Ch 27 · Lesson 11French · Chapter 27 · Lesson 11 · Grammar primer
Commencer par, finir par: when the linker changes the meaning
à is to start doing, to start by doing; is to end up doing; is to have just done.
The short version
: he ended up agreeing
.
Why?Hide
A few verbs change meaning with their preposition. is to finish doing; is to end up doing: a . à is to start doing; is to start by doing: . is the one to steal, because English has no compact way to say it.
When the linker changes the meaning
A few verbs take two linkers, and the choice changes what you say. and point at the action; points at its place in a sequence.
| Pair | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| à | . | It started to rain. |
. | Let's start by reading the letter. | |
. | I've finished eating. | |
. | He ended up accepting. |
is worth stealing: English reaches for ended up or in the end, and French just changes the linker.
Three more pairs change meaning completely:
| Pair | French | English |
|---|---|---|
. | I've just eaten. | |
. | I'm coming to see you. | |
| à | . | Remember to shut the door. |
. | I'm thinking of leaving tomorrow. | |
. | I decided to leave. | |
| à | . | I finally made up my mind to leave. |
is a tense of its own, covered on venir de. adds the hesitation that came first.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| . | : no linker |
| . | : no linker |
| . | |
| . | |
| . | à |
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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