You now have a good working knowledge of French pronunciation and are ready for
a more intimate study of the language. Practice the pronunciation aids after each
conversational text and follow all directins for reading aloud and speaking. Remember:
the only way you can learn to speak a language is by speaking it.
This chapter will introduce you to Mr. Brown, a New York businessman who is as
eager as you are to learn French. You will also meet Mrs. Brown, a university
history professor. As Monsieur Picard teaches Mr. Brown he will also teach you in a
pleasant and interesting way.
So Bonne Chance (good luck) and Bon Voyage (have a good trip) as you accompany
Mr. Brown on the road that leads to a practical knowledge of the French language.
d'affaires américain. 2. Il demeure dans une petite ville dans les environs de New York.¹ 3. Il ya six personnes dans la famille Brown: Le père, Monsieur Brown, la mère, Madame Brown, deux fils, et duex filles. Monsieur Brown est un homme de quar- ante ans. Madame Brown est une femme de trente-quatre ans qui enseigne l'his- toire dans une université située à quelques kilomètres de leur maison. 4. Les fils s'appellent² Charles et Thomas. Les filles s'appellent Elizabeth et Anne. 5. La famille Brown demeure dans une maison particulière. 6. Dans la maison il y a cinq pièces: le salon, la salle à manger, et trois chambres à coucher. Il y a aussi la cuisine et la salle de bain. 7. Le bureau de Monsieur Brown est dans la rue Whitehall. 8. Il est au vingtième étage d'un gratte-ciel. 9. Tous les lundi, les mardis, les mer- credis, les jeudis. et les vendredis, Mon- sieur Brown prend le train pour aller à son bureau en ville. 10. Toute la journée il travaille dans son bureau. |
businessman. 2. He lives in a small town in the sub- urbs of New York. 3. There are six persons in the Brown family: the father, Mr. Brown, the mother, Mrs. Brown, two sons, and two daughters. Mr. Brown is a forty-year-old man. Mrs. Brown is a thirty-year-old woman who teaches history in a university lo- cated a few kilometers from their house. 4. The sons are named Charles and Thomas. The daughters are named Eliz- abeth and Anne. 5. The Brown family lives in a private house. 6. In the house, there are five rooms: the living room, the dining room, and three bedrooms. There are also the kitchen and the bathroom. 7. Mr. Brown's office is on Whitehall Street. 8. It is on the twentiet floor of a skyscraper. 9. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednes- days, Thursdays, and Fridays, Mr. Brown takes the train to go to his office in the city. 10. All day long he works in his office. |
Pronunciation and Spelling Aids
| A. Practice aloud
| ||
| 1. un homme d'affaires américain (euñ um da-fehr za-may-ree-kañ) 2. dans une petite ville (dahñ zün puh-teet veel) 3. dans les environs (dahñ lay zahñ-vee-rawñ) | 4. trois chambres à coucher (trwah shañbr za koo-shay) 5. il est au vingtième étage (eel eh toh vañ-tyehm ay-tazh) 6. prend le train (prahñ luh trañ) | |
| B. Remember: s, when linked, becomes z. les environs (lay zahñ-vee-rawñ) | ||
Building Vocabulary
| A. La famille (la fa-meey) The family | ||
| le père (pehr) the father la mère (mehr) the mother le fils (fees) the son la fille (feey) the daughter la frère (frehr) the brother la soeur (seur) the sister l'oncle (lawñkl) the uncle la tante (tahñt) the aunt le cousin (koo-zañ) the cousin (m) la cousine (koo-zeen) the cousin (f) l'enfant (lahñ-fahñ) the child | le garçon (gar-sawñ) the boy, the waiter la jeune fille (zheun feey) the young woman, the girl le monsieur (muh-syeu) the gentleman messieurs (may-syeu) gentlemen la dame (dam) the lady Madame (ma-dam) Mrs., Madam l'homme (lum) the man la femme (fam) the woman | |
| les parents (lay pa-rahñ) the parents | ||
| B. Les pièces de la maison (lay pyehs duh la meh-zawñ) The rooms of the house | ||
| le salon (sa-lawñ) living room la chambre à coucher (shahñbr a koo- shay) bedroom | la salle à manger (sal a mahñ- zhay) dining room la salle de bain (sal duh bañ) bathroom | |
| la cuisine (küee-zeen) kitchen | ||
French Expressions
| 1. il y a (eel ya) there is, there are 2. y a-t-il? (ya-teel) is there? are there? | 3. par coeur (par keur) by heart 4. toute la journñe (toot la zhoor- nay) all day long |
For maximum benefit follow these instructions carefully in all Completion of Text
exercises.
Complete each sentence by putting the English words into French. Do this from
memory where you can.
If you do not remember the words refer to the French text. There you will find the
words in the order of their appearance. You have only to reread the text to find them
easily.
When you have completed each sentence with the needed words, read the complete
sentence aloud in French.
It will be a great help to your memory if you write each completed sentence. this is
true for all exercises.
The correct French words for the Completion of Text exercises are in the Answers
section at the end of this book, along with the answers to all other exercises. Check all
your answers.
| Exemple (ehg-zahñpl) Example 1. Qui est Monsieur Brown? | ||
| 1. (Who) est Monsieur brown? 2. C'est un (businessman) américain. 3. Il demeure (in) une petite ville. 4. (There are) six personnes dans la famille. 5. Monsieur Brown est le (father). 6. Madame Brown est la (mother). 7. Les (son) s'appellent Charles (and) Thomas. | 8. les filles (are named) Elizabeth (and) Anne. 9. Il y a (five rooms) dans la maison. 10. Il y a une (kitchen) et une (bathroom). 11. Le (office) est dans la Whitehall (street). 12. (It is) dans un gratte-ciel. 13. Il est au (twentieth) étage. 14. Monsieur Brown travaille (all day long). | |
GRAMMAR NOTES
| 1. Gender of nouns
Nouns are either masculine or feminine. this is true for thing-nouns as well Learn the gender of thing-nouns as they occur. 2. Plural of nouns
The plural of nouns is usually formed by adding s to the singular. The added bureau bureaux 3. Definite article Note the four ways in which the definite article the is expressed in French. |
| Masculine: Feminine: Masculine: Feminine: |
le père la mère l'oncle la tante |
le fils la fille l'homme la femme |
le frère la soèur l'enfant l'enfant | ||
| With Plural Nouns | |||||
| Masculine: Feminine: Masculine: Feminine: |
les pères les mères les oncles les tantes |
les fils les filles les hommes les femmes |
les frères les soèurs les enfants les enfants |
||
| The definite article in French is le (luh), la (lah), l', les (lay). Le is used with a masculine singular noun; la is used with a feminine singular noun; l' is used with any noun that begins with a vowel or h (mute)¹; les is used with any plural noun, masculine or feminine. When the s of les is linked with the following noun, it is pronounced like z. Thus:
NOTE 1. Although h is always silent in French, "le" or "la" instead of "l'" must be |
| Masculine: Feminine: |
le héros (ay-roh) the hero le hibou (ee-boo) the owl la hache (ash) the ax la haie (eh) the hedge |
||
| The s of les is not linked with the following noun. Thus: |
||
| les héros (lay ay-roh) les hiboux (lay ee-boo) les haches (lay ash) les haies (lay eh) |
||
| 4. Indefinite article Note how the indefinite article a (one) is expressed in French. |
| Masculine: Feminine: |
un père un fils un enfant un train un homme une mère une fille une enfant une rue une femme |
||
| Masculine: Feminine: |
des pères des fils des enfants des trains des hommes des mères des filles des enfants des rues des femmes |
||
| The indefinite article in French is un (euñ), a, one with masculine nouns; une (ün) a, one with feminine nouns; des (day) some with any plural noun, masculine or feminine. When the "s" of "des" is linked with the following noun, it is pronounced like "z". Thus: |
| des enfants (day zahñ-fahñ) day hommes (day zum). |
| The indefinite article in French is un (euñ), a, one with masculine nouns; une (ün) a, one with feminine nouns; des (day) some with any plural noun, masculine or feminine. When the "s" of "des" is linked with the following noun, it is pronounced like "z". Thus: |