French in a Flash: Grammar and Vocabulary Fundamentals

by Barbara Boyer

Overview

Combining concise grammar and vocabulary lessons written for non-linguists, this practical French study guide makes even the most difficult parts of the language easily understandable. It is suitable for students at all levels.

Fundamentals are explained in simple terms with helpful tips, clear summaries, visual shortcuts and charts. A simplified pronunciation guide tailored to English speakers is provided, along with a chapter on spoken French that includes "Street Talk" and "Verlan" for more advanced learners. Each lesson is combined with helpful review exercises and answer keys to evaluate progress and to fast-track language acquisition, for the classroom or for self-directed learning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476668178
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	04/30/2018
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	826,288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barbara Boyer is a native of France with 20 years of experience teaching all levels of French language in American universities. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. She taught French language at USC for many years, and was also a Professor of French and Francophone literature for over a decade at Gonzaga University, a Jesuit institution in Spokane, Washington.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction
1: Pronunciation
French Sounds • Alphabet and Accents • Nasal and Other Sounds • Pronunciation Tips • Syllable Stress • Introduce Yourself • Cognates • Suffix Patterns • Numbers Exercises • Answer Keys
2: Articles
What Is an Article? • Main Rules • Indefinite Articles • Definite Articles • Partitive Articles • Exercises • Answer Keys
3: Nouns
What Is a Noun? • Gender Forms • Plural Forms • List of Feminine Nouns • List of Masculine Nouns • Exercises • Answer Keys
4: Adjectives
What Is an Adjective? • Summary • Gender Rules of Agreement • Number Rules of Agreement • Placement of Adjectives • List of Useful Adjectives • Exercises • Answer Keys
5: Adverbs
What Is an Adverb? • How to Form an Adverb • Irregular Adverbs • List of Useful Adverbs • Exercises • Answer Keys
6: Prepositions
What Is a Preposition? • List of Prepositions • Specific Occurrences • Contractions • Prepositions and Geographic Places • Summary • Exercises • Answer Keys
 7: Comparatives and Superlatives
What Is a Comparative? • What Is a Superlative? • Summary of Comparatives • Summary of Superlatives • Irregular Forms • Exercises • Answer Keys
 8: Pronouns: Direct, Indirect, Y, En, Disjunctive
What Is a Pronoun? • Things You Need to Know • Which Pronoun to Use • Summary • Position of the Pronouns • Exercises • Answer Keys
 9: Relative Pronouns
What Is a Relative Pronoun? • Which Pronoun to Use • (Ce) Qui, (Ce) Que, (Ce) Dont • Prepositions with Qui • Lequel, Auquel, Duquel, etc. • Summary • Exercises • Answer Keys
10: Verbs
What Is a Verb? • Affirmative and Negative Forms • List of Verbs • Verbs and Prepositions • Reflexive Verbs • Moods and Tenses • Exercises • Answer Keys
11: Asking a Question
How to Ask a Question • Interrogative Forms • Interrogative Words • Qui, Que, Quoi • List of Questions • Exercises • Answer Keys
12: Present Tense
What Is the Present Tense? • What You Need to Know • Regular Verbs • Irregular Verbs • Negative Form • Exercises • Answer Keys
13: Past Tenses
What Are the Past Tenses? • L’Imparfait • Le Passé Composé • L’Imparfait vs. le Passé Composé • Le ­Plus-que-Parfait • Negative Form • Irregular Past Participles • Exercises • Answer Keys
14: Future Tense and Conditional Mood
What Is the Future Tense? What Is the Conditional Mood? • Conjugation • Summary for Future and Conditional • Irregularities and Exceptions • The “Si” Clause • The Near Future • Exercises • Answer Keys
15: Imperative Mood
What Is the Imperative Mood? • Negative Imperative • Irregular Imperative • Imperative with Pronouns • Imperative with Reflexive Verbs • Exercises • Answer Keys
16: Subjunctive Mood
What Is the Subjunctive Mood? • Present and Past Tenses • When to Use the Subjunctive • How to Form the Subjunctive • Expressions Followed by the Subjunctive • Irregularities and Exceptions • Exercises • Answer Keys
17: Passive Voice
What Is the Passive Voice? • How to Form the Passive Voice • Different Tenses and Modes • Summary • Exercises • Answer Keys
18: Impersonal Expressions
What Is an Impersonal Expression? • C’est vs. Il Est/Elle Est • Tout, Tous, Toute, Toutes • Expressions with Neutral Pronoun “Il” • Il y a • Telling Time: Quelle Heure ­Est-Il? • Talking About the Weather: Quel Temps ­Fait-Il? • Exercises • Answer Keys
19: Other Parts of Speech
Conjunction • Possessive Case • Demonstrative • Useful Expressions • Exercises • Answer Keys
20: Speak Like a French Person
Spoken French • Confusing Expressions • Common Mistakes • Hard Words to Pronounce • Abbreviations • Acronyms • Idiomatic Expressions • Street Talk • Le Verlan • Exercises • Answer Keys
Index