Français II Second Semester Study Guide
I. Vocabulary
A. Leçon 1B (À table!): table settings, food items, food shops, etc. (68-69)
B. Leçon 2A (La routine quotidienne): daily routines, hygiene, body parts, etc. (90-91)
C. Leçon 2B (J’ai mal!): health, remedies, well-being, illnesses, etc. (104-105)
D. Leçon 3A (Le son et l’image): communication, technology, electronics, etc. (126-127)
E. Leçon 4B (Où se trouve…?): directions, landmarks, etc. (176-177)
* Note that vocabulary from Leçons 3B and 4A was not studied – while there won’t be any specific
questions on this vocab, you may see some of it in question construction. I am happy to answer any
questions/translate these words if they cause confusion on the exam. Don’t worry about studying them in depth.
II. Grammar
A. Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs (76-77)
1. comparisons are formed by placing either: ______________ (more), ______________
(less), ______________ (as) before the adjective/adverb and the word __________ after
ex.
2. superlatives are formed by placing the appropriate ________________ article after the
noun, and before the comparative form. The preposition de often follows the superlative.
ex.
3. irregular comparative and superlative forms
adjective
comparative
superlative
adverb
comparative
superlative
B. Double object pronouns (78-79)
1. sequence
ex.
2. in an infinitive construction, the double object pronouns come after the conjugated verb and
precede the infinitive, just like single object pronouns.
3. in passé composé, the double object pronouns precede the auxiliary verb. The past participle
agrees with the preceding direct object.
ex.
4. in affirmative commands, the verb is followed by the DOP and then the IOP with hyphens in
between. Remember to use moi and toi instead of me and te.
ex.
C. Reflexive verbs (98-99): describes what a person does to or for himself/herself. In other words, it
“reflects” the action of the verb back to the subject. Reflexive verbs always use reflexive pronouns.
The pronoun se before an infinitive identifies the verb as reflexive.
1. pronouns:
je ____________
nous _____________
tu ____________
vous _____________
il/elle/on ___________
ils/elles ____________
ex.
2. some verbs can be used both reflexively and non-reflexively. If the verb acts upon something
other than the subject, the non-reflexive form is used.
ex.
3. when a body part is the direct object of a reflexive verb, it is usually preceded by a definite
article.
ex.
4. you form the imperative of a reflexive verb as you would a non-reflexive verb. Add the
reflexive pronoun to the end of an affirmative command. In negative commands, place the
reflexive pronoun between ne and the verb. (Remember to change me/te to moi/toi in
affirmative commands)
ex.
D. Reflexive verbs: idiomatic sense (100-101) – see the given pages for examples – remember that these
verbs do not literally express a reflexive meaning.
E. The passé composé of reflexive verbs (112-113)
1. use the auxiliary verb être with all reflexive verbs in the passé composé, and place the
reflexive pronoun before it.
ex.
2. if the verb is not followed by a direct object, the past participle should agree with the subject
in gender and number.
ex.
3. if the verb is followed by a direct object, the past participle should not agree with the subject.
Use the masculine singular form.
ex.
4. to make a reflexive verb negative in the passé composé, place ne before the reflexive pronoun
and pas after the auxiliary verb.
ex.
5. ask a question using inversion with a reflexive verb in the p.c. as you would with nonreflexive verbs. Place the subject pronoun after the auxiliary verb and keep the reflexive
pronoun before the auxiliary.
ex.
6. place a D.O.P. between the reflexive pronoun and the auxiliary verb. Make the past participle
agree with the D.O.P. that precedes it.
ex.
F. Reciprocal reflexives (136-137): express a shared or reciprocal action between two or more people or
things. In this context, the pronoun means (to) each other or (to) one another. (136)
1. the past participle of a reciprocal verb does not agree with the subject when the subject is also
the indirect object of the verb.
ex. Marie a aidé son frère. Ils se sont aidés. but
Lise a parlé à sa sœur. Elles se sont parlé.
2. common reciprocal verbs
to adore one another
to get along well (with
one another)
to help one another
to speak to one
another
to love (to like) one
to leave one another
another
to know one another
to look at one another
to tell one another
to meet one another
(make an
acquaintance)
to give one another
to meet one another
(planned)
to write one another
to phone one another
to kiss one another
G. Prepositions with the infinitive (134-135): some conjugated verbs are followed directly by an
infinitive. Others are followed by the preposition à or de before the infinitive.
1. place object pronouns before infinitives. Unlike definite articles, they do not contract with the
prepositions à and de.
2. the infinitive is also used after the prepositions pour and sans.
3. common verbs:
verbs followed directly by
verbs followed by à before
verbs followed by de before
infinitive
infinitive
infinitive
H. The conditional (150-151): expresses what you would do or what would happen under certain
circumstances.
1. formation:
a.
exception:
b.
je __________
nous __________
tu __________
vous __________
il/elle/on __________
ils/elles __________
2. special conditional forms:
il y a
il faut
il pleut
3. uses of the conditional:
a. to express what you would do or would happen
b. to make a polite request, soften a command
c. express what someone could or should do
d. use conditional with a past-tense verb to express what someone said or thought would
happen in the future at a past moment in time.
4. ex:
I. The futur simple (184-185): expresses what will happen.
1. formation:
a.
exception:
b.
je __________
nous __________
tu __________
vous __________
il/elle/on __________
ils/elles __________
2. special conditional forms:
il y a
il faut
il pleut
3. exemples:
J. Irregular future/conditional forms (150, 184, 186)
1. Most spelling change –er verbs in the conditional tense follow this conjugation rule
instead of
just using the infinitive:
a.
b.
exemples:
2. For –er verbs with an é before the infinitive ending form the conditional the same way as
regular verbs.
exemples:
3. Irregular future and conditional stems: only the stem is different – all endings are the same as
the regular forms
infinitive
stem
future/conditional forms example
aller
apercevoir
avoir
devoir
envoyer
être
faire
pouvoir
recevoir
savoir
venir
voir
vouloir
4. venir: the verbs devenir, maintenir, retenir, revenir, and tenir are patterned after venir, just
like in the present tense.
K. Si clauses (222-223): describes a condition or event upon which another condition or event depends.
1. can speculate or hypothesize about a current event or condition. They express what would
happen if an event or condition were to occur. This is called a contrary-to-fact situation.
In such instances, the verb in the si clause is in the ___________________, while the
verb in the main clause is in the ___________________.
Si + ______________________ = _______________________
ex.
2. can express conditions or events that are possible or likely to occur. In such instances, the si
clause is in the _________________ while the main clause is in the
___________________ or ____________________.
Si + _____________________ = ________________________
ex.
3. use a si clause alone with the imparfait to make a suggestion or express a wish.
ex.
L. Negative and affirmative expressions (172-173)
1. negative expressions:
none (not any)
never (not ever)
neither…nor
nobody, no one
no more (not anymore)
only
nothing (not anything)
2. to negate the expression il y a, place n’ before y and the second negative word after the form
of avoir.
3. the negative words personne and rien can be the subject of a verb, in which case they are
placed before the verb.
ex.
4. note that aucun(e) can be either an adjective or a pronoun. Therefore it must agree with the
noun it modifies. It is always used in the singular.
ex.
5. jamais, personne, plus, and rien can be doubled up with ne.ex.
6. to say neither…nor, use three negative words: ne…ni…ni. Note that partitive and indefinite
articles are usually omitted.
ex.
7. in the passé composé, the words jamais, plus, and rien are placed between the auxiliary verb
and the past participle. Aucun(e), personne, and que follow the past participle.
ex.
8. these expressions can be used in affirmative phrases. Note that when jamais is not
accompanied by ne, it can mean ever.
ex.
9. note that personne, quelque chose, quelqu’un and rien can be modified with an adjective
after de.
ex.
M. The irregular verbs: voire, croire, recevoir, and apercevoir (170-171)
1. voir: (
)
je _____________
nous ________________
tu _____________
vous ________________
il/elle/on _____________
ils/elles _________________
past participle: (avoir) + ________________
a. revoir (to see again) is derived from voir and is conjugated the same way.
2. croire: (
)
je _____________
nous ________________
tu _____________
vous ________________
il/elle/on _____________
ils/elles _________________
past participle: (avoir) + ________________
3. recevoir: (
)
je _____________
nous ________________
tu _____________
vous ________________
il/elle/on _____________
ils/elles _________________
past participle: (avoir) + ________________
4. apercevoir: (
)
j’ _____________
nous ________________
tu _____________
vous ________________
il/elle/on _____________
ils/elles _________________
past participle: (avoir) + ________________
a. s’apercevoir means to notice, to be aware of, or to realize.