III. SENTENCES ON SYNTAX AND IDIOMS
FOR VIVA VOCE PRACTICE
I (pp. 1—5)
1. There it was that I came into the world and spent the first years of my life.
2. Their uncle was a proud and miserly old man, and so nobody liked him.
3. I must say, to begin with, that my birth did not bring my father good luck.
4. From that moment the factory was on its last legs.
5. Soon there remained in the whole house only my brother and myself.
6. The child had been taught only reading and writing.
7. Nobody seemed to know him, which greatly surprised me.
8. In reality he was an excellent man, although quick with his hands and loud of speech.
9. I really cannot understand why you lay the blame on me.
10. The revolutionists were not looked upon with much favour in the house.
11. My brother was scarcely two years older than myself.
12. What a singular man your friend is!
13. As far back as I can remember his eyes were always red.
14. You must start as soon as you can, without anybody knowing it.
II (pp. 6—10)
1. All that occurred on that day I still remember as if it had happened yesterday.
2. I had not been told of his departure, and they hardly suspected it either.
3. Although he played his part very well, if he had been asked what Robinson was, he would have been at a loss to answer.
4. My first business, on coming in, was to tell him that he must henceforth keep at home.
5. The richer one is, the more cares one has.
6. I tried in vain to make him say what was the matter with him.
7. The parrot, which my uncle had given me to be rid of its incessant talking, persisted in not speaking as soon as it was mine.
8. I had barely time to throw myself flat on my face behind a clump of oleanders.
9. I thought I recognized the porter’s voice, which reassured me a little.
10. We were greatly afraid that they might chance to discover our hiding-place.
11. What would have become of us if they had remained a few minutes longer?
12. Luckily for him, nothing of the sort happened.
13. At the end of half an hour they retired without even suspecting that the island was inhabited.
14. As soon as they had gone, I ran and shut myself up in my hut.
15. My father, who had gone on before, had already been in Lyons for a week.
III (pp. 11—15)
1. I should have liked that day to have lasted for ever.
2. Several big boats were going down stream.
3. Groping his way towards us, he cried out, “Who goes there?”
4. The noise was so great that you could hear it a mile off.
5. The next day, when I sent for it, it was not to be found anywhere.
6. The more of those horrid creatures she killed, the more there came.
7. The poor girl, who loved my mother passionately, could not make up her mind to leave us.
8. We had to put her on board by force, and as soon as she arrived in the south, she married there from sheer despair.
9. My parents did not take another servant, which seemed to me the depth of poverty.
10. If you are not happy, I assure you that I am not either.
11. Everybody had at length taken a dislike to him.
12. It is no use your telling him not to do it, he will do it all the same.
13. Why do you not want me to go with them?
14. I hope (use a conjunction instead of a verb) nothing has happened to him!
IV (pp. 16—20)
1. Where are the children? Go and see what has become of them.
2. We had been in Lyons for about two months when our parents thought of our studies.
3. What struck me most on my arrival was that I was the only one that wore a blouse.
4. The master at once took a violent dislike to me.
5. When he spoke to him, it was always in a most off-hand manner.
6. What do you call these flowers? How nice they smell!
7. The covers of his books were always torn, and sometimes there were pages missing.
8. Nobody will blame you if you really do your best.
9. I have just received your favour of the eighth instant.
10. From time to time the door was gently opened, and she entered on tiptoe.
11. Having double-locked the door, he came to me with a mysterious air.
12. By way of answer he took a red copy-book from under his jacket.
13. How gladly I would have fallen upon his neck, had I dared!
14. The first four lines only were done so far.
15. The rest, which he said was but a matter of time, he was never able to manage.
16. Do what he would, the poet never got farther than these four lines.
V (pp. 21—25)
1. Let us talk of something else, if you have no objection.
2. Such was that scene, the horror of which I shall never forget.
3. If I pass over in silence this portion of my life, the reader will lose nothing by not knowing it.
4. It was always the same story, business not prospering, the rent in arrears, the plate in pawn.
5. Having said this, M. Eyssette senior began to walk with big strides without speaking.
6. I have only succeeded in getting us over head and ears in debt.
7. To get out of it, you have only one decision to come to.
8. From what I see, there is no time to be lost.
9. “Are you not acquainted with what is going on?” he asked, heaving a deep sigh.
10. It was not without difficulty that he at length tore himself away from his friends’ embraces.
11. Travelling by himself and earning his living, he felt a grown-up man.
12. His father’s friend was a fine old man, with nothing about him savouring of the pedant.
13. If you wish to please me, you will not lose sight of him.
14. Thereupon he ran down the stairs four steps at a time.
15. This first duty accomplished, he went in quest of a public-house within his means.
VI (pp. 26—30)
1. “This is just what I want,” said he to himself.
2. It was a large room with whitewashed walls.
3. You cannot imagine how happy old Annou was to see her former master again!
4. In a trice the table was laid.
5. What a pity we must go! we were so comfortable here!
6. “A pleasant journey to you!” said one; “God bless you!” exclaimed the other.
7. Did nut Captain Cook go to sea again directly after his return to England?
8. It is astonishing that you should not understand so simple a matter.
9. We soon saw him running towards us at the top of his speed.
10. It is a small town in a narrow valley shut in on all sides by the mountains.
11. On the night of my arrival the north wind had been raging ever since the morning.
12. A few people were waiting for the coach on the parade-ground, walking to and fro in front of the office.
13. The whole town seemed to have been asleep for years.
14. As soon as I knocked, the door opened of its own accord.
15. A porter, holding a big lantern in his hand, came up to me with a sleepy look.
16. He had promised us that he would come as soon as he had finished what he was doing.
VII (pp. 31—35)
1. A tall handsome fellow with a fair moustache was sipping a glass of brandy by the side of a short thin woman as yellow as a quince.
2. “The gentleman is so short,” said he, pointing to me, “that I mistook him at first for a pupil.”
3. Thereupon they began to speak in a low voice, casting sidelong glances at me.
4. Right at the back of the study a man was writing by the pale light of a lamp.
5. When he had finished his work, the headmaster turned to me.
6. “Why! this is a child!” he exclaimed; “what do they want me to do with a child?”
7. After reading the letter he told me that he consented to keep me, although he had fears as to my inexperience.
8. The main point is that the thing should be done at once.
9. I could have wished him to have had a thousand hands in order to kiss them all.
10. A man with red whiskers had just entered the room without anyone having heard him.
11. “If you stir, little scamp,” said he, “beware!”
12. I was wandering in the dark, trying to find my bearings, when I heard some one coming to meet me.
13. However powerful they may be, we do not fear them.
14. I continued to group along, but my heart was beating fast.
15. On the way I heard that that man, who looked a very good fellow, was a fencing-master.
VIII (pp. 36—40)
1. We parted at the door with a good deal of hand-shaking.
2. Do you think that you will be able to carry out your plan all by yourself?
3. I immediately began to read the document in order to post myself up in my new duties.
4. The ushers had a right to half a bottle of wine at every meal.
5. I had scarcely gone to sleep when I woke up with a start.
6. When your colleagues come back, I will introduce you to them.
7. The tallest of them, the one I was going to replace, spoke first.
8. “By Jove!” he exclaimed cheerfully, “you may well say so” (use the word ‘cas’).
9. I would have given anything in the world to have been only a few inches taller.
10. “Never mind,” he added, stretching out his hand to me; “although we are not built to be measured by the same standard, we can all the same empty a few flasks together.”
11. I want you to be one of our party.
12. What struck you on entering was the number of shakos hanging on the pegs.
13. On the whole you have fallen on your feet in coming here you will not be so badly off.
14. All my colleagues ruled their pupils with a rod of iron.
15. Little by little he felt less timid and soon rose with his glass in his hand.
IX (pp. 41—45)
1. My neighbour was a youth of good family who had gone the pace a bit.
2. Everything was so silent that you might have thought the house was empty.
3. Come to me as soon as you have done.
4. And thus it was that I began my new career.
5. My boys were as yet untouched by the atmosphere of the school.
6. Even in winter the windows were always wide open.
7. It is for you especially (use the word “intention”) that I have composed this little tale.
8. Remember that I do not want you to speak in this way.
9. The narrator stopped short with one hand in the air.
10. Do you not miss your friend a good deal?
11. The college was divided into three departments: the Senior School, the Middle School and the Junior School.
12. As for him, he might smile at me as much as he liked, I could not like him.
13. When you see them, tell them I owe them no grudge.
14. As soon as he was in, he double-locked the door.
15. Twice a week we went to that spot, half a league from the town.
X (pp. 51—55)
1. Usually on those occasions I had the whole college on my hands.
2. Most of them used to fall into step splendidly.
3. It was in vain I spoke to him, he refused to listen to me.
4. The poor fellow was ridiculously short, badly dressed, redolent of the gutter, and, to crown all, dreadfully bandy-legged.
5. We always had at our heels a swarm of ragamuffins turning cart-wheels behind us.
6. The little imp was smiling as if nothing were the matter.
7. The whole division began to go off at a frightful pace.
8. He was the son of a farrier, who was working himself to death for his education.
9. We have been waiting for you for more than twenty minutes.
10. I often looked at him, putting out his tongue and leaning on his pen with all his might.
11. As soon as he had finished his work, he used to go out.
12. On that day he went out as soon as he had finished his work.
13. The grotto was so low that we were obliged to go in on all fours.
14. I wonder whether I shall ever succeed in teaching him anything.
15. Do you know what has become of my letter?
XI (pp. 51—55)
1. How can you hope to find anything good at the rate of seventy-five francs a term?
2. How dreadful it is to see snares everywhere and to be always on the alert!
3. Were I to live a hundred years, I should never forget all I suffered.
4. You may accept if you like, but I do not see what you will gain by it.
5. It seems that at the last moment he has changed his mind.
6. The windows of the dining-room looked out on to the garden.
7. The head master spoke little, and in a curt, gruff voice.
8. There was not one street in the town that he did not know.
9. I have a mind to go, and I will go, come what may.
10. I had been told that his library contained more than two thousand volumes, and I had no doubt but that I should find there the book I wanted.
11. My neighbour was sitting astride a low chair, with his legs stretched out.
12. I at length succeeded in explaining as well as I could the object of my visit.
13. Mind you don’t spoil my book, or I’ll cut off your ears!
14. They might just as well have finished whilst they were at it.
XII (pp. 56—60)
1. You must redouble your efforts, or else you will never pull through.
2. When you want any books, you will only have to come and take them.
3. Tell him that he can believe me, for I have been through it all.
4. Thereupon he resumed his reading and let me go out without even looking at me.
5. I had entered without anyone suspecting my presence.
6. At last the appointed day came, and it was high time, for I could stand it no longer.
7. Stretched out in his arm-chair, he was listening to his neighbours with an absent-minded air.
8. A few bald gentlemen were mopping their heads with flame-coloured silk handkerchiefs.
9. As soon as he had finished his speech, there was a general uproar.
10. “Which way must we go?”—“Come this way.”
11. Do not allow yourself to be so easily discouraged.
12. The children had gone bird-catching with a bird-call.
13. Being quite alone, I spent nearly all my time reading.
14. As usual he answered “Thank you!” without taking his eyes off his book.
15. The little patient dreamt of it every night, he could sleep no longer for it.
XIII (pp. 61—65)
1. He lost his head, and added in a trembling voice: “I thank you for all your kindness to me.”
2. I promise you that it shall be done without fail not later than to-morrow.
3. At last, in utter despair, he made up his mind to write to them.
4. Prepare your letter beforehand and hand it over to him as soon as he arrives.
5. Nobody came on that day, or on the next either.
6. To crown our misfortunes, it soon began to snow.
7. How short the holidays have been this summer!
8. The whole house was being repaired from top to bottom.
9. Here he comes; you must mind your p’s and q’s.
10. Neither the masters nor the pupils felt in the mood for working.
11. After two whole months’ rest, the college found it difficult to resume its ordinary routine.
12. For my own part illness had made me unable to bear anything.
13. We no longer had any ammunition to fight the rioters with.
14. Sometimes, as a last resource, I called my neighbour to my aid.
15. They were all so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop.
16. It was evident that I had an awkward customer to deal with.
XIV (pp. 66—70)
1. I soon saw that I was getting involved in a nasty business.
2. You should have seen the air he put on in answering me.
3. I raised my arm as if to seize him by the coat-collar.
4. All the spectators at once clapped their hands.
5. Just fancy! the marquess brought to his senses by this slip of an usher!
6. My friend has not yet arrived, but I expect him every moment.
7. I was beginning to think that I should get off with a good fright.
8. What penalty do you think it your duty to inflict upon him?
9. The child had been confined to his bed for the last three days.
10. You do not know what sort of man you have to deal with.
11. During this fine speech we were all laughing in our sleeves.
12. I might have answered, but took good care not to.
13. When they were hard up for something more to say, they at last retired.
14. The interesting victim was made to repeat his story twenty times running.
15. It would have been much better for me to have been dismissed at once.
XV (pp. 71—75)
1. I should pity him more if he did not complain so often.
2. Although it was spring, a good deal of snow had fallen during the night
3. Even if (do not use ‘si’) they had utterly demolished the house I should not have noticed it.
4. I was far from suspecting that they had been in England for the last fortnight.
5. Taking everything into account, I hope I shall be able to send you something from time to time out of my savings.
6. What a beautiful town Paris is!
7. Here at any rate it is not always foggy as in Lyons.
8. I had come to that part of the letter when I suddenly heard a dull noise.
9. In the playground the children were shouting at the top of their voices.
10. Why do you not want us to mention it to them?
11. A monotonous plain stretched as far as the eye could see.
12. I was longing to be alone in my room.
13. We have not seen them yet, but they will not be long in coming.
14. I began to go up the stairs four steps at a time.
15. The new secretary was beside himself with joy.
XVI (pp. 76—80)
1. Before going in, I stopped an instant to recover my breath.
2. The head master in his dressing-gown was standing near him, with his velvet cap in his hand.
3. I did not know what it was all about, but on hearing these words I blushed for shame.
4. Turning to me, he took from the mantel-piece a little bundle of papers I had not yet noticed.
5. Instead of answering him, he hung down his head and remained silent.
6. One word might have exculpated me, but that word I did not utter.
7. I was ready to suffer anything rather than betray my friend.
8. It is half-past ten already; they must have missed the train.
9. All my courage suddenly failed me, and, without saying a word, I hurriedly went out.
10. I saw his face brighten as I spoke.
11. “Listen to this before I go,” said he in a low voice.
12. You must promise me to write to them when everything is over.
13. When I was in the army, I vowed that, if ever I came to be drummed out, I would not survive my dishonour.
14. I would rather lose my situation than be the cause of his death.
15. The very least we can do is to wait till the last moment before coming to such a decision.
XVII (pp. 81—85)
1. If the poor man happened to die, what would become of his children?
2. Did you not tell me that you would come as soon as you had finished?
3. I assure you that it is no laughing-matter.
4. The children were so glad that they could not stand still (
use the word
‘
place
’).
5. You must have dropped the letter without noticing it.
6. Whatever could they be doing down there in such weather?
7. I rushed in the direction of the town, in search of my friend.
8. Considering the rate at which he was walking, he must have covered the ground in less than a quarter of an hour.
9. I was afraid that, in spite of his promise, he had already gone out.
10. Let us drink the stirrup-cup before you go.
11. I hope (use a conjunction instead of a verb) that you will arrive in time!
12. It was sad enough (do not use ‘assez’) to make one weep.
13. When I approached, they were all dying with laughter.
14. Feeling he was going to hear something extraordinary, he advanced without being seen by anybody.
15. Then it was that I learnt what cowards men can be!
16. The orator’s gestures must have been very comical, judging by the transports of the audience.
XVIII (pp. 86—90)
1. I shuddered, and my ears tingled.
2. The little girl’s mother had been dead for more than six months.
3. I could stand it no longer, and, without caring whether anyone could see me, I rushed through the garden.
4. Where was he to find the money he wanted? He felt he was done for.
5. I got up, and, with the resolute step of a man who has just come to an irrevocable decision, I went back to the station.
6. When you receive this letter your poor brother will be dead.
7. There is a good deal more I could say to you, but I have no time.
8. Tell them that he fell from the top of a cliff, or else that he was drowned whilst skating.
9. I beg your pardon for all the trouble I am giving you.
10. When you come to the bridge, apply to the first person you meet.
11. The usher walked up and down until everybody was asleep.
12. Some one was stealing slowly along under cover of the walls.
13. A moonbeam was shining full upon the big iron ring.
14. I have been doing nothing but think of it for hours.
15. Taking the old stool, he got up on it and made a slip knot.
XIX (pp. 91—95)
1. That’s a queer idea, to practise on the trapeze at this time of night!
2. Come up to my rooms; there is a fire there, and it is very comfortable.
3. My friend has been dismissed, which, by the way, is a great stroke of luck for him.
4. If you take my advice, you will start at once, without waiting till your week’s notice is up.
5. I myself will lend you the money that you wanted to borrow from that scoundrel.
6. Now not one word more! I do not want you to thank me.
7. “How comfortable I am here!” he said, opening his eyes.
8. As soon as I began to thank him, he literally turned me out of doors.
9. The boys were not yet in the playground by the time I was already working hard in my room.
10. The good man was busy counting gold coins, which he carefully put in a row in little heaps.
11. My brother has not to draw lots for six years, and who knows what may happen between now and then?
12. I am much afraid you will be a child all your life.
13. What confidence can you have in him, half mad as he is?
14. Have you not your seat to book? Make haste, or you will be late.
15. The abbé could not help casting a glance round the room, and what he saw made him shudder.
XX (pp. 96—103)
1. I really thought that they were going to seize me by the throat.
2. The two scowling faces cheered up as if by magic.
3. When they had pocketed my money, they launched out into protestations of friendship.
4. Do not allow yourself to be taken in by those compliments.
5. The more affable they showed themselves, the more they disgusted me.
6. What a pity you did not arrive in time to see them!
7. Those who are not satisfied will only have to come and tell me.
8. I looked around me for a long time, as if to carry away in my mind the image of the place I was never to see again.
9. Drawing the keys out from under my coat, I threw them down the well with all my might.
10. I should have liked to enjoy the sight a little longer, but I did not want the coach to start without me.
11. It is still too early for you to receive an answer.
12. For about twenty years he had been spending his time colouring illustrated newspapers.
13. Ah! the old fool! You should have seen with what a confident look he used to say that!
14. All these details about his uncle I only learnt afterwards.
15. As soon as I went into the house, I saw that, whatever she might say, my mother was not happy.
16. On hearing that I had a good situation, he opened his eyes wide.
17. The joy of seeing her son again had taken away the poor woman’s appetite.
18. It is said that they have barely enough to live upon.
19. If only (do not use ‘seulement’) I could have spoken to him unreservedly! but we were not left alone one minute.
20. The moment for his departure came without their having been able to say anything to each other.