Word order / L’ordre des mots
In simple sentences, both languages follow the S-V-O structure.
Français | Anglais |
Il a acheté des actions. | He has bought some shares. |
The simple structure, however, can get complicated when other sentences parts come in.
La négation / Negation
In English, the negation usually precedes the verbs. In French, the negative particles encircle the verb.
Français | Anglais |
Je ne regarde pas la télévision. | I don’t watch TV. |
Je ne regarde jamais la télévision. | I never watch TV. |
In English, the one-negation-word rule applies.
Français | Anglais |
Personne ne regarde la télévision. | No one watches TV. |
Nulle part, elle n’a vu jamais personne. | She has never seen anyone anywhere. |
Les adverbes / Adverbs
Time expressions can be placed at the beginning or at the end.
Français | Anglais |
Hier, il a acheté des actions. | Yesterday, he bought some shares. |
Il a acheté des actions hier. | He bought some shares yesterday. |
Adverbs of place precede those of time.
Français | Anglais |
Il a acheté des actions à New York hier. | He bought some shares in New York yesterday. |
Adverbs of frequency follow the verb in French.
Français | Anglais |
Nous allons rarement au cinéma. | We rarely/seldom go the cinema. |
Ils ne parlent jamais de leur travail. | They never speak about their work. |
Il fait toujours la même erreur. | He always makes the same mistake. |
Alternately, they are placed at the start/end of the sentence, like in English.
Français | Anglais |
Nous mangeons au restaurant parfois. | We eat in a restaurant sometimes. |
Parfois, nous mangeons au restaurant. | Sometimes we eat in a restaurant. |
Adverbs of intensity precede the verb in French.
Français | Anglais |
Il a trop mangé. | He has eaten too much. |
Les pronoms / Pronouns
Unlike in French, pronouns are placed after the verb in English.
Français | Anglais |
Il en a acheté. | He has bought some. |
Unlike in English, double pronouns are usually placed in front of the verb in French.
Français | Anglais |
Il le lui a donné. | He gave it to him. |
The structures are equivalent in both languages when pronouns are used with prepositions.
Français | Anglais |
Il l’acheté pour elle. | He has bought it for her. |
Indirect speech
Both in English and French, the word order in indirect (reported) question is the same as in a declarative statement.
Français | Anglais |
Est-ce que tu sais où il est ? | Do you know where he is? |
Both languages apply the time shift rule (concordance des temps).
Français | Anglais |
Il vient ce soir. | He is coming tonight. |
Elle m’a dit qu’il venait ce soir-là. | She told me he was coming that night. |