ?—I have not spent much; I have spent only two francs.-Do you spend every day as much as that?— I sometimes spend more than that. Has that man been waiting long?—He has but just come.-What does he wish ?-He wishes to speak to you. Are you willing to do that?—I am willing to do it.— |
