Other pronouns (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Other pronouns
Understanding different types of pronouns is essential for expressing yourself clearly in French. These special words help you connect ideas and avoid repetition, making your French sound more natural and sophisticated. Let's explore three important categories of pronouns that will enhance your speaking and writing skills.
Relative pronouns: qui and que
Relative pronouns are connecting words that link two parts of a sentence together. They help you refer back to something or someone you've already mentioned, creating smoother and more complex sentences.
Relative pronouns are crucial for creating sophisticated French sentences. They allow you to combine simple sentences into more complex, flowing expressions that sound natural to native speakers.
Understanding qui
The pronoun qui functions as a subject replacement in relative clauses. When you want to talk about someone or something that performs an action, qui is your go-to choice.
Key usage of qui:
- Replaces the subject (the person or thing doing the action)
- Can mean "who" or "which" in English
- Always followed by a verb
Using qui in sentences:
J'ai un frère qui s'appelle John. (I have a brother who is called John.)
- "qui" replaces "mon frère" as the subject of "s'appelle"
Ma sœur est la fille qui porte un sac bleu. (My sister is the girl who is wearing a blue bag.)
- "qui" replaces "la fille" as the subject of "porte"
Understanding que
The pronoun que works as an object replacement in relative clauses. Use this when referring to someone or something that receives the action of the verb.
Key usage of que:
- Replaces the object (the person or thing receiving the action)
- Can mean "whom," "which," or "that" in English
- Usually followed by a subject and then a verb
Using que in sentences:
L'homme que j'ai vu était grand. (The man whom I saw was tall.)
- "que" replaces "l'homme" as the object of "j'ai vu"
J'ai acheté le pantalon que j'ai trouvé sur Internet. (I bought the trousers which I found on the Internet.)
- "que" replaces "le pantalon" as the object of "j'ai trouvé"
C'était la personne que j'avais vue en ville. (It was the person that I had seen in town.)
- "que" replaces "la personne" as the object of "j'avais vue"
Emphatic and disjunctive pronouns
These special pronouns add emphasis to your sentences and are used in specific grammatical situations. They're called "disjunctive" because they can stand alone, separate from the main verb.
The complete set includes:
- moi (me)
- toi (you - singular, informal)
- lui (him/it)
- elle (her/it)
- nous (us)
- vous (you - plural or formal)
- eux (them - masculine)
- elles (them - feminine)
Unlike regular subject pronouns (je, tu, il, elle, etc.), emphatic pronouns can stand alone and be used independently of verbs. This flexibility makes them incredibly useful for various grammatical constructions.
When to use emphatic pronouns
These pronouns serve three main purposes in French sentences:
After prepositions: When you need to use a pronoun after words like "avec" (with) or "pour" (for), you must use the emphatic form. For example, avec moi (with me) or pour lui (for him).
For emphasis: When you want to stress who is doing something, add the emphatic pronoun. Lui, il est paresseux means "Him, he's lazy," putting extra emphasis on the person being discussed.
Creating compound subjects: When joining yourself with someone else as the subject, use these pronouns. Ma sœur et moi allons en ville translates to "My sister and I are going to town."
The pronoun où
The word où serves as a relative pronoun specifically for places and locations. It connects back to a place that has already been mentioned or is understood in the context.
Usage and meaning of où:
- Always refers to places or locations
- Means "where" in English
- Helps avoid repetition when talking about places
Using où to refer to places:
La ville où j'ai passé mes vacances est vraiment belle. (The town where I spent my holiday is really beautiful.)
- "où" replaces "dans la ville"
La maison où il habite est très grande. (The house where he lives is very big.)
- "où" replaces "dans la maison"
Practice exercises
Test your understanding with these exercises to reinforce your learning:
Complete these sentences with qui, que, or où:
- Mon ami _______ s'appelle Bruno aime le football.
- L'émission _______ j'ai vue hier n'était pas passionnante.
- Le quartier _______ ils habitent est vraiment calme.
- Elle a une sœur _______ est prof.
Answers:
- qui (Bruno is the subject doing the action of liking football)
- que (the programme is the object that I watched)
- où (refers to the neighbourhood as a place)
- qui (the sister is the subject who is a teacher)
Key Points to Remember:
- Qui replaces subjects (who/which does the action) and is followed by a verb
- Que replaces objects (who/which receives the action) and is followed by subject + verb
- Emphatic pronouns (moi, toi, lui, etc.) are used after prepositions, for emphasis, and in compound subjects
- Où specifically refers to places and means "where"
- Using these pronouns correctly will make your French sound more natural and sophisticated