HIGHER FRENCH GRAMMAR Making sentences negative

Negatives you already know NE … PAS NE … JAMAIS = not = never NE is shortened to N’ if the verb starts with a vowel or “h”

Negatives you already know Remember, the negative goes AROUND the verb. VERB = Make a negative verb sandwich!

Negatives you already know After ‘pas’, du, de la, un, une and des become ‘de’ J’ai un frère (I have a brother) Je n’ai pas de frères (I haven’t got any brothers) Il y a une piscine (There is a swimming pool) Il n’y a pas de piscine (There isn’t a swimming pool)

Make the following sentences negative, using either NE…PAS or NE…JAMAIS as indicated: 1. Je regarde la télé (not) 2. Il joue au foot (never) 3. Elle écoute le prof (never) 4. Tu vas au cinéma? (not) 5. Il fait ses devoirs (never) 6. Je sors ce soir (not) Practice 1 Je ne regarde pas la télé Il ne joue jamais au foot Elle n’écoute jamais le prof Tu ne vas pas au cinéma? Il ne fait jamais ses devoirs Je ne sors pas ce soir

Other negatives There are another 6 negatives you need to know: NE … RIEN NE … PLUS NE … PERSONNE NE … QUE NE … NI … NI NE … AUCUN = nothing / not anything = no longer / no more = no-one = only = neither … nor = not a single, none at all

Il fait (nothing) Il ne fait rien (He does nothing) (He doesn’t do anything) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

J’aime les pommes (no longer) Je n’ aime plus les pommes (I don’t like apples any more) (I no longer like apples) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

Elle écoute (no-one) Elle n’ écoute personne (She doesn’t listen to anyone) (She listens to no-one) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

Je regarde les films (only) Je ne regarde que les films (I only watch films) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

Je regarde Friends / ER (neither … nor) Je ne regarde ni Friends ni ER (I watch neither Friends nor ER) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

Je regarde les feuilletons (not a single, not any) Je ne regarde aucun feuilleton (I don’t watch any soaps) Practice 2 Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:

Reminder NE … PAS NE … JAMAIS NE … RIEN NE … PLUS NE … PERSONNE NE … QUE NE … NI … NI NE … AUCUN = not = never = nothing / not anything = no longer / no more = no-one = only = neither … nor = not a single / not any

Practice 3 Using the negative phrases you have just learnt, copy and translate the following sentences: I don’t have a part-time job anymore Je n’ai plus de petit boulot I don’t earn any money Je ne gagne pas d’argent I never go out during the week Je ne sors jamais pendant la semaine I never do anything in school Je ne fais rien à l’école

You didn’t think it was going to be that easy did you? COMPOUND VERBS (a verb that is made up of 2 parts) When the verb is made up of 2 parts, the second part of the negative is usually placed after the first part of the verb. Things to watch out for!

Il a fait (nothing) (He has done) Il n’a rien fait (He hasn’t done anything) COMPOUND VERBS Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated: 1st part of verb 2nd part of verb 1st part of negative 2nd part of negative

COMPOUND VERBS Examples Copy and translate the following sentences: Je suis allé en vacances avec mes parents. > (I didn’t go on holiday with my parents) Je ne suis pas allé en vacances avec mes parents. 2. J’ai fumé >(I’ve never smoked) Je n’ai jamais fumé 3. Je veux travailler>(I don’t want to work anymore) Je ne veux plus travailler

Ils n’ont vu personne (They didn’t see anyone) COMPOUND VERBS 2 There is one exception to this rule ne…personne. In this case personne goes after the second part of the verb. 1st part of verb 2nd part of verb 1st part of negative 2nd part of negative

Je m’entends bien avec ma sœur (not) (I get on with my sister) Je ne m’entends pas bien avec ma sœur (I don’t get on with my sister) REFLEXIVE VEBRS With reflexive verbs the first part of the negation is placed before the reflexive pronoun reflexive pronoun verb 1st part of negative 2nd part of negative

REFLEXIVE VERBS Examples Copy and translate the following sentences: Je me dispute avec mes parents >(I don’t argue with my parents) Je ne me dispute pas avec mes parents Le week-end, je me réveille de bonne heure >(At the weekend, I never wake up early) Le week-end, je ne me réveille jamais de bonne heure

Jamais, personne and rien can be used on their own JAMAIS / PERSONNE / RIEN -Qu’est-ce que tu prends au petit déjeuner? -Rien

Personne and rien may also be subjects and will need to be placed at the begining of the sentence. Watch out! ne is still required! PERSONNE / RIEN Personne ne le connaît (no-one knows it) Rien ne me plaît (nothing pleases me)

Recap Exercises Copy and translate the following sentences: Nobody knows where he is Personne ne sait où il est They didn’t hurry up Ils/elles ne sont pas dépéché(e)s I haven’t finished my homework Je n’ai pas fini mes devoirs She doesn’t want to lend me her car Elle ne veut pas me prêter sa voiture Our French teacher is never angry Notre professeur de français n’est jamais en colère

More practice If you want to practise a bit more, go to my blog where you’ll find a negatives quiz http://misscollins.edublogs.org or http://zut.languageskills.co.uk/361.html