A question about Les mots negatifs usuels... how would i write the negative for example A-t-elle des freres et des soeurs.. i know i would use ne..ni...ni
And also the same for Ont-ils beaucoup travaille
I think for the first on i would put ni in replace of et
and the second i think it would be N'ont ils guere travaille
I'll send this to Sra.
Thank you
Your instructions merely said negative. That is usually "ne...pas" but then you mention "ni...ni." Please clarify those instructions because there are other negative words as well.
N'a-t-elle pas de frères et de soeurs? OR
N'a-t-elle ni frères ni seurs?
N'ont-ils pas beaucoup travaillé?
Please keep in mind that if the necessary accentmarks are missing, it will be incorrect.
Sra (aka Mme)
As usual, I'll flag this ad come back later.
i have to write given phrases in the negative.. im given a list such as (ne..plus, ne..guere, ne..personne..) and use them.
im just confused on the placement of them.
Also when it the phrase is "est-ce que..
for example Est-ce qu'elle a des amis et des ennemis? would it be Est-ce qu'elle n'a des amis ni ennemis
And shouldnt it be N'ont-ils guere travaille... this is according to the chart im given..
And i also want to ask you.. what is the proper translation of "Do not run" would it be Ne courez pas or ne pas courir. i think it is ne pas courir
And i also want to ask you.. what is the proper translation of "Do not run" would it be Ne courez pas or ne pas courir. i think it is ne pas courir
Ellie/Rose -- please use the same name.
Why would you use the infinitive when the verb should be imperative?
Because my teacher gave an example which was:
Do not eat/drink! = Ne pas Manger/Boire
First of all, I resist reading French without the proper accents. Secondly, there are so many questions here that I hope I catch them all. Why not just do one post with numbered questions? (1, 2, 3, etc.)
NEGATIVES:
1. In simple sentences, "ne" precedes the verb and pronon objetts, the secon part of the negative follows the verb (or the object p ronouns in itnterrogative word order:
Son coeur ne battait plus. = His heart was no longer beating.
Nous ne les admirons pas du tout. - We don't admire them at all.
Ne vous faut-il qu'une heure? = Do you only need an hour?
2. In compound tenses, the second part of most negattives precedent the past participle.
Je n'aurais point passé mon temps a dormir = I would not have spent my time sleeping.
Pourquoi Charles n'a'til guère étudié? = Why has Charles scarcely studied?
Malgré sa joie, elle n'avait rien dit. - In spite of her oy, she had said nothing.
3. HOWEVER:
a. Personne follows the past paraticiple.
Elle n'a jamais trompé personne. - She has never deceived anyone.
Ils n'en ont parlé à personne. - They spoke to no one about it.
b. Que precedes the word or words st ressed as does the word only in English.
Il n'a acheté que des petits pains. - He bought only rolls.
Elle ne m'avait ttéléphon∑w
Thank you. I just asked 2 questions... and i cant type accents on my keyboard but i do include them in my text always.
1. Thank you i will use your guide for the negative
2. I asked which is correct, Ne courez pas or ne pas courir? because my teacher gave the example mentioned above.. but Ms.Sue questioned why you would use the infinitive
Sorry a glitch caused this to post before I was finished!
Elle ne m'avait téléphoné que deux fois. - She had telephoned me only twice.
c. Each part of ni...ni precedes the word or words stressed.
L'eau n'était ni chaude ni froide. - The water was neither hot nor cold.
Je n'ai ni vu le film ni lu le roman. - I've neither seen the film nor read the novel.
d. Aucun and nul precede the nouns they modify.
Cela ne posera aucun problème. - That will pose no problem .
Nul homme ne sait le faire. - No man can do it.
Il ne pouvait le trouver nulle part. - He couldn't find it anywhere.
e. Both parts of the negative generally precede the infinitive.
Il s'était arrété pour ne pas tomber. - He had stopped in order not to fall.
Il vaut mieux ne rien dire. - It is better to say nothing.
4. Rien and personne may be used as subjects of the verb. Ne remains in its usual place. before the verb.
Rien n'est arrivé. - Nothing happened.
Personne ne savait pronouncer le mot. - No one knew how to pronounce the word.
5. Ne is used only with a verb, but the second part of a negative may be used alone, without a verb:
Ils n'y sont pas restés. Pourquoi pas? = They didn't stay. Why not?
Qu'a-t-elle repondu? Rien du tout. - What did she answer? Nothing at all.
Plus d'argent. = No more money.
Qui mérite le prix? Ni lui ni elle. - Who deserves the prize? Neither he nor she.
6. Jamais with a verb but without ne mens ever.
Avez-vous jamais traversé la Manche? - Have you ever crossed the English Channel?
Jamais with a verb and ne means never. Jamais used without a verb also means never.
Non, je ne l'ai jamais traversée. Jamais. = No I have never crossed it. Never.
7. Ne is sometimes used without pas with the verbs cesser, oser,pouvoir and savoir. In this case, the verb is generally followed by an infinitive.
Elles ne cessent de bavarder. - They don't stop chattering.
Nous n'osons le lui dire. - We don't dare tell him.
Je ne puis vous comprendre. - I cannot understand you.
Il ne sait que faire. - He doesdn't know what to do.
NOTE:
1. The negative ne...point, although stronger than ne...pas is comparatively infrequent.
2. Ne...nu is generally restricted in literary writing.
3. Si (yes), is used to contradict a negative statament or question.
'Vous n'avez pas fini le travail. Si, je l'ai fini. - You haven't finished the work. Yes, I have.
Ne joue-t-elle pas du piano? Mais si! = Doesn't she play the piano? Why, yes!
4. The pronoun personne is masculine; the noun personne is feminine.
Personne n'est venu. - No one came.
Une seule personne est venue. - Only one person came.
5. The negative expression ni...non plus (nor...either, neither) may be used with a noun or disjunctive pronoun.
Jacques ne fume pas. Ni Raoul non plus. - Jacques does not smoke. Neither does Ralph.
Elle n'a pas faim. Ni moi non plus. = She is not hungry. Neither am I.
I never was able to proofread the first part because it posted before I was finished. This computer is so old that it skips letters and/or adds them! It does not help that I am losing my eyesight either.
Negatives are truly for an advanced student. I have no idea what level you are but this could be over your head, based on some of the questions you ask. In any event, you have a full REVIEW above.
Let me post this before I lose it and then come back to answer your other questions.
Sra (aka Mme)
"N'ont-ils guère travaillé." IS correct, with the proper accent marks.
The proper way to say "Do not run" is "Ne courez pas" or "Ne cours pas. (formal or familiar)
"Est-ce que (qu')" is used to ask a question, when you don't want to use inversion.
Est-ce qu'elle ne dort pas? = Doesn't she sleep? VS Ne dort-elle pas? = Doesn't she sleep?
Let's look at this one: "Est-ce qu'elle a des amis et des ennemis? would it be Est-ce qu'elle n'a des amis ni ennemis " = MEMORIZE "PAS DE (D') because in any negative sentence or question, the partitive "des" becomes "de or d') = Est-ce qu'elle n'a pas d'amis, or with ni...ni = Est-ce qu'elle n'a ni amis ni ennemis? (both amis and ennemis could be singular because you acould be asking if she has any friend or ennemy)
Again I'll flag this but because it is getting so long and cumbersome, why not either put all your questions together in a new post OR post each one separately? (please)
And finally, what about ne pas manger/boire. You MIGHT see this posted as a sign somewhere, without the Imperative.
Sra (aka Mme)
Ok thank you very much.. i really appreciate it. I will put my questions all on one post.
1. So is the ne pas manger/boire correct.. and should i follow it for my other examples?
2. And can i send you my answers from my work if my negative sentences are correct? If not, i do understand you have done a lot today so that's fine.
Here are my sentences:
1. Est-ce que tu n'es alle pas au concert hier soir
2. N'ont -ils guere travaille
3. Ne connais-tu personne en France
4. N'as-tu mange personne les gâteaux
5. Ne fument-ils jamais
Am i correct?
1. That would depend upon the directions you were given. If you wish to "cover all bases" you might put both: ne pas manger / ne mange/mangez pas
2. I will always look at your answers if I see them.
Your sentences:
1. You need to know if "tu" is masculine or singular for the past participle, which requires an accent mark in any case. feminine = allée / masculine = allé
But the negative is correct.
2. 2 accents missing = guère & travaillé
3. ok
4. oops = who IS the subject? Personne or tu? I would guess you are trying to say "Didn't anyone eat the cakes?" = Est-ce que personne n'a mangé les gâteaux?
5. Is this a question? It has to be if you use inversion.
statement = ils ne fument jamais
question = ne fument-ils jamais?
I'll flag this in case you still have questions.
Sra (aka Mme)