I am not sure that I have the correct answers to these questions, I have been looking at this for ages. I have typed the paragraph and will put the questions underneath (I have done some of the other questions myself but these two I am struggling with)
Dans UNE ville Perse vivaient DEUX frères, don't l'un portait LE nom de Cassin et l'autre celui d'Ali Baba. LEUR père en mourant ne leur avait pas laissé UNE grosse fortune.
Questions: comment appelle-t-on les mots soulignés?
Où sont-ils placés par rapport aux noms?
I have written the underlined words in capitals as I can't underline on my iPad. I thought the answer was that they are 'articles' but leur is a pronom, so I am really confused. Then I though the answer is GN, but that would mean more than the word underlined (in caps)..
The second question I just don't understand what it means so I can't answer it until I know what it means! Can you translate for me and I can then answer it...hopefully!
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
It is a good idea to have the complete context of the question which in this case concerns grammar.
I suppose you have learned about the different groups, of which groupe nominal (GN) is one.
The (GN) consists mainly of the noun (nom) and determinants.
Determinants can belong to one of the following categories:
les articles, les déterminants démonstratifs, les déterminants possessifs, les déterminants cardinaux, les déterminants indéfinis, les déterminants interrogatifs, et les déterminants exclamatifs.
So this would permit you to verify to which category each of the capitalized words belong.
However, the exact definitions may differ from one grammarian to another. This best route is to check with the definition of determinants given in your own class notes.
Hope that is enough to answer you first question. Here are two links that gives further reading on determinants, and, and also one of the links will provide the answer to the second question. These two links are in French, so they will help you practise your reading skills.
Happy reading.
http://grammaire.reverso.net/1_1_05_les_differentes_categories_de_determinants.shtml
http://www.synapse-fr.com/manuels/DETERM.htm
The second question is:
"Où sont-ils placés par rapport aux noms?"
It means where are they ("les mots soulignés", or what you identified in question 1) placed/located relative to the nouns (noms).
In the given paragraph, the underlined words are "UNE," "DEUX," "LE," and "LEUR." Let's break down each word and determine their grammatical functions.
1. "UNE" is an indefinite article in French, which corresponds to "a" or "an" in English. It is used to indicate a non-specific quantity or a singular feminine noun. In the context of the sentence, "UNE" is placed before the word "ville" to specify that it is "A city."
2. "DEUX" is a cardinal number in French, which means "two" in English. It is used to indicate a quantity. In the given sentence, "DEUX" is placed before the word "frères" to specify that there are "TWO brothers."
3. "LE" is a definite article in French, which corresponds to "the" in English. It is used to indicate a specific noun. In the paragraph, "LE" is placed before the names "Cassin" and "nom" to specify that the names are "THE Cassin" and "THE name."
4. "LEUR" is a possessive pronoun in French, which means "their" in English. It is used to indicate possession by multiple people or things. In the given passage, "LEUR" is placed before the word "père" to indicate "THEIR father."
Regarding the second question, "Où sont-ils placés par rapport aux noms?" it translates to "Where are they placed in relation to the nouns?" The question is asking about the position of the underlined words in relation to the nouns in the sentence. To answer this question, you need to identify the position of the underlined words with respect to the nouns they modify or precede.
For example:
- "UNE ville Perse" (A Persian city): "UNE" is placed before the noun "ville" to indicate "A city."
- "DEUX frères" (TWO brothers): "DEUX" is placed before the noun "frères" to indicate "TWO brothers."
- "LE nom de Cassin" (THE name of Cassin): "LE" is placed before the noun "nom" to indicate "THE name."
Using this approach, you can analyze the positions of the underlined words relative to the nouns they are connected with.
I hope this explanation helps you understand the roles and positions of the underlined words in the given paragraph.