Tag Archives: French grammar
On a wing and a prayer Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 31, 2018
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about contemporary musicals in France. One of the songs featured got me thinking about the word ailes (wings) and all the things that fly – or don’t! – with wings. Aile (wing) Before we get to the song, a few examples of the different ways the word aile can be…
Where and When – useful expressions in French Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jun 20, 2018
Relativity isn’t just a concept in physics. Knowing the relative order of events in time, or the relative location of objects in space, is as useful here on la Terre (Earth) as it is in l’éspace (space). Fortunately French has some handy vocabulary that we can use to differentiate both. Ça se passe où? /…
Not all sugar and spice Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jun 5, 2018
Last week we read an old story designed to remind les jeunes garçons sages (good little boys) how to behave. As promised at the end of that last post, this week, we look at a similar reminder for les gentilles filles (good girls). La Mouche * Listen to how the t at the end of fort ‘runs into’ occupée. View…
If only it were that simple Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 29, 2018
My son will be 24 years old next month! He is my pride and joy, but raising a boy did have its challenges. Like many parents, I was always looking for just the right way to guide him on the path to adulthood (and to good manners, behavior, and grades!) If only I’d come across…
French Music – What happened to the shop girl? Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 15, 2018
Last week I introduced you to the French singer Bénabar, and through him, to la petite vendeuse. As I mentioned, Bénabar’s songs tell stories. And fortunately for us, sometimes those stories se retrouvent et se rejoignent (find each other and connect) in other songs. Un jeune vigile A young security guard embauche en civil au grand magasin Begins his…
French Verbs – To Take, To Learn, To Understand Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 1, 2018
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m hoping – despite the challenges – to one day teach French full time. In order to be ready for that eventuality, I have gone back to school myself to get a Master’s degree in Education. A recent assignment on learning and understanding got me thinking about those verbs in French… and…
French Grammar – What happened? Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 10, 2018
To wrap up this latest series of grammar posts, here is a little story for you to practice your reading comprehension and to test your ability to recognize the different verb tenses. Mon fils vient de partir. Nous avons diné ensemble. On était censé diner chez mon frère, mais il a décommandé au dernier moment…