it is as-It is time to set out, il est tems de partir; it is four o'clock, il est quatre heures.-But if we intend to express that such or such a thing took or will take place at such an hour, it is, it was, &c. are then expressed by c'est, c'était, ce fut, &c.-Ex. It was at six o'clock, c'était à six heures; it will be for seven o'clock, ce sera pour sept heures.

Observe. −1. When it is, it was, it will be, &c. are used either affirmatively or negatively, and are followed by either a Substantive or a Demonstrative Adjective in the Plural, not preceded by any Preposition, as likewise by the Pronoun they, (eux, elles,) ce sont must then be employed instead of c'est-c'étaient instead of c'était, and so on, using the Third Person Plural of the different Tenses of étre, preceded by ce or c' instead of the Third Person Singular: as-It was they who said so, c'étaient eux qui le dirent, and not c'était, &c.; it will be the kingdoms of France and England, ce seront les royaumes de France et d'Angleterre, and not ce sera, &c. But should the Substantive or Demonstrative Adjective be preceded by any Preposition; or should it is, it was, &c, come before any other Personal Pronoun than they, (eux or elles,) then c'est, c'était, ce fut, &c. must always be used, and not ce sont, c'étaient, &c. Ex.-It will be to those men I shall give it, ce sera à ces hommes que je le donnerai, and not ce seront; it is to them I speak, c'est à eux que je parle, and not ce sont; it was to you, c'était à vous, and not c'étaient, &c.

2. If it is, it was, it will be, &c. were used interrogatively, followed by the Pronoun they, as- -Is it they who...? will it be they who...? être must then be used in the Third Person Singular of its different Tenses, although immediately followed by eux or elles, except, however, in the Imperfect and Conditional Present or Past, in which Tenses the Plural is always used, as-Is it they who...? Est-ce eux qui ...? and not sont-ce eux qui ...? will it be they who...? sera-ce eux or elles qui...? and not, seront-ce eux or elles qui . . .? But we say: étaientce eux or elles? was it they? seraient-ce eux or elles? would it be they ...? auraient-ce été eux or elles? would it have been they...? and not, était-ce, serait-ce, &c. &c.

But if it is, it was, it will be, &c. used interrogatively, be followed by a Substantive Plural, instead of the Pronoun they; then être ought always to be used in the Third Person Plural of its different Tenses, except in the Preterite: as-Is it the honours which have been bestowed upon him that... sont-ce les honneurs auxquels il a été élevé qui.... &c. &c.

EXERCISE.

It is very uncertain whether I shall return to-morrow or next

incertain

c'est pourquoi

week; therefore, if (it were not inconvenient to you,) I should cela ne vous incommodait pas

thank you to take that money for me at my banker's.

prier

de porter

-Would

chez banquier

to) send her son to France, de ne pas

it not be advisable to write to her (not expédient de

en

(never occurred to me,) and may ne m'était point venue

of trouble and expense. peine de dépense

pensée

save her a great deal

pouvoir épargner lui

Have you (heard) of the dreadful entendu parler horrible murder of Mr. W****; yes, it makes one* shudder with horror.—

meurtre

cela

frissonner d'

It is shocking that men (should give themselves up) to such desperate affreux s'abandonnent si barbare and inhuman actions.-Oh, heavens! what horror! what infamy! si inhumain

0 ciel

Nothing but the thirst of gold and a life inured to wickedness, crime, que soif l'or endurcir dans méchanceté

and irreligion, can prompt a reasonable being to (the perpetration pouvoir porter être à commettre

of) a crime so revolting to human nature. It was a very young lady

revoltant

fort jeune demoiselle who brought me the information, and the amiable child fainted

2 apporter 'm'en

nouvelle

enfant s'évanouir in pronouncing the name of the unfortunate victim.-Was it not Mrs.

infortuné

N*** who scolded you so much at the review the other day? No, it

was her sister, who was (in a terrible passion) against me, because I terriblement en colère

had said she danced like a country girl.-Is it the first time qu'

you have seen her? No, I have accompanied her once

before auparavant

to Tivoli.-Mr. L*** (was) here this morning, and he desired me

to tell you that it is the second time he has called for his de le montant de little account. Well! tell him if he comes again that I will pay

him on Wednesday next. Is it you who mentioned it first? parler en

No, it was she.-If it were my turn, I should be delighted to be

of the party.partie

(Is this) for me or you? No, it is for neither Ceci est-il

of us; it is for

Mr. S's sister.-(If that man were not to be 2 de M. S*** 1 Si l'on ne réprimandait pas

reprimanded) for his infamous behaviour, it would be (encouraging) cet homme sur infâme conduite

autoriser

vice. I think it is jealousy that makes you hold that language.— faire tenir

croire jalousie

What o'clock is it? It is eleven o'clock. Is it really so late? tard

gentlemen, awake, it is time to get up; it is almost eight

s'éveiller

de se lever

o'clock. Eight o'clock! it is impossible; (it is only) three hours il n'y a que

since we (went to bed.)-
que
sommes au lit

I saw Mr. D*** this afternoon, après-midi f

and inquired of him at what o'clock the concert would begin ; ai demandé

he informed me it would be at nine or ten o'clock.-Was it a dit

que

not at twelve o'clock

midi

que

you came on Saturday? No, it was

about two in the afternoon.-It is not those who speak much sur les

de

that are the most esteemed.-It is the French and the Russians Russe

who have begun this shameful and disgraceful war; but it is not

honteux

déshonorable

they who will have the honour of finishing it.-Was it not to them

que

I

lent that money?—It is for her to command, and for you to obey.—

lt is to him

que

દે

તે

ď

I speak. Was it not they who saved your life 2 sauver 1vous

when your house was on fire? No, it was their neighbours, who

en

knocked (as hard as they could) at my door to awaken me, when frapper de toute leur force

I was half stifled by the smoke.

à demi étouffer par fumée

receive the money from the (Insurance Office)? No, it is

bureau d'assurance

Messrs. Stewart and Co.-Is it the honours (so unjustly bestowed

Cnie.

auxquels il a été si

upon him) which render him so proud injustement élevé

(as to)
fier et le font mépriser

despise us?

ARTICLE V.

Avoir mal-a, au, à la, à l', aux.

GENERAL RULE.-We make use in French of the different Tenses of the Verb avoir mal, in speaking of any illness or indisposition of the body or mind, whatever may be the Verb used in English, with the Compound Article au, aux, or à la, à l', before the part affected with pain, instead of the Possessive my, thy, his, her, our, your, their, used in English, as-I have the head-ache, j'ai mal à la tête; she has the tooth-ache, elle a mal aux dents; I feel a pain in my side, j'ai mal au côté; 1 had a bad leg, j'avais mal à la jambe; he had a sore foot, il avait mal au pied; as if it were in English, I have ill to the head; she has ill to the teeth, &c. &c.

If the part of the body affected with pain be preceded by a Demonstrative Pronoun, as-I feel a very bad pain in this arm, the Preposition à should then be used before the Demonstrative instead of au, aux, or à la, à l': as-I feel a very bad pain in this arm, j'ai grand mal à ce bras ; and not, au ce bras.

Note.-If the sentence be made with a Tense of the Verb to be, as-My lips are sore, the Verb avoir mal must then be put in the same Person in French as the Possessive Pronoun preceding the part of the body mentioned is in English, using the Compound Article au, aux, or à la, à l' before the part of the body alluded to, instead of the Possessive Pronoun employed in English, as-My lips are sore, j'ai mal aux lèvres, in which sentence j'ai is in the First Person Singular, because my preceding lips in English is of the First Person Singular.

has

a violent sore

throat,

mal de gorge

maintenant que cannot stand.se tenir debout

She

and a great oppression on oppression de

My lips are SO sore that I can

pouvoir

lèvre When I was young, I had often the head

avoir pu go (to

réussir

cependant

médecin

the

sub. pr.

sea-side,) and try whether sea-bathing dans quelque port de mer pour essayer si bain de mer

will not afford me some relief.

Of the Verb must, expressed in French by the Third Person Singular of the different Tenses of falloir impersonally used, as-Il faut, il fallait, &c.

GENERAL RULE.-1. The Verb must is generally expressed in French by the Third Person Singular of the different Tenses of the Impersonal falloir, preceded by the Pronoun il indeterminately used, and followed by que: as-Il faut que, il fallait que, il faudra que, &c. according to the Tense in which must is in English, giving its Nominative, whether Noun or Pronoun, for that of the following Verb which is put in the Subjunctive Mood: as-I must go out, il faut que je sorte; she must do that, il faut qu'elle fasse cela; they must pay, il faut qu'ils paient; as if it were in English, it must that I go out, it must that she does that, &c.

If the Nominative of must be taken in an indeterminate and general manner, as-We must be prudent, children must be instructed, then must is more elegantly expressed by il faut, il fallait, il faudra, &c. without que, putting the next Verb in the Present of the Infinitive instead of the Subjunctive, and placing the Nominative of must, if a Substantive, after the following Verb, but omitting it, if one of the Pronouns we or they: as-We must be prudent, il faut être prudent; children must be instructed, il faut instruire les enfans.

2. Whenever must is used before have, or when the Verb want is used to express that we are in want of something which we must have, ass-I must have some gloves; your brother must have a hat; I want a coat; the Verb must with have, as also want, are then elegantly expressed in French by the different Tenses of falloir used impersonally as above, placing (when the Nominative of must is one of the Personal Pronouns I, thou, he, she, we, you, they,) one of the Conjunctive me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur, instead, between il and falloir, with the thing wanted after falloir; but if the Nominative of must or want be a Substantive, as- -Your brother must have a hat, the Substantive is then placed at the end of the sentence after the thing wanted, preceded by à: as-I must have some gloves, il me faut des