Ch 27 · Lesson 10French · Chapter 27 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Commencer à, décider de: verbs with à or de
Starting, learning and managing lean to à ( à, à); stopping, deciding and trying lean to ( , ). A person can sit in between: .
The short version
Learn the verb and its à or
.
Why?Hide
No rule predicts whether a verb takes à, or nothing before an infinitive, but there are leanings. Starting, learning and managing lean to à: à, à, à. Stopping and deciding lean to : , . Wanting, needing and liking take nothing: , , . Learn each verb with its linker attached.
à: starting, learning, managing
The verbs lean towards getting something going or getting somewhere with it. A memory aid, not a test.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| start | . |
| start, burst out | . |
| carry on | . |
| learn | . |
| succeed | . |
| manage | . |
| hesitate | . |
| try, seek | . |
| remember | ! |
The glosses: It's starting to rain. She burst out laughing. He carries on working. I'm learning to drive. I managed to sleep. I can't get to sleep. I'm hesitating about leaving. He is trying to understand. Remember to shut the door!
is manage to, not arrive. is also correct, with no change of meaning.
de: stopping, deciding, trying
The longer list. Stopping, deciding, trying and forgetting lean to .
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| decide | . |
| try | . |
| forget | . |
| refuse | . |
| agree | . |
| stop | ! |
| finish | . |
| choose | . |
| avoid | . |
| be likely | . |
The glosses: I decided to stay. He's trying to understand. I forgot to eat. She refuses to answer. He agreed to come. Stop shouting! I've finished eating. She chose to leave. Avoid running. You may well arrive late.
becomes ' before a vowel: . - He forgot to call.
With a person in between
Some verbs put a person between the two verbs. The person can be direct (, ) or indirect (, ), and the linker still belongs to the verb.
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| direct + à | . | He helps me carry the bag. |
| direct + | . | Nothing stops me leaving. |
| indirect + | . | I told them to come. |
| indirect + | . | He asked me to wait. |
, , and all work like the last two rows. The full family is on infinitive or subjunctive.
Going further: No linker: vouloir, aimer, espérer and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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