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Project Gutenberg of Australia

Basic French

Produced by Don Lainson and Col Choat

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Contents	Page vii
Preface	iii
AVANT DE LIRE. INTRODUCTION TO PRONUNCIATION French sounds and spelling	3
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON I The Noun and the Article; Gender; Number. Pronunciation: Vowel sounds [i], [é]; Consonant sounds [s], [k], [z], [r],	6
SI NOUS LISIONS I La Classe de Français	13
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON II The Verb and the Pronoun: Present indicative and imperative of regular verbs ending in -er; Personal pronoun as subject. The Interrogative Sentence with est-ce que. The Adjective: Gender and number. Pronunciation: Vowel sound Consonant sounds [s], [k], [g]. Conversation: La Classe de français	21
SI NOUS LISIONS II Le Louvre et le Jardin des Tuileries	29
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON III The Interrogative Sentence. Contraction of the Definite Article. Pronunciation: Vowel sound [a]; Consonant sounds [k], [s], [g]; Nasalization: Nasal vowel sound Linkings; Review of certain consonant sounds. Conversation: Je parle français	38
SI NOUS LISIONS III La Tour Eiffel	46
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON IV The Interrogative Sentence. Irregular Verb: Present indicative of être. The Possessive Adjective. Pronunciation: Vowel sounds Conversation: A la Maison	54
SI NOUS LISIONS IV La Visite	61
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON V Regular Verbs ending in -ir: Present indicative and imperative. Unstressed Personal Object Pronouns. Table of Unstressed Personal Pronouns. Pronunciation: Vowel sounds [u], [ü]; Consonant sounds [k], [g]. Conversation: Au Cirque	71
SI NOUS LISIONS V En Normandie	78
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON VI Irregular Verb: Present indicative of avoir: affirmative; interrogative. Past Indefinite Tense of verbs ending in -er. Negation. The Partitive. Irregular Adjectives. Conversation: Un Chien pour Joseph	89
SI NOUS LISIONS VI Les Trois Ours	95
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON VII Regular Verbs ending in -re: Present indicative and imperative. The Reflexive Pronoun. The Partitive. Irregular Verb: Present indicative and imperative of aller. Pronunciation: Semi-consonant sounds Consonant sound [s]. Conversation: La Famille	104
SI NOUS LISIONS VII Les Trois Souhaits (d'après Perrault)	111
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON VIII The Reflexive Verb and Pronoun. The Negative. The Demonstrative Adjective. Comparison of Adjectives; Comparison of the adjective bon. Pronunciation: Vowel sounds Mute e. Conversation: Comment vous appelez-vous?	119
SI NOUS LISIONS VIII Les Douze Mois (d'après Laboulaye)	128
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON IX Stressed Personal Pronouns. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of dire, lire, sortir, venir; Present indicative of vouloir. Pronunciation: Nasal vowel sounds Consonant sounds [k], [p]. Conversation: Une Ronde	141
SI NOUS LISIONS IX Le Chien de Brisquet (d'après Charles Nodier)	147
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON X The Relative Pronoun: qui, que, ce qui, ce que. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative of savoir; Present indicative and imperative of connaître, croire, voir, faire; Locutions with faire. Pronunciation: Colette et Julie. Conversation: Une Visite	154
SI NOUS LISIONS X Boum-Boum (d'après Jules Claretie)	161
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XI The Past Indefinite Tense of regular verbs ending in -ir and -re. Agreement of the Past Participle. The Indefinite Pronoun on. The Relative Pronoun following a preposition. Irregular Adjectives with two masculine forms. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of dormir, s'endormir, prendre, apprendre, comprendre, mettre, pouvoir. Pronunciation: Consonant sound [n]. Conversation: On Chante	174
SI NOUS LISIONS XI La Pièce de Cinq Francs (d'après la Princesse Alexandra de Bavière)	181
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XII Irregular Verbs: Present indicative of devoir; Present indicative and imperative of recevoir, écrire, offrir (souffrir, ouvrir, couvrir), suivre, s'asseoir. Pronunciation: Consonant sounds	192
SI NOUS LISIONS XII La Pièce de Cinq Francs (continued)	198
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XIII The Future Tense. The Future Anterior Tense. En. Y. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of envoyer, courir. Pronunciation: Cardinal numerals. Conversation: La Leçon d'arithmétique	211
SI NOUS LISIONS XIII La Cloche (d'après Jules Lemaître)	219
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XIV The Present Participle. The Imperfect Tense. The Pluperfect Tense. The Relative Pronoun dont. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of fuir, conduire. Pronunciation: La Semaine de l'élève paresseux. Conversation: La Semaine	233
SI NOUS LISIONS XIV Lilith (d'après Jules Lemaître)	240
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XV The Auxiliary être: Past Indefinite tense; Pluperfect tense; Compound tenses of reflexive verbs. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of boire, vivre, tenir, servir. Pronunciation: Les Mois. Conversation: Les douze Mois	254
SI NOUS LISIONS XV La Jument Bleue (d'après René Bazin)	260
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XVI The Interrogative Pronoun. The Conditional Tense: Regular verbs, avoir, être. The Conditional Anterior Tense. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative and imperative of se battre, devenir, partir. Pronunciation: L'Heure du jour. Conversation: L'Interrogatoire	277
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER I	284
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XVII Review of Compound Tenses. Irregular Verbs: Present indicative of suffire; Present indicative and imperative of sentir, se taire, s'en aller. Pronunciation: Liaison. Conversation: Le Dîner en ville	299
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER II	304
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XVIII The Demonstrative Pronoun. Table of Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns. Irregular Verbs: Imperative of avoir, être; Present indicative of naître; Present indicative and imperative of paraître, atteindre. Pronunciation: Ordinal numerals. Conversation: Au Bon Marché	322
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER III	328
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XIX Verb Phrases: devoir, vouloir, pouvoir, savoir, faire, aller, venir (de). Irregular Verb: Present indicative and imperative of cueillir. Conversation: Le Temps	345
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER IV	349
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XX The Interrogative Pronoun lequel. Summary of Interrogative Pronouns. The Relative Pronoun lequel. Summary of Relative Pronouns. Irregular Verb: Present indicative and imperative of craindre. Pronunciation: Revision de la lettre "e". Conversation: Un Cadeau de Noël	364
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER V	369
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXI The Past Definite Tense: Regular verbs, courir, venir; Typical past definite forms. The Past Anterior Tense. Principal Parts and Derived Tenses. Conversation: A la Bibliothèque	382
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER VI	388
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXII The Possessive Pronoun. Irregular Verb Charts: lire, dire, apparaître, connaître (reconnaître, paraître, disparaître). Key to Verb Charts. Irregular Verb Charts: avoir, savoir, faire, falloir. Conversation: La République de France	403
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER VII	409
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXIII The Subjunctive Mood. The Present Subjunctive: Regular verbs, avoir, être. The Perfect Subjunctive. Irregular Verb Charts: être, partir, dormir, s'endormir, sortir, sentir, se sentir, servir, prendre (apprendre, etc.), mettre (remettre, etc.), tenir (obtenir, etc.), venir (convenir, etc.), aller, s'en aller. Conversation: A Quoi rêvent les jeunes gens	425
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER VIII	432
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXIV Special Tense Uses. Passive Sentences. Irregular Verb Charts: conduire, produire, craindre, atteindre, peindre, éteindre. Conversation: Le Dilemme	448
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER IX	454
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXV Special Uses of ne: False negations; True negations. The Subjunctive; The Imperfect Subjunctive: Regular verbs, avoir, être. The Pluperfect Subjunctive. Irregular Verb Charts: mourir, devoir, recevoir, apercevoir, suivre (poursuivre), résoudre. Conversation: Le Chant national	467
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER X	473
AVANT DE LIRE. LESSON XXVI Irregular Verb Charts: croire, voir, pouvoir, vouloir, valoir, vivre. Conversation: La Marseillaise	487
PIERRILLE. CHAPTER XI	490
IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS:
Si Nous Lisions	507
Pierrille	514
SONGS	522
APPENDIX: Pronunciation Charts	532
VERBS:
Uses of the Subjunctive	538
The Auxiliary Verbs avoir and être	540
Derivation of Tenses	542
Regular Verbs: Tables of conjugation	543
Outline of Compound Tenses	546
Irregular Verb Charts: Reference List	547
GENERAL VOCABULARY	553
INDEX	591