Agreement of Direct Objects in French: A Guide for Copy Editors
If you`re a copy editor working with French texts, you may come across the agreement of direct objects, a grammatical rule that can be quite tricky to master. In this article, we`ll explore what direct objects are, how they function in French sentences, and what agreement rules you need to be aware of.
What are Direct Objects?
A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb in a sentence. In other words, it is what or who the subject is acting upon. For example, in the sentence «Marie mange une pomme» (Marie is eating an apple), «une pomme» (an apple) is the direct object.
In French, direct objects can be either masculine or feminine, singular or plural, and they need to agree with the verb and the subject in gender and number.
Agreement of Direct Objects in French
The basic rule for agreement of direct objects in French is as follows: if the direct object is placed before the verb, it needs to agree with the verb in gender and number. If it is placed after the verb, there is no agreement.
Let`s look at some examples to illustrate this rule:
— «J`aime les films français.» (I like French movies.) Here, «les films» (movies) is the direct object, placed before the verb «aime» (like), and it agrees in gender and number with the verb.
— «Je pense à mon travail.» (I`m thinking about my work.) Here, «mon travail» (my work) is the direct object, placed after the verb «pense» (think), and there is no agreement.
— «Elle a vu les enfants jouer dans le parc.» (She saw the children playing in the park.) Here, «les enfants» (the children) is the direct object, placed before the verb «a vu» (saw), and it agrees with the verb.
Exceptions to the Rule
As with many French grammar rules, there are some exceptions and special cases to be aware of when it comes to the agreement of direct objects.
1. Direct objects of verbs in the infinitive form do not agree with the subject or the verb. For example, «Je veux manger une pomme.» (I want to eat an apple.) Here, «une pomme» (an apple) is the direct object of the infinitive verb «manger» (to eat), and there is no agreement with the subject or the verb in the main clause.
2. When the direct object is a pronoun, it is placed before the verb and needs to agree with the verb and the subject in gender and number. For example, «Elle me voit» (She sees me), where «me» is the direct object pronoun and agrees with the subject and verb in gender and number.
3. Some verbs have special agreement rules for their direct objects, which need to be learned on a case-by-case basis. For example, the verb «prendre» (to take) has a special rule where the direct object pronoun comes before the verb and needs to agree with the subject and verb, but the direct object noun comes after the verb and does not need to agree.
Conclusion
As a copy editor working with French texts, it`s important to be familiar with the agreement of direct objects. Remember the basic rule that direct objects placed before the verb need to agree with the verb in gender and number, and be aware of any special cases or exceptions to the rule. With practice, you`ll soon be able to edit French texts with confidence and accuracy.