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French grammar and grammatical analysis Lecture 2 What is grammar (2) Dr Rachel Hoare
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Exercise: Identify agreements Marier le sérieux avec l’humour Marier le sérieux avec l’humour L’espèce humaine est menacée d’un mal pernicieux: celui de se prendre au sérieux. Sans doute est-il naturel que le sport n’échappe pas à ce fléau. Pourtant rien n’est plus anti- conformiste, par essence, qu’un champion. Fort de cette constatation, on pourrait s’attendre à ce que nos sportifs sachent faire prevue de moins de retenue que la moyenne de leurs concitoyens. L’espèce humaine est menacée d’un mal pernicieux: celui de se prendre au sérieux. Sans doute est-il naturel que le sport n’échappe pas à ce fléau. Pourtant rien n’est plus anti- conformiste, par essence, qu’un champion. Fort de cette constatation, on pourrait s’attendre à ce que nos sportifs sachent faire prevue de moins de retenue que la moyenne de leurs concitoyens.
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Lecture 2 - Outline Dictionary usage Pronunciation of French – International Phonetic Alphabet Syntactic classes What is a word? What is a noun? What is meant by Gender? What is meant by number? What are articles?
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International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) The IPA is used in dictionaries to indicate the pronunciation of words. The IPA is used in dictionaries to indicate the pronunciation of words. The IPA has often been used as a basis for creating new writing systems for previously unwritten languages. The IPA has often been used as a basis for creating new writing systems for previously unwritten languages. The IPA is used in some foreign language text books and phrase books to transcribe the sounds of languages which are written with non-Latin alphabets. It is also used by language learners. The IPA is used in some foreign language text books and phrase books to transcribe the sounds of languages which are written with non-Latin alphabets. It is also used by language learners.
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Dictionary use Oxford Hachette Oxford Hachette hierarchical organisation by: hierarchical organisation by: grammatical category sense category sense category
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Hierarchical organisation of a dictionary entry Kindly / ‘kaindli / I adj [person, nature] [smile, interest] [voice][face] she’s a ~ soul
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Hierarchical organisation of a dictionary entry Kindly / ‘kaindli / I adj [person, nature] gentil/ille [smile, interest] bienveillant [voice] plein de gentillesse [face] sympathique she’s a ~ soul
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Hierarchical organisation of a dictionary entry Kindly / ‘kaindli / II adv 1 (in a kind nice way) [speak, look, treat] to speak ~ of someone 2 (obligingly) she ~ agreed to do
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Hierarchical organisation of a dictionary entry Kindly / ‘kaindli / II adv 1 (in a kind nice way) [speak, look, treat] avec gentillesse to speak ~ of someone 2 (obligingly) gentiment she ~ agreed to do
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The translation process ‘he treated her kindly’ * Identify the problem word or phrase * Look it up and choose the appropriate grammatical category * Choose the appropriate sense category * Choose the most appropriate phrase included in the sense * Note the translation
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The translation process ‘he treated her kindly’ * Identify the problem word or phrase (kindly) * Look it up and choose the appropriate grammatical category (II adv) * Choose the appropriate sense category 1 (in a kind nice way) * Choose the most appropriate phrase included in the sense (treat) * Note the translation (avec gentillesse)
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English and French grammar: some preliminaries Meaning: Meaning: (a) generalities (b) cognates (c) idioms Classification (parts of speech) Classification (parts of speech) Use (role played in a sentence ) Use (role played in a sentence )
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(1) Meaning (a) ( a) Generalities: ( a) Generalities: (i) An English word must be connected with a French word that has an equivalent meaning. (i) An English word must be connected with a French word that has an equivalent meaning. (ii) Sometimes, knowing one French word will help you learn another (ii) Sometimes, knowing one French word will help you learn another (iii) Usually, there is little similarity between words. (iii) Usually, there is little similarity between words.
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Meaning (b) (b) Cognates: sometimes two words are the same or very similar in both English and French. These words are called cognates. (b) Cognates: sometimes two words are the same or very similar in both English and French. These words are called cognates. (table, la table) (table, la table) Faux-amis Faux-amissensiblephotographe (c) Idioms: when words in combination take on a special meaning: faire la queue (c) Idioms: when words in combination take on a special meaning: faire la queue
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Classification (a) English and French words are classified in eight categories traditionally called parts of speech. English and French words are classified in eight categories traditionally called parts of speech. nounarticle verbadverb pronounpreposition adjectiveconjunction
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Classification (b) Eg: ‘what’: (1) What’s happening? (1) What’s happening? (2) What time is it? (2) What time is it? (3) Do what you want! (3) Do what you want!
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Classification (b) eg: ‘what’: (1) interrogative pronoun: ‘qu’est-ce qui se passe? (1) interrogative pronoun: ‘qu’est-ce qui se passe? (2) determiner: ‘quelle heure est-il?’ (2) determiner: ‘quelle heure est-il?’ (3) relative pronoun without antecedent: (3) relative pronoun without antecedent: ‘fais ce que tu veux’
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(3) Use (a) A word must be identified according to the role it plays in the sentence. A word must be identified according to the role it plays in the sentence. Each word plays a specific role Each word plays a specific role Determining this role or function will help you to choose the correct French equivalent and to know what rules to apply. Determining this role or function will help you to choose the correct French equivalent and to know what rules to apply.
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Use (b) Functions: subject subject direct object direct object indirect object indirect object object of a preposition object of a preposition Ex. Zidane headbutted the wise-cracker Ex. Zidane headbutted the wise-cracker Zidane delivered a headbutt to the wise-cracker Zidane delivered a headbutt to the wise-cracker
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Subject of the sentence The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. You can find the subject of a sentence if you can find the verb. You can find the subject of a sentence if you can find the verb.verb Ask the question, "Who or what 'verbs' or 'verbed'?" and the answer to that question is the subject. Ask the question, "Who or what 'verbs' or 'verbed'?" and the answer to that question is the subject. e.g. Je suis allé en vacances e.g. Je suis allé en vacances
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Direct object A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or shows the result of the action. A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or shows the result of the action. It answers the question "What?" or "Whom?" after an action verb. It answers the question "What?" or "Whom?" after an action verb. A verb which takes a direct object is called a transitive verb. A verb which takes a direct object is called a transitive verb. e.g. Il a vu Pierre e.g. Il a vu Pierre
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Indirect object The indirect object is the noun or pronoun that receives the direct object. The indirect object is the noun or pronoun that receives the direct object. Typically, an indirect object can be found by asking who or what received the direct object. Typically, an indirect object can be found by asking who or what received the direct object. e.g. J’ai envoyé une lettre à Jean. e.g. J’ai envoyé une lettre à Jean.
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Object of a preposition Prepositions are small words that create a relationship between other words in a sentence by linking phrases to the rest of the sentence: Prepositions are small words that create a relationship between other words in a sentence by linking phrases to the rest of the sentence: à, de, dans, entre The nouns that follow them are objects of the preposition. e.g. Sophie a donné une lettre à Pierre. e.g. Sophie a donné une lettre à Pierre.
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Use (c) ‘what’ What is on the table? What is on the table? What is she doing? What is she doing? What are you talking about? What are you talking about?
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Use (c) ‘what’ What is on the table? Qu’est-ce qui est sur la table? What is on the table? Qu’est-ce qui est sur la table?(Subject) What is she doing? Qu’est-ce qu’elle fait? What is she doing? Qu’est-ce qu’elle fait? (Direct object) What are you talking about? What are you talking about? (Object of a preposition) tu parles de quoi?
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What is a noun? A person A person A place A place A thing or animal A thing or animal An idea (peace, love, grief etc.) An idea (peace, love, grief etc.) Proper Nouns Proper Nouns Common Nouns Common Nouns
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What is gender? In English, the gender corresponds to the sex of the person we are replacing (masculine, feminine, neuter – the tree in front of me is an oak.) In English, the gender corresponds to the sex of the person we are replacing (masculine, feminine, neuter – the tree in front of me is an oak.) What about “she is a fine ship”? What about “she is a fine ship”? In French, has to be either masculine or feminine In French, has to be either masculine or feminine No neuter No neuter
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What is number? When a word refers to one person or thing = singular When a word refers to one person or thing = singular When a word refers to more than one = plural When a word refers to more than one = plural Collective nouns refer to a group of persons or things but they are considered to be singular, e.g. a JF language class has 10-12 people in it. Collective nouns refer to a group of persons or things but they are considered to be singular, e.g. a JF language class has 10-12 people in it.
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