Language/French/Grammar/Coordination-of-subject-pronouns

Coordination of subject pronouns

When clauses containing unstressed subject pronouns are coordinated by et, ou or ne ... ni, the second pronoun may be deleted:

• Elle se réveille et (elle) regarde l'horloge

She wakes up and looks at the clock

• Je ne lis ni (je) n'écris à présent

I am neither reading nor "writing at the moment

When the verb is accompanied by auxiliary avoir or être, if the subject pronoun is deleted, the auxiliary must be too:

• Il a chanté et (il a) dansé (NOT I1 a chanté et a dansé)

He sang and danced

Related Lessons

• Impersonal subject restricted to il
• Form and uses of tout
• Absolute use of the superlative
• Use of the definite article with names of languages
• Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Dates
• Collective nouns
• Comparing neutral ce, cela, ça with personal il ils and elle elles
• Differences in the use of numbers in French and English mille milliers milliards
• Agreement of the past participle having the auxiliary "être" in compound tenses
• Indefinite article
• Easy way of generating the present subjunctive
• Feminine Form
• "se faire" and "se laisser"
• Phrases used as adverbs
• « d'autres » VS « des autres »