Mastering the French language gives you many advantages. However, in French, there are always shortcuts and tricks to discover. Of course, there are a few pitfalls to avoid, and French is no exception. These mistakes are common, whether you’re a native speaker or a learner of French. In fact, we make them almost every day. Let’s face it! It’s hard not to fall into the trap of dangerous grammar rules or grammar exceptions. To make sure you stick to these rules once and for all, we invite you to take a quick look at some common French mistakes. Discover the 5 French mistakes to avoid.
The mistake of confusing the imperfect with the passé composé
This major confusion is one of the 5 French mistakes to avoid. In French, we generally use the verb in the past tense to express actions limited in time. We therefore have the feeling that this action is over. Generally speaking, it’s a one-off, short action. In a sentence that includes several verbs, this is usually the main action of your sentence.
On the other hand, the imperfect tense is not limited in time. Its role is to describe a situation in the past. It then provides a general indication in your sentence.
Example: “It was cold (imperfect tense) so we went inside (past tense)”
The use of the Conditional after the ” If “
The rule is that in French, you never put a conditional after “si”. You must remember what your schoolmistress often repeats to you that ” les Si n’aime pas les -rais “. To help you remember this rule even more, there’s a mnemonic : in the musical notes “Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do “, there are no “-rais” after “Si”.
When you use “If” in the present tense, there’s usually no conjugation problem. There’s a condition in the subordinate clause (si + indicative) that specifies a hypothesis or even a wish, so we naturally agree with the present or future direct.
If you use “Si” in the present tense, there’s usually no conjugation problem.
For example: “If I don’t work, I won’t have any money.”
On the other hand, everything gets more complicated. When you use a subordinate clause in the past tense, i.e. in the imperfect or past perfect tense, you don’t conjugate it. The subordinate is not conjugated, because the If in the sentence expresses a condition. This is also why we often remove the if in this type of sentence.
Examples:
- “If I knew the answer, I’d give it to you.”
- “If I knew the answer, I’d give it to you.”
Is it plural or singular ?
Not knowing the answer to this rule is one of the 5 French mistakes to avoid. Even if this rule isn’t very obvious, it’s still important to remember that the pronoun ” on ” always agrees with the subject it conceals. It can then represent one person or several.
However, if this pronoun designates a person whose number you don’t know or you don’t know, it must not agree.
For example: “We went earlier this morning.”
Masculine nouns that become feminine nouns in the plural
The use of this grammatical rule is quite simple. You just need to know the 3 nouns that deviate from this rule. They are : love, organ and delight.
For example :
- “My love for him is very passionate.”
- “My loves are soothed.”
The use of a preposition ” sans ” followed by a noun
The question that often arises when using a preposition ” sans ” followed by a noun is : should we use the plural or the singular ?
To answer this question, we need to remember one rule. Agreement varies according to the meaning of the phrase or sentence it contains. If the noun refers to something or an abstract idea that can’t be counted, the noun will go into the singular. On the other hand, if it refers to several elements, the noun is put in the plural.
Example :
- “She’s a charmless girl”
- “I have a sleeveless sweater”
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