LES PRONOMS DEMONSTRATIFS
I The variable demonstrative pronouns are
"celui," "celle," "ceux,"
"celles." They are variable because they agree in
gender and number. They are used to translate into French
"the one(s) (that), "the one(s) (which), "the
one(s) (who)" (never use "l'un"). Variable
demonstrative pronouns can be used with any relative pronoun.
Ex.
1. Among the pens, give me the one that
works.=Parmi les stylos, donnez-moi celui qui
marche.
2. Do you see the one (who) I spoke
about?=Voyez-vous celui dont j'ai parlé?
3. Show me the one (that) you spoke
to.=Montrez-moi celui à qui tu as parlé.
Some verbs that are followed by the prepositions "de" and "à" or by a direct object are:
| Verbe + de +complément avoir peur de avoir besoin de douter de être amoureux de se souvenir de être content de écrire de |
Verbe + à penser à qqn/qqch réfléchir à qqch assister à qqch raconter qqch à qqn rendre visite à qqn obéir à qqn parler à qqn téléphoner à qqn s'intéresser à qqn/qqch |
Verbe + object direct attendre qqch demander qqch dire qqch écouter qqch écrire qqch expliquer qqch promettre qqch raconter qqch suggérer qqch |
II Variable Demonstrative Pronouns are also used with
"de" to indicate people or things possessed by someone
or something.
Ex.
1. I am thinking about your ideas and Mari-Claire's.=Je
réfléchis à tes idées et à celles de
Marie-Claire.
2. She is cleaning the apartments on the first floor and those
on the second floor.=Elle nettoie les appartements du
rez-de-chaussée et ceux du premier étage.
B. The French use "cela" and "ça"
much less frequently than Americans use the equivalent pronouns,
"this" and "that," especially in writing. The
French prefer to replace "cela" and "ça"
with the demonstrative adjectives "ce,"
"cet," "cette," or "ces" followed
by a noun that resumes the entire idea.
Ex.
Il a pris le train?
That surprises me.=Cette action
me surprend.