The following form their plural regularly: des enfants bancals, bandy-legged children. des sentiments filials, filial sentiments. des vents glacials, icy winds. des hommes matinals, early risers. des combats navals, naval combats. les jours pascals, paschal days. des gestes théâtrals, theatrical gestures. III.-DEGREES OF SIGNIFICATION IN ADJECTIVES. The three degrees of signification are: 1. The POSITIVE, expressed by the adjective itself :-Charles est obéissant, Charles is obedient. 2. The COMPARATIVE of superiority, by plus, more; of inferiority, by moins, less; of equality, by aussi, as: REMARK.-As and than are expressed in French by que. 3. The SUPERLATIVE is formed by putting the definite article, le, la, les, etc., or the possessive pronouns, mon, my; ton, thy; son, his; notre, our; votre, your; leur, their; before the comparative of superiority, plus; or of inferiority, moins: Le plus grand poëte comique, the greatest comic poet. The adjective is also in the superlative when preceded by the adverbs très, fort, bien, meaning very:-vous êtes trèsheureux, you are very happy. REMARKS.-1. Three adjectives form their comparative and superlative in the following manner: bon, good.. meilleur, better petit, little moindre or plus petit, less. le moindre or le plus petit, the least. mauvais, bad. pire or plus mauvais, worse. le pire or le plus mauvais, the worst. When these adjectives become adverbs, their comparatives and superlatives are : bien, well peu, little mal, badly. pis or plus mal, worse. EXAMPLES. Le meilleur chant, the best singing. Le moindre don, the least gift. le pis or le plus mal, the worst. Il chante le mieux, he sings the best. Il donne le moins, he gives the least. 2. By, after a comparative, is translated by de: Il est plus petit DE deux pouces, he is smaller by two inches. 3. In, after a superlative, is generally translated by de: Le plus grand amiral DE l'Angleterre, the greatest admiral in England. Le moins riche négociant DE la ville, the least rich merchant in the town IV.-DETERMINATIVE ADJECTIVES. There are adjectives which, without expressing a quality, are joined to nouns, in order to determine their signification; that is to say, to add an accessory idea, such as that of similarity, as tel père, tel fils, like father, like son; - of generality, as tout homme, any man;—of indication, as ce soleil, this sun;-of negation, as nul homme, no man;-of quantity, as quelques enfants, some children; plusieurs livres, several books. The words tel, tout, ce, nul, quelques, plusieurs, are called determinative adjectives. The determinative adjectives are: EXAMPLES. Ce livre, ce héros, cet âne, cet homme, cette femme, ces hommes et ces femmes. Quelques personnes, quelques francs. — Quelque surpris qu'ils fussent, ils vainquirent. Quelques torts qu'il ait, pardonnez-lui. Un fils unique. - Maintes fois. V.-NUMERAL ADJECTIVES. Words joined to persons and things, to determine their number or their order, are called numeral adjectives :— -Cardinal, from a Latin word, which means principal, when they determine only the number; and ordinal, when they determine the order. Cardinal numbers form the ordinal by adding ième, except premier, first, and second: CARDINAL NUMBERS. ORDINAL NUMBERS. premier, première. 2nd second, seconde, or deuxième. 3rd troisième. 4th quatrième. 5th cinquième. 6th sixième. 7th septième. 8th huitième. 9th neuvième. REMARKS.-1. Mille is spelt mil when marking the date of the Christian era, as:-Nous sommes en MIL huit cent soixante-neuf, we are in 1869. 2. The numeral adjectives cent and mille must not be preceded by un: -J'ai cent francs, I have a hundred francs. Mille soldats, a thousand soldiers. 3. Once, twice, etc., are translated by une fois, deux fois, etc. 4. Ordinal numbers become adverbs by adding ement or ment, as: premièrement, firstly; secondement, secondly; troisièmement, thirdly, etc. NUMERAL SUBSTANTIVES. Beside the numeral adjectives, there are nouns expressing a collection, a fraction, a proportion of persons or things: COLLECTION. PRONOUNS. repeated. They are divided into personal, possessive, demonPRONOUNS are words used instead of nouns not expressed or strative, relative, and indefinite. The personal pronouns are the following:-- § 1. PERSONAL PRONOUNS. Je le, la, les flatte.-Je lui, leur parle.-Il nous parle et il nous flatte-Aide-moi et aide-toi.-Parle-moi et parle-toi. Ces livres sont à moi, à toi, à lui, à elle, à nous, à vous, à eux, à elles.-On doit rarement parler de soi. Je sais le français et je le prononce bien.-Etudiez votre leçon et récitez-la. REMARK.-In French, the pronoun object is placed before the verb, except when it is preceded by a preposition, or when the verb is in the imperative. parles, c'est toi qui chantes, parle. c'est lui, elle qui chante. c'est nous qui chantons, qui chantez, |