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

Coordination of stressed pronouns

Only stressed pronouns can be coordinated with each other or with other noun by et, ou:

• Marianne et moi (NOT *je) en avons discuté à fond

Marianne and I have discussed it in depth

• Lui (NOT ""il) et vous devrez vous mettre d'accord

You and he ought to come to an agreement

• J'ai dit la même chose à vous et à lui (NOT *il)

I said the same thing to you and him

NB: The form the verb takes with coordinated subjects involving stressed pronouns is determined in the following way:

If one of the pronouns is first person, the verb will be first person:

Lui et moi connaissons la famille He and I know the family Vous et moi connaissons la famille You and I know the family

In the absence of a first person pronoun, if one of the pronouns is second person, the verb will be second person:

• Vous et lui connaissez la famille

You and he know the family

A frequent way of expressing the notion 'somebody and I did X' is:

• Avec quelqu'un nous avons fait X
• Avec Christine nous avons ouvert les colis

Christine and I opened the parcels