Ch 27 · Lesson 17French · Chapter 27 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Content de, prêt à: adjectives with de or à
Adjectives of feeling and certainty take ( ); readiness, habit and rank take à ( , ).
The short version
,
.
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Adjectives of feeling and certainty take before a verb: , , , . Adjectives of readiness and aptitude take à: à, , . ; . As with verbs, learn the adjective with its preposition attached.
Adjectives and nouns pick their own linker before an infinitive, just as verbs do. Learn the pair: , , . Here is the whole system on one screen.
| Word | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| feeling | . | I'm glad to see you. |
| readiness | . | I'm ready to leave. |
| + subject | . | This book is easy to read. |
. | It's easy to read this book. | |
| noun | . | He has the right to refuse. |
| what it is for | | a washing machine |
Adjectives with de: feelings and certainty
If the adjective says how you feel or how sure you are, bet on .
| Adjective | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | I'm glad to see you. |
| . | Pleased to meet you. |
| . | Sorry to be late. |
| . | He's proud to have succeeded. |
| . | I'm sure I'll win. |
| . | She can do anything. |
| . | You're free to leave. |
becomes ' before a vowel. The adjective still agrees while you choose the linker: . - She's glad to come.
takes before a noun too: . - She's proud of her son.
Adjectives with à: ready, used to, first
Readiness, habit and rank take .
| Adjective | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | We're ready to leave. |
| . | I'm used to working late. |
| . | He's determined to succeed. |
| . | He's slow to understand. |
| . | She's the first to arrive. |
| . | He's the last to leave. |
| . | You're the only one who knows. |
is a classic English speaker's slip: ready to suggests nothing, and they guess . Watch : the verb is , the adjective .
Going further: C'est facile à faire, il est facile de le faire and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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