Declarative Sentences in French Grammar
A declarative sentence (une phrase affirmative simple) makes a statement, gives an opinion, shares a thought, declares a fact etc. Declarative sentences usually have the following word order: subject – verb – object. In French, as in English, the subject has to come at the beginning of the sentence.
Le chien attrape la balle. (The dog catches the ball.)
In French, just like in English, it is impossible to change the position of the subject (the dog) and the object (the ball) without completely changing the meaning of the sentence.
If we switch the positions, we understand something completely different: La balle attrape le chien. (The ball catches the dog.)
Word order in French sentences
Normal word order is: subject – verb – object. If one clause has both a direct object and an indirect object, the direct object usually comes before the indirect object.
| Subject | Verb | Direct Object | Indirect Object |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandrine | a montré | le chemin | à ses amis. |
Secondary Rule: If the direct object has a relative clause attached to it, then the indirect object usually comes first.
Elle a montré à ses amis le chemin qui mène à sa maison.
What is mise en relief?
Mise en relief is emphasis. We can use certain structures to draw attention to particular elements of a sentence.
C’est / Ce sont … qui / que / dont …
Place the element you want to emphasise at the beginning:
Ce qui / Ce que / Ce dont …, c’est/ce sont …
Place the element to emphasise towards the end:
Adverbs
Adverbs and adverbial phrases can come at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle, or at the end. Putting an adverb at the end often emphasises its importance.
Demain, Charles ira faire du vélo.
Charles ira demain faire du vélo.
Charles ira faire du vélo demain.
Practice Declarative Sentences
Reinforce your understanding of French sentence order and emphasis through interactive practice.