Advanced Indirect Objects
Some French verbs do not allow their indirect objects to be replaced by pronouns; instead, the preposition must be maintained after the verb along with the indirect object.
B2 Grammar
Upper-Intermediate French Lessons
Some French verbs do not allow their indirect objects to be replaced by pronouns; instead, the preposition must be maintained after the verb along with the indirect object.Agreement with Direct Objects
Most French verbs are conjugated with avoir as their auxiliary verb in compound tenses and moods, and therefore do not require agreement with their subjects. But avoir verbs do need agreement in a very specific construction: the past participle must agree with the direct object when it precedes the verb.Agreement with Pronominal Verbs
All pronominal verbs are être verbs in compound tenses and moods like the passé composé, which means that the past participles must agree with their subjects - at least in theory. In fact, it's not quite so straightforward.Agreement with Verbs of Perception
Verbs of perception are subject to grammatical agreement in the compound tenses, but the rules are somewhat tricky - they only agree with their subjects when they precede the verb.Avoiding the Subjunctive
Although the subjunctive is commonly used in French, there are numerous ways to avoid it, with varying meaning changes. (This doesn't mean you don't need to know how to use the subjunctive, just that there are times when an alternative is acceptable.)Capitalization of Titles
Unlike most areas of French grammar, the capitalization of French titles of books, movies, etc. does not follow a clearly defined set of rules. Instead, French title capitalization is inconsistent, with competing systems used by writers, publishers, and other authoritative sources.Causative Construction with Objects and Agreement
Certain aspects of French grammar are a bit different with the causative than with other two-verb constructions.Connectives
Connectives are links: they combine words, phrases, or sentences. Connectives do not constitute a single part of speech, but rather a category of terms including all conjunctions and prepositions as well as certain types of adverbs and pronouns used in this way.Direct vs Indirect Objects
Direct objects and indirect objects can be tricky to understand and use, but it's essential to know the difference in order to speak and write French correctly. Here are some tips to help you figure out which type of object you're dealing with.En – preposition, pronoun, and more
It consists of just two letters, yet the French word en has three distinct areas of meaning/usage and four different pronunciations. Here's everything you need to know about en.Formal Negation
French has three negative constructions that are reserved for formal (usually written) French like literature and historical accounts.Indefinite Relative Pronouns
Indefinite relative pronouns (ce dont, ce que, ce qui, ce à quoi) are connectors: they link relative clauses to main clauses and, unlike normal relative pronouns, do not not have a specific antecedent.Lequel – Relative Adjective
Relative adjectives are rare in both French and English, as they are found primarily in legal, administrative, and other very formal language. The French relative pronoun lequel creates a link between a preceding antecedent and a following noun.Ne explétif
Don't worry, it's not a swear word. In French, explétif is a grammatical term that serves only to draw attention to what precedes it.Omitting Auxiliary Verbs
By definition, compound tenses and moods require an auxiliary verb plus past participle. However, when using two or more compound conjugations with the same subject, you don't always need to include the auxiliary verb for each one.On vs l’on
What's the difference between on and l'on? In a nutshell, on is sometimes preceded by l' for reasons of euphony.Passé composé vs Imperfect: Meaning Changes
Knowing whether to use passé composé or imparfait sometimes depends on the meaning of the verb itself: some French verbs have different meanings in the two tenses.Past Infinitive
When one thing happens before another, you can use the French past infinitive to talk about the earlier action. In English, the past infinitive is very stilted, so it's usually loosely translated into more idiomatic phrasing.Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is the past tense of the subjunctive mood. The exact same verbs, expressions, and conjunctions that call for the subjunctive in the present require the past subjunctive in reference to subjectivity about something that happened in the past.Prepositions with Nouns
Generally speaking, articles are much more common in French than in English, but there are exceptions, such as when certain prepositions are followed by nouns.Progress with Lawless French
Progress with Lawless French is an adaptive, test-driven French learning system that will help you learn more efficiently with personalized kwizzes, writing challenges, and dictées.PwLF Super Study Lists
Take your Progress with Lawless French account to the next level with these super study lists that bring together all the lessons on a particular grammar topic.Reported Speech
A large part of communicating has to do with reporting what other people have said. This grammatical grapevine comes in two varieties: direct speech and indirect speech.Se faire – Reflexive Causative
The reflexive causative uses a reflexive pronoun to indicate that the subject is acted upon, whether this action is by his choice or not. It's equivalent to "get/have something done to/for oneself."Si Clauses: Third Conditional
The third conditional is an if-then proposition that expresses an impossible situation: if something had happened (the condition), then something else would have happened (the result). The condition is expressed with the past perfect, and the impossible result is indicated with the conditional perfect.Simple and Compound Tenses and Moods: Avoir Verbs
Learn how each simple conjugation of avoir serves as the auxiliary verb for a corresponding compound verb form.Simple and Compound Tenses and Moods: Être Verbs
Learn how each simple conjugation of être serves as the auxiliary verb for a corresponding compound tense or mood.Simple and Compound Tenses and Moods: Pronominal Verbs
Learn how each simple conjugation of être serves as the auxiliary for a corresponding pronominal verb tense or mood.Special Uses of the Subjunctive
The French subjunctive is most often found in subordinate clauses, but it can also be used in main or independent clauses. In general, this latter usage tends to be formal.Subjunctive with Negative and Indefinite Pronouns
The subjunctive is required after any type of construction that indicates negativity or doubt, including negative pronouns and indefinite pronouns.Un vs l’un
Do you know the difference between un and l'un? If you answered, "Huh? Why would you ever put l' in front of un?" then this is the lesson for you.Verb Conjugation Translation
French and English have a number of important differences in verb tenses and moods, which can make translating all the different conjugations from one language to the other a bit tricky. Here's what to keep in mind when translating French verb conjugations into English.More Lawless French
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