Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for French

The Spanish Noun: Characteristics and Functions

The noun is characterized by its ability to receive gender and number inflectional morphemes. Its primary function is to act as the core of a nominal phrase. The noun admits certain modifiers, such as determiners, adjectival phrases, and nominal sentences, which function as nominal complements.

The Nominal Adjective

The nominal adjective is a class that receives gender and number inflections, allowing for agreement with the noun. The fundamental degrees of the adjective are categorized by semantic features:

• Synthetic or morphological: Formed through the addition of affixes (prefixes or suffixes).
• Analytic: Formed through adverbs that modify the adjective, creating a phrase where the adverb acts as

Fundamentals of Communication

Key Elements of the Communication Process

• Issuer (Sender): Transmitting the information element (person, corporate body, alarm).
• Receiver: The element that receives and interprets information (individual and collective).
• Message: The information being transmitted. This must be taken into account, along with CE IH [Contextual Elements / Information Handling].
• Channel: The natural or man-made vehicle for transmitting the message (natural or artificial physical environment). Artificial channels retain the information and save time by overcoming spatial barriers.
• Code: The set of signs and rules of combination that enables the development of the message.

Types of Communication Flow

Given the transmitter-receiver relationship,... Continue reading "Word Classes and Communication Elements in Spanish Grammar" »

Topic 3: Travel and Adventure

International Integration: NATO and Europe

During the transition period, domestic politics predominated over foreign affairs. In reality, for the majority of Spaniards, democratization was synonymous with Europeanization and Western integration. During the transition and the Socialist government, there was essential continuity in foreign policy planning.

Foreign Policy Under Arias Navarro

Under Arias Navarro, the relevance of foreign policy was minimal. However, the King's trips to Europe and the USA helped fuel expectations and had a positive effect on important internal policy initiatives. A significant foreign policy decision was the King's resignation of the privilege of intervention in the appointment of bishops, a long-standing request from... Continue reading "Spain's International Integration: NATO and European Accession" »

Modal Verbs

• Ability and capacity: can, could, be able to.
• Possibility and deduction: may, might, could, can't, must.
• Advice: should, ought to, had better.
• Obligation and necessity: must, have to, need to.
• Prohibition: mustn't, can't.
• Absence of obligation: don't have to, needn't.
• Permission: can, be allowed to.

Active and Passive Voice

Transforming active sentences into the passive voice:

• makes → is made
• is making → is being made
• made → was made
• was making → was being made
• has made → has been made
• had made → had been been made
• will make → will be made
• would make → would be made

Reported Speech: Direct and Indirect

Tense and Word Shifts

• is seeing → was seeing
• sees → saw
• saw → had seen
• has seen → had seen
• will see → would see
• is going to see

Literary Devices and Language Registers

Figures of Speech: Definitions and Examples

• Simile (Comparison)

  The comparison of two distinct elements based on a shared feature, often using connecting words like "as" or "like."

  Example: His life was as short as one minute.

• Metaphor

  The replacement of one element (noun) with another by virtue of their shared properties, implying a direct equivalence.

  Example: His life was one minute.

• Extended Metaphor (Image)

  A metaphor that is sustained or developed across two or more lines or throughout a passage.

  Example: His life was blessed one minute
  Among so many dead hours.

• Anaphora

  The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive verses or similar clauses.

• Antithesis (Contrast)

  The juxtaposition of two contrasting

Vocabulary Unit 2: Relationships

• Rowed: Discutir
• Finished with: Acabar amb una relació
• Dating: Quedar (cita)
• Fancy: T’agrada algú
• Flirt with: Tontejar amb
• Kiss: Petó
• Keep in touch: Mantenir el contacte
• Have a lot in common: Tenir molt en comú
• Make a good impression: Donar una bona impressió

Negative Prefixes

• Compatible: Incompatible
• Honesty: Dishonesty
• Legal: Illegal
• Possible: Impossible
• Responsible: Irresponsible
• Usual: Unusual
• Approve: Disapprove
• Comfortable: Uncomfortable
• Legible: Illegible
• Loyalty: Disloyalty
• Mature: Immature
• Polite: Impolite
• Rational: Irrational

Extreme Adjectives

• Angry: Furious (enfadat - furiós)
• Upset: Devastated (molest - molt molest)
• Attractive: Gorgeous (atractiu - molt guapo)
• Ugly: Hideous (lleig - molt lleig)
• Pleased: Delighted (encantat

Essential French Phrases for Travelers

Good morning
Bonjour (bohn-zhoor)

Good evening
Bonjour (bohn-zhoor)

Hello
Bonjour (bohn-zhoor)

Good night
Bonne nuit (bon nwee)

Bye
Au revoir (oh ruh-vwahr)

See you later
À tout à l'heure (ah too ah luhr)

Please
S'il vous plaît (seel voo pleh)

Thanks
Merci (mehr-see)

You're welcome
De rien (duh ree-an)

Excuse me (begging pardon)
Pardon (pahr-dohn)

No matter
Ça ne fait rien. (sah nuh fay ree-an)

How are you?
Comment allez-vous? (koh-mahn tah-lay-voo?)

Well, thanks
Bien, merci (byan, mehr-see)

What is your name?
Comment vous appelez-vous? (koh-mahn voo zah-puh-lay-voo?)

My name is ______
Je m'appelle ______ (zhuh mah-pel ______)

Nice to meet you
Enchanté (ahn-shahn-tay)

Sorry
Excusez-moi (ehk-skew-zay-mwah)

Goodbye (informal)
Salut (sah-

Mastering Reported Speech

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

• Present Simple --- Past Simple (did, -ed, saw,...)
• Present Continuous --- Past Continuous (was/were +ing)
• Past Simple --- Past Perfect Simple (had studied)
• Present Perfect Simple (have seen) --- Past Perfect Simple
• Will --- Would
• Can --- Could
• May --- Might
• Must / Have to --- Had to

Word Changes in Reported Speech

• Now --- Then
• Today --- That day
• Yesterday --- The day before
• Tonight --- That night
• Tomorrow --- The next day
• Two months ago --- Two months before
• Last week --- The previous week
• Next year --- The following year

Reported Statements

Subject + reporting verb + (that) + subject + verb

He said (that) he was planning to take a gap year after university.

Reported Questions (Yes/No Questions)

Subject +... Continue reading "Mastering Reported Speech and Travel Vocabulary" »

Vocabulaire et expressions de base

Qu'est-ce qu'une soirée ? Une fête qu'on fait le soir.
Est-ce un jour férié ? Quand on ne travaille pas.

"I slept late last night, I guess, because I had to study." → Je me suis couché tard hier soir parce que j'ai dû étudier.
"Where were you born?" → "I was born in France." → Où es-tu né ? Je suis né en France (in = en).
Il a plu hier.
"When we went to Paris last year, we visited the Palace of Versailles." → Quand nous sommes allés à Paris l'année dernière, nous avons visité le château de Versailles.

Le passé composé : verbes irréguliers

• Je vais → Je suis allé
• J'invite → J'ai invité
• Nous prenons → Nous avons pris
• Nous skions → Nous avons skié
• Nous voulons → Nous avons voulu
• Nous