Participe Présent in French, French Grammar

[visvaldisX]

Your lessons are a terrific help for me to slowly build a better understanding of the grammar. Thanks very much!

[DavidCKendall]

excellent! Clearly explained..

[ms2333]

@lsfrench In Schaum's French Grammar (5th Ed) page 221 has an exercise to translate into indirect discourse. The text uses this sentence: "J'ai vu un homme attaquer ma voisine avec un couteau." Using the infinitive form attaquer seemed strange but I was told it is correct by my tutor who is a university French language professor. I still think it looks strange and should maybe use le participle présent ou passé imparfait. Qu'en penses-tu?

[lsfrench]

@ms2333 right, it is because we can say two things with the same verbs

1. J'ai vu un homme attaqué: I saw a man who was assaulted (here the man is assaulted)

2. J'ai vu un homme attaquer quelqu'un: I saw a man who assaulted someone(as you see here the man is the subject of attaquer and we use the infinitive)

[ms2333]

@lsfrench Thanks so much for your response but I'm still a bit confused. In the video you use the example "J'ai vu pierre mangeant un hamburger." Why would we not use the infinitive form here? It seems the same as my example where Pierre is the subject of manger and homme is the subject of attaquer.

[lsfrench]

@ms2333 you are right, it is correct but we don't use a lot this kind of expression, j'ai vu Pierre manger means that you saw him eating, j'ai vu Pierre mangeant (here you express a continuous tense) i saw Pierre who was eating.

[ms2333]

@lsfrench Thanks for that explanation. The distinction is subtle but I see the difference now. Merci bien d'avoir fait ces videos...je les trouve extremement util pour maintenir et ameliorer mon niveau de langue francaise. A la prochaine!

[lsfrench]

@ms2333 thank you for your comment, I will post soon a video about this Proposition infinitive en français.

[lsfrench]

@ms2333 it is because mangeant expresses a continuous tense, I saw Pierre who was eating, J'ai vu Pierre manger would be I saw Pierre eating, however in French it is more commun to say: j'ai vu Pierre qui étaient en train de manger, but all is coorect

[ms2333]

@lsfrench Thanks for your quick response...I'm still a bit confused though. In the video you use the example:

J'ai vu Pierre mangeant un hamburger - I saw Peter eating a hamburger.

Shouldn't it then be:

J'ai vu un homme attaquant ma voisine - I saw a man attacking my neighbour.

I don't see why we would use "attaquer" in infinitive form in stead of "attaquant" as present participle.

[Dosunty]

Thanks for the lesson. Heads up at 4:17. "To listen" takes the preposition "to" when there is an object. So, "I work while listening to some music." to listen (+ to + object).

[sinecosine23]

Thanks for another great lesson. I do have one question. Does it make sense to say "il a été mangeant ta nourriture." to translate " he has been eating your food." Really my question is can you use the present participle of any verb after the past particle été. Examples: j'ai été pensant..... or j'ai été voulant ..... Thanks for the help.

[lsfrench]

@sinecosine23 hi, thank you. actually what I said for 'i am reading" works for 'I have been reading", we don't use the participe présent, but just the present in French: je lis or je mange for your example. so: je pensais or j'étais en train de penser. But the form I have been is a bit tricky depending on what you have after: I have been waiting for you for 2 hours: je t'attends depuis 2 heures (here we don't use j'ai été,, have a look at the lesson about since and for)

[sinecosine23]

@lsfrench Thanks. I didn't think the "j'ai été pensant" was correct but I just wanted to make sure.

[lsfrench]

@sinecosine23 so, Great, there is a Quiz about this video on my website!

[lsfrench]

@lsfrench ups, you are right.