Transcript Reflexive pronouns

Grammar Lecture 8
Pronouns (2)
Pronouns
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Personal pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Relative pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
(1) Personal pronouns (continued):
(a) object pronouns
 Object pronouns are used when a pronoun is either a
direct object, indirect object, or object of a
preposition.
Object pronouns
 In English:
 Most object pronouns are different from subject
pronouns, but the same pronouns are used as direct
objects, indirect objects, or objects of a preposition.
Subject and object pronouns in
English
Subject
Object
1st person
I
me
2nd person
you
you
3rd person
he/she/it
him/her/it
1st person
we
us
2nd person
3rd person
you
they
you
them
Singular
Plural
In French…..
 As in English, the pronouns used as objects are
different from the ones used as subjects.
 Unlike English, the form of an object pronoun often
changes depending on whether it is a direct object, or
an object of a preposition.
First and second persons singular
and plural
Subject
Direct object
Subject
Direct object
Singular
1st person
2nd person
je
tu
me
te
I
you
me
you
Plural
1st person
2nd person
nous
vous
nous
vous
we
you
us
you
 Identifying the function of nous and vous can be
confusing:
 same forms are used as subject and object.
 both subject and object forms are placed before the
verb.
Third person singular and plural
(him, her, it and them)
Subject
Direct object
Subject
Direct object
Singular
masculine
Feminine
il
elle
le
la
he, it
she, it
him, it
her, it
Plural
masculine
feminine
ils
elles
les
they
them
French indirect object pronouns
 First, make sure that the French verb takes an indirect
object.
First and second persons singular
and plural
Subject
Indirect
object
Subject
Indirect
object
Singular
1st person
2nd person
je
tu
me
te
I
you
(to) me
(to) you
Plural
1st person
2nd person
nous
vous
nous
vous
we
you
(to) us
(to) you
Third person singular and plural
(him, her, it and them)
Direct object
Singular
masculine
Feminine
Indirect
object
Direct object
Indirect
object
him, it
her, it
(to) him
(to) her
(to) it
them
(to) them
People Things
le
la
lui
y
Plural
masculine
feminine
les
leur
y
 There is only one form of the 3rd person indirect object
pronouns referring to things and ideas: y:
(1) Are you answering the letter? Yes, I am answering it.
(2) Do you obey the laws? Yes, I obey them.
Translate
 He gives his sister the gift
 He gives her the gift
Personal pronouns (continued)
Disjunctive (Stressed) pronouns
 French stressed pronouns (also known as disjunctive
pronouns) are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun
that refers to a person. There are 9 forms in French
Personal pronouns (continued)
Disjunctive (Stressed) pronouns
Subject Direct
object
je
me*
Indirect Reflexive Stressed
object
me*
me*
moi
tu
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
te*
Use of stressed pronouns for emphasis:
 To highlight or emphasise a pronoun, a common
strategy is to ‘double up’ by the addition of a stressed
pronoun.
• e.g. Subject pronouns:
• Toi, tu le crois peut-être mais lui, il ne le croit pas
• YOU might believe that, but HE doesn’t
Stressed pronouns: (subject)
 The stressed subject pronoun copy may equally appear
at the end of the clause with the same effect:
• Tu le crois peut-être toi, mais il ne le croit pas, lui.
Stressed pronouns: (subject)
• When third person subject pronouns are highlighted or
emphasised, the stressed pronoun alone may, on
occasions, be used:
 HE could do it
 THEY would know what to say
Stressed pronouns: (object)
 A common strategy is to add a second, stressed
pronoun at either the beginning or the end of the
clause:
 He confides in ME (and not in you)
 HE is known to be innocent
Stressed pronouns standing alone
 Stressed pronouns are normally used where the
pronoun stands alone, or is in a phrase without a verb:
 Qui est là?
Moi (not *je)
 Qui as-tu vu?
Lui (not *il)
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
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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