Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns in French and English, Lecture notes of French

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DIRECT OBJECTS AND DIRECT

OBJECT PRONOUNS

In French and English

WHAT IS A DIRECT OBJECT?

 I eat the cookie.

 The subject is who or what is doing the action.

 The verb is the action of the sentence.

 The direct object is what the verb is acting on.

 What do I eat?

 The direct object is the cookie!

LET’S TRY AGAIN

 Joe throws the ball.

 What does Joe throw?

 The direct object is …. The ball!

DEFINITION

Direct object pronouns are used

to avoid repeating direct

object nouns that have already

been mentioned

DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS

 The direct object pronouns in English are;

Me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. Notice that these pronouns are not the same as subject pronouns. They are placed in a different part of the sentence and they can’t be used as a subject. We never say; “ Them threw the ball.” So guess what? THE SAME THING HAPPENS IN FRENCH.

D.O.P.S IN FRENCH

Me (Me) Nous (Us) Te/T’ (You) Vous (You) Le/La (Him/Her) Les (Them)

PLACEMENT

• The direct object goes before the conjugated or in front of the infinitive.
• If there is an infinitive the DOP must go in front of it!
• DOP = Direct Object Pronoun

WHAT ABOUT FRENCH?

 Some direct objects we have already seen in French.

 How do you say – My name is …



 Je m’appelle Madame Mac. It means I call myself

 Here are some more examples …

TE/ T’

Je t’aime I love you

LE/LA

Je le mange

I eat it

VOUS

Je vous aime

I love you all

LES

Il les trouve He finds them

WHAT IS THE RESULTING SENTENCE?

DOPs must go IN FRONT of the

conjugated verb or IN FRONT of the

infinitive if there is one.

Je le mange.

BUT WAIT I HAVE AN INFINITIVE?

 Infinitives in French are any word that ends in ER, IR or RE. Think faire, penser, dormir, even irregular verbs like avoir still end in IR, ER or RE.  In English, Infinitives are TO + a Verb, to do, to think, to sleep, etc.  When we have a direct object in English the placement stays the same.  I am going to eat the cookie. I am going to eat it.  In French, it is a little bit different, the object pronouns must be placed BEFORE the infinitve. Take a look at the same sentence in French.  Je vais manger le biscuit.  Je vais le manger.