Language/French/Grammar/Agreement-with-a-preceding-direct-object-in-a-relative-clause-when-the-participle-is-followed-by-an-infinitive

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Agreement with a preceding direct object in a relative clause when an infinitive follows the participle

[Updated]

Definitions[edit | edit source]

Subject-Verb Agreement[edit | edit source]

The subject-verb agreement in French is the way to choose the correct ending for verbs in terms of grammatical persons, gender and number, depending on their subject.

Agreement with Preceding Direct Object[edit | edit source]

As with the preceding direct object pronouns, when a verb is preceded by a direct object which is at the beginning of a relative clause and followed by an infinitive, the participle only agrees when this beginning is the direct object. Implicit verb containing the participle and subject of the infinitive. This means that there will be an agreement in the following cases:

Agreement[edit | edit source]

  • Jérôme a vu une énorme masse de terre écraser sa maison

Jerome saw a huge mass of earth crush his house

  • Voilà l'énorme masse de terre que Jérôme a vue écraser sa maison

There's the huge mass of earth which Jérôme saw crush her house

  • On a entendu les voix résonner dans l'église

We heard the voices echoing in the church

  • Ce sont les voix que l'on a entendues résonner dans l'église

Those are the voices we heard echoing in the church

Disagreement[edit | edit source]

But disagree with perception verbs, movement verbs and "laisser" (but not "faire"):

  • Isabelle a vu écraser sa maison par une énorme roche

Isabelle saw her house crushed by a huge rock

  • C'est sa maison que Isabelle a vu écraser par une énorme roche

It's her house that Isabelle saw crushed by a huge rock

  • Jean a regardé raser la forêt par des tracteurs

Jean watched the forest being razed by tractors

  • Voilà la forêt que Jean a regardé raser par des tracteurs

There's the forest that Jean watched being razed by tractors

Other Chapters[edit | edit source]

Table of Contents

Nouns


Determiners


Personal and impersonal pronouns


Adjectives


Adverbs


Numbers, measurements, time and quantifiers


Verb forms


Verb constructions


Verb and participle agreement


Tense


The subjunctive, modal verbs, exclamatives and imperatives


The infinitive


Prepositions


Question formation


Relative clauses


Negation


Conjunctions and other linking constructions

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