Adjectives and Agreement

Introduction

Adjectives are an essential part of any language, including French. They add richness and detail to our descriptions, allowing us to express emotions, physical characteristics, and more. However, in order to use adjectives effectively, it's important to understand the concept of adjective agreement.

What is Adjective Agreement?

Adjective agreement refers to the matching of adjectives to the nouns they modify in terms of gender and number. In French, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This ensures that the adjective corresponds correctly to the noun in the sentence.

Gender Agreement

To make an adjective agree with a noun in terms of gender, you'll need to consider the ending of both the adjective and the noun. Here are some general rules:

1. Most adjectives that end in -e in their masculine form do not change in the feminine form.

   • Ex: "un homme intelligent" (an intelligent man) / "une femme intelligente" (an intelligent woman)

2. Adjectives that end in a consonant in their masculine form typically add an -e in the feminine form.

   • Ex: "un chat noir" (a black cat) / "une chaise noire" (a black chair)

3. Adjectives that end in -x, -s, or -z in their masculine form do not change in the feminine form.

   • Ex: "un garçon curieux" (a curious boy) / "une fille curieuse" (a curious girl)

Number Agreement

To make an adjective agree with a noun in terms of number, you'll need to consider whether the noun is singular or plural. Here are some general rules:

1. Most adjectives add an -s in their plural form.

   • Ex: "un grand chien" (a big dog) / "des grands chiens" (big dogs)

2. Adjectives that end in -s, -x, or -z in their singular form do not change in the plural form.

   • Ex: "un beau garçon" (a handsome boy) / "des beaux garçons" (handsome boys)

3. Some adjectives have irregular forms in the plural, and they must be memorized.

   • Ex: "un bon ami" (a good friend) / "de bons amis" (good friends)

Position of Adjectives

In French, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:

1. Adjectives of beauty, age, goodness, and size generally come before the noun.

   • Ex: "une belle maison" (a beautiful house) / "un vieux livre" (an old book)

2. BANGS adjectives (Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, Size) also come before the noun.

   • Ex: "une grande ville" (a big city) / "une jolie fleur" (a pretty flower)

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to indicate the proximity of a noun. They agree with the noun they modify in both gender and number. Here are some examples:

• "Ce livre est intéressant." (This book is interesting.)
• "Cet homme est gentil." (This man is kind.)
• "Cette femme est belle." (This woman is beautiful.)
• "Ces fleurs sont magnifiques." (These flowers are magnificent.)

Conclusion

Understanding adjective agreement is crucial for expressing yourself accurately in French. By following the rules of gender and number agreement, you'll be able to properly modify nouns and convey your intended meaning. With practice, you'll soon master adjective agreement and take your French narrative skills to the next level.