Ch 1 · Lesson 4French · Chapter 1 · Lesson 4 · Grammar primer
Sentence basics: subject, verb, object
French runs subject, verb, object, like English - and never drops the subject: I eat is , never a bare .
The short version
French cannot drop the subject pronoun
.
Why?Hide
Spanish says como pan and means it; is not a French sentence. The endings eroded until , and all sound the same, so the pronoun carries the person instead. Every conjugated French verb needs its subject, every time.
The SVO baseline
Most French sentences run subject, verb, object, exactly like English. The verb sits second, after the subject.
.- I eat bread..-reads the book..- My brother writes a letter..- The children look at the car.
If French stopped there it would be easy. The six divergences below are where it does not.
Divergence 5: Subject pronouns are mandatory (no pro-drop)
Every conjugated French verb needs a subject, outside commands: a noun or a pronoun. The reason is in the endings. Four of the six present forms of sound exactly the same, because their endings are silent.
| Pronoun | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| I eat | |
| you eat | |
| / | | he / she eats |
| we eat | |
| you eat | |
| / | | they eat |
Without the pronoun, the listener cannot tell who is eating. So . (I eat bread) is a sentence, and . is only a command: Eat some bread!
Spanish can drop its pronoun because its endings still sound different (como, comes, come). French cannot. The full set, with on for we, is on French subject pronouns.
Going further: Divergence 1: Object pronouns shift before the verb and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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Lesson 4 of 14 in this chapter