qui, que, dont

Objectif Apprendre l’usage des pronoms relatifs

What is a relative pronoun? A relative pronoun is a word that serves two purposes: 1.As a pronoun it stands for a noun or another pronoun previously mentioned. The noun or pronoun referred to is called the antecedent. This is the boy who broke the window. 2.It introduces a subordinate clause. A main clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, a subordinate clause cannot. This is the boy who broke the window. ‘Who broke the window’ is not a complete sentence. This is a relative clause AND a subordinate clause. antecedent

Qui, que, dont: relative pronouns Some examples la femme qui habite à côté le chien qui aboie toute la nuit mon portable qui ne marche plus le livre que nous venons d’acheter l’homme dont la voiture est toujours garée devant notre maison the lady who lives next door the dog which barks all night my mobile which doesn’t work any more the book which we have just bought the man whose car is always parked in front of our house

Qui, que, dont: Who, which, whose Qui always refers to the subject of the sentence. The subject is the person or thing that ‘does’ the action. la femme qui porte un tailleur-pantalon bleu la bouteille qui n’a pas d’étiquette the woman who is wearing a blue trouser suit the bottle which doesn’t have a label

Qui, que, dont: Who, which, whose Que refers to the object of the sentence. The object is the person or thing that has the action done to him/it. l’homme que j’ai vu traverser la rue la bouteille que Jean a cassée the man (whom) I saw crossing the road the bottle (which) John broke The past participle also agrees with the object if the object comes before the subject and the relative pronoun que… The past participle also agrees with the object if the object comes before the subject and the relative pronoun que…

Examples: Le temps qu’il a perduThe time that he has lost La maison que j’ai vueThe house that I have seen Les courses qu’elle a faitesThe shopping that she did Les verres qu’il a cassésThe glasses that he broke Examples: Le temps qu’il a perduThe time that he has lost La maison que j’ai vueThe house that I have seen Les courses qu’elle a faitesThe shopping that she did Les verres qu’il a cassésThe glasses that he broke Qui, que, dont: Who, which, whose

Dont – whose / of whom / of which Qui, que, dont: Who, which, whose la femme dont je connais le mari la maison dont j’ai oublié le numéro the lady whose husband I know the house whose number I have forgotten

A votre tour… Which relative pronoun would you use? 1.The man who is wearing a suit is called Mr Bertrand. 2.The man whom I met last year is the one wearing the sunglasses. 3.The person whose car is parked over there. 4.The person for whom I am waiting hasn’t arrived yet. 5.Mr Botton, whose wife is seriously ill, will not be coming.

A votre tour… Which relative pronoun would you use? 1.The man who is wearing a suit is called Mr Bertrand. 2.The man whom I met last year is the one wearing the sunglasses. 3.The person whose car is parked over there. 4.The person for whom I am waiting hasn’t arrived yet. 5.Mr Botton, whose wife is seriously ill, will not be coming. 1.L’homme qui porte un costume s’appelle M. Bertrand. 2.L’homme que j’ai rencontré l’année dernière est celui qui porte des lunettes de soleil. 3.La personne dont la voiture est garée là-bas. 4.La personne que j’attends n’est pas encore arrivée. 5.M. Botton, dont la femme est gravement malade, ne viendra pas.