Lesson 5
Position of Pronouns

---

Except for the AFFIRMATIVE IMPERATIVE, and for DISJUNCTIVE PRONOUNS, the general rule is this:

OBJECT PRONOUNS DIRECTLY PRECEDE THE VERB. WHEN THERE IS MORE THAN ONE PRONOUN, THE FOLLOWING ORDER IS TO BE FOLLOWED:

me te nous vous se

before

le la les

before

lui leur

before

y (adverb)

before

en

before

verb

First of all, when we have sentences, we have to find what kind of complement we have. To do this, we first look at the verb. For instance, in the following dialogue, the verb is REGARDE.

In the answer to this question, la télé has to be replaced by a pronoun. In order to do this, we look at the complement to decide if it is a direct or indirect complement. To do this, we ask the question QUOI? or QUI? AFTER THE VERB. If we get a direct answer (which means that no preposition such À stands between the verb and the complement), then we have to replace this complement by a direct object pronoun such as LE, LA, LES depending on the number and gender. This pronoun has to be placed before the verb. Let's ask this question after the verb in the following sentence to identify the kind of complement we have.

1. What's the verb ? regardes.
2. Ask the question : Tu regardes QUOI? la télé (this is a direct complement).
3. Look at the table. We have the choice between LE, LA and LES.
4. Find the number and gender of 'la télé' - SING. and FEM.
5. Choose LA and drag it over la télé.
6. Now, let's look at the answer and let's drag the pronoun 'LA' to the set of dots.
7. Let's read the sentence now. How does this sound? Not too French.
8. As you know LA, cannot remain after the verb, but has to be shifted in front of the verb like this.
9. Let's look at the sentence now that it has been adjusted to make room for the pronoun and to delete the extra space between REGARDE and TOUS LES SOIRS.
10. Let's read the answer. Does it make sense?

Let's do the next one together. Let's follow the same steps.

1. What's the verb? demandes.
2. Ask the question?: Tu demandes À QUI (people)? The answer is: 'à tes parents'. It works.
3. Look at the table to find the appropriate complement. I have the choice between LUI et LEUR.
4. Find the number and gender of the 'à tes parents' - PLUR. and MASC.
5. Choose LEUR and drag it over 'à tes parents'.
6. Now, let's look at the answer and let's drag the pronoun 'LEUR' to the set of dots and drop it.
7. Let's read the sentence now. How does this sound? Not too French.
8. As you know, LEUR cannot remain after the verb, but has to be shifted in front of the verb like this.
9. Let's read the answer - Oui, je LEUR demande trop souvent de l'argent. Does it make sense?

Now, let's turn to sentences with more than one pronoun.

ATTENTION, we have two complements here to be replaced by pronouns. Let's try to find the first underlined one, and then the other.

1. What's the verb? racontes.
2. Ask the question: Tu racontes QUOI? 'des mensonges'. This is a direct complement because there is no preposition between 'racontes' and 'des mensonges', however, we have a partitive article 'DES'. A partitive article cannot be replaced by 'LES' but by 'EN'.
3. Look at the table and drag the 'EN' pronoun over 'des mensonges'.
4. Nous, let's drag 'EN' to the first set of dots.
5. As you know, 'EN' cannot remain after the verb, but has to be shifted in front of the verb like this.
6. You may have to make some adjustments here, but let's wait to see where the second pronoun will go.

Now, let's turn to the second complement: À TA COPINE.

1. Let's try the question with À since we have À TA COPINE: Tu racontes À QUI (people)? The answer is: 'À ta copine'. It works.
2. Look at the table. I have the choice between 'LUI' and 'LEUR'.
3. Find the number and gender of the 'à ta copine' - SING. and FEM.
4. Choose 'LUI' and drag it over 'à ta copine'.
5. Now, let's drag 'LUI' to the set of dots in the answer.
6. Let's read the sentence. It doesn't sound too good.
7. As you know, the pronoun 'LUI' has to be moved in front of the verb but we already have the pronoun 'EN' there. I have to decide which of the two pronouns, 'EN' or 'LUI', comes first.
8. Let's look at the TABLE. According to the table, the pronoun 'LUI', an indirect pronoun, comes before 'EN'. The pronoun 'EN' always has the last position among the pronouns.
9. Let's move the pronoun 'LUI' in front of 'EN'. Let's read the sentence now. Does it sound good?

Let's do an exercise for some practice
(close this window to return to main page and proceed to Exercise 6)

hide