Archive for 'Grammar'
French Indefinite Subject Pronoun Posted by Hichem on Feb 25, 2014
It’s time to turn French Grammar “ON” again here on the Transparent French Blog! And what a coincidence it is, because today you’ll be given a few precious pointers as to how to use the indefinite French pronoun “On“, which, as we know very well, can often cause some serious headache to the débutants learners of the French language…
*Plus* de grammaire française (More French Grammar) Posted by Hichem on Jan 17, 2014
There is one French word that gives quite a hard time to the new learners of the language on how to properly pronounce it: It is *PLUS* Indeed, one can sometimes hear it pronounced it as “PLUSS” (with the “s” sound), and other times as “PLU” (without the “s” sound.) So, how do we tell the…
Classical French Grammar 101! Posted by Hichem on Nov 24, 2013
We’ve already covered tougher topics in French grammar, not the least of which was le subjonctif. Today, we invite you to Review with us les bases… It sure doesn’t get more “classical” in French grammar than the subject of les classes grammaticales (Grammatical Classes.) In French, as in any other language, in order to fully grasp the meaning of a sentence, it is essential to…
“Tricky” French Conjugation: The Verb ALLER (To Go) Posted by Hichem on Apr 25, 2013
One of the trickiest verbs to conjugate for the new learners of French language is hands-down ALLER (To Go) Unlike other verbs, aller can in some cases transform itself in a seemingly different verb, as in “il va” or “j‘irai.” Obviously, the best way not to make any mistake with this verb is to simply memorize its…
Top 10 Most Frequently Used French Verbs Posted by Hichem on Mar 27, 2013
There are countless ways of building a strong French vocabulary. One way to go is to learn the maximum of verbs. A good source for that is the very popular “501 French Verbs” by Christopher Kendris. But how to know which ones to start memorizing? After all, not all verbs are born equal in the…
French Phrases as Space and Time Adverbs Posted by Hichem on Mar 21, 2013
In French, like in any other language, the goal of adverbs is always the same: To modify la signification (the meaning) of words, phrases, and sentences. Let’s take this example: Le scénario de ce film est magnifiquement écrit. (The plot of this movie is magnificently written.) Here the adverb magnifiquement is a word, and it serves to modify the adjective écrit. * * * In…
French Rap: A Good Way to Learn French Grammar Posted by Hichem on Mar 18, 2013
The idea of mixing up French Rap with French grammar had to come all the way from le Canada… There, a French class teacher thought of a fun and efficient way to teach the rules of thumb of the “PP” to her young students: That would be les Participes Passés (Past Participles.) You can find more about it…