A practical and theoretical French grammar

Preface

The best method of learning a language thoroughly is certainly that which teaches practice and theory at the same time ; for theory without practice, as we have i>f Sj7 fT ^ old system, is not sufficient; nor is pi .ciice witnouL meory sufficient, as we have it in the n v system.

Conformably to this, I have composed this method

| combining practice with sound rules, so that any

I ,olar of ordinary intelligence will be able to speak

m/L to write the French language thoroughly in four

uarters. It requires about two quarters to go through the First Part, which will enable the scholar to speak, read and write the French language well already, and to go through the Second Part, where all the rules of French Grammar are given in French, and explained very clearly, with practical exercises after each lesson, so that there will be a constant conversation between the teacher and the scholar; the former will put all his questions in French, and the latter will answer in the same language.

IV PREFACE.

One of the greatest difficulties in French is the distinction of the masculine and feminine genders ; there the scholar always makes great blunders. In this method he will find the way of knowing the gender of a noun by its termination.

There are in French about 15,548 nouns, of which 8,415 are masculine, and 7,133 feminine. As nearly half of them are feminine, it is very important to know how to distinguish them. There are about 650 nouns ending in er, all masculine, except two : la mer ? the sea; une cuiller, a spoon. All nomis ending m 5, £, d, <7, Z, <?, ^?, £, and 2, are masculine ; thus, in one minute, the learner will know the gender of a great many French nouns.

The verbs are also arranged in a very easy manner.

I give first a regular verb with a list of several other verbs of the same conjugation, with practical exercises on them. After that, I give all the irregular verbs of the same conjugation, so that the learner may easily see in what tenses and persons they are irregular ; l and not have them confused in his mind. Then, af- j ter each irregular verb, there is a list of all the irregular verbs conjugated after the same manner, with practical exercises after them.

PREFACE. V

The formation of the tenses is rendered so easy that the scholar will not have much difficulty in learning the irregular verbs.

The past participle, which is so difficult to be comprehended well in our language, even for natives, is fully explained in ten rules in the Second Part of this work, with practical exercises on them.

An easy method of learning several thousand French words in ten minutes will be found in the First Part.

Among the exceptions in the rules of the genders, I have omitted about twenty nouns, which will scarcely ever occur.

I. In the use of this method, let the scholar always learn the lesson well.

II. Great advantage would be derived by writing all the exercises in a blank book, the French on one page and the English on the other, only one sentence in a line, with the translation opposite.

ELI. Let the first lesson of the First Part, which teaches to read French, be known thoroughly.

VI PREFACE.

IY. Whenever the pupil meets with a sentence that has no question or no answer, let him compose the question or the answer.

Y. After the exercises have been translated and spoken out aloud, the teacher saying the English and the pupil the French of all the exercises, and after the next lesson has been read with the teacher, in order that in studying his lesson the pupil may have the right pronunciation of all the words, if there is any time left, let there be as much conversation in French as possible, between the teacher and the pupil, in using all the words which the latter knows already, but especially those of the lesson of the day.

SUPERIOR METHOD

OF

TEACHING FRENCH.

PAET I.

PREMIERE LEgOK— First Lesson.

The French Language is composed of twenty-five letters, viz. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q,

ah, bay, say, day, ay, f, zhay, ash, ee, zhee, kali, 1, m, n, o, pay, ku,

VOWELS or SIMPLE SOUNDS.

a," e, e, e, e, i, o, u, y. ah, uh, ai, ey, ey, ee, o, eu, ee.

be, pe, de, te, me, ne, se, ce, que ;

be, pe, de, te, me, ne, se, ce, que ;

be, pe, de, te, me, ne, se, ce, que ;

bi, pi, di, ti, mi, ni, si, ci, qui ;

bu, pu, du, tu, mu, nu, su, cu, cu, ku :

SOUNDS COMPOSED IN FORM.

ai, aie, au, eau, ou, oi, eu, oeu ;

a y» ay, o, o, oo, oo ah, uh, uh;

an, en, on, un, in, oin.

* Let the scholar 'pronounce every one of the composed sounds by prefixing the consonants,

DEUXIEME LEC0N.

DEUXIEME LEgON.— Second Lesson.

Vous.

You.

Vous avez.

You have.

Avez-vous ?

Have you ?

Je.

I. Ai-je ?

Havel?

J'ai.

I have.

-The pronoun ye drops the e, when it i r with a vowel or h mute

Le, masc.

La, fern.

The.

Pain, m.

Bread.

Viande, f.

Meat.

Vin, m.

Wine.

Cafe, m.

Coffee.

The, in.

Tea.

Chocolat, m.

Chocolate.

Sucre, m.

Sugar.

Pomme, f.

Apple.

Poire, f.

Pear.

L'eau, f.

The water.

Obs, B. — L' stands for le or la before a vowel or h mute.

Avez-vous le pain ?

Oui, Monsieur, j'ai le pain.

Ai-je Peau 1

Vous avez la viande*

J'ai le cafe.

Have you the bread ?

Yes, Sir, I have the bread.

Have I the water ?

You have the meat.

I have the coffee.

* Avez-vous le pain 1 Oui, Monsieur, j'ai le pain. Avez-vous la

* The letter s between two vowels, sounds like z: poison is pronounced poo-ah-zong.

S and x at the end of a word, which is to be pronounced toith another word beginning with a vowel, have the sound of z : mes amis is pronounced mey z ah-me, and faux amis, fo z ah-me.

When d is pronounced with the following word, it takes the sound of t : grand ami is pronounced grang t ah-me.

TROISIIIME LE£ON. 3

viande ? J'ai la viande. Ai-je le cafe ? Vous avez le cafe. Ai-je le vin ? Vous avez le vin. Avez-vous le sucre ? J'ai le sucre. Avez-vous le the? J'ai le sucre* Ai-je la poire? Vous avez la poire. Ai-je la pomme ? Oui, Monsieur, vous avez la pomme. Avez-vous le chocolat ? J'ai le chocolat. Avez-vous l'eau ? J'ai l'eau. Ai-je le vin ? Vous avez le vin. Avez-vous l'eau ? J'ai l'eau. Avez-vous le sucre ? Oui, Monsieur, j'ai le sucre. Vous avez le pain. J'ai la pomme. Avez-vous la poire ? J'ai la poire. Ai-je la viande ? Vous avez la viande. Ai-je l'eau 1 Vous avez l'eau. Vous avez le chocolat. Avez-vous la poire ? J'ai la poire. Avez-vous la pomme ? J'ai la pomme. Ai-je le sucre ? Vous avez le sucre. Ai-je le vin ? Oui, Monsieur, vous avez le vin. Avez-vous la viande ? J'ai la viande.

Have I the apple ? Yes, Sir, you have the apple. Have you the meat? I have the meat. Have you the pear? I have the pear. Have I the water 1 You have the water. Have I the wine ? You have the wine. Have you the coffee ? I have the coffee. Have you the tea ? I have the tea. I have the sugar. Have you the chocolate ? I have the chocolate. Have you the bread ? I have the bread. Have I the meat ? You have the meat. Have I the wine ? You have the wine. I have the water. Have you the sugar ? Yes, Sir, I have the sugar. Have you the coffee ? I have the coffee. Have I the apple? You have the apple. Have you the bread ? I have the bread. You have the meat. Have I the water ? You have the water. Have you the pear ? I have the pear.

TROISIEME LEgOK— Third Lesson.

Nous.

Nous avons.

Avons-nous ?

We.

We have.

Have we?

Adjectives must be of the same gender and number as the noun to which they relate.

An adjective is made feminine by adding e mute to the masculine as:

Mauvais, mauvaise.

Grand, grande.

Petit, petite,

Bad.

Great, big, large, tall.

Small, little.

TROISIEIME LEgON.

Habit, m.

Coat.

Chapeau, m.

Hat.

Robe, f.

Dress,

Bon, bonne.

| Good.

Et.

And.

Ou.

Or.

Mon, m. Ma, f.

My.

Notre.

Our.

Votre.

Your.

FRENCH GENDERS.

There are in French about 15,548 nouns, of which 8,415 are masculine, and 7,133 feminine.

A. — Nouns ending in a, are masculine ; as :

Un sofa.

Un agenda.

Le quinquina.

Le cholera.

Le pacha.

Mon Moka.

A sofa.

A memorandum-book.

The Peruvian bark.

The cholera.

The pacha.

My Mocha coffee.

Except la sepia, the sepia ; la vinula, vinula ; and la talpa, tumor ; which are feminine.

Avons-nous votre habit ? Vous avez mon habit. Avez-vous ma robe ? J'ai votre robe et votre petit chapeau. Ai-je l'habit ? Vous avez l'habit. Avons-nous votre grand sofa? Vous avez notre grand sofa. Avez-vous notre bon ou notre mauvais vin 1 Nous avons votre bon vin? Ai-je votre petit agenda? Vous avez mon grand agenda. Avons-nous votre bon pain ou votre mauvaise viande? Vous avez mon bon pain. Avez-vous le bon ou 1© mauvais sue re ? J'ai le bon sucre et la mauvaise pomme. Avez-vous ma bonne petite poire ? J'ai votre bonne petite poire. Avons-nous votre bon moka ? Vous avez mon bon moka et ma bonne eau. Avez-vous ma robe ? J'ai votre robe et votre grand chapeau. Ai-je votre bon cafe ou votre mauvais chocolat? Vous avez mon bon chocolat et ma mauvaise viande. Avez-vous le quinquina? Oui, monsieur, j'ai le quinquina. J'ai l'habit.

QUATRIEME LE£ON.

Have I your large hat 1 You have my small hat. Have you my good coffee or my bad bread ? We have your good coffee and your bad bread. Have you my little dress ? I have your little dress. Have we your good meat or your good wine 1 You have our good meat. Have you our good tea or our bad water 1 I have your good water. Have we your little sofa 1 You have our large sofa. Have I the water or the Peruvian bark ? You have the water and the Peruvian bark. Have you our good Mocha coffee % We have your good Mocha coffee and your bad sugar. Have you my memorandum-book ? Yes, Sir, I have your memorandum-book. Have I the coat ? You have the coat ana the gown. Have we the good chocolate? You have the good chocolate and the good meat.

QUATRlfiME LE£ON.— Fourth Lesson.