French language | Past participles and the development of reasoning

Learning the reasoning behind past participle agreements is not as “hip” as learning computer applications.


Some explain the regression of French in Quebec by a set of reasons including “English is easier”, “French is too difficult”, “social networks favor English” and “Francophones have fewer children than ‘Before “. All these arguments contribute, to a certain extent, to supporting the unpopularity of French. The stigmatization of its operation favors English, which is easier to integrate. The reasons for this decline are multiple, but its beauty, scope and internationality remain enviable qualities.

So what is the link with the rules of agreement of past participles? Before getting to that, let’s specify that historically, French is a language in which grammarians have had a field day. Francis 1erKing of France, in the XVIe century, offered many contracts to Marot, Vaugelas and others to implement rules with a view to harmonizing practices throughout the country. Today, we have inherited all of their work, and the grammars explain the rules of agreement for past participles over several pages.

Young student at CEGEP, at university, I couldn’t integrate all these rules of agreement. One day I decided to understand and with time fiat luxury.

When it finally became clear how all the past participle agreement rules worked, I said to myself, “Why was it taught in such a complicated way? And I became a French teacher. I made it my hobbyhorse in part of my career.

I made tables, I dissected the sentences, I explained and re-explained the reasoning. Distinguishing a direct complement from an indirect complement according to the verb, here is a basis – but before getting there, let’s disentangle and name the parts of a sentence: an adjective is not a past participle, etc. How to apply a rule? Then, my students eventually understood and found a certain pleasure in it.

Today, we are questioning all these rules, a sign of the evolution of a language. Moreover, some authorities are asking for their simplification. The Quebec Group for the Modernization of the French Standard (GQMNF) is already working hard and successfully on this.

However, I persist in thinking that mastering the reasoning of past participle agreements constitutes valuable intellectual gymnastics, learning that can be transferred to other areas of reasoning, the sciences for example. Thinking, analyzing and applying a rule, this is what this apprenticeship offers to those who persevere.

But it’s not as “trendy” as computing and its applications.


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