Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/il-or-ça-alternating-with-clauses-or-infinitives-as-subjects"

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[[File:French-Language-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]]
[[File:French-Language-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]]
<div style="font-size:300%"> il or ça alternating with clauses or infinitives as subjects</div>
<div class="pg_page_title"> il or ça alternating with clauses or infinitives as subjects</div>
Some impersonal verbs allow both il (or ça in informal spoken French) and a clause or infinitive as a subject:
Some impersonal verbs allow both il (or ça in informal spoken French) and a clause or infinitive as a subject:


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*Ça me fait peur d'y aller la nuit or D'y aller la nuit me fait peur
*Ça me fait peur d'y aller la nuit or D'y aller la nuit me fait peur
I am afraid to go there at night
I am afraid to go there at night


Others:
Others:
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*Il/ça arrive à Béatrice de/que . . .
*Il/ça arrive à Béatrice de/que . . .
It sometimes happens to Béatrice that. . .
It sometimes happens to Béatrice that. . .


Verbs of this type which have direct objects, as opposed to indirect objects introduced by à, always take the impersonal subject cela (or ça in informal spoken French) and NOT il:
Verbs of this type which have direct objects, as opposed to indirect objects introduced by à, always take the impersonal subject cela (or ça in informal spoken French) and NOT il:
Line 51: Line 47:
... irritâtes ...
... irritâtes ...


==Related Lessons==
<span link>Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson:</span> [[Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners|Possessive determiners]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article|Omission of the article]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Easy-way-of-generating-the-imperfect-tense|Easy way of generating the imperfect tense]] & [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-on|Use of on]].
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-indefinite-and-partitive-articles-after-the-negative-forms|Use of indefinite and partitive articles after the negative forms]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-indefinite-and-partitive-articles-after-the-negative-forms|Use of indefinite and partitive articles after the negative forms]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Comparing-neutral-ce,-cela,-ça-with-personal-il-ils-and-elle-elles|Comparing neutral ce, cela, ça with personal il ils and elle elles]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Comparing-neutral-ce,-cela,-ça-with-personal-il-ils-and-elle-elles|Comparing neutral ce, cela, ça with personal il ils and elle elles]]
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* [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural|Plural]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural|Plural]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-that-are-only-masculine-or-only-feminine-But-may-refer-to-both-men-and-women|Nouns that are only masculine or only feminine But may refer to both men and women]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-that-are-only-masculine-or-only-feminine-But-may-refer-to-both-men-and-women|Nouns that are only masculine or only feminine But may refer to both men and women]]
<span links></span>

Latest revision as of 13:54, 27 March 2023

French-Language-PolyglotClub.png
il or ça alternating with clauses or infinitives as subjects

Some impersonal verbs allow both il (or ça in informal spoken French) and a clause or infinitive as a subject:

  • Il convient à ma mère que les Durand habitent à côté or Que les Durand habitent à côté convient à ma mère

It suits my mother to have the Durands living next door

  • Ça me fait peur d'y aller la nuit or D'y aller la nuit me fait peur

I am afraid to go there at night

Others:

  • Il/ça déplaît à Olivier de/que . . .

It displeases Oliver to/that. . .

  • Il/ça fait mal à Arnaud de/que . . .

It hurts Arnaud to/that . . .

  • Il/ça fait plaisir à Céline de/que . . .

It gives Céline pleasure to/that . . .

  • Il/ça va à Romain de/que . . .

It suits Romain to/that. . .

  • Il/ça arrive à Béatrice de/que . . .

It sometimes happens to Béatrice that. . .

Verbs of this type which have direct objects, as opposed to indirect objects introduced by à, always take the impersonal subject cela (or ça in informal spoken French) and NOT il:

  • Cela/ça amuse Pierre qu'elle fasse de la planche à voile or Qu'elle fasse de la planche à voile amuse Pierre

It amuses Pierre that she goes wind-surfing

  • Cela/ça ennuie Georges de devoir recommencer or De devoir recommencer ennuie Georges

George finds it annoying to have to start again

  • Cela/ça attriste Antoine de/que ...

... saddens ...

  • Cela/ça effraye Véronique de/que ...

... frightens ...

  • Cela/ça énerve Joël de/que ...

... annoys ...

  • Cela/ça épuise Fabien de/que ...

... exhausts ...

  • Cela/ça étonne Jérôme de/que ...

... astonishes ...

  • Cela/ça fatigue Charlotte de/que ...

... tires ...

  • Cela/ça gêne Violette de/que ...

... embarrasses ...

  • Cela/ça inquiète Maud de/que ...

... worries ...

  • Cela/ça intéresse Rachel de/que ...

... interests ...

  • Cela/ça irrite Sophie de/que . . .

... irritâtes ...

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Easy way of generating the imperfect tense & Use of on.

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]