Can someone give me practice sentences for direct and indirect objects? I want to see if I am able to do them. Also can you give me some sentences to put in the passe compose? thanks!
Try to make them somewhat short
I sent this to our French expert, SraJMcGin.
I need her help extremely bad. I have a test tommorrow, and I don't really understand direct and indirect objects
Let's begin with Direct Objects:
FRENCH DIRECT OBJECTS:
If you had a good English class explaining "direct objects" you are half way there! I'm not sure if I should begin at the VERY beginning, or. . . . .
DIRECT OBJECTS in French:
me (m') = me
te (t') = you, familiar & singular
le (l') = him, it (masc. sing. object)
la (l') = her it (any fem. sing. object)
se (s') = himself, herself (these are reflexive pronouns which you probably have not had yet)
nous = us
vous = you, singular & formal or plural
les = them (people OR things)
se (s') = themselves (reflexive)
PLACEMENT:
They go BEFORE the verb of which they are the direct object (except in affirmative commands) to PLAY SAFE, but
They go directly after the verb (in affirmative commands) and are linked to it by a hyphen (me and te change to MOI and TOI after the verb.)
In the negative imperative (command) the object pronouns are again in front of the verb.
If you didn't understand these when you first studied them, THAT was the time to ask! You can not cram in French. You learn one step at a time and then keep building on that.
I don't even know what level French you are in. That would be the first thing to tell me.
EXAMPLES:
Je l'étudie. = I study it (or him or her)
Nous ne la voyons pas. - We do not see h er.
Elle va les finir. - She is going to finish them.
Ne l'a-t-il pas lu? Hasn't he read it?
NOTE: the verbs écouter (listen to), regarder (look at), chercher (look for), attendre (wait for) and demander (ask for) take a direct object in French (because the prepositions are part of the verb).
Je les écoute. - I'm listening to them.
On la cherche. - They are looking for her. (or it)
Affirmative commands:
Finissez-le = Finish it.
Vendons-les. - Let's sell them.
Negative commands:
Ne le finissez pas. - Don't finish it.
Ne les vendons pas. - Let's not sell them.
Digest that first and ask any questions you have about what you still don't understand.
Sra (aka Mme)
Next, Indirect Objects:
Indirect Object Pronouns
me (m') = me, to, for, at or from me
te (t') = you (fam. sing), to, for, at or from you
lui = him, to, for, at, from him
lui = her, to, for, at, from her
nous - us, to, for, at, from us
vous - you (formal sing, or pl.), to, for, at, from you
leur = them, to, for, at, from them
PLACEMENT
1. The indirect object pronoun is placed directly before the verb of which it is the object.
EXAMPLES:
Nous parlez-vous? = Are you talking to me?
Il m'a donné la clef. - He gave me the key. (He gave the key to me.)
Je ne lui vends pas la maison. - I'm not selling the house to her.
2. The verbs répondre (to answer) and obéir (to obey) take an indirect object in French. (give an answer TO, give obdience TO)
EXAMPLES:
Il lui répond. - He answers her.
Nous leur obéissons. - We obey them.
AFFIRMATIVE COMMANDS:
Parlez-moi. - Speak to me.
Répondons-lui. - Let's answer him (or her)
NEGATIVE COMMANDS:
Ne me parlez pas. - Do not speak to me.
Ne lui répondons pas. - Let's not answer them.
1. In an affirmative command (imperative), the object pronoun is placed directly after the verb & is linked to it by a hyphen. The pronoun me is changed to moi and te to toi.
2. In a negative command (imperative), the object pronoun is placed directly before the verb.
Now, have you yet studied double object pronouns in the same sentence? (both a direct and an indirect in the same sentence?)
Have you studied "y" and "en" yet?
Sra (aka Mme)
I THINK I GET IT NOW. I think I was actually making it a lot harder than it was.
DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS:
Double object pronouns, like single object pronouns are placed directly before the verb, except in the affirmative imperative.
ORDER OF OBJECT PRONOUNS BEFORE THE VERB:
me > le (l') > lui > y > en + verb
te > la (l') > leur > y > en + verb
nous > les >
vous >
EXAMPLES:
Il me les donne. - He gives them to me.
Vous l'ont-ils dit? = Did they tell it to you?
Ne la leur montrez pas. - Don't show it to them.
Je lui en parlerai. - I will speak to him about it.
Ne la leur montrez pas. - Don't show it to them.
Je lui en parlerai. - I will speak to him about it.
Ne l'y avez-vous pas vu? - Didn't you see him (or it) there?
Il n'y en a pas. - There aren't any.
NOTE: "y" and "en" follow all other object proouns.
Memorize the following frequent combinations:
me le
me la
me les
te le
te la le lui
te les BUT la lui
nous le les lui
nous la le leur
nous les la leur
vous le les leur
vous la
vous les
In the affirmative imperative (command), the object pronouns follow the verb and are connected to it, and to each other, by hyphens. The direct object precedes (goes "directly" in front of) the indirect object.
ORDER OF OBJECT PRONOUNS AFTER THE VERB IN AN AFFIRMATIVE COMMAND (IMPERATIVE):
-moi
-lui
-le -nous -y -en
VERB -la -vous
-les -leur
EXAMPLES:
Prêtez-les-moi. - Lend them to me.
Dites-le-nous. - Tell it to us.
Montrez-la-leur. - Show it to them.
Cherchez-les-y. - Look for them there.
NOTE: the combination moi + en = m'en
moi + y = m'y
EXAMPLES: Donnez-m'en . - Give me some.
Attendez-m'y. - Wait for me there.
Now, do you STILL need practice sentences?
The next and last will be the passé composé. Have you had BOTH with avoir and with être?
Sra (aka Mme)
Le passé composé:
The passé composé is composed of either the auxiliary/helping verb avoir or être in the Present Tense plus the past participle. The endings of the past participle of regular verbs are "é" for -er verbs, "i" for -ir verbs and "u" for -re verbs. There are, however, irregular verbs and I'll be happy to give you a list when you are ready for that. (parler = parlé / finir = fini / répondre = répondu)
Sixteen verbs are conjugated with être and when you are ready, I'll give you a list. Essentially they are verbs of "coming and going" and when you study l'imparfait, no doubt you will meet "Dr & Mrs Vandertramp" plus "The House of être."
There is agreement of the past participle. With verbs that use être, it agrees with the subject and with verbs that use avoir, it agrees with the PRECEDING direct object.
I certainly don't want to give you more than you need, so please tell me exactly what you need.
Sra (aka Mme)
Sure! I can provide you with some practice sentences for direct and indirect objects, as well as sentences to put in the passé composé.
Direct object sentences:
1. She bought a book.
- To find the direct object in a sentence, ask yourself "what did she buy?" The answer is "a book."
2. He kicked the ball.
- Ask yourself "what did he kick?" The answer is "the ball."
3. They ate pizza for dinner.
- Ask yourself "what did they eat?" The answer is "pizza."
Indirect object sentences:
1. He gave his sister a gift.
- To find the indirect object in a sentence, ask yourself "to whom/for whom did he give a gift?" The answer is "his sister."
2. She told me a secret.
- Ask yourself "to whom/for whom did she tell the secret?" The answer is "me."
3. They bought their children some toys.
- Ask yourself "to whom/for whom did they buy toys?" The answer is "their children."
Now, let's move on to sentences in the passé composé:
1. I have visited Paris.
- To form the passé composé in French, you need to use the auxiliary verb "avoir" (to have) or "être" (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb. In this case, the sentence uses "avoir" as the auxiliary verb. The past participle of "visiter" (to visit) is "visité."
2. She has finished her homework.
- The auxiliary verb "avoir" is used again. The past participle of "finir" (to finish) is "fini."
3. We have watched a movie.
- Once again, "avoir" is the auxiliary verb. The past participle of "regarder" (to watch) is "regardé."
Remember, when forming sentences in the passé composé, you need to match the gender and number of the subject with the past participle if the auxiliary verb is "être."
I hope these examples help you practice direct and indirect objects, as well as forming sentences in the passé composé!