2 What tense is used in the examples above and how is it translated into English? Why is it used
so extensively at the opening of this extract? See Chapter 4. Translate into English the
following example with a modal verb:l’homme avait dû se pencher(line 8). See Chapter 24.
3 List all the verbs in the imperfect tense and justify their use. In particular explain why the
author shifts between the tense used in the examples above and the imperfect. See Chapters 3
and 4.
4 List all the infinitives in the text and justify the use or absence of a preposition before them.
See Chapters 22 and 23.
5 Identify from your list above three examples of the past infinitive. See Chapter 22.
6 Explain the position of the negative particles in: pour ne pas heurter le ciel(line 9); ceux qui
n’étaient jamais partis (lines 24–5);sans jamais franchir (line 43);sans jamais avoir eu besoin
(lines 48–9). See Chapter 8.
7 Observe the form: rien d’autre qu’ (line 39). Do you know any other expressions which take
debefore an adjective? See Chapters 8 and 16.
8 Find in the text two examples of luiused as an indirect object pronoun and two examples of
luiused as a stressed pronoun. See Chapter 10.
9 Find a masculine plural demonstrative adjective and demonstrative pronoun in the text. Give
the masculine singular and the feminine singular and plural forms of both. See Chapter 14.10 List all the possessive adjectives in the text and justify their agreement. See Chapter 15. On
the model of: une moustache énorme qui lui cachait le nez, la bouche et le menton(lines
30–31), translate into French: a veil which hid her face.
11 Explain the two different masculine singular forms of the adjective: le vieil Herménégilde
(lines 25–6); Il était si vieux(line 26). Are there any other adjectives which behave in this way?
See Chapter 16.
12 Find in the text the masculine and feminine plural forms of tout. Which is an adjective and
which is a pronoun? How does the function (adjective or pronoun) affect the pronunciation
of the masculine plural form? (You will find the answer in a good dictionary.)
13 Explain the use of Quelques-uns(lines 13–14). Why would quelquesnot be appropriate here?
Find in the text another expression for “some”. How/why does this behave differently from
quelques/quelques-uns?
14 Justify the absence of a plural –son mille(line 12); même(line 21).
15 Explain the use of prepositions with the following place names: à New York(line 13); au
Montana(line 14); en Saskatchewan(line 17); les forêts du Maine ou de l’Abitibi(line 19). See
Chapter 28.
16 Comment on the following examples of highlighting/emphasis: Le vieil Herménégilde, lui,
avait vécu(lines 41–2); Moé, j’ai vécu(line 48); sa femme, il l’avait trouvée(line 54). See
Chapter 31.
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