The propositions in French
Exercises
- Multiple choice questions about the propositions in French Score -/-
- Fill in the blank exercise about the relative subordinate clause in French Score -/-
- Completive vs circumstancial subordinate clause in French Score -/-
- Fill in the blank exercise about the conjunctions of subordination in French Score -/-
Lesson Outline
Hide- 1.What is a proposition in French ?
- 1.1.independent proposition in French
- 1.1.1.Examples
- 1.1.2.Examples
- 1.2.Main proposition in French
- 1.2.1.Examples
- 1.3.Incidental proposition in French
- 1.3.1.Examples
- 2.Subordinate clauses in French
- 2.1.Relative subordinate clauses in French
- 2.1.1.Examples
- 2.2.Conjunctive subordinate clause in French
- 2.3.Recap: What is a subordinated conjunction in French ?
- 2.3.1.The completive subordinate clause in French
- 2.3.2.Circumstantial subordinate clauses
What is a proposition in French ?
A proposition is a part of a sentence containing a verb. A sentence can have one or several propositions. Therefore it is linked to the phrases in French.
It is a grammatical set organized around a verb, generally conjugated. In a sentence, each conjugated verb is therefore the core of a proposition: there are as many propositions than verbs.
The French grammar has three types of proposition:
- Independent proposition
- Main proposition
- Incidental proposition
independent proposition in French
The independent proposition (French: la proposition indépendante) is linked to the simple phrases. It is a proposition which does not depend on any other proposition and of which no proposition depends.
Examples
| proposition indépendante | Traduction |
|---|---|
| Il boit du lait | (He is drinking milk) |
| Le chat chasse la souris | (The cat is hunting the mouse) |
| Cendrillon est une princesse Disney | (Cinderella is a Disney princess) |
A phrase can have many independent propositions. Then it is called:
- Coordinated independent proposition
- Juxtaposed independent proposition
Examples
| Proposition | Independante | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Coordonnée | Je ne comprends pas la leçon mais je peux faire l'exercice | (I don't understand the lesson but I can do the exercice) |
| Juxtaposée | Ne t'en vas pas, ferme d'abord la boutique | (Don't leave, close the shop first) |
Learn more about these types propositions to use it in the composed phrase.
Main proposition in French
The main proposition (French: la proposition principale) is a proposition that does not depend on any other and upon which depends at least one subordinate clause.
It is the basic proposition to which the other proposals hang up.
Examples
| Proposition principale | Proposition subordonnée | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Léo a fui | quand il a vu ses parents | (Leo ran away when he saw his parents) |
| Marie a acheté une nouvelle voiture | lorsqu'elle a déménagé à Los Angeles | (Marie bought a new car when she moved to LA) |
| Elle se demande | pourquoi je suis plus avec elle | (She wonders why I left her) |
Incidental proposition in French
The incidental proposition (French: la proposition incidente) also called "incise", appears in another proposition with which it is not coordinated and has no relationship of dependence.
It plays somehow the role of a parenthesis. Usually, It indicates that someone is reporting what somebody said.
The incise proposition can be placed whenever you want: at the beginning, in the middle or at the end.
Examples
- "Il faudrait trouver une autre solution" disait -il. (We have to find another way, he said)
- Quoi qu'il en soit, je ne reviendrais pas sur ma décision. (Anyway, I won't reconsider my decision)
- Le directeur, paraît-il, a déposé sa démission. (It seems that the CEO has submitted his resignation)
Subordinate clauses in French
The subordinate clauses (French: les propositions subordonnées) are linked to the complex phrases. We say that a proposition is subordinate if it depends on another proposition (almost always a main). It completes the meaning.
There are four types of subordinate clauses:
- Relative subordinate clauses
- Conjunctive subordinate clauses
- Completive subordinate clauses
- Circumstantial subordinate clauses
Relative subordinate clauses in French
The relative subordinate clause (French: la proposition subordonnée relative) is part of the nominal group. It can not exist alone and is necessarily introduced by a relative pronoun.
Its grammatical function is the complement of the name. The completed name is called antecedent and the pronoun agrees with it.
Let's analyze this sentence:
Je ne veux pas réveiller mon amie qui dort dans la chambre. (I don't want to wake up my friend who sleeps in my room)
- The main proposition is "je ne veux pas réveiller mon amie"
- The subordinate clause is "qui dort dans la chambre"
- "Qui" replace "mon amie" so the antecedent is "mon amie"
Examples
| Proposition principale | Proposition subordonnée relative | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Je parlais de l'enfant | dont on a eu la garde | (I was talking about the kid whom we have had the custody) |
| Léa acheté les mêmes chaussures | que j'ai porté à son anniversaire | (Lea bought the same shoes that I wore at her birthday party) |
| Pierre a rencontré l'homme | qui lui a sauvé la vie |
(Peter met the man who saved his life) |
Note that the relative subordinate clauses is not necessarily placed after the main proposition.
Conjunctive subordinate clause in French
The subordinate conjunctive proposition (French: la proposition subordonnée conjonctive) is a proposition which depends on a principal proposition and which is introduced by a conjunction of subordination
The conjunctive subordinate clause can be completive or circumstantial.
Recap: What is a subordinated conjunction in French ?
The conjunctions of subordination (French: les conjunctions de subordination) are invariable words. They can also be conjunctive phrases.
They connect two propositions: a main and a conjunctive subordinate whose grammatical function varies with the conjunction used.
It belongs to the subordinate clause it introduces
| Conjonctions de subordination | que, quand, comme, si, lorsque, puisque, quoique |
|---|---|
| Locutions conjonctives | ainsi que, vu que, alors que, à moins que, après que, depuis que, aussitôt que, bien que, parce que, dès que, malgré que, pendant que, tandis que |
The completive subordinate clause in French
The completive subordinate clause (French: la proposition subordonnée complétive) is a proposition which depends on a main proposition and which, in most cases, has a role of direct object complement. The completive subordinate clause can be conjunctive, infinitive or interrogative.
The conjunctive is introduced by:
- que (that)
- ce que
Examples
| Conjonction | Proposition subordonnée completive | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Que | Malia a beaucoup aimé la robe que je lui ai achetée | (Malia really loved the dress that I bought for her) |
| Ce que | Il ne s'attendait pas à ce qu'il soit aussi distant | (He wasn't expecting him to be this stant-offish) |
The infinitive has any introductory word and includes an infinitive verb. It is often a direct object of a verb of perception like voir, regarder, entendre..
Examples:
- Pedro sent Sandra s'éloigner de lui. (Pedro can feel Sandra driving away from him)
The interrogative is indirect and may be introduced by
- "si" if it's the total interrogation
- An interrogative, pronoun and adverb id it's the partial interrogation
Examples:
| Interrogation | Proposition subordonnée complétive | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Total | Je ne vois pas si elle a raison | (I cannot see if she is right) |
| Partial | Dis moi pourquoi tu es parti | (Tell me why you left) |
You can learn more about the two types of interrogation.
Circumstantial subordinate clauses
The circumstantial subordinate clause (French: la proposition subordonnée circonstancielle) depends on a main proposition and has the function of circumstantial complement.
It can be introduced by a subordinated conjunction or a verb conjugated in the past or present participle.
Examples
| Circonstancielle | Proposition subordonée | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| Conjonction de subordination | J'ai visité la tour Eiffel quand j'ai été à Paris | (I have been to the Eiffel tower when I was in Paris) |
| Participle | La travail fini, tout le monde rentra chez eux | (Job is over, everyone went back home) |
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
German lessons and learning materials included
I teach: English, French, German
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to... strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier! Read more
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
Ready to take on the challenge to learn Bulgarian?
I teach: Bulgarian, English, French
Hello, My name is Zlatko. I believe that learning Bulgarian online with me gives you the best of both worlds: fast progress and enjoyment.Taking... on the challenge to learn a new language is impressive. The reasons might be different. Some people give it a go because they just like new things. Others need to learn a new language because they are moving to a country where the language is spoken. Remember that whatever your reason is, it is your motivation that is the key to successful learning. Who am I and why to pick me out: - online and face-to-face teaching experience: over 15 years helping hundreds of students achieve their language goals - flexibility: willing to tailor my techniques to both your interests and specific needs - patience and excellent listening skills - honesty and collaboration: let's build trust and consider our work as a partnership - native Bulgarian speaker with oustanding educational background - sence of humour In general, my teaching style includes, but is not limited to: - speaking practice through role-play activities - stotytelling and discussions - gap filling excercises - listening comprehension - vocabulary development - accent reduction How does that grab you? If interested, drop me a line and we will discuss your language goals and expectations. Hope to see you soon. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of every lesson: 1. Review what you covered in your previous lesson. 2. Focus on things you had difficulty with. I will definitely go over them. 3. It is always a great idea to take notes during your lessons. It helps you stay more focused on what you are learning. 4. Feel free to ask me if anything has come up since your last lesson that you want clarification on. Your questions do not have to be prior lesson related, maybe you are just curious about how to say something. 5. Be sure you have completed your homework assignments. If you were not able to complete them, make notes about what stumped you. Were the instructions not clear enough, was the vocabulary beyond your level of comprehension, were the grammar rules too overwhelming, was there too much homework for the time you had planned to spend on it, and so on. 6. Contact me prior to your next lesson if there are any issues or changes you would like to make me aware of so I can have a chance to make changes to your learning plan. Hope this helps. Read more
Professionnal French courses with a French native and certified teacher
I teach: French
Hello,Are you looking to learn or improve your French in a Fun and relaxed atmosphere?Look no further !My name is Anissa and I'm a French... native and certified teacher.Focusing on each student's individual level, interests, and goals, my online classes are effective to achieve impressive learning results in a shorter period of time. The courses will be based on your personal needs and during the class you will receive direct explanations, correction and feedback in order to instantly improve your language skills.Whether you want to learn French for your own pleasure or preparing for an exam, an upcoming interview or a presentation at work, I will be happy to assist you in reaching your goals.My online classes are available at any time! Choose a subject from my curriculum or request your own topic, date, time and start master your French!I look forward to meeting you,Anissa, your French (and nice) teacher :)*Please note that I'm not offering a free trial anymore* Read more
Group lessons possible
