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I have updated this tonight so that the experience for the student is much smoother/cleaner. So I have started using meebo…
I’ve just added live chat to the website so that students can get help online when they need it. Currently there is no charge for this service as I am interested in looking at the different ways that students are getting into difficulties with French. I hope that I will be online most evenings (and most of the daytime also) and that I can respond quickly to your shouts for help. As far as I know this is the only live chat website dedicated to French so hopefully you will find this useful.
If you have any fruther suggestions on how I might improve the site just drop me an line by contacting me here.
Pouvoir: to be able
This is one of the most commonly used verbs in French and covers a multitude of meanings.
Is it’s most basic form is means : to be able.
For example : il peut aller au cinema -> he can go to the cinema.
There are lots of expressions that are quiet handy also and can be used in written french in answering exam questions. Here are a few.
Je ne peux plus : I can’t do any more (i.e. I’m worn out/Can’t stand it any more)
Then there is the reflexive version : se pouvoir. The best way of explaining this is with an example.
Ca se peut que: it is possible que ….
Il peut y avoir : there can be…. (similar to Il doit y avoir: there must be – all based on the root : il y a ).
Any more ideas or questions just drop me a word at here
ça ne se peut pas (informal)
that’s impossible
ça se peut (informal)
maybe, perhaps
C’est on ne peut mieux.
It couldn’t be better.
comment se peut-il que…?
how can it be that…?
faire ce qu’on peut
to do what one can
Il peut (impersonal)
It may/could/might
Il peut y avoir
There may/might/could be
Il pourrait s’agir de
It could be / have to do with
Il pourrait se faire que
It may be that
Il se peut/pourrait que + subjunctive
It may be, it’s possible that
Je n’y peux rien.
There’s nothing I can do about it.
On ne peut plus + adjective
It couldn’t be more ___ (or ___er)
On ne peut mieux.
No one could (be, do, etc.) better.
On n’y peut rien.
It can’t be helped, There’s nothing we can do.
Puisse Dieu…
May God…
Puisse le ciel…
May Heaven…
Qui peut le plus peut le moins. (proverb)
He who can do more can do less.
Que puis-je pour vous ? (formal)
What can I do for you? How may I help you?
s’il se peut
if it’s (at all) possible
Tu peux ! Vous pouvez !
You should be! I should say so!
le pouvoir
power, ability
peut-être
perhaps, maybe
Pouvoir conjugations
When to use le, la, les…
Let’s start simply. Le is masculine. La is feminine.
So : the car -> la voiture. How do we know this is feminine (f) ….? Well because we just have to learn it off.
Unfortunately most of the vocabulary you will learn requires you to remember whether the noun is masculine or feminine,
So: the book -> le livre. This means it is masculine (m).
And so on. And all the rules that that implies….well not too many actually. You will get to understand these in time.
Read more…
If you are interested in submitting your assignments now is an ideal time to get started. What we are offering for the month of November is free assistance with your written assignments. Whats this means is we will put aside some time to help students dust off the cobwebs after the summer break and push-start their homework. So if you are having a blank then drop us an email or go to the submit page and send us your assignment.
You can scan in the page from your copy, or you can also type it up…you can even submit an MP3 of ths problem and we will try and get back to you asap. It would also be helpful if you have us a timeframe; let me know when you need it back.
What this does not mean is that I will do your homework for you! You must submit something….I can only correct whats in front of me. Now the idea is that you will learn from it. So in fact by submitting your assignment you are engaging in the process that we are kick-starting on this website. That means you need to spend time also on the problems you are having…..
