Language/French/Grammar/Agreement-with-a-preceding-direct-object-pronoun-when-the-participle-is-followed-by-infinitives
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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.
Direct Object Pronoun[edit | edit source]
A direct object pronoun is a word such as "me", "him", "us" and "them", which is used instead of the noun to stand in for the person or thing most directly affected by the action expressed by the verb.
French direct object pronouns are:
French | English | French | English | |
---|---|---|---|---|
me | (m’, moi) | me | nous | us |
te | (t’, toi) | you | vous | you |
le | (l’) | him, it | les | them |
la | (l’) | her, it |
Infinitives[edit | edit source]
An infinitive is a verb form in which no one is performing the action.
- In English, the word “to” always precedes the infinitive; for example: “to speak” is an infinitive.
- In French, an infinitive has one of 3 endings: “-er”, “-ir”, or “-re”. For example “manger” (to eat), partir (to leave), and prendre (to take).
Verb preceded by a direct object pronoun and followed by an infinitive[edit | edit source]
When a verb is preceded by a direct object pronoun and followed by an infinitive, we say that the participle only agrees when:
- the pronoun is the subject of the infinitive and
- is the direct object of the verb containing the participle.
There is no agreement when it is the object of the infinitive.
This means that there will be an agreement, for example, in the following cases:
- Céline a vu une voiture écraser son chat
Céline saw a car run her cat over ("une voiture" is the subject of "écraser" and the object of "vu")
- Céline l'a vue écraser son chat
Céline saw it run her cat over
- Pierre a regardé sa fille gagner la compétition
Pierre watched his daughter win the competition ("sa fille" is the subject of "gagner" and the object of "regardé")
- Pierre l'a regardée gagner la compétition
Pierre watched her win the competition
- On a entendu les voix résonner dans la grotte
We heard the voices echoing in the cave ("les voix" is the subject of "résonner" and the object of "entendu")
- On les a entendues résonner dans la grotte
We heard them echoing in the cave
But no agreement in cases like the following:
- Céline a vu écraser sa maison par une roche
Céline saw her house crushed by a rock ("sa maison" is the object of "écraser")
- Céline l'a vu écraser par une roche
Céline saw it crushed by a rock
- Pierre a regardé détruire la nature par des tracteurs
Pierre watched the nature being destroyed by tractors ("la nature" is the object of "détruire")
- Pierre l'a regardé détruire par des tracteurs
Pierre watched it being destroyed by tractors
- Derrière la maison, j'ai entendu chanter une chanson
Behind the house I heard (someone) singing a song ("une chanson" is the object of "chanter")
- Derrière la maison, je l'ai entendu chanter
Behind the house I heard (someone) singing it
Verbs of perception / Verbs of movement[edit | edit source]
Verbs which can be preceded by direct object pronouns and followed by infinitives are verbs of perception like:
- entendre
to hear
- écouter
to listen to
- voir
to see
(...)
Verbs of movement like:
- emmener
to take
- amener
bring
- envoyer
to send
(...)
can also be followed by infinitives with subjects that give rise to an agreement:
- J'ai emmené mes amis prendre le repas à la maison
I took my friends to have meal at home ("mes amis" is the subject of "prendr"e and the object of "emmené")
- Je les ai emmenés prendre le repas à la maison
I took them to have meal at home
- Jean a envoyé les stagiaires chercher des enveloppes
Jean sent the interns to look for envelopes ("les stagiaires" is the subject of "chercher" and the object of "envoyer")
- Jean les a envoyées chercher des enveloppes
Jean sent them to look for envelopes.
Verb "laisser"[edit | edit source]
The verb "laisser" follows the same pattern:
- Nous avons laissé les ados aller à la plage tout seuls
We let the teens go to the beach on their own ("les ados" is the subject of "aller" and the object of "laisser")
- Nous les avons laissés aller à la plage tout seuls
We let them go on to the beach on their own
- Les voisins ont laissé les chats jouer à l'extérieur
The neighbors let the cats play outside ("les chats" is the subject of jouer and the object of "laissé")
- Les voisins les ont laissés jouer à l'extérieur
The neighbours let them play outside
The verb "Faire", on the other hand, is an exception. When followed by an infinitive, its past participle does not agree with direct object placed before:
- Nous les avons fait (NOT "faits") partir à la plage tout seuls
We made them go to the beach on their own
- Les voisins les ont fait (NOT "faits") jouer à l'extérieur
The neighbors made them play outside
NB: Perception verbs and the verb "laisser" can sometimes allow a following infinitive with either a previous subject or a following subject:
- "J'ai entendu les gens crier" or "J'ai entendu cier les gens"
I heard people shout
- "J'ai laissé les ados partir" or "J'ai laissé partir les ados"
I let the teens leave
In any case, if the subject of the infinitive is converted to an unstressed pronoun, there will be an agreement with the past participle:
- Je les ai entendus crier
I heard them shout
- Je les ai laissés partir
I let them go
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Namesake
- Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females
- Use of the definite article with names of languages
- Use of an année, jour journée, matin matinée, soir soirée
- Restrictions on possible combinations
- Pronominal Verbs
- Ce, and compound forms of être
- Use of the neutral pronoun le
- Prepositions
- Simple arithmetic (le calcul)
- Verb forms — Introduction
- The indirect object complement
- Impersonal subject restricted to il
- Easy way of generating the present tense
- Direct object quantifiers and « en »