Ch 27 · Lesson 19French · Chapter 27 · Lesson 19 · Grammar primer
Le droit de, une machine à laver: nouns with de or à
A noun before an infinitive takes ( , ), except à for what a thing is for ( , ).
The short version
, : nouns take
.
Why?Hide
A noun followed by an infinitive almost always takes : a , , . The exception is à for what a thing is for, or what there is to do: , .
Nouns: nearly always de
A noun followed by an infinitive takes . That is close to a rule.
| Noun | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | He has the right to refuse. |
| . | I don't have time to eat. |
| . | I got the chance to see her. |
| . | She had the courage to leave. |
| . | You have no reason to cry. |
The everyday phrases work the same way:
.- I feel like sleeping..- I need to talk..- I'm afraid of falling.
à for what a thing is for
A noun takes + infinitive when the infinitive says what the thing is for, or what there is to do.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| a washing machine | |
| a dining room | |
| something to drink | |
| nothing to do | |
?- Is there anything to eat?
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| . | readiness: à |
| . | rank: à |
| . | noun + infinitive: |
| . | stands for nothing: |
| . | replaces |
| . | the adjective takes à |
Going further: Adjectives with de: feelings and certainty 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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