Language/French/Grammar/Subject-Verb-Agreement-—-Agreement-quantifiers-numeral-nouns

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Subject-Verb Agreement - Agreement with Quantifiers & Numerical Nouns

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Definitions[edit | edit source]

What is subject-verb agreement in French?[edit | edit source]

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

What are quantifiers?[edit | edit source]

A quantifier is a determiner that quantifies a noun, such as English "some" and "many". In French, as in English, quantifiers are a class of open words, unlike most other types of determiners. In French, most quantifiers are created using a noun or an adverb of quantity and the preposition de (d' when before a vowel).

If numeral nouns are subjects[edit | edit source]

If numeral nouns, ie: une dizaine (10 or so), une vingtaine (20 or so), une douzaine (a dozen), ... are subjects, the verb can agree with the numeral noun or its complement. It depends on where the emphasis is:

  • Nous sommes vingt aujourd'hui pour le dîner du soir: une douzaine d'œufs ne nous suffira pas.

We are 20 today for the evening dinner: a dozen eggs will not be enough.

  • Une vingtaine de pompiers ont été blessés.

Twenty or so firefighters were injured.

Certain quantifiers are subjects[edit | edit source]

When quantifiers like:

  • "la plupart de"

most

  • "un grand nombre de"

a large number of

  • "quantité de"

a lot of

  • "beaucoup de"

many

are subjects, the verb agrees with their complement, whether it is implied or present:

  • La plupart (des personnes) partagent mon avis.

Most (of people) share my opinion.

  • La plupart (d'entre nous) sommes prêts à vous donner un coup de main.

Most (of us) are ready to give you a hand.

  • Un grand nombre (de clients) ont déjà porté plainte.

A large number (of customers) have already lodged a complaint.

  • Beaucoup (de victimes) se présenteront au bureau de police demain matin.

A lot (of victims) will report to the police station tomorrow morning.

With other quantifiers[edit | edit source]

With:

  • "la majorité de"

the majority of

  • "une minorité de"

a minority of

  • "le reste de"

the rest of

the verb can agree either with its complement of the quantifier:

  • La majorité (de nos élèves) ont/a moins de quinze ans.

The majority (of our students) are less than fifteen years old.

"Plus d'un" (more than one) tends to be singular[edit | edit source]

  • Plus d'un ami m'a encouragé à porter plainte.

More than one friend encouraged me to make a complaint.

But "moins de" (less than) tends to be plural[edit | edit source]

  • Moins de vingt personnes ont considéré son discours comme offensant.

Fewer than twenty people considered his speech offensive.

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

Contributors

Maintenance script


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