The agent complement in French
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Lesson outline
HideWhat is the complement agent in French ?
The agent complement (French: le complément d'agent) is abbreviated CA and refers to the verb. It is used only in a sentence to the passive voice. Introduced by the preposition "par" or "de", it designates the person or the thing that is the author of the action expressed by the verb.
The agent complement is the subject of the verb to the active voice. The subject of the verb to the passive voice is the object complement of the verb to the active voice.
Examples:
| CA to the active voice | CA to the passive voice | Translations |
|---|---|---|
| Léa fait ses devoirs | Ses devoirs sont fait par Léa | (Lea is doing her homework) |
| Pierre ferme la fenêtre | La fenêtre est fermée par Pierre | (Peter is closing the window) |
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The prepositions in the CA in French
The agent complement is usually introduced by the preposition par
Examples
| Active Voice | Passive voice | Transations |
|---|---|---|
| Le chat chasse la souris | La souris est chassé par le chat | (The cat chases the mouse) |
| Le mécanicien a réparé la voiture de maman | La voiture de maman a été réparé par le mécanicien | (The mechanic repaired mom's car) |
| La nouvelle amie de ta soeur aurait eu une mauvaise note | Une mauvaise note aurait été eu par la nouvelle amie de ta soeur | (Your sister's new friend would've not had a good grade) |
The CA uses the preposition de with:
- verbs of feelings
- verbs used figuratively
- description verbs when the agent is inanimate
Examples
| Use of de | Active voice | Passive voice | Translations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbs of feelings | Tout le monde aime mère Thérésa | Mère Thérésa est aimé de tous | (Everyone loves mother Thérésa) |
| Verbs used figuratively | Un élan de joie a pris ta soeur | Ta soeur fut prise d'élan de joie | (A bunch of joy took your sister) |
| Inanime agent | Les tableaux décorent les murs | Les murs sont décoré de tableaux | (canvas embellish the walls) |
The use of par requires a determinant, if the complement of agent has no determinant we will put de
The grammatical category of the CA in French
The grammatical nature of the agent complement can be
- a noun
- a pronoun
| Nature | Examples | Translations |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | le roi de France a été Henri II | (The king of France has been Henry II) |
| Pronoun | Une tarte a été faite par nous | (A pie has been made by us) |
Exercises
- Drag and drop exercise about the agent complement in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the agent complement in French
Drag and drop exercise about the agent complement in French
Fill in the blank exercise about the agent complement in French
Write the preposition "par" or "de" in the following sentences to introduce the CA in the passive voice.
Bonne Chance !
Example: Mon père a été reçu par le président de la république.
1. L'histoire est racontée l'auteur. (The author tells the story)
2. Les amateurs ont été reconnus tous. (Everyone recognized the amateurs)
3. Ma maison a été construite un architecte. (An architect built my house)
4. Le fiancé a été vénéré tous. (Everyone worshipped the fiancee)
5. Ma robe a été décoré fleurs. (My dress has been embellished with flowers)
6. Le petit Luc a été lavé Jacqueline. (Jacqueline washed up le petit Luc)
7. La maison est remplie moustiques. (There are many mosquitos around the house)
8. Cloé fut attaquée une guêpe. (A wasp attacked Cloe)
9. Le château est entourée remparts. (There are many battlements surrounding the castle)
10. La séance sera suivi un débat. (A debate follows the movie session)
Exercises
- Drag and drop exercise about the agent complement in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the agent complement in French
Drag and drop exercise about the agent complement in French
Fill in the blank exercise about the agent complement in French
Write the preposition "par" or "de" in the following sentences to introduce the CA in the passive voice.
Bonne Chance !
Example: Mon père a été reçu par le président de la république.
1. L'histoire est racontée l'auteur. (The author tells the story)
2. Les amateurs ont été reconnus tous. (Everyone recognized the amateurs)
3. Ma maison a été construite un architecte. (An architect built my house)
4. Le fiancé a été vénéré tous. (Everyone worshipped the fiancee)
5. Ma robe a été décoré fleurs. (My dress has been embellished with flowers)
6. Le petit Luc a été lavé Jacqueline. (Jacqueline washed up le petit Luc)
7. La maison est remplie moustiques. (There are many mosquitos around the house)
8. Cloé fut attaquée une guêpe. (A wasp attacked Cloe)
9. Le château est entourée remparts. (There are many battlements surrounding the castle)
10. La séance sera suivi un débat. (A debate follows the movie session)
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
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Hi,
I m claudie , I m french and i have experience to teach french to foreign people.
I create in a school of langage in Spain a little faculty for my french lessons with a group from 15 years olds until 25.
The pupils were all the levels A1 until C2!
I was teaching as well with lillte children and adults in Spain and Rumania.
I m a very dynamic teacher with a lot of patient and empathy.
You will make a lot of progress!
L. T.
Highly recommended, very personable and the lessons are a lot of fun. Claudie is flexible when it comes to class topics. Adapts to your interests or profession. In my case, she adapted the lessons to my employer and integrated the homepage into the lessons (sales). We recommend!
thank you very much, I really enjoyed the hours spent working French together on many topics and also our laughter !!
Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
L. .
She is kind, she listen to me and try to help me to understand, she use pictures, english words and try to show me the meaning of words . I recommand her. She offers books for free.
Hella K.
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R. T.
Very social and helpful teacher with an excellent grasp on how to improve your french in a structured fashion. The informal style is very pleasant and will help you acquire the language in a natural, unforced fashion. The teaching materials and tools used are geared to your level and are a great help in smoothing out the learning curve. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a learn by doing approach with the help of proven teaching tools and documents.
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