UTSA French Class Resources

Basic Grammar Terminology

I.  Grammatical nature and function of words

II. Parts of speech

III. Sentence structures

Note: Many of the terms and concepts explained below are common to both French and English grammatical analysis.  Some English terms have been invented to adapt key concepts particular to French analysis.   Terms and concepts are based in large part upon the classic Précis de grammaire française by Maurice Grevise (the 30th edition was published by Duculot, Louain-la-neuve, 1995).

I. Grammatical "Nature" And "Function" Of Words

The grammatical nature (la nature) of a word designates its part of speech (la partie du discours), its classification as an isolated word according to its form and its meaning. Examples: noun, verb, preposition, etc.

The grammatical function (la fonction) of a word (or group of words) designates its (their) role in relationship to other words in the sentence. Examples: subject, direct object, agent, etc.

Example: L'étudiant mange un grand repas.

II.  Parts of Speech  (les parties du discours)

a) definite article (l'article défini): indicates that the noun is completely determined either in a specific sense (Le film commence à 8 heures.) or in an abstract, general, or collective sense (J'aime la télévision.)

b) indefinite article (l'article indéfini): indicates that the noun is determined in an imprecise or as yet unknown manner (J'ai un ami. Y a-t-il des hommes ici?)

c) partitive article (l'article partitif): used with a noun referring to a thing that cannot be counted to indicate that only a certain amount or quantity of that thing is being designated (Voici de l'eau minérale.)

a) descriptive adjective (l'adjectif qualificatif): indicates a quality of the noun (Jacques est patient et calme.)

b) numerical adjective (l'adjectif numéral): indicates either the number (cardinal number -- le numéro cardinal) or the order (ordinal number --le numéro ordinal) of people, things, or ideas designated by the noun (J'ai rendez-vous dans dix minutes. C'est la première fois que je dîne au restaurant universitaire.)

c) possessive adjective (l'adjectif possessif): indicates the person or thing that possesses the noun (C'est sa chambre.)

d) demonstrative adjective (l'adjectif démonstratif): serves to point out the noun (Regarde ce livre!)

e) interrogative adjective (l'adjectif interrogatif): asks about the quality, nature, identity, or rank of a noun (Quel journal?)

f) exclamativo adjective (l'adjectif exclamatif): expresses admiration, shock, or indignation about the noun (Quel travail!)

g) indefinite adjective (l'adjectif indéfini): attaches to the noun a more or less vague idea of quality, quantity, identity, resemblance, or difference (Connaissez-vous quelques Français?)

NOTE-- The adverb of quantity (l'adverbe de quantité), when used to determine a noun by indicating a more or less vague idea of quantity, can be classified as a type of indefinite adjective. (Je mange beaucoup de viande.)

a) personal pronoun (le pronom personnel): designates and distinguishes among the person(s) speaking (Je visite Paris.), the person(s) being addressed (Tu parles anglais?), or the person(s) or thing(s) about which one is speaking (Il visite Paris.)

b) possessive pronoun (le pronom possessif): adds an idea of possession to that which it represents (Cette maison est plus confortable que la mienne.)

c) demonstrative pronoun (le pronom démonstratif): points out that which it represents (Je préfère ce journal-ci à celui-là.)

d) interrogative pronoun (le pronom interrogatif): asks about that which it represents seeking either the identity of an unknown person or thing (Qui parle à Henri?) or further information as to the quality, nature, identity, or rank of a person or thing already known or identified (Lequel de ces livres préfères-tu?)

e) relative pronoun (le pronom relatif): serves to join a noun or a pronoun, which it represents, to a clause which explains or determines this noun or pronoun (Voici une fille qui ne veut pas se marier.)

f) indefinite pronoun (le pronom indéfini): designates in a more or less vague manner that which it represents (Paul parle à quelqu'un.)

Forms of the verb (les formes du verbe).

Number (le nombre): designates whether the subject is singular (je parle, tu parles, il parle) or plural (nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent)

Person (la personne):

a) first person designates the person or persons who are speaking (je parle, nous parlons)

b) second person designates the person or persons being addressed (tu parles, vous parlez)

c) third person designates the person or persons, thing or things about which one is speaking (il parle, ils parlent)

Voice (la voix): designates the role of the subject in the action

a) active voice (la voix active): designates that the subject performs the action (Paul déteste Marc.)

b) passive voice (la voix passive): designates that the subject receives the action (Marc est détesté de Paul.)

Tense (le temps): indicates at which moment in time the action, state, or existence of the subject is situated (present, past, future: je parle, j'ai parlé, je parlerai, etc.)

Mood (le mode): indicates the manner in which the action, state, or existence of the subject is perceived and presented.

a) The indicative (l'indicatif) is used to state a fact or a concrete reality. (J'aime étudier.)

b) The imperative (l'impératif) is used to give orders. (Va au cinéma!)

c) The conditional (le conditionnel) is used to express a hypothetical situtation resulting from an objectively considered condition. (Si c'était les vacances, je voyagerais.)

d) The subjunctive (le subjonctif) is used to express a hypothetical situation considered subjectively. (Je veux que tu apprennes le français.)

e) The infinitive (l'infinitif), the noun form of the verb, is used to express the abstract idea of the verb without necessarily relating it to a subject. (J'aime étudier.)

f) The participle (le participe), the adjectival form of the verb, is used to express the idea of the verb in the manner of an adjective. (mon amie est très agitée.)

g) The gerund (le gérondif), the adverbial form of the verb, is used to express the idea of the verb while indicating a circumstance relative to another verb in the sentence. (Je travaille en écoutant la radio.)

Types of verbs (les espèces de verbes). A given verb may exist in one or more of the following type categories:

Transitive verb (le verbe transitif): a verb which expresses an action passing from a subject to an object or objects

a) Direct transitive verb (le verbe transitif direct): without an intervening preposition (Je détesteMarc.)

b) Indirect transitive verb (le verbe transitif indirect): with an intervening preposition (Je parleà Henri.)

c) both with and without an intervening preposition (Je donne mon argent à Paul.)

Reflexive verb (le verbe pronominal): a verb which is accompanied by a personal pronoun representing the same person or thing as the subject (Je me lave.)

Intransitive verb (le verbe intransitif): a verb which expresses an action limited to the subject and not passing on to an object (Pierre rentre.)

Linking verb (le verbe copule): a verb which joins the attribute to the subject (Suzanne est belle.)

Impersonal verb (le verbe impersonnel): a verb which is used konly in the third person singular form having for a subject the impersonal pronoun il(Il neige.)

III. Sentence Structures

III-A.  Basic Sentence Elements.

Subject (le sujet): the word or group of words indicating the person or thing which performs the action, or is in the state of being, expressed by the verb (or which recieves the action of a passive verb). (Paul déteste Marc.)

Verb (le verbe): a word which expresses 1) the action performed by the subject an active voice verb, 2) the action received by the subject of a passive voice verb, 3) the existence or state of the subject, 4) the union of the attribute to the subject

Verb complements (les compléments du verbe)

Object (les compléments d'objet): The word or group of words that completes the sense of the verb by indicating the person or thing which receives the action of a transitive verb; it is joined to the verb

a) direct object (le complément d'objet direct): without an intervening preposition (Je déteste Marc.)

b) indirect object (le complément d'objet indirect): with an intervening preposition (Je parle à Henri.)

Circumstantial complement (le complément circonstantiel): the word or group of words which completes the idea of the verb by providing details not involved in the action: consequence, cause, time, place, manner, etc. (Pierre rentre à Quebec.)

Agent of the passive verb (le complément d'agent du verbe passif): the word or group of words indicating the person or thing which carries out the action received by the subject (Marc est détesté de Paul.)

Attribute (l'attribut): The word or group of words expressing the quality, nature, state, which is "attributed" to the subject (Suzanne est belle.)

Modifiers (les déterminants,les compléments ...): The word or words that accompany the subject, verb complement, or attribute in order to define further their precise sense (Je possède une grande voiture. La voiture que je préfère est la Renault.)

III-B. Basic Sentence Structure Patterns*

(1) Subject + Direct Transitive Verb + Direct Object

Je déteste Marc.

(2) Subject + Indirect Transitive Verb + Indirect Object

Je parle à Henri.

(3) Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object + Indirect Object

Je donne mon argent à Paul.

(4) Subject + Intransitive Verb

Pierre rentre.

(5) Subject +  Linking Verb + Attribute

Suzanne est belle.

(6) Subject + Passive Voice Verb + Agent

Marc est détesté de Paul.

(7) Subject (Impersonal pronoun) + Impersonal Verb

Il neige.

* Circumstantial complements and modifiers, which can be added to all basic structure patterns, have been omitted for greater clarity of presentation. Reflexive verb structure patterns are variations of the basic patterns listed and have not been included.

III-C. Sentence And Clause Terminology

Sentence (la phrase): a group of words logically and grammatically organized to form a complete thought (Je déteste Marc.)

Simple sentence (la phrase simple): a sentence containing a single verb (Je déteste Marc.)

Complex sentence -- compound sentence (la phrase composée): a sentence containing more than one verb, each one of which forms the base of a clause (Je déteste Marc, et Marc déteste Hélène. J'habite à Paris où je suis étudiant.)

Clause (la proposition): a group of words logically and grammatically organized around a single verb.

Independent clause (la proposition indépendante): a clause which depends upon no other clause, and upon which no other clause depends, to express the complete thought of the sentence (Je déteste Marc, [et] Marc déteste Hélène.)

Principal clause (la proposition principale): a clause upon which one or more other clauses in the same sentence depends to express a complete thought (J'habite à Paris où je suis étudiant.)

Subordinate clause (la proposition subordonée): a clause which depends upon another clause in the same sentence to complete the thought it expresses (J'habite à Paris où je suis étudiant.)

Last Update: September 20, 1998