Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-stressed-pronouns-for-emphasis

Use of stressed pronouns for emphasis

To highlight or emphasize a pronoun a common strategy is to 'double up' by the addition of a stressed pronoun. This can be done with:

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Mass nouns used countably & Plural forms of adjectives — Adjectives which end in eau.

Subject pronouns

• Toi, tu le crois peut-être mais lui, il ne le croit pas

YOU might believe that, but HE doesn't

• Moi, je veux travailler ce soir, mais lui pas

I want to work this evening, but HE doesn't

The stressed subject pronoun copy may equally appear at the end of the clause with the same effect:

• Tu le crois peut-être, toi, mais il ne le croit pas, lui

Je veux travailler ce soir, moi, rais pas lui

When third person subject pronouns are highlighted or emphasized, the stressed pronoun alone may, on occasions, be used:

• Lui pourrait le faire

HE could do it

• Eux sauraient quoi dire

THEY would know what to say

This is not possible with first and second person pronouns:

• NOT *Moi pourrais le faire (but Moi, je pourrais le faire)
• NOT *Toi saurais quoi dire (but Toi, tu saurais quoi dire)

Only stressed pronouns and not unstressed subject pronouns can be separated from the tense-marked verb by adverbs or parenthetical expressions:

• Lui, souvent, critique son professeur (NOT *I1 souvent critique son professeur)

He often criticizes his professor

• Eux, par exemple, connaissent l'italien (NOT *Ils, par exemple, connaissent l'italien)

They, for example, know Italian

Object pronouns

A common strategy is to add a second, stressed pronoun at either the beginning or the end of the clause:

• Lui, on le sait innocent

HE is known to be innocent

• Elle se tient à l'écart, elle

SHE is keeping well out of it

• Il me parle à moi (et pas à toi)

He confides in ME (and not in you)

• Eux, on va leur demander de participer aux frais

We'll be asking THEM for a financial contribution

When the unstressed pronoun is an indirect object, the stressed pronoun being used to highlight it is preceded by à only when it is at the end of the clause:

• Nous, elle nous a souvent écrit or Elle nous a souvent écrit, à nous

She has often written to US

• Moi, cela me ferait plaisir or Cela me ferait plaisir, à moi

That would give ME pleasure

This 'doubling' of an unstressed pronoun by a stressed pronoun is also used to disambiguate ambiguous pronouns. In the following sentence leur is ambiguous between a masculine and a feminine interpretation:

• Simon leur a dit de partir

Simon told them to leave

But it can be disambiguated by the addition of stressed pronouns:

• Jean leur a dit à eux de partir
• Jean leur a dit à elles de partir

Other Lessons

• Colour adjective compounds
• When Use à or a
• Plural forms of adjectives — Adjectives which end in al
• Ambiguity of reference of lui and leur
• Position of object pronouns with devoir, pouvoir + infinitives
• Years
• Irregular plurals for nouns ending in –ail
• Agreement of past participle if direct object is placed before
• Indefinite and negative noun phrases with adjective complements
• Definite and indefinite articles
• Differences in the use of numbers in French and English mille milliers milliards
• Vous and Tu Complete Guide
• Reflexive use of me, te, se, nous, vous
• Compound nouns
• Sentence modifying adverbs