French Notes

Learn French with Paul Noble Review Booklet

Introduction

• This booklet is designed to reinforce learning from the audio course, not to teach French independently.
• It's most effective when used alongside the audio course.

Contents Overview

• The Paul Noble Method: Discusses the method's effectiveness, addressing common language learning frustrations and focusing on communication and independent sentence formation.
• How to Use This Booklet: Explains the booklet's role as a review and reference guide, emphasizing its use after starting the audio course to reinforce learning, reading, and writing skills.
• Creating French Words: Introduces techniques for converting English words into French to quickly expand vocabulary.
• Core Course Review: Offers a review of key structures and tenses learned in the audio course.
• Travelling in France: Provides practical language for everyday situations in French-speaking countries.
• At a Glance: Includes snapshots of key verbs, numbers, and the alphabet.

The Paul Noble Method

• Addresses common negative experiences in language learning:
  • Years of study without practical ability.
  • Giving up on language courses early.
  • Confusion from grammatical explanations.
  • Difficulty with grammar books.
  • Feeling incapable of learning a language.
• The method aims to enable communication and independent formulation of ideas in French.
• Avoids complicated grammar explanations and rote memorization.
• Focuses on building complex sentences step by step through audio interaction.
• The language taught is adaptable for both holiday and professional contexts.
• The method has been successful with many students, including those considered "no-hopers."

How to Use This Booklet

• Designed to quickly review and reinforce key vocabulary, structures, and content of the Paul Noble Method French course.
• Complements the audio course by providing a reference guide and aiding in reading and writing skills.
• Should be used after beginning the audio course to reinforce learning.
• The audio course is the primary teaching tool.

Creating French Words

• Presents techniques to convert English words into French.
• Words ending in the following generally stay the same:
  • "ion" (e.g., transformation, information, invitation)
  • "age" (e.g., cage, bandage, courage)
  • "ade" (e.g., parade, barricade, escapade)
  • "ude" (e.g., attitude, gratitude, solitude)
  • "ure" (e.g., agriculture, sculpture, signature)
  • "ible/able" (e.g., possible, terrible, table)
  • "ant/ent" (e.g., important, intelligent, excellent)
  • "um" (e.g., album, maximum, minimum)
• Other English endings change as follows:
  • "ary" becomes "aire" (e.g., ordinary = ordinaire, salary = salaire, solitary = solitaire)
  • "ory" becomes "oire" (e.g., glory = gloire, history = histoire, victory = victoire)
  • "ic/ical" becomes "ique" (e.g., political = politique, typical = typique, magic = magique)
  • "id" becomes "ide" (e.g., candid = candide, stupid = stupide, timid = timide)
  • "sm" becomes "sme" (e.g., optimism = optimisme, pacifi sm = pacifi sme, sarcasm = sarcasme)
  • "ty" becomes "té" (e.g., publicity = publicité, activity = activité, quality = qualité)
  • "or" becomes "eur" (e.g., doctor = docteur, actor = acteur, pastor = pasteur)
  • "ist" becomes "iste" (e.g., artist = artiste, pianist = pianiste, fascist = fasciste)
  • "ian" becomes "ien (m) / ienne (f)" (e.g., optician = opticien, musician = musicien, Parisian = Parisien)
  • "ive" becomes "if (m) / ive (f)" (e.g., active = actif / active, captive = captif / captive, massive = massif / massive)

Core Course Review

• Method: Read English and French, then cover the French and translate the English.
• Aim for 90% accuracy before moving to the next page.

The Past (using “have”)

• I have = $J'ai$ (contraction of $Je ai$).

• visited = visité

• the Louvre = le Louvre

• I have visited the Louvre = $J'ai visité le Louvre.$

• the park = le parc

• I have visited the park = $J'ai visité le parc.$

• prepared = préparé

• I have prepared = $J'ai préparé$

• the coffee = le café

• I have prepared the coffee = $J'ai préparé le café.$

• for you = pour vous

• I have prepared the coffee for you = $J'ai préparé le café pour vous.$

• English words ending in “ion” often have French origins (approximately 1250 words).

• To create a past participle, remove "ation" and add "é" (e.g., préparation → préparé = prepared).

• French uses a single tense to express "I have decorated," "I decorated," and "I did decorate" (= $J’ai décoré la maison$).

• You have = Vous avez.

• You have reserved a table = $Vous avez réservé une table.$

• We have = Nous avons.

• We have reserved a table = $Nous avons réservé une table.$

• He has = Il a.

• He has reserved a table = $Il a réservé une table.$

• She has = Elle a.

• She has reserved a table = $Elle a réservé une table.$

• You have (informal) = Tu as.

• You have reserved a table (informal) = $Tu as réservé une table.$

• They have = Ils ont.

• They have reserved a table = $Ils ont réservé une table.$

• They have (female group) = Elles ont.

• They have reserved a table (female group) = $Elles ont réservé une table.$

• Note: Use ils for mixed or male groups, elles for exclusively female groups.

• Asking Questions in the Past:

  • Inverting Word Order: You have = Vous avez. Have you? = Avez-vous? Did you visit the Louvre? = $Avez-vous visité le Louvre?$
  • Using “est-ce que…?”: We have reserved a table = Nous avons réservé une table. Have we reserved a table? = Est-ce que nous avons réservé une table?
  • Rising Intonation: Use a rising pitch at the end of the sentence in speech. He has reserved a table. = Il a réservé une table? (statement vs. question based on intonation).
  • Note: Rising intonation is mainly for speech; use “est-ce que…?” or inversion for writing.

• Using “it” in the Past

  • I have prepared it. = $Je l’ai préparé.$
  • “Have” steals the pronouns, placing them directly in front of itself.
  • We have bought it. = $Nous l’avons acheté.$

• Using “some/any” in the Past

  • some / some of it / any / any of it = en
  • I have eaten some of it. = $J’en ai mangé.$

• Using Negatives in the Past

  • I haven’t prepared it / I didn't prepare it = $Je ne l’ai pas préparé.$
  • You didn’t find it. = $Vous ne l’avez pas trouvé.$
  • We didn’t buy it. = $Nous ne l’avons pas acheté.$
  • She didn’t understand me. = $Elle ne m’a pas compris.$
  • They didn’t wait for you. = $Ils ne vous ont pas attendu.$

The Past (using “to be”)

• Use "to be" (être) instead of "to have" (avoir) for verbs involving going or coming (e.g., going, coming, arriving, departing, being born, dying).
• Example: He has gone / he went = literally “he is gone”.
• I am = Je suis
• To arrive = Arriver
• Arrived = Arrivé / Arrivée / Arrivés / Arrivées
• I have arrived = $Je suis arrivé / arrivée.$
• We are = Nous sommes
• We have arrived = $Nous sommes arrivés / arrivées.$
• The Fiancé Rule:
  • The spelling of the past participle changes based on the gender and number of the subject when using “to be”.
  • Arrived (said by a man) = arrivé
  • Arrived (said by a woman) = arrivée
  • Arrived (said by two men) = arrivés
  • Arrived (said by two women) = arrivées
• I have eaten (said by a man) = $J’ai mangé$.
• I have eaten (said by a woman) = $J’ai mangé$.
  *Note that the 'coming and going' rule does not apply to rester, meaning to stay.

The Present

• Using