Grammar Lecture 9
Pronouns (3)
Pronouns
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Personal pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Relative pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
Reflexive verbs and pronouns
 A reflexive verb is a verb which is accompanied by a
pronoun, called a reflexive pronoun, which serves ‘to
reflect’ the action of the verb back to the subject.
Reflexive pronouns
Subject
Indirect
object
me*
Reflexive
Stressed
je
Direct
object
me*
me*
moi
tu
te*
te*
te*
toi
il,elle,on le, la
lui
se
lui,elle,soi
nous
nous
nous
nous
nous
vous
vous
vous
vous
vous
ils,elles
les
leur
se
eux,elles
Reflexive pronouns
 Reflexive pronouns are used only with pronominal
verbs (‘les verbes pronominaux’).
 They always agree with the subject of the sentence.
 Like object pronouns, the reflexive pronoun is
placed directly in front of the verb in all tenses except
the imperative.
 e.g. tu te lèves → lève-toi
Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns always agree with their subjects,
in all tenses and moods.
1.
2.
3.
I will get up
We went to bed
Are you going to shave?
 Reflexive verbs are common in French.
 There are many English expressions that are not





reflexive in English, but whose French equivalent is a
reflexive verb.
to get up
to make a mistake
to go to bed
to stop
to wake up
to take a walk
to be bored
to have fun
Interrogative pronouns
 Pronouns that replace a noun and introduce a
questions.
Reminder
 Subject: the person or thing that performs the action
of the verb.
 Direct object: a noun or pronoun which receives the
action of the verb directly, without a preposition
between the verb and the noun or pronoun object.
 Indirect object: a noun or pronoun which receives
the action of the verb indirectly, with the preposition à
(to) relating it to the verb.
Interrogative pronouns
 In both English and French, a different interrogative
pronoun is used depending on whether it refers to a
‘person’ or a ‘thing’.
 The form of the interrogative pronoun also changes
according to its function in the sentence.
Interrogative pronouns: subject
 In English:
 Person: Who is used for the subject of the sentence.
 Thing: What is used for the subject of the sentence.
 An interrogative pronoun as subject is always followed
directly by the verb.
Interrogative pronouns: subject
 In French: as in English, a different interrogative
pronoun is used depending on whether it refers to a
person or a thing.
 (1) Person: Qui + verb or Qui est-ce qui + verb
 (2) Thing: Qu’est-ce qui + verb
Interrogative pronouns: direct
object
 In English:
 A different interrogative pronoun is used depending




on whether it refers to a person or a thing.
Person: Whom is used for the object of the sentence.
Whom do you know here?
Thing: What is used for the object of the sentence.
What do you want?
Interrogative pronouns: direct
object
 In French: As in English, a different interrogative
pronoun is used depending on whether it refers to a
person or a thing.
 (1) Person: Qui est-ce que + subject + verb or Qui +
verb + subject.
 Qui est-ce que vous connaissez?
 Qui connaissez-vous?
Interrogative pronouns: direct
object
 (2) Thing: Qu’ est-ce que + subject + verb or Que +
verb + subject.
 Qu’est-ce que vous voulez?
 Que voulez-vous?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 In English: It is difficult to identify an English
interrogative pronoun functioning as an indirect
object or as an object of a preposition because the
interrogative pronoun is often separated from the
preposition of which it is the object.
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 Who did you speak to?
 Who did you get the book from?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 Restructuring the sentence:
 To establish whether an interrogative pronoun is an
indirect object or an object of a preposition, you will
have to change the structure of the sentence so that
the preposition is places before the interrogative
pronoun.
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 The following sentences have been restructured to
avoid a dangling preposition:
 Who are you giving the book to?
 To whom are you giving the book
 What are you contributing to?
 To what are you contributing?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 Who are you going out with?
 With whom are you going out?
 What are you writing with?
 With what are you writing?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 The same form of the interrogative pronoun is used as
an indirect object and as an object of a preposition.
 However, a different interrogative pronoun is used
depending on whether it refers to a person or a thing.
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 (1) Person: Who (whom) is used for indirect objects
and objects of a preposition:
 Who did you speak to?
 To whom did you speak
 Who did you get the book from?
 From whom did you get the book?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 (2) Thing: What is used for indirect objects and objects
of a preposition:
 What did you pay with?
 With what did you pay?
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 In French: As in English, the same form of the
interrogative pronoun is used as an indirect object
(always preceded by the preposition à) and as an
object of a preposition (always preceded by a
preposition other than à).
 As in English, a different interrogative pronoun is used
depending on whether it refers to a person or a thing.
Interrogative pronouns: indirect
object and object of a preposition
 (1) Person: The preposition + qui + est-ce que +
subject + verb or the preposition + qui + verb + subject.
 A qui est-ce que vous donnez le livre?
 A qui donnez-vous le livre?
 To whom are you giving the book?
 Avec qui est-ce que vous sortez?
 Avec qui sortez-vous?
 With whom are you going out?
 (2) Thing: The preposition + quoi + est-ce que +
subject + very or the preposition + quoi + verb +
subject.
 A quoi est-ce que vous contribuez?
 A quoi contribuez-vous?
 To what are you contributing?
 Avec quoi est-ce que vous écrivez?
 Avec quoi écrivez-vous?
 With what are you writing?