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All 14 Flashcards — Relative pronouns
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Question
le pronom relatif
Answer
a relative pronoun — joins two clauses into one (qui, que, où, dont)
Question
qui
Answer
who/which/that as the SUBJECT (the doer); never elides: «l'ami qui parle»
Question
que / qu'
Answer
whom/which/that as the DIRECT OBJECT; elides to qu' before a vowel: «le livre que je lis», «la fille qu'il aime»
Question
où
Answer
where / when — relative of place or time: «la ville où je vis», «le jour où je suis né»
Question
dont
Answer
of which / about which / whose — replaces «de + …»: «le film dont je parle», «la femme dont le fils…»
Question
l'antécédent
Answer
the noun the relative pronoun refers back to («l'ami qui…» → l'ami)
Question
qui vs que — the quick test
Answer
A verb follows directly → qui («qui parle»). A new subject (je, tu, il…) follows → que («que je lis»).
Question
Does qui elide before a vowel?
Answer
No — qui NEVER elides: «l'homme qui arrive». Only que elides, to qu': «qu'elle écoute».
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où for time
Answer
Use «où», not «quand», for a time after a noun: «le jour où», «le moment où», «l'année où».
Question
When do you use dont?
Answer
When the verb of the relative clause takes «de» (parler de, avoir besoin de, s'occuper de) or to mean «whose»: «le livre dont j'ai besoin».
Question
Join: «J'ai un ami. Il habite à Lyon.»
Answer
«J'ai un ami qui habite à Lyon.» (qui = subject «il»).
Question
Join: «Voici le gâteau. Je l'ai fait.»
Answer
«Voici le gâteau que j'ai fait.» (que = direct object «le»).
Question
Join: «C'est le café. J'y travaille.»
Answer
«C'est le café où je travaille.» (où = place).
Question
What is a common relative-pronoun error?
Answer
Using «qui» for the object («le livre qui je lis» → «que»); not eliding «que» before a vowel; «quand» instead of «où» for a time; «que» instead of «dont» with a «de» verb.
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