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Do you remember the verb aller? Aller means to go. As you have learned, aller can be used to tell where you are going and to ask someone - How's it going? (Comment ça va?) You can also use the verb aller to talk about things you are going to do in the near future, which is known as le futur proche. To form le futur proche, simply conjugate the verb aller and add an infinitive (aller + infinitive). An infinitive is a verb that has not been conjugated, such as étudier, fermer, or rendre. Read, study, and listen to the examples below:
Vas-tu étudier? = Are you going to study? Pierre va fermer la porte. = Pierre is going to close the door. Nous allons manger au café à midi. = We are going to eat at the café at noon. Est-ce que vous allez rendre la jupe? = Are you going to return the skirt? Ils vont nourrir les animaux. = They are going to feed the animals. Do you remember these questions and answers: D'où viens-tu? D'où venez-vous? Je viens de _______. Do you see how the two verbs viens and venez are similar? It is because they are two conjugated forms of the verb venir. As you know, the two questions are asking - Where are you from? The answer, of course, is - I am from _______. If someone asks - Where are you from? - they want to know - Where do you come from? Therefore, the meaning of the verb venir is to come. Although the verb venir ends in the letters IR, it is NOT a regular verb. It does not use the endings is, is, it, issons, issez, issent. Venir is an irregular verb, so when it is conjugated, the forms completely change. Read, study, and listen to the six forms of the verb venir.
Here are some examples:
As you have learned, le futur proche allows you to talk about things you are going to do in the near future. When you want to talk about things that happened in the recent past, you will use le passé récent. To form le passé récent, you will conjugate the verb venir, add de (d') and an infinitive (venir + de + infinitive). Read, study, and listen to the examples below. Notice that a keyword for using le passé recent is the word just.
Est-ce que tu viens d'étudier? = Did you just study? Pierre vient de fermer la porte. = Pierre just closed the door. Nous venons de manger au café à midi. = We just ate at the café at noon. Est-ce que vous venez de rendre la jupe? = Did you just return the skirt? Ils viennent de nourrir les animaux. = They just fed the animals. Napoleon Bonaparte As you know, Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned L'Arc de Triomphe, but did you know he was one of the world's best military strategists? The allure and intrigue surrounding his life prompted the writing of countless books regarding his ideas and accomplishments, as well as his eventual downfall. Depending on whom you ask, you will get differing opinions on his life's work.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. His parents sent him to France to attend military school at the age of nine, and by the age of sixteen, he earned his diploma specializing in military weaponry and strategy. Napoleon rose through the ranks of the army with lightning speed, and by the age of twenty-six, he was in full command of the entire French army. After gaining control of the army, he gained control of the government with a coup d'état. A coup d'état is a French phrase that means the removal of a sitting government by force. By the time Napoleon was thirty years old, he was in complete control of France. While Napoleon is known for his ruthless pursuit to take over Europe, he did make many positive contributions to France, and he established several notable institutions. For example, Napoleon ended the chaos that plagued France following the French Revolution. He established the French banking system and created a modern and fair judicial system that remains in effect today. Napoleon also transformed Paris into a beautiful city of grand boulevards and green spaces. He added an entire wing to the famous Louvre Museum, and filled it with priceless pieces of art, and on the grounds of the Louvre, he added a second smaller arch known as L'Arc du Carrousel. Interestingly, both arches are less than two miles apart, and they are directly in line with one another. See below for more information.
While Napoleon worked diligently to better the situation in France, he was determined to be a supreme leader. In 1804, he crowned himself Emperor of France and invaded almost all the countries in Europe, costing France millions of lives. After his attempt to conquer Russia failed, he was forced to give up the throne and was held captive on the island of Elba by the English. During what is known as The 100 Days, he managed to return to France and regain power. Ultimately, he was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. He died at the age of 51 and was buried on Saint Helena. However, in 1840, the English allowed his body to be returned to France. His funeral procession, which traveled under L'Arc de Triomphe, was said to have been the grandest funeral ever known. Napoleon's tomb is now located inside Les Invalides in Paris.
Go to Aerial Photo Panorama to see L'Arc du Carrousel and L'Arc de Triomphe. When you get there, follow the directions below.
References "Arc De Triomphe Paris - Paris Attractions - Arc De Triomphe." Arc De Triomphe Paris - Paris Attractions - Arc De Triomphe. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 July 2014. "Napoleon Bonaparte." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. "Napoleon Bonaparte." : Napoleon : Bonaparte : Biography : Career : Life Story : Emperor of France : Soldier. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 July 2014. |
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