4.1.4
Enrichissement - Grammar
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Enrichissement - Grammar
Using the negative form in French.
When to use it
- You use the negative form in French to turn a positive phrase or question into a negative one.
- For example in English, we have a good ethnic mix in my school becomes we do not have a good ethnic mix in my school.
- In this case, the do not in English is the negative form.
- In French, you need one ‘piece’ of the negative form around either side of the verb you are using.
- We could say that the negative form is squashing the verb.
Not, Never
- To use the negative form ‘not’ in French
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + pas
- Il ne parle pas aux autres = He does not speak to others
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + pas
- To use the negative form ‘never’ in French
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + jamais
- Ils ne mangent jamais des différents types de cuisine = They never eat different types of cuisine
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + jamais
No longer, Nothing
- To use the negative form ‘no longer’ in French
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + plus
- Nous ne demande plus aux candidats leur ethnicité = We no longer ask candidates their ethnicity
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + plus
- To use the negative form ‘nothing’ in French
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + rien
- Vous ne connaissez rien aux personnes maghrébins = You don’t know anything about people of North African origin.
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + rien
Only
- To use the negative form ‘only’’ in French
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + que
- Elle ne travaillerait que pour une société multiculturelle = She would only work for a multicultural firm.
- ne + (conjugated verb in the tense you want to talk in) + que
Exception 1
- When using the negative form with the perfect tense, you need to use it around the auxiliary verb ‘avoir’ or ‘être’; whichever one you need to have used to form the perfect tense.
- J’ai habité avec un ami 🡪 Je n’ai pas habité avec un ami
- You can see here that the negative form is around the verb ‘avoir’ in the perfect tense formation with je n’ai pas.
- Elle est venu d’Espagne 🡪 Elle n’est pas venue d’Espagne
- You can see here that the negative form is around the verb ‘etre’ in the perfect tense formation with elle n’est pas.
Exception 2
- If your verb starts with a vowel or a vowel sound like the silent ‘h’ in French, you will need to remove the e from ne.
- Je ne habite jamais seul 🡪 je n’habite jamais seul.
- This is also the case for there is not, where il y a becomes il n’y a pas.
Exception 3
- If your sentence needs to be made negative but it has 2 verbs in it, the negative form will need to go around the first verb.
- Il ne va que manger au restaurant.
- (This sentence has 2 verbs in it - va from the present tense of aller and also manger).
- However, the negative form only needs to go around the first verb in the sentence.
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.1.1Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'vrir'11.1.2Irregular RE Verbs11.1.3RE Present Participle11.1.4Irregular IR Verbs With No Pattern11.1.5Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'enir'11.1.6Regular IR Verbs11.1.7Reflexive Verbs11.1.8ER Present Participles11.1.95 Common IR Verbs11.1.10Stem-Changing Verbs11.1.11Irregular Present Participles11.1.12Irregular IR Verbs Like 'Partir'11.1.13Regular RE Verbs11.1.14Irregular ER Verbs - Aller11.1.15Modal Irregular IR Verbs11.1.165 Common RE Verbs11.1.17Irregular RE Verbs With No Pattern11.1.18Avoir11.1.19Être11.1.20Regular ER Verbs11.1.21IR Present Participle11.1.225 Common ER Verbs
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
Jump to other topics
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.1.1Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'vrir'11.1.2Irregular RE Verbs11.1.3RE Present Participle11.1.4Irregular IR Verbs With No Pattern11.1.5Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'enir'11.1.6Regular IR Verbs11.1.7Reflexive Verbs11.1.8ER Present Participles11.1.95 Common IR Verbs11.1.10Stem-Changing Verbs11.1.11Irregular Present Participles11.1.12Irregular IR Verbs Like 'Partir'11.1.13Regular RE Verbs11.1.14Irregular ER Verbs - Aller11.1.15Modal Irregular IR Verbs11.1.165 Common RE Verbs11.1.17Irregular RE Verbs With No Pattern11.1.18Avoir11.1.19Être11.1.20Regular ER Verbs11.1.21IR Present Participle11.1.225 Common ER Verbs
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
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