Using French: A Guide to Contemporary Usage

by R. E. Batchelor , M. H. Offord

• ISBN13: 9780521645935
• ISBN10: 052164593X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-05-01
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This is a new, thoroughly revised edition of the acclaimed Using French. It provides guidance for those who have already acquired the basics of French and wish to extend their knowledge of the language. Unlike conventional grammars, it gives special attention to those areas of the vocabulary and grammatical usage of contemporary French that cause most difficulty to English-speakers, and incorporates the concept of register differences throughout. Clearly laid out and easy to consult, it will prove invaluable to all who wish to improve their fluency and confidence in French.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Foreword to second edition	xii
Foreword to third edition	xiii
Abbreviations	xiv
Register	1	(30)
Varieties of language	1	(1)
Peripheral factors	2	(1)
Central factors	2	(3)
Field	2	(1)
Purpose	2	(1)
Medium	3	(1)
Register	3	(2)
Register as used in this book	5	(2)
Illustration of register	7	(12)
Pronunciation and liaison	8	(3)
Vocabulary and grammar	11	(8)
Passages illustrating levels of register	19	(12)
A la sortie du cinema	19	(2)
Une agence de voyages	21	(2)
Part of a debate organised by L'Express	23	(2)
Passage from de Gaulle's Memorires	25	(1)
Passage from Albert Camus' La Peste	26	(1)
Passages from Le Monde and Liberation	27	(4)
Vocabulary	31	(164)
Misleading similarities: deceptive cognates	31	(7)
Deceptive cognates proper	31	(6)
Partial deceptive cognates	37	(1)
Homonyms and ambiguity	38	(14)
Homonyms differentiated by gender but with identical spelling	39	(3)
Homonyms differentiated by both gender and spelling	42	(1)
Homonyms differentiated by spelling only	43	(1)
Homonyms with no external distinction either of gender or spelling	44	(1)
Words with more than one meaning: incommensurability of French and English	45	(1)
French examples	45	(4)
English examples	49	(3)
Paronyms	52	(28)
Synonyms and words with related meanings	80	(49)
Semantic frames	80	(49)
Complex verbal expressions	129	(5)
Idioms, similes and proverbs	134	(19)
Idioms	134	(7)
Similes	141	(1)
Proverbs	142	(1)
Expressions involving colours	142	(4)
Idioms/expressions involving numbers	146	(7)
Proper names	153	(4)
Personal names	153	(2)
Names of towns	155	(1)
Pronunciation	156	(1)
Abbreviations	157	(10)
General	157	(6)
Petites annonces	163	(1)
Truncation	164	(3)
Latin expressions	167	(2)
Interjections, fillers, transition words and forms of address	169	(6)
Interjections	169	(3)
Fillers	172	(1)
Transition words	173	(1)
Forms of address	174	(1)
Differences in measurements, etc.	175	(4)
Distance	176	(1)
Weight	177	(1)
Area	177	(1)
Volume	177	(1)
Temperature	177	(1)
Currency	178	(1)
Time	178	(1)
Telephone	178	(1)
Clothing sizes	179	(1)
Numerals	179	(1)
Semi-technical vocabulary	179	(12)
La Banque	180	(1)
Les Assurances	181	(1)
Les Impots	182	(2)
L'Informatique	184	(1)
La Securite sociale	185	(1)
Le Commerce	186	(2)
La Justice	188	(3)
Miscellaneous matters concerning vocabulary	191	(4)
Frequency of occurrence	191	(1)
Spelling	192	(1)
Creation of compounds words	192	(2)
Verlan	194	(1)
Grammar	195	(130)
Gender	195	(7)
Rules of gender	195	(1)
Simple nouns (ie non-compounds)	195	(2)
Compounds nouns (unhyphenated and hyphenated)	197	(1)
Difficult cases	198	(1)
Doubtful and variable genders	199	(1)
Names of boats, cars, aeroplanes and watches, letters and numbers etc	200	(1)
Names of towns	201	(1)
Sex and gender	201	(1)
Number	202	(8)
Formation of plurals	202	(1)
Simple words (ie non-compounds)	202	(2)
Compound words	204	(1)
Foreign words	205	(1)
Proper names	206	(1)
Singular subject but plural verb	207	(1)
Differing usages between French and English	207	(3)
Use of the partitive article before an adjective preceding a plural noun	210	(1)
Word order	210	(15)
Adjectives and word order	210	(1)
Normal usage	210	(1)
Adjectives which change their meaning according to their position	211	(3)
Adjectives which may occur either before or after a noun	214	(2)
Miscellaneous matters	216	(1)
Adverbs and word order	217	(2)
Personal pronouns and word order	219	(1)
Inversion	220	(2)
Interrogatives and word order	222	(1)
Exclamations and word order	223	(1)
Highlighting	224	(1)
Prepositions	225	(48)
verb + preposition	226	(1)
verb + preposition + infinitive	226	(4)
verb + preposition + noun/pronoun	230	(2)
verb + direct object + preposition + infinitive	232	(1)
verb + preposition + noun/pronoun + preposition + infinitive	232	(1)
verb + direct object + preposition + noun/pronoun	233	(2)
noun/adjective + preposition + infinitive	235	(1)
noun + preposition + infinitive	235	(1)
adjective + preposition + infinitive	236	(1)
Varying prepositions	237	(8)
Prepositional expressions	245	(1)
French prepositions	245	(16)
English prepositions	261	(10)
Different constructions in French and English	271	(1)
French verb + direct object = English verb + preposition + noun/pronoun	272	(1)
French verb + preposition + noun/pronoun = English verb + direct object	273	(1)
Negation	273	(7)
Negative words and expressions	273	(1)
Non	273	(1)
Pas	274	(1)
Plus	275	(1)
Jamais	275	(1)
Que	276	(1)
Ni ... ni	276	(1)
Personne, rien aucun	276	(1)
Combinations of negative words	277	(1)
The negation of infinitives	277	(1)
Negation and register	278	(1)
Superfluous ne	279	(1)
Verbs	280	(16)
Tenses	280	(1)
Present time	280	(1)
Future time	281	(1)
Past time	282	(4)
Sequence of tenses	286	(2)
Other differences between French and English tense usages	288	(1)
The infinitive	289	(1)
Participles	290	(1)
Present participles	290	(1)
Past participles	290	(1)
A difference between French and English usages	291	(1)
Formation of compound tenses	291	(1)
Use of avoir and etre to form compound tenses	291	(1)
Agreement of past participles in compounds tenses	292	(1)
Reflexive versus non-reflexive forms of the same verb	293	(2)
Verbs of movement in French and English	295	(1)
Subjunctive mood	296	(10)
Sequence of tenses with subjunctive in subordinate clause	296	(1)
`Black and white' subjunctive	297	(1)
in certain archaic set expressions	297	(1)
at the beginning of a sentence to indicate surprise, an order or a desire	297	(1)
to mark hypothesis/conditional value	298	(1)
when a noun clause introduced by que precedes the main clauses (in R3 speech only)	298	(1)
to express `whoever', `whatever', `wherever', etc	298	(1)
after certain conjunctive expressions	298	(1)
in clauses dependent upon verbs and expressions indicating desiring, wishing, begging, ordering, forbidding, preventing	299	(1)
in clauses dependent upon verbs and expressions indicating a feelings	300	(1)
in clauses dependent upon verbs and expressions indicating denial, doubt, evaluation, impossibility, necessity, possibility	301	(1)
in clauses dependent upon a superlative formed with plus or moins	302	(1)
in clauses dependent upon verbs and expressions indicating chance	302	(1)
`Grey' subjunctive	302	(1)
in clauses dependent upon a superlative and similar expressions	303	(1)
in clauses dependent upon a negative or indefinite antecedent	303	(1)
in clauses dependent upon expressions denying and questioning certainty, probability	304	(1)
in clauses dependent upon verbs of thinking and declaring in the interrogative and/or negative	304	(1)
in clauses dependent upon certain expressions	304	(1)
Avoiding the subjunctive	305	(1)
when the main and dependent clauses have the same subject	305	(1)
with certain prepositional phrases	305	(1)
Pronouns	306	(6)
Second person pronouns	306	(2)
Third person pronouns	308	(1)
il or ce?	308	(1)
le	308	(1)
on	309	(1)
soi	310	(1)
en	310	(2)
y	312	(1)
Usage with names of countries	312	(10)
France	313	(2)
Europe	315	(2)
Afrique	317	(1)
Asie et Australasie	318	(1)
Moyen-Orient	319	(1)
Amerique du Nord	320	(1)
Amerique Centrale	320	(1)
Amerique du Sud	321	(1)
Seas, Oceans and Mountains	322	(1)
Changes of word class	322	(3)
Vocabulary list: words and expressions contained in Sections 2.1 to 2.4	325