A French grammar; containing all the rules of the language, upon a new and improved plan

Preface

This second edition of our Grammar, when compared with the first, will be found a work entirely new, not in reference to rules, which cannot be altered, but as to the arrangement of matters. With a desire of shortening the work, we have suppressed a great number of illustrations, which, in fact, are better placed in a dictionary than in a grammar, whilst we j.ve dwelt at a greater length on some points of great difficulty, such as the use of the article, and that of the tenses and moods in the verbs. We have also added for each part of speech a series of questions so arranged as to embrace all the difficulties and details of the language. Those questions will be of great service both to pupils and teachers ; they will enable the former to ascertain what is the true bearing of the rules, and save much trouble to the latter. The plan we have adopted for the conjugation of verbs, after a little practice, will render this endless task comparatively easy; since, instead of loading the memory with the innumerable quantity of words which compose the great family of this part of speech, in its several moods, tenses and persons, it will only be necessary to remember the five primitive tenses, that is to say, seven words for each conjugation, in the regular verbs, and learn the terminations of the derivative tenses, which never vary. As to the irregular verbs, it will be seen that most of them are formed ■regularly from their primitive tenses, and therefore they present no difficulty; the others, it is true, require particular attention, but their number is very limited.

The following questions should be asked by the teacher, for each group of irregular verbs, in each conjugation. I take the verb aller, to go, for an example.

1st. Is the verb aller, to go, regular or irregular ?

2d. Is it an active or a neuter verb ? Why is it neuter ?

3d. With what auxiliary is it conjugated ?

4th. What are its five primitive tenses, the present of the infinitive, the present and past participles, the three persons

IV PREFACE.

singular of the present of the indicative, and the preterite definite?

5th. Are all the derivative tenses of this verb regularly formed from the primitive ?

6th. Which are those which are irregularly formed ?

The answer to the last question should be as follows :

The third person plural of the present of the indicative is irregularly formed ; it is " Us vont" instead of " Us allent."

Th.° future absolute, and the conditional present, are also irreguiar; they are "j'irai" &c, and " j Hrais" &c, instead of " j'allerai" &c, and " fallerais," &c.

The second person singular of the imperative is " va," instead of" vais."

Finally, the present of the subjunctive is irregular in its first, second, and third persons singular, and the third person plural, which are " que faille, que tu allies, quHl aille," and " quHls aillent" instead of " que falle, que tu alles, qu'il alle, and qiCils allent.''''

By following this method, the mind of the pupil remains strongly impressed with the irregularity of each verb, and the number of primitive ideas that he has to remember is reduced almost to nothing.

We will remark, that each chapter having a distinct title, this grammar will be as practical for children as for those whose education is further advanced, the teacher being thus enabled to point out separately such parts as he thinks best adapted to the minds of his pupils.

No exercises will be found in this grammar ; its size has prevented it ; but we have published another work, under the title of" Speaking Exercises" which will supply this deficiency. As to what regards pronunciation, we refer the student to our Reader, the success and practicability of which has greatly surpassed our most sanguine hopes.

In presenting this book to the public, we must once more apologize for its faults of style. We have aimed to be clear and precise, and if we have succeeded in this point, we hope to be excused for deficiencies resulting from the disadvantages under which we have labored, as a foreigner. We should also thank the public for the kind and encouraging reception made to the first edition of this work, and we hope that the pains we have taken to render it more clear and practical will meet with the approbation of both scholars and teachers.

Table Of Contents

Page. Paragraph.

Pronunciation, 1 2

Accentuation, 2 3