RELATIVE PRONOUNS I
Dont, Ce dont

"Dont" is a relative pronoun. "Dont" links a sentence's main clause to its subordinate clause by marking a noun in the main clause (the antecedent) as the object of an expression that requires the preposition "de" in the subordinate clause; :

A. Noun or Ponoun + Dont
In the following sentence, "dont" makes the noun "lion" in the main clause the object, in the subordinate clause, of "avoir peur," which requires the preposition "de":

Voilà le lion dont les enfants ont peur. =
Literally, "There is the lion of which the children have fear."
Normal translation, "There is the lion that the children fear."

Some expressions requiring "de."
avoir peur de
écrire de (about)
parler de
avoir besoin de
être content (satisfait, mécontent, etc.) de
douter de
être amoureux de
s'approcher de
se servir de
se méfier de
se souvenir de
avoir envie de

Exercise I. Substitute the expression requiring "de" for the underlined words in the following sentence (write full sentences):
Montrez-moi l'homme dont cette héroïne écrit (écrire de).
1. avoir peur de

2. douter de

3. être amoureuse de

Exercise II. Translate (full sentences): Click for vocabulary help
1. Where is the store you were speaking about.*

2. Look carefully (well) at the corner you are approaching.

3. Would you lend me the hammer you are using?

NOTE1: an English subordinate clause , as in number 1, may end with a preposition like "of," whereas a French sentence may not. French incorporates the preposition into the relative pronoun, as in "dont."
NOTE 2: "dont" is never used to replace "de" within a compound preposition such as "au sujet de."
NOTE 3: The noun (antecedent) to which "dont" refers may be one of the pronouns "celui, celle, ceux, celles," which are translated "the one," "the ones," or "those." Ex: Parmi tes étudiantes, choisis celle dont tu es le plus content. = Among your students choose the one whom you are the happiest with.

Exercise. Translate: Click for vocabulary help
1. Among the films ("le film") you have seen, tell me the one you remember best.

2. Among the cities ("la ville") we will visit, Paris is the most magnificent.

3. Among the children, I will point out those whom I mistrust.

B. Ce dont:
If the antecedent of "dont" refers to an indefinite idea that has not been mentioned or to a clause, this antecedent is "ce." It is often translated as "what" or "which." If "ce dont" is preceded by "tout" it means "everything that" or "all that."

Example:
1. Dis-moi ce dont tu écris. = Tell me what you are writing about.
2. Il est arrivé en retard, ce dont je suis très mécontent. = He arrived late, which I am very unhappy about.
3. Je te dirai tout ce dont j'ai besoin. = I will tell you all that (everything) I need.

Exercises. Translate (complete sentences): Click for vocabulary help
1. Do you know what you want ("avoir envie de")?

2. He recounted what he remembered about the trip ("se souvenir de").

3.Paul hesitates to help, with which I am very dissatisfied.

C. "Whose" introduces a possessed object. It is also translated by "dont." There are two different grammatical situations in which "dont" occurs:

1. If the object possessed is the subject of the verb in the subordinate clause, the name of this object immediately follows "dont," as it does "whose" in English.
Example:
Voilà un magasin dont les prix sont exorbitants. = Here is a store whose prices are exorbitant.

2. If the object possessed is the direct object of the verb in the subordinate clause, the name of this object follows the verb in the subordinate clause, which differs from English:
Example:
Voilà un magasin dont j'adore les marchandises. = Here is a store whose products I adore.

Exercises. Translate (whole sentences): Click for vocabulary help
1.We will pass through a town whose inhabitants are strange.

2. We will pass through a town whose inhabitants we do not know.

3. The Near East is a part of the world whose petroleum products are essential.

4 They will speak to the woman whose daughter they admire.

D. Review Exercises:
1. Translate into English:
a. Elle a parlé au professeur dont le chien était doré.

b. Tu es amoureux du garçon dont je connais le frère.

c. Nous appartenons au groupe dont vous avez parlé.

d. J'expliquerai ce dont tu auras besoin.

e. A-t-il joué avec l'enfant dont le père est chimiste.

f. Nous rendrons visite au professeur dont j'ai suivi le cours.


2. Translate into French : Click for vocabulary help
a. Among your friends, show me the one (f.) with whom Marie is in love.

b. We are not among those whose parents are rich.

c. Why do you doubt those (f.) whose reasons you do not
understand?

d. Tell me which tool I should use to repair the window.

e. What I want ("avoir envie de") is to travel around the world.


Vocabulary:
the store=le magasin
the corner=le coin
the hammer=le marteau
to point out=faire remarquer
mistrust=se méfier de
the trip=le voyage
to hesitate=hésiter à
inhabitant=un habitant
Near East=Le Proche Orient
petrolium product=le produit pétrolier
to repare=réparer

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