I hope you very kind people out there will correct my French essay! Some places I have problems with past tense, so there I could use some help.
Here's my essay:
Chère mère et père,
Comment Va va? Ici il va bien!
Hier nous arrivér dans la colonie de vacancies à Mulhouse, et les enfants étaient déjà content pour notre présence. Plus tard nous mangons et se coucher.
Aujourd'hui je suis beaucoup fatigue, et pour cette raison je n’ai pas le courage pour joue avec les enfants. Marcel essayait il y a un instant persuade moi de chante pour les enfants, mais je n'ai pas envie de chanter. Peut-être je suis sur le point tomber malade? J'espère que non! J’ai bon espoir, mais crains le pire. Je veux aprés tout joue avec les enfants, si seulement je n’ai pas tomber malade.
Mais en dépit de ma maladie, je me réjouis de demain, parce que nous allons pêcher le saumon dans le petit lac derrière le camp. Je espére que je attrape un grand poisson! Vous savoissez j'aime bien manger le poisson.
maintenant je s’embête, et je me demande ce que Marcel fait. Peut-être il joues de la guitare? On ne sait jamais qu’est-ce que il inventes!
Je suis complètement curi|euse maintenant, alors je veux vois qu’est-ce que il en réalité fait!
Porte-toi bien!
Bien affectueusement, votre Sofie.
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Because you will learn best by identifying the type of error and correcting it yourself, below your essay you will find the Key to Proofreading Symbols. When you reread your essay, look for (anything within parentheses) to identify the problem. After you have made all the corrections you can, feel free to repost for final proofreading.
Here's my essay:
Chère mère et père, (OR to include both parents = Chers parents, because chère only modifies mère)
Comment Va va? (** the "Va" and substitute "ça') Ici il (OR "tout" for everything) va bien!
Hier nous arrivér (** = passé composé for action = nous sommes arrivés) dans la colonie de vacancies (ort = always check spelling in a good dictionary) à Mulhouse, et les enfants étaient déjà content (nom = when subject is plural, adjectives are also) pour notre présence. Plus tard nous mangons et se coucher. (** both verbs; you might want to ask me for a good review of l'imparfait & passé composé. One word for the "imparfait" is "on going, was/were plus ing or used to while one word for the passé composé is "action = did happen.) Verbs should be "nous avons mangé et nous nous sommes couchés")
Aujourd'hui je suis beaucoup fatigue, (AA + gen) et pour cette raison je n’ai pas le courage pour joue (ort = after a preposition, ONLY an infinitive) n'ai (** assuming you wish to say "nor?" = ni chanter + delete the rest OR new clause = et je n'ai pas...etc.) pas envie de chanter. Peut-être je suis sur le point (+ de) tomber malade? J'espère que non! J’ai bon espoir, mais crains le pire. Je veux aprés tout joue (ort = must be infinitive) avec les enfants, si seulement je n’ai pas tomber (ort = tombé) (not the best sequence of tense to have present + past = si je ne suis pas malade, perhaps) malade.
Mais en dépit de ma maladie, je me réjouis de demain, parce que nous allons pêcher le saumon dans le petit lac derrière le camp. Je espére (ort = J'espère) que je attrape (ort = j'attrape, don't forget that in front of a vowel, you drop the "e" of Je) un grand poisson! Vous savoissez (ort = not sure what tense you want = savourez/savouriez/etc.) j'aime bien manger le poisson.
maintenant (M/m) je s’embête, (ort = reflexive verb must have reflexive pronoun agreeing with the subject pronoun = je m'embête) et je me demande ce que Marcel fait. Peut-être il joues (v = wrong verb ending for "il") de la guitare? On ne sait jamais qu’est-ce que il (ort = qu'il) inventes!(v = wrong verb ending for "il")
Je suis complètement curieuse (check ort on original) maintenant, alors je veux vois (** = run on sentence because you need the infinitive here) qu’est-ce que il (see above) en réalité fait!(CP = flows better with "qu'est-ce qu'il fait en réalité")
Porte-toi bien! (MD = because you have written to BOTH parents, are you telling BOTH to behave?!!)
Bien affectueusement, votre Sofie.
Proofreading Symbols:
Barème de correction:
ort = orthographe (spelling)
gen = genre (gender)
con = concordance (agreement of subject/verb or subject/adjective or adj/noun)
inf = infinitif (infinitive required)
nom = nombre (singular/plural problem)
prép = préposition (preposition required = à, de, en, etc.)
t = temps de verbe (verb tense)
subj.=subjonctif (subjunctive needed)
v = mauvais verbe (wrong verb)
p = ponctuation (punctuation correction needed)
voc = vocabulaire (wrong vocabulary choice)
imp.= imparfait (imperfect needed)
p/c .= passé composé needed
n/s = aucun sens (not clear what you are trying to say)
/\ = il manque un mot (Missing a word)
/\ /\ /\ = il manque 3 mots (etc.) (Missing 3 words, etc.)
M/m = changer du haut de casse/bas (Change to upper or lower case)
INT = intervertir l'ordre des mots (Change word order)
Esp. = espace (Open a space)
Sesp. = sans espace (Close up the space)
SA = sans accent (Take off accent)
NP = nouveau paragraphe (New paragraph)
EM = enlever mot (Take out/omit word)
CP = changer la position (Change position)
AA = ajouter un accent (Add an accent)
GR = faute de grammaire (Grammatical error) (Specify)
** = effacer (delete) / retirer le mot précédent (Omit the preceding word)
MD = mal dit (not well said)
NOTE: valiant effort! Once you find the types of errors you tend to make, keep a "hit list" and then proofread everything looking for those specific things. You will find you won't make the same error over and over! Please do ask for my review on past tense if you'd like. I can also send you sites for that.
Mme
Thank you so much! You make it much more understandable than my teacher.
If you could send me some sites or anything about past tense, I would be more than grateful.
Thank you for getting back to us! Let me collect them. If they aren't sites I can copy & paste (I hope) some of my worksheets that I used with my students.
I'll post under: French for Juliane
Mme
Here are some resources for learning about the past tense in French:
1. FluentU: This website has a variety of video clips with interactive subtitles, allowing you to practice listening and reading skills while learning about different verb tenses, including the past tense. You can find the French section here: https://www.fluentu.com/french/
2. Lawless French: This website offers lessons on various French grammar topics, including the past tense. You can find their lessons on past tenses here: https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/past-tenses/
3. Tense Review Worksheets: As mentioned earlier, I can provide worksheets that cover past tense usage in French. Let me know if you would like me to share these with you.
Remember that practicing regularly and incorporating the past tense into your conversations and writing will help you become more comfortable with this aspect of French grammar. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional assistance!
Here are some online resources that can help you with learning and understanding the past tense in French:
1. Lawless French: This website offers comprehensive explanations and examples of the various past tenses in French, such as the passé composé, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait. You can find the lessons here: https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/past-tense/
2. ThoughtCo: This website provides a collection of articles on different aspects of the past tense in French, including conjugations and usage. You can explore the articles here: https://www.thoughtco.com/french-past-tenses-4074928
3. Kwiziq French: Kwiziq offers interactive lessons and quizzes to practice various grammar topics, including the past tense. You can sign up for a free account and access their lessons on the past tense here: https://www.kwiziq.com/learn/french/grammar/le-passe-compose-and-auxiliary-verbs-conversational-past
In addition to these online resources, it's also helpful to practice using the past tense in context. Reading French literature, watching French movies or TV shows, and engaging in conversations with native speakers can all contribute to improving your understanding and usage of the past tense.
I hope these resources help you in your studies! Let me know if you have any other questions.