2 OTHER USAGE
aNe is used on its own in a number of fixed expressions and notably to form a set of indefinite
expressions, including n’importe quoi (line 50) and n’importe quel (line 52), meaning literally
‘it does not matter what/which’, in other words, anything/any.
b Pas is used alone to negate words or phrases which do not contain verbs.
e.g. pas de droits sociaux, pas de ressources garanties (lines 16–17)
c Non is used to negate past participles occurring alone without avoir or être, e.g. non qualifiés
(lines 57–8). Non is used to form compounds with nouns.
e.g. non-insertion (line 41)3 USE OF ARTICLES
De is normally substituted for the partitive article (du, de la, de l’) or the indefinite article (un,
une, des) with the direct object of a verb in the negative, e.g. n’a pas de droit (line 3), n’avez pas
de droits (line 11). Even in the absence of a verb, pas de + noun is the norm, e.g. pas de droits
(line 16). Pas un(e) is sometimes found, but it has the particularly emphatic meaning of ‘not a
single one’. The definite article (le, la, les) remains unchanged after a negative, e.g. Je n’aime pas
le sport. See also Chapter 13.Other points to note in the text- Impersonal verbs: il s’agit de (lines 24, 42, 71); il faut (line 36); il y a (line 45) (see Chapter 25)
- Present subjunctive: que ce soit (line 13); une vraie sécurité sociale... qui permette (lines 36–9);
quel que soit (line 40) (see Chapter 26).
Discover more about the negative
1 NEGATION OF VERBS AND WORD ORDER
aWhen considering word order, it is useful to divide negative expressions in French into two
groups.
i negative adverbs ii negative pronouns/determiners
pas ( = not) personne ( = no-one)
point (literary/archaic variant for que ( = only)
not, not at all) aucun ( = no, none, not any)
ne ... nullement ( = in no way) ne... nul ( = no, none, not any)
plus ( = no longer, no more) pas un ( = not a single one)
guère ( = hardly, scarcely) nulle part ( = nowhere)
jamais ( = never) ni... ni ( = neither ...nor)
rien ( = nothing)44 French Grammar in Context