- Introduction
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IR verbs are a new group of regular verbs. Just like ER verbs, they follow a pattern, so if you can conjugate one IR verb, you can conjugate all of them. The steps for conjugating an IR verb are the same as those of an ER verb:
Here are some examples:
(obéir) Nous obéissons.
Click on each form of the verb choisir to hear the pronunciation. Practice saying the six forms aloud.
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb. An adverb tells us where, when, how, how often, or to what degree the verb is done. Read and study the following list of adverbs. Click on each word to hear the pronunciation. Practice saying the words aloud.
In English, adverbs can be found in a number of places throughout the sentence - before the verb, after the verb, at the beginning of the sentence, or at the end of the sentence. In French, it is much easier. Adverbs are most commonly placed after the verb. There are exceptions to this rule, but you will learn the exceptions in a future unit. Adverbs that describe adjectives or other adverbs are placed in front of the word they describe. Here are some examples: The Grounds of Versailles The Palace of Versailles is surrounded by nearly 2,000 acres of land, and King Louis XIV wanted the grounds to be as spectacular as the palace itself. The chief gardener for Louis XIV was André Le Nôtre, and his goal was to develop a series of gardens that would glorify the king, a project that would continue for forty years. Coincidentally, Le Nôtre's father, Jean Le Nôtre, was the master gardener for Louis XIII (the Sun King's father) at the Tuileries. The area surrounding the palace originally consisted of grass, forest, and marsh. Today, however, the grounds are famous for their striking fountains, statues, pedestals, topiary shapes, and parterres, all created in a lovely symmetrical style. The French word parterre literally means on the ground, and in the field of horticulture, it refers to gardens with a geometrical design, surrounded by stones or low, clipped hedges. Within a parterre, there are walking paths between the flower beds. Versailles also has beautiful water parterres, in which reflecting pools are featured rather than flower beds. 
Gardens of The Palace Versailles. Throughout the gardens, there are numerous fountains and statues inspired by Greek and Roman mythology. For example, in the Apollo Fountain, Apollo is portrayed on his sun chariot. In the Latona fountain, Jupiter has transformed the peasants of Lycia into frogs and lizards because they have insulted a young Apollo. Also, at the corner of one water parterre, a large sculpture of Poseidon appears to be watching intensely over the grounds of Versailles. Louis XIV was particularly fond of the fountains of Versailles, as well as the Water Theater. However, having a sufficient amount of water to operate the fountains proved to be quite a challenge. In an effort to conserve water, the fountains were turned on as Louis XIV approached, and they were turned off after he passed by. Despite the best attempts of André Le Nôtre and his assistants, more water was needed in order for the fountains to function properly. In 1685, Louis XIV ordered the construction of an aqueduct to bring water from the Eure River, which was 80 kilometers away. The aqueduct was a success, and visitors can still enjoy musical fountain shows from April through October, as well as fountain night shows, which include fireworks and lasers, from late-June through mid-September. Although the gardens of Versailles are considered to be among the most beautiful in the world, the grounds are still recovering from two devastating storms that struck the city of Versailles on February 3, 1990 and December 26, 1999. More than 1,800 trees were severely damaged in the first storm, and the second storm uprooted more than 10,000 trees, some more than two hundred years old, as the winds reached 100 miles per hour. While the current landscapers continue to work on the restoration project, they believe it will take several decades for the gardens to fully regrow and regain their original appearance. Learn more about the grounds of Versailles. References Château de Versailles. Web. 7 Jun. 2014. Corona, L. (2002). France. San Diego: Lucent Books. Hoog, Simone, and Beatrix Saule. Your Visit to Versailles. Versailles: Editions Art Lys, 2000. Print. |
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