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    Adjectives

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    Avani Kukreja
    This document discusses key differences between adjectives in French and English. It notes that while adjectives serve the same purpose in both languages of modifying nouns, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. It also explains that French adjectives typically follow nouns, unlike in English where adjectives precede nouns, with some exceptions. The document provides examples of regular adjective endings and placement with nouns in French sentences.

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    Adjectives

    Uploaded by

    Avani Kukreja
    52 views3 pages
    This document discusses key differences between adjectives in French and English. It notes that while adjectives serve the same purpose in both languages of modifying nouns, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. It also explains that French adjectives typically follow nouns, unlike in English where adjectives precede nouns, with some exceptions. The document provides examples of regular adjective endings and placement with nouns in French sentences.

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    Adjectives (9)

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    This document discusses key differences between adjectives in French and English. It notes that while adjectives serve the same purpose in both languages of modifying nouns, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. It also explains that French adjectives typically follow nouns, unlike in English where adjectives precede nouns, with some exceptions. The document provides examples of regular adjective endings and placement with nouns in French sentences.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    52 views3 pages

    Adjectives

    Uploaded by

    Avani Kukreja
    This document discusses key differences between adjectives in French and English. It notes that while adjectives serve the same purpose in both languages of modifying nouns, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. It also explains that French adjectives typically follow nouns, unlike in English where adjectives precede nouns, with some exceptions. The document provides examples of regular adjective endings and placement with nouns in French sentences.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Adjectives

    Adjectifs
    One of the eight parts of speech, adjectives are a type of modifier; that is, they modify or
    describe nouns in a certain way, letting you know the size, shape, weight, color, nationality,
    or any of a myriad other possible qualities of nouns.

    Adjectives serve the same purpose in French and English, but they are very different in two
    other respects.

    Characteristics of French Adjectives


    1. Modify nouns
    2. Must agree in gender and number with nouns
    3. Usually follow nouns
    4. May be modified by adverbs

    1. Gender and Number of French Adjectives


    English adjectives have a single form, but in French, they can have up to 4* forms, according
    to the gender and number of the nouns they modify:

    masculine singular   masculine plural

    feminine singular   feminine plural

    Masculine singular is the default form, to which the feminine and/or plural endings are
    added. For regular adjectives,** these endings are e for feminine and s for plural.

    Par exemple…

    petit (small)

    le petit verre   les petits verres

    la petite   les petites


    tasse tasses

    When the default form of the adjective ends in s or x, the masculine singular and plural
    forms are the same.

    Par exemple…
    surpris (surprised)

    Il est surpris.   Ils sont surpris.

    Elle est   Elles sont


    surprise. surprises.

    When the default form of the adjective ends in a, e, or o, the masculine and feminine forms
    are the same.

    Par exemple…

    calme (calm)

    un homme calme   des hommes


    calmes

    une femme   des femmes calmes


    calme

      See the links to irregular feminine and plural forms at the end of this lesson.
    *There are a few adjectives that have 5 forms.

    **All regular and most irregular present participles and past participles follow these rules.

    Quiz: Adjective agreement

    2. Placement of French Adjectives


    While English adjectives are always placed in front of the nouns they describe, most French
    adjectives follow nouns:

    Par exemple…

    le stylo bleu   the blue pen

    une histoire   an interesting story


    intéressante

      There are, however, a few dozen French adjectives that precede nouns. Most of these
    can be memorized with the simple acronym BAGS:
    Beauty une belle fille a beautiful girl
    un joli appartement a nice apartment

    Age un jeune homme a young man


    une vieille dame an old woman

    Good and une bonne idée a good idea


    bad un mauvais a bad restaurant
    restaurant

    Size un grand livre a big book


    une petite maison a small house

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