UNIT-IV

Le Futur Simple
What is Le futur simple?

Le futur simple corresponds to the will-future tense in English. We mostly use this tense to talk
about future plans or intentions, as well as to make predictions about what may occur in the
future. We conjugate the future tense by adding the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez and -ont to the
infinitive of the verb.

When to use the futur simple in French

We use the futur simple in the following cases:

 to talk about future intentions

Example:
Demain je rangerai les dossiers.

 to make suppositions or predictions about the future

Example:
Tu ne finiras jamais en une journée.

 to make conditional sentences (if sentences)

Example:
Si on range à deux, on finira plus vite

How to conjugate the futur simple in French

To conjugate the futur simple, we take the infinitive of the verb and add the following endings
(for -re verbs, we remove the last e):

Person -er verbs -ir verbs -re verbs

1st person singular (I) j’aimerai je finirai je vendrai
2nd person singular (you) tu aimeras tu finiras tu vendras
3rd person singular (he/she/it) il/elle/on aimera il/elle/on finira il/elle/on vendra
1st person plural (we) nous aimerons nous finirons nous vendrons
2nd person plural (you) vous aimerez vous finirez vous vendrez
3rd person plural (they) ils/elles aimeront ils/elles finiront ils/elles vendront
The verbs avoir and être are irregular in the futur simple.

Person avoir être

1st person singular (I) j’aurai je serai
2nd person singular (you) tu auras tu seras
3rd person singular (he/she/it) il/elle/on aura il/elle/on sera
1st person plural (we) nous aurons nous serons
2nd person plural (you) vous aurez vous serez
3rd person plural (they) ils/elles auront ils/elles seront

Le Passé Récent

What is le passé récent?

We use le passé récent (the recent past) to talk about completed actions that happened shortly
before the moment of speaking. In English, we use the construction have just + past participle,
while in French we use the conjugated form of the verb venir.

How to form the recent past in French

To form the passé récent we use a conjugated form of the verb venir + de + infinitive.

Example:
Je viens de louper le train.

Person venir de infinitive

1st person singular (I) je viens
2nd person singular (you) tu viens
3rd person singular (he/she/it) il/elle/on vient manger
de finir
1st person plural (we) nous venons voir
2nd person plural (you) vous venez
3rd person plural (they) ils/elles viennent

Le Présent Continu
How to form le présent continu :

Subject +[être en train de] + l’infinitif

In English, we use the Present Progressive tense to talk about actions that are occurring at this
moment in time. The marker for this in English is a form of the verb “to be” + a verb ending in -
ing. For example: I am talking, She is eating, They were studying, etc.

French doesn’t have a Present Progressive tense. Instead, French usually uses the simple Present
Tense (e.g., je mange) to convey both the simple Present Tense in English (“I eat”/ “I do eat”)
and the Present Progressive (“I am eating”). However, in order to emphasize that something is in
the process of happening in French, we can use the construction ÊTRE EN TRAIN DE +
Infinitive.

To emphasize actions that are in the process of happening even as you speak, use the simple
Present Tense form of ÊTRE + en train de + the Infinitive form of the verb (i.e., action) that
is going on:

Je suis en train d’étudier.

I am (in the process of / in the middle of) studying (right now).

Il est en train de parler.

He is (in the process of / in the middle of) speaking (right now).

To emphasize an action that was in the process of happening, use the Imperfect Tense form of
ÊTRE + en train de + the Infinitive form of the verb (i.e., action) that was going on:

Ils étaient en train d‘aller à la bibliothèque.

They (masculine) were (in the process of / in the middle of) going to the library (right then).

Nous étions en train de traverser la rue.

We were (in the process of / in the middle of) crossing the street (right then).

To emphasize an action that will be in the process of taking place in the near future, use the
simple Future Tense form of ÊTRE + en train de + the Infinitive form of the verb (i.e., the
action) that will be going on:

Vous serez en train de dormir au moment où j’arriverai?

Will you all be (in the process of / in the middle of) sleeping at the time I arrive?

Tu seras en train de préparer le repas quand il descendra du train.

You will be (in the process of / in the middle of) preparing the meal when he gets off the train.
 Y and En: French adverbial pronouns

What is an adverbial pronoun?

There are two adverbial pronouns (les pronoms adverbiaux) in French: y and en. They are
technically adverbs that are used as pronouns; they replace a noun or a clause in a sentence

When to use y in French

The adverbial pronoun y replaces:

 Places and parts of a sentence that are introduced with the prepositions à or en

Example:
Demain, ils iront à Lyon. Ils s’y rendront en bus.

 Places that are introduced with the prepositions dans, devant, sous or sur

Example:
Le bus dépose les touristes sur le parking de l’hôtel. Il y est garé pour la nuit.

When to use en in French

The adverbial pronoun en:

 replaces a place or part of the sentence that is introduced by the preposition de

Example:
Ils se retrouvent le soir dans la salle à manger pour parler de leur visite. Ils en parlent
jusque tard le soir.

 has a partitive function; it divides elements within a group (of them, of which etc.)

Example:
J'achète cinq cartes postales. J’en achète cinq.

Note :De can introduce either a place or an object. However, when it refers to a person, de
cannot be replaced with en; instead we have to use the personal pronoun.

Example:

Les touristes parlent de leur voyage en bus. → Ils en parlent.

Les touristes parlent de Pierre. → Ils parlent de lui.
 Le pronom relatif

What are relative pronouns?

Relative pronouns (les pronoms relatifs) introduce relative clauses. They replace a noun or
pronoun from the previous sentence to avoid repetition.

When to use qui, que, qu’, dont in French

The relative pronouns qui, que and dont can refer to people, animals, concepts or things. They
are invariable, which means that we don’t have to worry about the number or gender of the noun
that the pronoun is replacing in the sentence.
 Qui is used for the subject of the sentence. It corresponds to the English who.
Example:
Julien, qui roulait trop vite, a eu un accident.
Who was driving too fast?
 Que is used for the object of the sentence. Watch out! In English, we can leave out who,
which or that in a relative clause. However, in French we can’t leave out que.
Example:
Il a eu un accident avec la voiture que son père lui avait prêtée.
Whom/What did his father lend him?
 Dont indicates possession or belonging (similar to whose) and is used with words that
take the preposition de.
Example:
Il a eu un accident avec la voiture dont les freins étaient cassés.
les freins de la voiture
Le père de Julien est content car il peut s'acheter la voiture dont il a toujours rêvé.
rêver de qqch
Où
The relative adverb où (where) is used with reference to place or time.
Example :
Il a cherché un garage où faire réparer la voiture.
Exceptions
 When the relative pronoun que comes before a mute h or a vowel, we use qu’ instead.
This is known as elision.
Example:
Il a eu un accident avec la voiture qu’il avait reçu de son père.
 Relative pronouns can be used after prepositions. In the case of qui and que, however,
there are some exceptions:
Without a preposition, qui can refer to both people and things.
Example:
 Est-ce que tu connais Julien qui a heurté un panneau avec sa voiture?
Est-ce que tu as vu la voiture qui a heurté un panneau?
With a preposition, qui can only refer to people, not to things.
Example:
Est-ce que tu connais Julien avec qui j'ai acheté une nouvelle voiture?
Est-ce que tu as vu la voiture avec qui il a heurté un panneau?
 If the relative pronoun que is used with a preposition, it becomes quoi.
Example:
Il ne savait pas à quoi il pensait

Adverbs of Amount - Assez- enough, bit . Trop- too much /many

Jules est assez fort (with adjective)

Jules ne travaille pass assez (with verb)

Jules a trop de travail.(with noun)

What are comparative and superlative adverbs?

We use the comparative and superlative forms of adverbs to make comparisons between two or
more people or things .

Exemple :
EMarie court aussi vite que Chloé.
Claire court plus vite que Marie.
Claire court le plus vite.

How to construct comparative adverbs

The comparative allows us to compare two things. We make comparatives using the adverbs in
the structures plus … que (more … than), aussi … que (as … as) and moins … que (less … than).

Examples:
Claire court plus vite que Marie.
Marie court aussi vite que Chloé.
Chloé court moins vite que Claire.

How to construct superlative adverbs

The superlative is the highest degree of comparison. It compares one thing against a whole
group and expresses an extreme. We form superlatives using the structures le/la/les plus … (the
most …) and le/la/les moins …. (the least) followed by the adverb.
Example:
Claire court le plus vite.

Exceptions

However, there are a few exceptions:

Base Form Comparative Superlative
bien mieux/aussi bien/moins bien le mieux/le moins bien
mal plus mal/aussi mal/moins mal le plus mal/le moins mal
beaucoup plus/autant/moins le plus
peu moins/autant/plus le moins

Amener, Emmener, Apporter, Emporter, Rapporter… To Bring and To Take in French

These French verbs are confusing for English speakers because they cannot be translated from
their English counterpart: to bring and to take.

When it comes to using to Bring and to Take in French, you cannot just translate. The logic is a
bit different in French, so you need to think as a French person would, therefore you need to
really understand the meanings of the verb, or in this case, the meaning of the “base verbs”
porter and mener.

The key is to understand the meanings of the base verbs “porter” and “mener” and the meaning
of their prefixes “a-“, “em-“, “ra-” and “rem-“.

1 – To Bring and To Take in French – Selecting the Base Verbs

A – Porter ≠ Mener : Things ≠ People/Animals

The verb “porter” means to carry, so it’s used with inanimate objects.

 Je porte ma valise – I carry my suitcase.

 J’emporte mon parapluie en voyage – I’m bringing my umbrella on my trip.
 J’apporte une bouteille chez mon ami – I’m bringing a bottle to my friend’s house.

The verb “mener” means to lead, so it’s used with animate beings: people and animals.

 Napoléon mène ses armées – Napoleon leads his armies.

 J’emmène mon bébé au restaurant – I’m bringing my infant to the restaurant.
 J’amène ma fille à l’école – I’m taking my daughter to school.
B – The Prefixes a-, em-, ra- and rem-

Adding these prefixes to the “base verbs” porter and mener, we get:

 From porter: apporter, emporter, rapporter and remporter.

 From mener: amener, emmener, ramener and remmener.

As explained in section 1:

 Prefix + porter is used with things and inanimate objects.

Ex: emporter – to bring things
 Prefix + mener is used with people and animals.
Ex: amener – to bring a person

Connaissez –vous ?

Les moyens d’informations en France;

French dailies ( "Les quotidiens")

The quality dailies:

France has three major national quality dailies, Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération(Les
grands qutidiens nationaux).

 Le Figaro, the best-selling of the three, is the only one that is clearly a conservative
newspaper. It is also the oldest of France's daily papers, and was founded in 1826. It tends to
appeal to well-off educated readers, people with good jobs, particularly in the private sector. It is
at the same time the closest French equivalent of the Daily Telegraph and of the Times; yet its
average circulation in 2018 was only 317,300 - about 85% of the circulation of Britain's Daily
Telegraph. However, it is interesting to note that le Figaro has lost less than 5% of its sales in 10
years, while the Daily Telegraph has lost almost half.
 Le Monde, founded in 1944, is the paper of the establishment, though a paper that is closer
in its political positioning to the Guardian in the UK, than it is to the Times. It is the preferred
daily of French intellectuals, civil servants, academics, particularly those in the higher echelons.
It is the newspaper that gives the most detailed coverage of world events and of politics, and a
paper which is a major forum for political and intellectual debate and discussion. Being the
newspaper of the establishment, it is also the newspaper that best reflects French opinion on
international issues, and the French daily that is most read outside France. It is an evening paper.
In 2014 Le Monde's daily sales in France were 302,000, up from 273,000 six years earlier. The
paper was the subject of a bitter refinancing clash in 2010, and was eventually taken over by a
trio of top businessmen with left-leaning sympathies. In autumn 2011, it announced a return to
profitability.
 Libération was founded in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre and other left-wing intellectuals, as a
newspaper for the '68 generation. Initially it was a newspaper of the far-left, though not one that
toed the line of any political party. Over the years, as its readership grew older, "Libé" matured
into a more centre-left newspaper, similar in many ways to Britain's "Guardian". It's centrist
position became more pronounced after it was saved from collapse by Edouard de Rothschild.
However, Rothschild's involvement led to severe tensions among editors and journalists, and the
newspaper sold only an average of 113,000 copies a day in 2010. It improved its situation
slightly in 2011, climbing back up to 119,000 copies a day, but by 2018 had fallen back to just
over 70,000.
 This is much better than a fourth well-known daily, l'Humanité – founded by the early
socialist leader Jean Jaurès.in 1904. From 1920 to 1999, L'Humanité was the unofficial, then
official, newspaper of the French Communist Party; since 1999, it has been editorially
independent, but is still largely written, produced and promoted by Communist Party members or
sympathisers. Its daily circulation in 2014 was down to 38,000. In 2019, the newspaper went into
administration, but has since been saved by public subscriptions and a state grant, but remains on
the newspaper equivalent of life-support.

Regional dailies
More people in France read regional dailies than national ones, and some of the regional dailies
have very big readerships indeed. Most regional dailies are mid-market tabloids.

 Ouest France, published in Rennes, is the biggest-selling daily in France, with an

average circulation of 646,000 (copies bought) in 2019, some 10% down in ten years... It
is sold, with area variations, in the regions of Brittany, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire
 Sud Ouest: regional daily published in Bordeaux, and distributed throughout Aquitaine,
and in parts of Poitou-Charentes and Midi-Pyrénées. With a circulation of over 300,000,
it is one of the largest French regional dailies.
 Les Dépêches du Midi: published in Toulouse and sold mostly in the Midi-Pyrénées
region, this big-selling regional daily (185,000 copies) reflects the centre-left "radical"
political tradition which is strongly anchored in this region.
 L'Est Républicain; regional daily published in Nancy, covering the regions of Lorraine
and Franche-Comté; circulation over 200,000
 Midi Libre, published in Montpellier, is sold throughout Languedoc Roussillon and the
Aveyron.
 Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace; the regional daily for Alsace

Les magazines hebdomadaires

 Le Point
Weekly news magazine published in France.

 Télérama
Weekly French magazine featuring movies, television, TV program, music and more.

 Paris Match
Weekly French news magazine. The magazine published by the Hachette Filipacchi Médias.

 Elle
Featuring fashion, beauty tips, lifestyles and more.
You will find detailed information about all the rivers .
The two most important mountain ranges of France are the Alps and the Pyrenees. The highest
peak is the Mont Blanc 4 808 metres above sea level and is in the Haute Savoie region of the
French Alps
Map showing the principle wine growing areas of France