法语语法学习--第二十三课

The causative construction.--Active infinitive with faire, laisser, entendre, and voir.

 

Examples

 

Je fais étudier mon fils. I make my son study.

Je fais étudier ses leçons à (or par) mon fils. I make my son study his lessons.

Je le fais étudier. I make him study.

Je les lui fais étudier. I make him study them.

Elle va se faire faire une robe. She is going to have a dress made.

Je l'entends chanter

{ I hear him sing.

I hear it sung.

Je me laisse amuser. I allow myself to be amused.

Il se laisse tomber. He lets himself drop.

Je les vois venir. I see them coming.

Je l'ai vu battre. I saw him beaten.

A. 1. Did you hear him tell that story? 2. Yes, but I had heard it told so often that I didn't laugh at [1] it this time. 3. Thunder makes milk sour. 4. They[2] are going to have this street paved. 5. Don't let your coat get[3] torn.[4] 6. I saw this man struck. 7. I am going to make him pay for[3] it. 8. He had himself led before the king. 9. The king will have the story told to him(self). 10. Rabelais made the boy write. 11. He made him write some labels. 12. If the king heard this talked of, he would have me arrested. 13. Do you know how[3] to cook eggs? 14. He gets absorbed in (lets himself be absorbed by) his work. 15. I am going to have a coat made for[3] me. 16. I am going to have it made by the tailor.[5] 17. He will charge[6] me 200 francs for[3] it. 18. Unless[7] it is[8] bad weather to-morrow, I shall go walking. 19. The innkeeper asks that he be informed[9] when the king arrives. 20. The servant withdraws, so her master may be[9] alone.

 

[Footnotes 1: of it. 2: on. 3: omit. 4: active infinitive. 5: le tailleur. 6: faire payer. 7: à moins que. 8: subjunctive of faire, introduced by ne. 9: subjunctive, why? 10: tense?]

 

B. Word Study. In the following anecdote, substitute equivalents for expressions in italics: