The circumstancial complement in French
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The circumstantial complements (French: les compléments circonstanciels) are words or group of words and indicate in which circumstance the action takes place: at what time, in what place, in what way, for what purpose, for what cause, with what or by what?
It completes the verb and can be deleted or moved.
There are many categories of circumstantial complements:
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The circumstantial complément of time (French: le complément circonstanciel de temps) is abbreviated CCT and makes the understanding more precise
To find the CCT, you most often ask these questions after the verb or the complement:
Examples
CCT | Questions | Translation |
---|---|---|
Je rentre demain matin. | Je rentre quand ? | (I am leaving tomorrow morning) |
Pendant deux ans, j'ai vécu en Italie | J'ai vécu en Italie, pendant combien de temps ? | (I had lived in Italy for two years) |
Les enfants partiront à l'école quand tu seras là | Les enfants partiront à l'école quand ? | (The kids will leave for school when you'll be here) |
The circumstantial complement of place (French; le complément circonstanciel de lieu) is abbreaviated CCL and indicates where the action happens.
To find the CCL, it is most often to ask the question after the verb and the complement.
CCL | Questions | Translation |
---|---|---|
En France, je suis très célèbre | Je suis très célèbre où ? | (In France, I'm very famous) |
Samantha a dû partir chez sa mère | Samantha a dû partir où ? | (Samantha had to leave her mom's) |
Pierre est venu me voir à l'école | Pierre est venu me voir où ? | (Peter came to see me at school) |
The circumstantial complement of way (French: le complément circonstanciel de manière) is abbreviated CCM and indicates how the action takes place.
To find the CCM, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement.
CCM | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Il mange au restaurant en criant | Il mange au restaurant comment ? | (He eats at the restaurant by yelling) |
Les enfants jouent bruyamment | De quelle manière joue les enfants ? | (The children play loud) |
Nous attendons la série avec impatience | Nous attendons la série comment ? | (We are waiting for the show eagerly) |
The circumstantial complement of purpose (French: le complément circonstanciel de but) is abbreviated CCB and expresses the objective that someone intentionally wishes to achieve or, on the contrary, avoid.
To find the CC de but, is it necessary that you ask these question after the verb or the complement:
CC de but | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Marie révise sa leçon parce qu'elle veut avoir une bonne note | Marie révise sa leçon pourquoi ? | (Marie is revising her lesson because she want to have a good mark) |
Je viendrai plus tard pour le discours de ton père | Je viendrai plus tard dans quel but ? | (I will come later for your dad's speech) |
Il s'entraîne chaque jour afin de devenir le meilleur | Il s'entraine chaque jour en vue de quoi ? | (He practise every day to become the best) |
The CC de but is usually introduced by prepositions like: pour, en vue de, afin de, dans l’intention de and many others.
The circumstantial complement of cause (French: le complément circonstanciel de conséquence) is abbreviated CCC and expresses the result of an action.
This complement is used as the result of the cause which is also a circumstancial complement that indicates what happens first.
To find the CCC, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement:
CC de cause | CC de conséquence | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|---|
Ils étaient trop malades pour aller à l'école | Ils étaient trop malades pour aller l'école | Ils étaient trop malades avec quel résultat ? | (They were so sick to go to school) |
Ta soeur a couru au point d'avoir fait tomber son téléphone | Ta soeur a couru au point d'avoir fait tomber son téléphone | Ta soeur a couru de manière à obtenir quel résultat ? | (Your sister ran to the point of dropping her phone) |
Je préfère dire la vérité à en perdre mon travail | Je préfère dire la vérité à en perde mon travail | Je préfère dire la vérité pour quel résultat ? | (I prefer to tell the truth even if I lose my job) |
The circumstantial complement of means (French: le complément circonstanciel de moyen) is abbreviated CC de moyen to avoid the same abbreciation as the CCM. It indicates the tool, the utensil, the part of the body, the instrument, the means of displacement used to accomplish the action.
To find the CC de moyen, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement:
CC de moyen | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Je me rends à l'aéroport en métro | Je me rends à l'aéroport par quel moyen ? | (I am going to the airport by metro) |
Versez 2cl de lait en remuant avec l'aide d'une cuillère en bois | Versez 2cl de lait en remuant avec quoi ? | (Pour 2cl of milk stirring with a wooden spoon) |
Mon ami a réparé sa voiture avec la nouvelle batterie | Mon ami a réparé sa voiture avec quoi ? | (My friend repaired his car with the new battery) |
To recognize a circumstantial complement, we must find a group of words that we can delete or move.
Example:
Le lundi, les étudiants vont à l'université. (On monday, students go to college)
Les étudiants vont à l'université le lundi
Therefore, a circumstantial complement follow the verb or a complement. There can be two circumstantial complements in the same sentence
Je vais à l'école demain. (I am going to school tomorrow)
The grammatical nature of a circumstantial complement can be
Nature | Examples | CC | Translations |
---|---|---|---|
Noun | La nuit, je me sens seule | CCT | (At night, I feel alone) |
Pronoun | J'aimerais partir avec eux à Paris | CC de moyen | (I would like to go with them in Paris) |
Adverb | Marchez discrètement ! | CCM | (Walk slowly !) |
Infinitive verb | Mangeons sain pour avoir une meilleur santé | CCB | (Let's eat healthy for a better health) |
Gerund | Il marche en chantant | CCM | (He walks by singing) |
Proposition | Nous resterons jusqu'à ce que tu ailles mieux | CC de conséquence | (We will stay until you get better) |
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Hello,
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Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
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