AMITY SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES

____AMITY
UNIVERSITY___
LUCKNOW CAMPUS

Learning French
(Advanced Course)
2
Foreword______________________
Dear Learners,
Founder President Amity Group of Institutions, Dr. Ashok K.
Chauhan dreams of “making every student of Amity a
success story by helping them become global leaders who
can manage and lead change across diverse
organizations.”
In fulfilling this vision, the curriculum of Amity University
includes Foreign Business Language, a Value Added course
of two credits, giving an edge to students in global
placements.
This French handbook for advanced learners has been
designed to give the students an insight into the French
culture and language. It is strictly in accordance with the
prescribed syllabus of Amity University providing sufficient
material on modules; vocabulary needed for everyday
communication; complete list of verbs; basic grammar and
syntax, with plenty of examples to illustrate its usage.
Previous years’ question paper has been included as a sample
for thorough practice.
Immense efforts have been made by the compilation team led
by Prof (Dr.) Satyarth P. Tripathi, Dr. Bratish Sarkar and Ms.
Srashti Srivastava.
Above all, our special acknowledgement to the Pro Vice
Chancellor Amity University, Lucknow Campus, Maj Gen
K K Ohri, AVSM(Retd), for his persistent and continuous
motivation.

Prof (Dr.) Kumkum Ray

Director, ASL

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Index__________________________
Semester VII
French Grammar and Expression

 Course Curriculum 4

 Module I- Past Experiences 7

 Module II- Education System 16

 Module III- Famous French Personalities 32

 Module IV- Talking about one’s possessions 35

 Module V- Let’s Travel 40

Assignment 46

Last Year’s End Term Semester Ouestion Paper 47

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 FORMAT FOR COURSE CURRICULUM

Course Title: French Grammar

L T P/ SW/F TOTAL
and Expression II S W CREDIT
Credit Units: 2 UNITS
2 - - - 2
Course Level: UG+PG Course
Code: FREN146

Course Objectives:
This course teaches the students to express themselves in basic French and
familiarizes them with the Present tense. Students will be able to engage in
basic conversation in French and frame sentences using negation, interrogation,
etc.
Pre-requisites: NIL

Course Contents/Syllabus:
Weightage (%)
Module I: Past experiences 20%
Descriptors/Topics :
Describing/talking about past events
Habits/descriptions in the past
Detail about the usage and differences with the help of
various texts and exercises

Module II: Education system 20%

Descriptors/Topics :
Discussion on Education system
Comparison between Education system of France and India
Writing informal letters

Module III : Famous French Personalities 20%

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 Descriptors/Topics :
Famous sayings in French
Meanings and usage of Famous French proverbs
Talking about famous personalities of France

Module IV : Talking about one’s possessions 20%

Descriptors/Topics :
Expressing possession with “my”, “your”, etc
Learning to say “mine”, “yours”, etc.

Module V : At the discotheque 20%

Descriptors/Topics :
Conversation “at the airport”, “at the station”, etc.
Learning to say “this one “or “that one”
Identifying & differentiating between people/objects

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to clearly distinguish the two Past Tenses (Passé Compose
and Imparfait) and to write sentences in past using Reflexive verbs, to write
informal letters to friends and family get an insight into the French Education
System, Famous French Sayings and Famous personalities of France. They will
be able to discuss in the target language, especially on the theme “Travel”.

Pedagogy for Course Delivery:

Communicative, interactive Lectures, including project work, role play,
conversation, text translations and practice exercises.
Lab/ Practicals details, if applicable: N.A
Assessment/ Examination Scheme:

Theory L/T (%) Lab/Practical/Studio (%) End Term

Examination
40% N.A 60%

Theory Assessment (L&T):

Continuous Assessment/Internal Assessment End Term
Examination
Components Class Viva Home ATTENDANCE
(Drop down) Test Assignment

Weightage 10 % 15 % 10 % 05 %
(%) 60

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Lab/ Practical/ Studio Assessment:

Continuous Assessment/Internal End Term

Assessment Examination
Components N.A N.A N.A N.A
(Drop down
Weightage
(%)

Text Reading:

A Propos - A1, Livre de l'élève et Cahier d'exercices by Christine Andant,

Catherine Metton, Annabelle Nachon, Fabienne Nugue

References:

 Mon livre de français 1

 Apprenons la grammaire ensemble

 450 exercices de grammaire

 Collins 3-in-1 French Grammar, Vocabulary & Verbs

 Larousse French-English-French dictionary

Additional Reading:
 J’aime lire
 Jumelage -1

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 Module I
PAST EXPERIENCES

L’Imparfait (The Past Continuous tense):

The imperfect tense (l’imparfait), is used to describe states of being
and habitual actions in the past and also refers to events without a
specific duration.
Usage of the Imperfect
*The imperfect is used in French under several different
circumstances. The imperfect is used:
*To refer to previously ongoing and repeated events those are now
completely finished.
*To express an action that happened often in the past, such as a
habit that one has grown out of. For example, “I used to eat a
chocolate while watching the news.” Is in French, “ Je mangeais un
chocolat en regardant les information.” (Phrases like I used to.. and
I would do.)
*In describing the past, including things such
as :time,location,weather,age,physical appearance,physical and
emotional conditions or states, attitudes and desires and other
mental experiences.
* Actions that occurred while something else was happening.
*To compare and contrast events in the present with events in the
past.
*To talk about the emotions or abstract qualities of a person/thing
in the past.
*To suggest or ask certain “forceful” questions such as, “Si on
faisait une promenade?”

8
Note: The following verbs which are used to describe states or
circumstances, are often seen in the imparfait.
(avoir,desirer,être,préférer,penser,espérer,detester,pouvoir,savoir,
devoir)
Formation of the Imperfect
For all verbs except for être, the imperfect stem is determined by
removing the –ons from the nous form of the present indicative of
the verb and then add the endings of the imperfect i.e.

Subject Je Tu Il/elle Nous Vous Ils/elles

Endings -ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

1st group – ER ending verbs

Parler (to Speak)
Je parlais (I used to speak)
Tu parlais (You used to speak)
Il/Elle parlait (He/She used to speak)
Nous parlions (We used to speak)
Vous parliez (You used to speak)
Ils/Elles parlaient (They used to speak)

II group- IR ending verbs

Finir (to Finish)
Je finisssais (I used to finish),Nous finissions (We used to finish)

III group- RE ending verbs

Boire (to drink)
Je buvais (I used to drink), Nous buvions (we used to drink)

Certain verbs (given below) are stem-changing in the nous form of

the present indicative; these are stem-changing the imperfect also.
The stem change that applies in the present indicative is retained
when conjugating the je, tu, il and ils forms of the imperfect. That
stem change is reversed when conjugating the nous and vous forms
of the imperfect.

-cer =je commençais - nous commencions

(I used to start) (we used to start)

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 -ger =je mangeais
(I used to eat)
-ainder/-einder = je craignais
(I used to fear)
-ier =j’étudiais
(I used to study)
-yer = je payais
(I used to pay)
- nous mangions
(we used to eat)
- nous craignions
(we used to fear)
- nous ‘etudions
(we used to study)
- nous payions
(we used to pay)

For être, the imperfect stem is ét-.

J’étais (I used to be)

Tu étais (I used to be)
Il/Elle était (he/she used to be)
Nous étions (we used to be)
Vous étiez (You used to be)
Ils/Elles étaient (They used to be)
Verbes impersonnels:
Il pleut – il pleuvait (It was raining)
Il faut - il fallait (It was necessary to)
Ça plait – ça plaisait (liked it)
Ça vaut- ça valait (It was worth it)

Pratique (Practice)
1.Mettez les verbes entre parenthèses à l’imparfait: (Put the verbs
in brackets in the imperfect form:)
a. J’avais (avoir)______ dix ans et j’______ (être)méchant.
(I had (have)…... ten years and I ... (be) nasty.)
b.Il (finir) ______-son travail très tôt.
(He (finish)... his work very early.)
c.Quand tu _____(être) vendeuse,____ (rencontrer)-tu quelque fois
des clients mécontentent ?( when you... (be) vendor...(meet) - you
sometimes customer discontent?)
d.Nous (choisir)______ toujours le plus bel hôtel.(We (choose)...
always the most beautiful hotel.)
e.Il m’(appeler)______ tous les lundis pour faire du vélo.( He (call
me)... every Monday to ride the bike.)

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f.Martine(avertir) _____quand elle (avoir) _____ses examens.
(Martine (warn)... when it (have)... his exams.)
g.Le vendeur (arrondir)_____ toujours ses prix.( the seller
(round)... still its price.)
h.Autrefois tu(manger) _____plus de soupe.( Formerly you (eat)...
more soup.)
2.Complétez les petits textes en utilisant l’imparfait :
a.Quand ma fille………(avoir)10 ans. Elle (pleurer)
……………..de temps en temps mais la plupart du temps elle
(chanter)……………., (danser)…………. Et (jouer)………….
avec ses poupées.
(When my daughter...(have) 10 years. She (cry)... from time to time
but most of the time it (singing)..., (dance)... and (play)... with her
dolls.)

b.Mes amies (prendre)………chaque jour des cours d’anglais et

elles (apprendre)………vite. Elles (vouloir)………partir seules en
Angleterre et nous (savoir)………qu’elles seraient ravies par ce
voyage.
(My friends (take)... every day the English course and they
(learn)... quickly. They (want to)... go only to England and we
(know)... they would be delighted by this journey.)

c.Marc (aller)……..chaque matin à l’école en vélo. Il (connaître)

……… chacune des rues et (faire)……… attention aux voitures car
il (savoir)……… être prudent.
(Marc (go)... each morning to school by bike. He (know)... each of
the streets and (make)... attention to the cars because he (know)...
be careful.)
d.Un jour d’octobre, mon ami et moi………(être)assis à la terrasse
d’un petit café à Nice. Il……… (faire) beau et le soleil………
(briller). Les feuilles……...(changer)de couleur. Les
oiseaux……… (chanter) et les enfants……….(jouer)devant le café.
C’……(être) un beau jour.
(A day of October, my friend and I...(be) sitting at a small café in
Nice. It... (do) beautiful and the Sun... (shine). The leaves...
(change) color. The birds... (singing) and children...(play) to coffee.
It…….(be) a beautiful day.)

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 Le Passé Composé (The Past Tense)

Passé composé ( past tense) is the most commonly used past tense
in the modern French language. It is used to express an action that
has been completed at the time of speech, or at some (possibly
unknown) time in the past. Passé composé originally corresponded
in function to the English present perfect, and is still used as such
(e.g. J'ai fini may mean "I have finished"), but it is now used more
generally as a perfective past tense (expressing single completed
events in the past, like the English "I finished"). It is commonly
used as a "narration tense" for oral and written narration. Note that
in formal writing, even for children, narration is usually done with
the passé simple instead of the passé composé.

To conjugate a verb in the passé composé. The auxiliary verb

(helping verb) is always either avoir or être conjugated in the
present indicative and the past participle is then added.

This is the conjugation of avoir:

j'ai (I have) nous avons (we have)

tu as (you have) vous avez (you have)
il/elle/on a (he/she/it has) ils/elles ont (they have)

This is the conjugation of être:

je suis (I am) nous sommes (we are)

tu es (you are) vous êtes (you are)
il/elle/on est (he/she/it is) ils/elles sont (they are)

The following is a list of verbs that use être as their auxiliary verbs
in passé composé:

 Devenir – to become – devenu

 Revenir – to come back – revenu
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  Monter – to go up – monté
 Rester – to stay – resté
 Sortir– to exit – sorti
 Passer – to pass by (this case only) – passé
 Venir – to come – venu
 Aller – to go – allé
 Naître – to be born – né
 Descendre – to descend – descendu
 Entrer – to enter – entré
 Retourner – to return – retourné
 Tomber – to fall – tombé
 Rentrer- to re-enter- rentré
 Arriver – to arrive – arrivé
 Mourir – to die – mort
 Partir – to leave – parti
 Décéder – to decease – décédé

The verbs that use être as an auxiliary verb are intransitive verbs
that usually indicate motion or change of state. Since some of these
verbs can be used as a transitive verb as well, they will instead take
avoir as an auxiliary in those instances; e.g. Il a sorti un outil pour
le réparer.

In addition to the above verbs, all reflexive/pronominal verbs use

être as their auxiliary verb. A reflexive verb is a verb that relates
back to the speaker, e.g. Je me suis trompé.

Ex.
Transitif (with the auxiliary avoir)
(object after the verb)

Sylvie a rentré le stylo. (Sylvie returned the pen.)

Il a montré les malles. (He showed the trunks.)
Elle a retourné le livre. (She returned the book)
Tu as descendu la valise. (You have down the suitcase.)
J’ai sorti mon stylo sur la table. (I pulled out my pen on the table.)
Elle a passé un examen. (She passed an examination.)
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Intransitif (with the auxiliary être)
(object after the preposition)
Sylvie est rentrée à sa maison.( Sylvie returned to his house)
Il est monté sur le toit. (It is mounted on the roof)
Elle est retournée chez moi.( She returned to my place.)
Tu es descend de l’ecalier ?( Are you descended from the
staircase?)
Je suis sorti de la classe.( I got out of the class)
Elle est passé par mon école.( I went through my school)

Pratique (Practice)

1.Complétez avec la forme correcte du verbe au passé compose:

(Complete with the correct form of the verb in the past tense)
a.J’……………………(manger)des pommes.(I…….(eat)some
apples)
b.Tu…………………(cueillir)des oranges. (you……….(pick)some
oranges)
c.Il………………….(faire)des exercices hier matin.(He…..(do)
exercises yesterday morning)
d.Nous……………..(casser)un vase. (We……… (break) a vase.)
e.Vous…………(tuer) un lapin sur la route.(You……( kill) a rabbit
on the road.)
f.J’…………….(mettre)la gomme dans la trousse. (I…..(put)gum
in the kit)

g.Les élèves…………..(être)en récréation. (Students...(be) in

recreation.)
h.Le mois dernier ma grand-mère m’………….(donner) 100 euros.
(Last month my grandmother... (give me) 100 euros.)

2.Donner le participle passé de ces verbs à l’infinitif.( Give the

participle from of these verbs in the infinitive.)
a.écrire (to write)-
b.ouvrir (to open)-
c.donner (to give)-
d.boire (to drink)-

14
e.lire (to read)-
f.grossir (to grow)-
g.connaître (to know)-
h.apprendre (to learn)-
i.tenir (to hold)
3.Conjugez en choisissant le verbe correct au passé composé :
(Conjugate by choosing the correct verb in the past tense)
[finir(finish),sonner (ring),bavarder (chat),prendre (take),être
(be),avoir (have),mettre(put),jouer (play)]
a.Vous……………vos gants. (You... your gloves.)
b.les enfants……….leur repas.( children... their meal.)
c.Le téléphone…………hier matin.( the phone... yesterday
morning.)
d.Les étudiants…………..dans la classe. (the students... in the
class.)
e.Ils………………..peur du chien.( they... fear of the dog.)
f.J’…………..dans une épique de football.(I....in a team of football)
g.Marc……….le devoir hier soir.( Marc... the duty last night.)
h.Mes amis………..les meilleurs sportifs.( Mes friends... the best
sportsmen.)

4.Mettez au passé compose (attention aux verbes transitifs ou

intransitifs) :
(Put the past tense (be careful with transitive or intransitive verbs)
a.Elle (entrer)……………à l’université l’année passée.( he
(enter)... at the University last year.)
b.La fille (monter)…………..la valise.( the girl (Mount)... the
suitcase.)
c.Ma voisin (sortir)………….de sa voiture au garage.( My
neighbour (exit)... of his car to the garage.)
d.Le chat (sortir)…………de la maison. (the cat (out)... of the
House.)
e.Sa réponse (venir)……….la première.(His response ( come)... the
first.)
f.Il (monter)…………..par les escaliers. (He (Mount)... by the
stairs)
g.Nous (passer)…………par votre ville.( Nous (spend)... by your
city.)

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h.Vous (passer)……………bien les examens.(You(qualify)…well
the examinations).
5. Transformez ce texte au passé composé : (Turn this text to the
past tense)
Nous visitons la maison des Vincent. Au rez-de-chaussée il y a des
grandes pièces : la salon et la salle à manger. Voici le salon avec
ses meubles :un divan, des fauteuils, des chaises, un piano. Près du
piano, M.Vincent met un poste de radio, un poste de télévision et
un phono avec des disques.
Nous entrons ensuite dans la salle à manger. Cette grande pièce a
deux larges fenêtre. La petite Hélène met le couvert. Elle prend ,
dans le buffet, des couteaux, des cuillères, des fourchettes. Sur la
table il y a une nappe blanche, des assiettes et des verres. « Vous ne
visitez pas ma cuisine ? » dit Mme.Vincent. C’est une belle cuisine
blanche.Voici la cuisinière électrique, le réfrigérateur et les
casseroles contre le mur. Au-dessus de l’évier le robinet en cuivre
brille comme de l’or.
[We visit the House of the Vincent. On the ground floor there is
large parts: the living room and the dining room. Here is the living
room with its furniture: sofa, armchairs, chairs, a piano. Near the
piano, M.Vincent puts a radio station, a television station and a
phono with disks.

We then enter the dining room. This large room has two large
window. The small Hélène puts cover. It takes, in the buffet,
knives, spoons, forks. On the table there is a white tablecloth, plates
and glasses. "You do not visit my kitchen?" said Mme.Vincent. It is
a beautiful white kitchen.Here is the electric cooker, refrigerator
and pans against the wall. Over the sink faucet brass shines like
gold.]

………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

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 ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

Module - II
Education System

Education System in India

Education School/Level Grade Age Years Notes

Primary Elementary School 1-8 6-14 8  

Includes Standards

X and XII -

Secondary Secondary School 9-12 14-18 4 Secondary School or

Senior Secondary

School

First University Degree

Tertiary (Bachelor's) 12-15   3  

First University Degree

(Engineering &
Tertiary 12-16   4  
Technology)

Second University Degree

Tertiary (Master's) 15-17   2  

17
 Doctoral Degree
Tertiary 17-22   5  

Primary Education/ L’enseignement primaire

Primary and Middle (lower primary (Standards I to V) and upper

primary (Standards VI to VIII)) education is compulsory and free in
India. Primary education begins at age 6 with Middle/Upper Primary
school education ending at age 14. Schooling is offered at state-run
and private schools, however, private schools often have poorer
facilities and infrastructure than government schools. The regional
language is the medium of instruction for most primary schools and
English as a second language generally begins by grade 3.

Secondary Education/ L’enseignement secondaire

Secondary education begins in grade 9 and lasts until grade 12. The
secondary stage is broken into two, two year cycles, generally
referred to as General/Lower Secondary School, or ‘Standard X’,
and Upper/Senior Secondary School, or ‘Standard XII’. Education
continues to be free at government schools, although private
education is more common at the secondary level. Public
examinations are held at the end of both cycles and grant access to
grade 11 and university level study respectively. General curriculum
for lower secondary school in India consists of three languages
(including the regional language, an elective, and English language),
Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Work/Pre-
Vocational Education, Art, and Physical Education. Secondary
schools are affiliated with Central or State boards which administer
the Secondary School Certificate at the end of grade 10.
 
Based upon performance in the first two years of secondary school,
and upon the SSC results, students may enter Senior/Upper
Secondary School. Upper Secondary School offers the students a
chance to select a ‘stream’ or concentration of study, offering
science, commerce, and arts/humanities. Education is administered
both in schools or two-year junior colleges which are often affiliated
with degree granting universities or colleges. Curriculum for the
18
Higher Secondary Certificate Examination is determined by the
boards of secondary education of which there are 31. Although the
HSCE is the most common Standard XII examination, the All India
Senior School Certificate (CBSE), Indian School Certificate,
Certificate of Vocational Education (CISCE), Senior Secondary
Certification (NIOS), Intermediate Certificate and the Pre-
University Certificate are also offered.

Vocational Education/ L’enseignement professionnel

Young people who do not wish to go on to tertiary education, or

who fail to complete secondary school often enroll at privately-
owned vocational schools that specialize in just one or only a few
courses. Unlike in the United States, vocational and technical
education is not highly specialized and is rather a broad overview
of knowledge applicable to employment. The curriculum offered is
composed up of a language course, foundation courses, and
electives, of which half of electives are practical in nature.
Examinations at the end of vocational education are conducted by
the All India and State Boards of Vocational Education.

Tertiary Education/ L’enseignement tertiaire

India’s higher education system is highly centralized and

undergoing large changes since its inception in 1947. Largely based
upon the British system of education, educational policy is ever-
developing.
University education is overseen by the University Grants
Commission (UGC), which is responsible for the development of
higher education, allocating funds, and recognition of institutions in
India. The National Accreditation and Assessment Council
(NAAC) was established by the UGC to assess universities and
college based upon an alphabetical ranking system ranging from
A++ to C. The assessment and Accreditation is broadly used for
understanding the Quality Status of an institution and indicates that
the particular institution meets the standards of quality as set by the
NAAC. Participation in the accreditation process of NAAC is
voluntary.
19
The All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) was also
established to oversee quality control of technical education and
regulate establishment of new private professional colleges. All
recognized universities are members of the Association of Indian
Universities (AIU), which is integral to the dissemination of
information and serves as an advisor to the government, UGC, and
the institutions themselves.
There are various types of tertiary institutions in India, namely
Universities (Central, State, Open), Universities of National
Importance, and Deemed universities. Instruction of the majority of
students, almost 80%, is completed at affiliated colleges with the
curriculum, examinations, and final degree being designed and
granted by the university. Constituent and Autonomous colleges
also exist; though less common although they do enjoy greater
autonomy in regards to curriculum development and assessment.
Admission to undergraduate courses generally requires completion
of the Standard XII years of schooling and admittance to university
depends almost exclusively upon performance on the examination.
Bachelor’s degrees in the fields of arts, science, social studies, and
commerce are almost exclusively three year programs. Diploma
programs exist and range from 2 – 3 years in length and are
provided at polytechnics, usually in a specialized engineering or
technological field, and culminating in an Advanced or Post
Diploma. Professional Bachelor’s degrees, in the fields of
Medicine, Architecture, Law, etc., vary from 4 – 5.5 years
depending upon the discipline.
Admission to graduate (Master, Post Graduate Diplomas, MBA,
etc.) programs is dependent upon completion of a bachelor’s degree
(3 or 4 years, depending upon the subject) with a Second Class pass
or higher. Non-university education in Management is popular in
India, with many institutions offering Post Graduate Diplomas in
Management, lasting 2 years and generally equivalent to an MBA.
Doctoral level degrees require a minimum of two or three years and
consist of research and a thesis or dissertation.

20
Beginning in 2015, the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) was
introduced by the UGC in attempts to encourage a more
interdisciplinary approach to education and offer more flexibility
and choice to students. The reform also introduced a standardized
assessment and grading plan based upon a 10 point scale. Since its
inception, the system has faced scrutiny by students and
administrators, noting that although the system promises choice and
flexibility, the infrastructure of the educational system now may be
too weak yet to support the overhaul.

Système éducatif français:

École maternelle (Kindergarten/Nursery School/Pre-school)

Age Grade Abbreviation

3–4 Petite section PS

4–5 Moyenne section MS

5–6 Grande section GS

École primaire (Primary School)

6–7 Cours préparatoire CP, 11ème, or 11e

7–8 Cours élémentaire première année CE1, 10ème, or 10e

8–9 Cours élémentaire deuxième année CE2, 9ème, or 9e

9–10 Cours moyen première année CM1, 8ème, or 8e

10–11 Cours moyen deuxième année CM2, 7ème, or 7e

21
 Collège (Junior High/Middle School)

Age Grade Abbreviation

11–12 Sixième 6ème or 6e

12–13 Cinquième 5ème or 5e

13–14 Quatrième 4ème or 4e

14–15 Troisième 3ème or 3e

Lycée (High school/Secondary School)

Age Grade Abbreviation

15–16 Seconde 2nde or 2de

16–17 Première 1ère

17–18 Terminale Term

Schooling in France is mandatory from age 6, the first year of primary

school and this year being named cours.
The French educational system is highly centralized and
organized, with many subdivisions. It is divided into the three stages
of enseignement primaire (primary education), enseignement
secondaire (secondary education), and enseignement
supérieur (higher education). In French higher education, the
following degrees are recognized by the Bologna Process (EU
recognition): Licence and Licence Professionnelle (bachelor's
degrees), and the comparably named Master and Doctorat degrees.
22
It used to be commonly accepted that the French Education
system was one of the best in the world. Today, though any such a
bold overall affirmation must be open to question, it is still true to
say that the French education system is one of the more successful
in the world, and that in certain fields it remains a world leader.
According to the OECD, France's education system is average,
compared to other developed countries.
Education is compulsory in France from the ages of 6 to 16, but a
large majority of children start school well before the minimum
age, often as young as two years old, and over 50% of 18-21 year
olds in France are still in full-time education, or else following a
vocational training course. Some 64% of all school pupils in
France complete their secondary education, and take the high-
school leaving certificate examinations, known as the baccalauréat
or the baccalauréat professionnel. The official target-estimated as
necessary for the needs of the nation is 80%.

The different types of school: (taken by age of pupils):

Ecole Maternelle (kindergarten) and creches ;
Kindergarten or pre-school. Ecoles Maternelles take pupils from
age 2 to age 6, and prepare them for entry into primary school. The
French école maternelle is more than just a playschool; the
curriculum includes reading and writing, numeracy and even
sometimes a foreign language, as well as artistic and creative
activities. There are three classes, "les petits", "les moyens" and
"les grands".

Prior to nursery schools, there are also a lot of private and public
nurseries, called crèches. These daycare centers keep babies from 2
months to 3 years old, until they can attend the Ecole Maternelle.
There ares everal types of crèches  (Crèches Collectives, Haltes-
Garderies, Micro-Crèches, Crèches Parentales, etc.) providing
different services (regular or temporary child care), size (from 10 to
60 children) and management (crèches Parentales require the
parents to help).  There are more than 11,000 Crèches in France,
but getting a slot can be hard, and mothers are advised to look for a
slot as soon as they are pregnant. Other alternatives exist,

23
Assitantes Maternelles can keep 3 or 4 babies at their home and are
recognized by the French State.
Ecole primaire, or Ecole élémentaire:
Primary school, grade school. Five classes, ages 6 to 11. The
primary school curriculum in France is similar to that in other
countries, and includes literacy and numeracy, with classes in
French, arithmetic, but also geography and history, the arts, and
more and more frequently a foreign language, usually English.
Until 2008, the school week was Monday to Saturday morning,
with Wednesday free. From September 2008, there are no more
classes on Saturday morning. Pupils have an average of 28 hours
classes per week. The five classes in the Ecole Primaire are, in
order, CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, and CM2 : CP is Cours préparatoire,
preparatory class, CE means cours élémentaire - elementary class
- , and CM is cours moyen, middle class; the two middle classes are
a preparation for the next level, which is middle school.
Collège:
Middle school. Four levels, normally for pupils aged 11 - 15. The
"collège unique" is the backbone of the French school system. All
pupils go to collège, usually at age 11, but sometimes at an older
age, if they have been made to repeat a year in primary school. The
collège is designed to provide all pupils with a fundamental
secondary education, after which a certain degree of specialisation
will be introduced. In practice, pupils are frequently oriented during
their collège years either towards general classes, from which they
will be expected to continue their education in a traditional lycée,
or towards more technical classes, after which they will be expcted
to take an exam called the "brevet" (a kind of GCSE), and then
either stop their secondary education (if they have reached school
leaving age), or continue in a "lycée professionnel" or vocational
high school. The programme in collège includes French, maths,
history, geography, technical education, art/music, physical
education, civic education, some science, and at least one foreign
language. The four classes, corresponding to grades 6 to 9, are
called sixième, cinquième, quatrièmeand troisième.

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Lycée:
 High School. The traditional French lycée covers the last three
years of secondary education. There are two main types of
traditional lycée, the lycée général or lycée classique, and
the lycée technique. In big towns and cities, there will be a mix of
both types; in smaller towns, there may not be a lycée tehnique.
The main function of the lycée is to prepare pupils to sit
the baccalauréat (or bac) exam, the equivalent of British A levels.
Classes in a traditional lycée cover the same range as in collège,
with the addition of philosophy (for all) in the final year. The three
classes (grades 10 to 12) are known as seconde, première and
terminale. 
In theory, all public lycées offer the same quality of education, in
the framework of of the national education system, and private
lycées have to provide the same quality; in practice, this is not
strictly true, and "league tables" published each year highlight the
very high performance levels of a number of lycées that are
commonly recognised as France's top shools: these include the
Lycée Louis-le-Grand or Lycée Henri-IV in Paris, the Lycée
Fermat in Toulouse, and a handful of other famous public lycées.
However, in recent years, more and more of the top positions in the
league tables have been taken by private lycées, such as the Collège
Stanislas in Paris, France's largest private lycée.
   In 2010, the French lycée league table published by the Figaro
newspaper had only 6 state lycées in the top twenty, while that
published by the magazine l'Etudiant had only five state lycées
among the top twenty, and the league table published by
L'Internaute had eight public lycées as against 12 private schools in
the top twenty. At secondary school (high school) level, about 20%
of pupils are in private schools, against slightly less than 80% in
public state school.  See below Public and private schools

Pupils in a lycée technique may begin to specialise in a fairly

narow technical field, in addition to their general secondary studies.
There are technical lycées specialising in fields such as
microtechnologies or aeronautics. Technical lycées that provide
training in very specialised fields are usually boarding schools,

25
since they recruit pupils from a large catchment area, and even on
occasions from all over France.
Lycée professionnel:
Vocational high school. "Lycées Pros", as they are commonly
known, provide an essentially non-academic syllabus for young
people intending to work in manual or clerical jobs. Pupils will
either work towards a "baccalauréat professionnel" (bac pro), for
which they will need to continue taking classes in the main acaemic
subjects - French, maths, and frequently a foreign language), a BEP
(Brevet d'enseignement professionnel), or a CAP (certificat
d'aptitude professionnel). One common type of Lycée pro, found in
most cities, is the "lycée du bâtiment" or building trades lycée,
where pupils specialise in one of the many trades of the building
and construction sector. There are also a good number of
agricultural high schools, "lycées agricoles" and even horticultural
high schools, "lycées horticoles", providing the increasingly
technical ducation required by tomorrow's farmers and gardeners.

26
 Primary and secondary schools in France - 
from "maternelle" to "lycée"

Direct object compliment: COD

  The object further direct is a word or (Group of words) that joins

the verb without PREPOSITION to complete the meaning. It
undergoes the action performed by the subject.

* It belongs to the verbal group

* This is an essential complement; we cannot delete it because the
sentence would more sense
* The COD is always preceded by a direct transitive verb
* The COD is the Word who became subject when ' turning the
phrase in the passive form

Pierre mange UNE POMME.( Pierre is eating an Apple.)

27
UNE POMME est mangée par Pierre.( AN Apple is eaten by
Pierre.) Pour trouver le COD,il vous suffit de poser la question
QUOI? QUI?

(To find the COD, simply ask the question what?

WHICH?)                            

Tu conduis une voiture ==>Tu conduis quoi? une voiture

(You drive a car ==> you drive what? a car)

Tu manges la POMME ==> Tu LA manges.

(You eat the Apple ==> you eat it.)

LA est le pronom qui remplace la pomme,donc LA est COD.

(‘LA’ is the pronoun that replaces the Apple, so ‘LA’ is COD.)

   Nature du COD: (Nature of COD)

                *Groupe nominal        ==> Tu conduis la VOITURE.

(Nominal group ==> you drive the car.)

                *Un pronom               ==> Tu LA conduis.

(A pronoun ==> you drive it.)

                *Un verbe à l'infinitif  ==> Tu aimes CONDUIRE.

(A verb in the infinitive ==> You love to drive.)

*Une proposition        ==> Il m'a dit QUE TU

ADORAIS CONDUIRE.
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 (A proposal ==> He told me that you loved to drive)

Pratique (Practice)

1.Trouvez le COD: (find out the COD)

a. Pierre et Marie ont acheté une maison au bord de la mer.

(Pierre and Marie bought a House by the sea.)

b. Les enfants se lavent les mains dans la salle de bain.

(children wash their hands in the bathroom.)

c. Monsieur Dupont gare la voiture dans son garage.

(Mr Dupont station the car in his garage.)

d. Max mange des gâteaux avec sa petite soeur.

(Max eats cakes with her little sister.)

e. Maman les a punis car ils ont chahuté dans la chamber.

(MOM punished them because they were heckled in the room.)

f. Ce matin, Lise a acheté des fraises au marché.

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(this morning, Lise bought strawberries in the market.)

g. Mélissa veut que tu reviennes vite à la maison.

(Melissa wants you back quickly at home.)

h. Jenny a rangé sa jupe dans le placard.

(Jenny has ranked her skirt in the closet.)

i. Paul a goûté des nems au restaurant asiatique.

(Paul has never tasted the nems at the Asian restaurant.)

j. La tempête a surpris toute la population à cause de sa violence.

(the storm surprised the entire population because of its violence.)

Pronom complément d'objet indirect (COI)

Le complément d'objet indirect répond à la question 'à qui' ou 'à

quoi'

(The indirect object compliment answers the question of ' who' or '
what')

Le professeur me donne un devoir -> Le professeur donne à qui ?

-> à moi= me (la personne qui parle)
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 (The teacher gives me a homework -> Professor gives to whom?
-> me = me (the person who speaks)         

Je te parle -> Je parle à qui ? à toi = te ( la personne à qui on

parle)

(I'm talking to you-> I talk to whom? You = You (the person to

whom we speak)

Devant un verbe commençant par une voyelle ou un H , on

écrit m' , t'

(before a word beginning with a vowel or H, we write me, you)

Ma soeur m'envoie toujours des cartes postales.

 ( My sister always sends me postcards.)

 Je t'écris toujours quand je suis en vacances.

(I always write you when I'm on vacation)

           

Je demande un pain à la boulangère -> Je lui demande un pain

(I ask a bread from a baker)         -> (I ask him for a

bread)                                                

  -> Je demande à qui ? à la boulangère -> à elle = lui

(I ask to whom ? to baker -> to her=him/her)

Tu écris à ton frère -> Tu lui écris -> Tu écris à qui ? à ton frère->
Tu écris à qui ? à ton frère ->à lui= lui

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(You write to your brother-> you write to him-> you write to
whom? your brother-> you write to whom? to your brother-> to
him = him)
          
  Le voisin nous apporte des pommes -> Le voisin apporte des
pommes à qui ?

  -> à nous  (les personnes qui parlent)= nous 

  (The neighbour brings us apples -> neighbour brings apples to

whom?
-> to us (people who speak) = we)        

Je vous apporte des pommes de mon jardin-> J'apporte à qui ? -> à

vous = vous (les personnes à qui on parle)

(I bring you apples from my garden-> I bring to whom? -> to you =

you (the people to whom we speak)

J'ai acheté des pulls aux enfants -> Je leur ai acheté des pulls

 ->  J'achète des pulls à qui? -> aux enfants->à eux = leur

 (I bought sweaters for children-> I bought them sweaters

-> I buy sweaters to whom? -> children-> them = them)

Marie donne des carottes aux lapins -> Marie leur donne des
carottes

  -> Marie donne des carottes à qui ? -> aux lapins -> à eux = leur

(Marie gives carrots to rabbit ->Marie gives them carrots

-> Marie gives carrots to whom? -> rabbit-> to them = them)

les formes à elle , à lui, à eux  sont utilisées pour insister !

(forms to her, to him, to them are used for stress!)

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Je ne veux rien lui donner, à elle !

(I don't want to give him anything, to her!)

à lui, on ne peut rien lui dire!

(to him, cannot say anything to him!)

Et à eux, tu leur offres quoi ?

(And to them, you offer them what?)

Pratique (Practice)

1.Complétez avec me (m’), te (t’),nous ou vous (ce sont des

situations de dialogue).

(Complete with me (me), you (you), we or you (these are situations

of dialogue).
a.Donnez- moi de vos nouvelles ! - Promis, nous………..
téléphonons en arrivant.
(Give me your news !)-Promise,we……….call in arriving)
b. Qu'est-ce que tu nous dis Marc ? –Je……………….. dis qu'il est
l'heure de partir.
(what you say us Marc? –I……………….. say that it is time to
go.)
c. Je n'ai rien compris, tu peux m'aider? - Je vais…………
expliquer.
(I do not understand, you can help me? –I am going... explain.)
d. Que voulez-vous les enfants ? – Donnez………….. 2 euros de
bonbons s'il vous plaît.
(What do you want children? -Give... 2 euro for candy please.)
e.Tu………………. écris, promis ? -Promis je t' envoie une carte.
(You... write, promised? -Promised I send you a card.)
f. Maman, j'ai cassé mon stylo ! - Tiens je……………… donne le
mien.
(MOM, I broke my pen! -hold I... give mine.)

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g. Ma voiture est au garage ! Tu……………. prêtes la tienne ? -
Tiens, voilà les clés.
(My car is in the garage! You... lend yours? -Hold, are the keys.)
h. Tu me poses une question? -Oui, je……………….. demande si
tu m'accompagnes ?
(you ask me a question? -Yes, I... asking if you accompany me?)
i.J'ai encore beaucoup de travail ! - Tu veux que je……………….
Aide.
(I still have a lot of work! -You want that I... Help.)
j. Ma soeur et moi, nous allons au cinéma. – Je…………… paie
vos places.
(my sister and me, we are going to the cinema. -I... pay your
tickets.)
k. Vous êtes libres à midi, ta femme et toi? - Je ne peux
pas………………… répondre maintenant.
(Are you free at noon, you and your wife? -I cannot... answer now.)
l. Nous pouvons venir avec vous ? – Nous……………… dirons ça
demain.
(we can come with you? -We... say it tomorrow.)
m. Je prends ton vélo ! – Tu…………….. as demandé la
permission ?
(I take your bike! – you…………….. asked permission?)
n. Tu vas au cinéma ce soir? -Je te téléphone pour……………. le
dire.
(you go to the cinema tonight? -I telephone you for... say.)

Module III:
Les Pronoms Relatifs (Simples/composées)
[The Relative Pronouns]

The relative pronoun is used to depend on its grammatical role

(such as subject or direct object) within the relative clause, as well
as on the gender and number of the antecedent and whether the
antecedent represents a human.

A.Les pronoms relatifs simples: (Simple relative pronouns)

The simple relative pronoun replaces the noun by (qui,que,où,dont)

34
i)Qui—It is used to replace the subject of the verb, it may
represent person or thing (that,who,which)

Ex. Regarde la fille. Cette fille parle avec ta cousine.(Look at the

girl.This girl speaks to your cousin.)

Regarde la fille qui parle avec ta cousine.(Look at the girl who

speaks to your cousin.)

If there is a verb/object pronoun immediately after the blank and a

preposition before the blank then ‘qui’ is used, but in case a
preposition (de/d’) is there then
‘où’ is used.

ii) Que/Qu’—It is used to replace the direct object of the verb, it

may represent person or thing. (that,which,whom)

Ex. C’est un bon roman. J’ai lu beaucoup de fois ce roman. (It is a

good novel. I have read many times this novel.)
C’est un bon roman que j’ai lu beaucoup de fois.( It is a good
novel that I've read many times.)
If there is a noun or a subject pronoun immediately after the
blank then ‘que’ is used. Que becomes qu’ if follow by vowel.
iii) Où—this relative pronoun is always used to replace place or
time. (when,where)
Ex. Tu connais la salle où se passe l’examen ? (Do you know the
room where the exam happens?)
iv) Dont--- It replaces a noun or pronoun (a person or a thing)
followed by the preposition ‘de’. (of,which,whose,of whom)
Ex. On parle beaucoup de ce livre. (Parler de quelque chose)
(we speak much of this book)
C’est un livre dont on parle beaucoup (This is a book of which we
speak much)
Don’t will be used if the expressions given below are present
anywhere after the blank.
Some expressions using “de”.

35
Avoir peur de(afraid of),écrire de (write about),parler de (talk
about),se servir de(use),avoir besoin de(need of),douter
de(doubt),être amoureux de(love being),s’approcher
de(approaching),se méfier de(to be careful about),se souvenir
de(remember),avoir envie de(have wanted to),être content
(satisfait,mécontent,etc)
Pratique (Practice)
1.Complétez avec qui, que, dont ou où (Complete with qui,que,dont
or où) :
a.L’homme………..vous voyez est mon père.
(The man….. you see is my father.)
b.Celui…………..parle trop est bavarde.
(One…… speak too much is talkative.)
c.Les enfants……………le père est journaliste sont beaux.
(the children... the father is journalist are beautiful.)
d.La ville…………..j’habite est belle.
(The city... I live is beautiful.)
e.L’histoire…………..vous racontez n’est pas intéressante.
(The story……. You are telling is not interesting.)
f.C’est avec le plus grand plaisir………….j’ai reçu votre courrier.
(it is with the greatest pleasure... I received your mail.)
g.Il y a beaucoup de travaille à faire. Je ne sais
pas………….donner la tête.
(There is a lot of work to do. I don't know... giving the head.)
h.Ce sont les voyages………….forment la jeunesse.
(These are the voyages... plan the youth.)
i.Un repas sans fromage est une jolie fille………….n’a qu’un œil.
(A meal without cheese is a pretty girl... has only one eye)
j.Allez à la Préfecture de police………….les bureaux sont dans la
Cité.
(Go to the Prefecture of police...the offices are in the city.)
2.Reliez les deux phrases avec un pronom relatif (Join the two
sentences with a relative pronoun) :
a.Les étudiants écoutent le professeur ; il faut un discours.
(students listen to the teacher; It should be a speech.)
-
b.J’aime Paris ; je viens à Paris souvent.
(I like Paris. I often come to Paris.)

36
-
c.Voici Hélène ; la figure d’Hélène est belle.
(Here is Hélène ; the figure of Helena is beautiful.)
-
d.J’aime beaucoup Paris, ses monuments sont connus de tout le
Monde.
(I love Paris, its monuments are known to everyone.)
-
e.J’ai un rasoir électrique ; il rase bien.
(I have an electric razor; It shaves well.)

Module-IV
Les Comparatifs/Les Superlatifs
(The Comparatives/The superlatives)
Les Comparatifs (The Comparatives)
There are three degrees of comparison. La Supériorité (+),
L’égalité (=), L’infériorité (-)

Supériorité Égalité Inféroirité

With an plus+adj+que aussi+adj+que moins+adj+que
adjective
With an plus+adverb+ aussi+adverb+que moins+adverb+
adverb que que
With a verb+plus+que verb+autant+que verb+moins+
verb que
With a plus de+ autantde+nom+que moins de+
noun nom+que nom+que

Exemple:- (Compare the qualities)

1.With an adjective:
Pierre est plus grand que Nicolas. (+) [Pierre is taller than Nicolas.]
Attention: plus bon together become meilleur (Le beurre est
meilleur que l’huile)[ Butter is better than oil]
Plus mauvais sometimes become pire. (Je suis pire que toi en
français)
  [I am worse than you in French]
Plus mauvais remain same (Je suis plus mauvais que toi en
français)
37
  [I am worse than you in French]

2.with a noun:
Nous avons moins de livres que la bibliothèque. (-)
[We have fewer books than the library

3.with a verb:
Mon fils mange autant que son père. (=) [My son eats as much as
his father.]
4.with an adverb:
Hélène parle moins fort que sa mère.(-) [Hélène speaks less loudly
as her mother]
Attention: Plus bien together become mieux
(Elle parle bien l’anglais,mais sa soeur le parle mieux qu’elle)
[She speaks good English, but her sister speaks it better than her]
Pratique (Practice)
1.Soulignez les comparatifs : (Under line the comparatives)
a)Ce stylo rouge est plus comfortable que le stylo bleu.
(this red pen is more comfortable than the blue pen.)
b)Cette chamber est aussi calme que l’autre.
(this chamber is also quiet than the other.)
c)Le prix de la chamber double est plus cher.
(the price of the double room is more expensive.)
d)L’ordinateur n’est plus en panne, vous pouvez l’utiliser.
(the computer is no longer fails, you can use it.)
e)Mes bagages sont moins lourds que les tiens.
(my baggages are less heavy than yours.)
2.Complétez par plus….que,moins…que,aussi…que selon
l’exemple donné.
(Complete by more... than less... that also... as the example given.)
a)Son frère Alain est (-)…moins……….agé …que……… ma
soeur.
(His brother Alain is (-)... less... age... than... my sister.)
b)Leurs soeurs sont (+)……………belles………..ces filles.
(their sisters are (+)... beautiful... these girls.)
c)Elles sont (=)…………intelligents l’un ………l’autre.
(they are (=).. .intelligent one... the other.)
d)Vous courrez(+)………..vite……vos frères.
38
(you run (+)... quickly... your brothers.)
e)Il est(+)……….méchant………son ami.
(He is (+)... nasty... his friend.)
f)Richard semble(=)………..souriant………..Michael.
(Richard seems (=)... smiling...Michael.)
g)Ton vélo va(-)………….vite………..mon vélo.
(your bike goes (-)... fast... my bike)
h)Ce garçon paraît(+)…………..timide……….son petit frère.
(this boy looks (+)... timid... his little brother.)
3.Complétez en utilisant l’adjectif et faites attention à l’accord
aussi.
(Complete using the adjective and make attention to the agreement
also.)
a)Pierre semble…plus gentille…………que Richa.(+,gentil)
[Pierre seems... nicer... than Richa.(+, nice)]
b)Pascal vient ………………….que Julien.(-,souvent)
[Pascal comes.. .than Julien.(-, often)]
c)Roger chante…………………que mon frère ‘Patrick’.(+,bien)
[Roger sings... than my brother 'Patrick'.(+ well)]
d)L’accent indien d’Amit est ………………que celui de Sunit.
(+,mauvais)
[the Indian accent of Amit is.. .than that of Sunit.(+ bad)]
e)Elle a une……………voiture que son amie.(+,bon)
[She has one... car than her friend.(+ good)]
f)Sylvie est…………………..que Valérie.(=,joli)
[Sylvie is... as Valerie.(=, nice)]
g)Ravi est…………….que Swapan (+,gentil)
[Ravi is... than Swapan (+, nice)]
h)Les Legrands sont…………………..que les Vincents.
(+,heureux)
[the Legrands are... than the Vincents.(+, happy)]

Les Superlatifs (The Superlatives)

Supériorité (Superiority)
Le,la,les+plus+adjective+de (La rose est la plus belle des
fleurs)
[The rose is the most beautiful of
flowers]

39
Le plus de +noun (Amita a le plus de vêtements)
[Amita has more clothes]
Verb+le plus (C’est Marie qui lit le plus)
[It is Mary who reads more]
Infériorité (Inferiority)
Le,la,les+moins+adj+de (Pierre est le moins timide de
mes amis)
[Pierre is less shy of my
friends]
Le moins de +noun (C’est moi qui a le moins de
livres)
[It's me who has the least
amount of books]
Verb+le moins (C’est Richard qui travaille le
moins)
[It is Richard who works the
least]
Attention: Plus bon together become meilleur (Anie est la
meilleur étudiante de sa classe) [Anie is the best student in her
class]
Plus mauvais sometimes become pire (Rahul est le pire étudiant
de sa classe)
[Rahul is the worst
student in his class]
Plus mauvais remain same. (Rahul est le plus
mauvais étudiant de sa classe) [Rahul is the worst student of his
class]
Plus bien together become mieux (Neema et Seena parlent
bien espagnol, mais c’est Neena qui parle le mieux)
[Neema and Seena speak good Spanish, but it is Neena who speaks
the best]
Pratique(Practice)

1.Complétez les phrases en utilisant les superlatifs:

(Complete the sentences using the superlatives :)
a)Philippe et Joël sont…………………………dans la classe.
(+,intelligent)
[Philippe and Joel are... in the class. (+ ,intelligent)]

40
b)Paul est…………………….de la classe. (-,beau)
[Paul is... of the class.(-, beautiful)]
c)Nicolas est………………………(+,fort) dans un groupe.
[Nicolas is...(+ strong) in a group.]
d)Robin est……………………..dans sa famille (+,gros)
[Robin is... in his family(+,fatty)]
e)Ses parents sont……………………..du monde (+,bon)
[his parents are... the monde(+,good)]
f)Au cricket, c’est Dhoni qui joue………………… (+,bien)
[In cricket, it is Dhoni who plays...(+ well)]
g)Le TGV est le train……………………du monde (+,rapide)
[the TGV is the train... of the world (+, fast)]
h)C’est Jean qui danse……………………… (+,bien)
[it is John who dance...(+ well)]

2.Complétez les phrases en utilisant les superlatifs et les

comparatifs:
(Complete the sentences using the comparative and the superlative)

a)Jean est un ………………….danseurs que Pierre.(+,bon)

[John is a.. .dancer than stone.(+ good)]
b)Ce sont…………………………fraises du marché.(+,beau)
[these are... strawberries from the market.(+ beautiful)]
c)C’est l’arbre……………………..de tous (-,grand)
[it is the tree... of all (-,tall)]
d)Les étudiants d’Inde sont………………………..que d’autre
pays.(=,intelligent)
[students from India are... than other countries.(=, intelligent)]
e)La France est………………………que le Japon.(+,grand)
[the France is... than the Japan.(+ wide)]
f)Nathalie est……………………….élève de sa classe.(+,mauvais)
[Nathalie is... a student in his class.(+ bad)]
g)Cette boutique est……………………de toute cette avenue.
(+,cher)
[this shop... is any of this avenue.(+ costly)]

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h)Pierre est……………………que Frédérik.(-,grand)
[Pierre is……..than Frédérik (-,tall)]

Module-V
Les Pronoms Y et EN
Le pronom Y (The Pronoun Y)
Y indique une destination, un lieu où on va arrive (peut-être real ou
imaginaire).
In general Y indicates a destination, a place where we are going. Y
is usually translated as to there. Hence Y is a pronoun which
replaces a place name. This place can be a real place like- Paris,
school,house etc. or can be an imaginary place like- heaven,
childhood, family, dreamland etc. The prepositions which indicate
a location include à, en, dans,devant, derrière,sous and
sur.These prepositions are followed by places or things and hence
we can replace them using the pronoun Y.
Exemple:
Simon est dans le bus (Simon is in the bus.)
Simon est dans les nuages. (Simon is in the clouds)(day
dreaming)
Simon est mort. Il est dans le paradis. (Simon is dead.He is in
heaven)
Now in the following examples, let’s observe how the underlined
words indicating a real place are being replaced by the pronoun Y.
Exemple:
Je vais à Paris (I am going to Paris)
-J’y vais (I am going there)
Je vais à l’école (I am going to school)
-J’y vais (I am going there)
Il y a un programme à l’école (There is a program at school)
-Viens! On y va (Come! Let’s go there)

Cas specials (Special cases)

With certain verbs y replaces the preposition à when it’s object is
an idea or thing, but not a person.Some of these verbs are penser à,
réfléchir à(to think about),s’intéresser à (to be interested in),
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répondre à (to answer to), participer à (to participate in).In these
expressions, the preposition à is idiomatic. It does not indicate a
location or a movement toward. It takes the meaning ‘it’.
Il s’intéresse à la danse classique (He is interested in classical
dance)
-Il s’y intéresse (He is interested in it)
Il pense toujoursà la politique (He thinks always about politics.)
-Il y pense (He thinks about it always.)
Il participe à la sondage d’opinion. (He participates in the opinion
poll)
-Il y participle.(He participates in it.)
But when these verbs are followed by a person, we use the indirect
object pronoun without a preposition (disjunctive pronoun).
Frederik pense à son frère.(Frederik thinks about his brother)
-Il pense à lui (not il y pense)[He thinks about him]
Michael répond à son prof.(Michael replies to his teacher)
-Il lui répond (He replies to him)
Où faut-il placer le Y ? (where to put the Y?)
Y is placed before the verb it refers to, except in the affirmative
imperative. In compound tenses, like the passé compose, it
precedes the auxiliary. Note that there is no agreement between y
and the past participle, since y does not replace a direct object.

Vas –tu à l’aéroport? (Are you going to the airport?)

-Oui, j’y vais.(Yes, I am going there)
Est-ce qu’il a chanté à l’Opéra hier soir?(Did he sing at the Opéra
yesterday evening?)
-Oui, il y a chanté.(Yes, he sang there)
Va à la boulangerie!(Go to the bakery!)
-vas y!(Go there!)
Allons à la bibliothèque.(Let’s go to the library)
-Allons Y! (Let’s go there!)
Le pronom En (The pronoun En):
Le pronom En indique une origine: un lieu d’où on vient.
En indicates a place from where we are coming. Again this place
can be real or imaginary (coming out of/from the hell, darkness,
heavens, solitudes). It takes the meaning ‘from there’.
Il vient de Paris. (He is coming from Paris)

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-Il en vient. (He is coming from there.)
Est-ce que l’enfant vient de l’école? (Is the child coming from
school?)
-Oui, il en vient.(Yes, he is coming from there.)
Note: Y and En are also referred to as adverbs of places (adverbe
de lieu) as they replace names of places that add attribute to the
verb in that particular sentence.
Pronom de quantité En (The pronoun of quantity EN)
En is also a pronoun of quantity that typically replaces de + a
noun. This includes nouns introduced by partitive de,du,de l’,de
la, des and indefinite determiners like, un peu de, beaucoup de,
trop de etc. En may be translated in this case as ‘some’,’any’,or
‘not any’,meaning “a part of it”.
Exemple:
Voulez-vous du café? (Do you want some coffee?)
-Oui, j’en veux.(Yes, I want some.)
Mangez-vous de la glace? (Do you eat ice-cream?)
-Oui, j’en mange (Yes,I eat it.)
Voulez-vous boire de l’eau?(Do you want to drink some water?)
-Non, je n’en veux pas boire (No, I don’t want to drink it)
En indique une partie de quelque chose. (Quelques,un peu de, un
litre de etc.)
En indicates a part of something. With the expressions of quantity
(specific and non-specific), it takes the meaning : some of it, a little
of it, a kilo of it etc. But the term ‘of it’ is not often said in English.
Achetez-vous du riz? (Do you buy some rice?)
-Oui, j’en achète un kilo. (Yes, I am buying a kilo) (of it).
Est-ce que le chat boit un peu de lait? (Does the cat drinks little
milk?)
-Non,il en boit beaucoup (No, it drinks a lot)(of it)
J’achète trios litres de vin rouge.(I am buying three litres of red
wine)
-J’en achète trios litres.(I am buying three litres)(of it).

You might have noticed that, the partitive article and the noun that
follows it are both not found in the answer. Hence en,which

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replaces a noun characterized by a quantity, expression, is called a
pronoun of quality.
En also replaces expressions introduced by the preposition de with
the following verbs:
S’occuper de (to deal/engage with)
Parler de (to speak of)
Remercier de (to thank of)
Revenir de (to return from)
Venir de (to come from)
Exemples:
Il veut parler de son enfance. (He wants to speak of his childhood.)
-Il veut en parler (He wants to speak about it)
Pour le moment je me suis occupé de mon projet.(For the time
being, I am busy with my project.)
-Pour le moment je m’en suis occupé.(For time being, I am busy
with it.)
Je vous remercie monsieur de bien vouloir me prêter cet argent.
(Sir,I would like to thank you for lending me this money.
-Je vous en remercie monsieur.(Sir, I do thank you for it).
But with persons, it is different:
Pour passer le temps, je m’occupe des petits enfants de mes voisins.
( to pass the time, I take care of my neighbors little children)
-Pour passer le temps, je m’occupe d’eux (to pass the time, I take
care of them)
(here we cannot use ‘en’)
Pratique
1.Remplacez les mots soulignés avec Y ou En (Replace the bold
words with Y or En):
a.Je suis revenue de Paris l’été dernier.
(I came back from Paris last summer)
-
b.Nous venons du théâtre.
(We are coming from theatre)
-
c.J’ai habité deux ans au Canada.
(I lived two years in Canada)
-
d.Nous sortons du métro.

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(We get down from metro)
-
e.Nous avons passé une heure dans le métro.
(We spent an hour in the metro)
-
f.Ils sont allées au théâtre cet après-midi.
(They went to theatre this afternoon)
-

g.Mes amis ont vu au Théâtre Français une très belle pièce.

(My friends have seen at the French Theatre a very beautiful
play.)
-
h.Quand je suis arrivé devant l’autobus, plusieurs personnes
descendaient de l’autobus; d’autres montaient dans l’autobus.
(When I arrived in front of the bus, several people descended
from the bus; others boarded the bus.)
-
2.Répondez aux questions suivantes avec Y ou En(Reply to the
question with Y or En):
a.Vas-tu à la gare?
(Are –you going to the station ?)
-
b.Les Dupin sont-ils dans leur appartement?
(Are the Dupin in their apartment?)
-
c.Achetez-vous du poisson?
(Do you buy fish ?)
-
d.Vous promenez-vous souvent dans le jardin des Tuileries?
(You often walk in the jardin des Tuileries?)
-
e.Vous avez de la monnaie?
(Do you have money?)
-Non,
f.Tu ne vas pas à l’aéroport?
(Are you notgoing to the airport ?)
-Si,

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g.Cécile va au restaurant?
( Cécile goes to the restaurant ?)
-
h. Michael Jackson a chanté à Mumbai?
(Michael Jackson sang in Mumbai?)
-Non,
i.Est-ce qu’il vient du Japon?
(Is he coming from Japan ?)
-Oui,
j.Pensez-vous à ton enfance?
(Do you think your childhood ?)
-Oui,
k.C’est ton amie. Elle vient d’Angleterre?
(She is your friend.She is coming from England ?)
-Oui,
l.Nous sommes assis dans la salle d’examen?
(We sat in the examination room?)
3.Récrivez la phrase en remplaçant les mots necessaries par le
pronom ‘en’ (Rewrite the sentence replacing the necessary
words with the pronoun En):
a.Avez-vous acheté une voiture?
(Have you bought a car ?)
-Oui,
b.Il y a des oeufs dans le frigo?
(There are some eggs in the fridge?)
-Oui,
c.Avez- vous peur des chats?
(Have - you afraid of cats?)
-Non,
d.J’ai beaucoup d’amis.
(I have many friends)
-
e.Est-ce que tu as besoin d’un ordinateur?
(Do you need a computer ?)
-Bien sûr,(of course),
f.Nicole va manger de la salade.
(Nicole is going to eat the salad.)
-

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g.Tu te souviens de l’adresse?
(Do you remember the address?)
-Oui,
h.Hélène prend des pommes.
(Hélène is taking some apples.)
-

Assignments
1. Habits/descriptions in the past
2. Discussion on Education system
3. Comparison between Education system of France and India
4. Writing informal letters
5. Famous sayings in French
6. Meanings and usage of Famous French proverbs
7. Talking about famous personalities of France
8. Conversation “at the airport”, “at the station”, etc.
9. Learning to say “this one “or “that one”
10. Identifying & differentiating between people/objects.

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Sample Question Paper

49
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 Works Cited

1. Le nouveau Bescherelle: L'art de conjuge, 1972, pp. 10

2. Daniel Laurent AMICUS CURIAE, Écoles primaires en
ZEP: faire plus et différemment, 2006, p0-p3" 
3. La France malade de ses universités, dans Le Figaro,
Cambridge University Press. p.110. 2006, ISBN 0-521-09838-6.
4. Gilles Pétel, «Diogène en banlieue: heurs et malheurs d'un
prof de philo aux confins du système scolaire», délibéré,
novembre 2016, mai 2017.

Links referred for compilation of the booklet

1 http://about-france.com/primary-secondary-schools.htm
2 http://about-france.com/higher-education-system.htm
3.https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syst%C3%A8me_
%C3%A9ducatif_fran%C3%A7ais
4 https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-to-use-the-pronoun-y-in-
french
5 https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/why-french-verbs-followed-
preposition-a-infinitive

Web Links for further practice:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b447ofGz274
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hae7ogPaW1I
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SsVeaQZbYM
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3HpnPdetYw
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTxsNaqH7jM

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