When Inspector Alan Grant takes a train to the Highlands, a man's body is found. Paul Young reads Josephine Tey's mystery.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d51c6
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
il faut
- [faut que + clause + subjunctive]
il faut qu'il voie son amie.It is necessary that he see his girlfriend
- [indirect object + faut]
- [faut + noun]
Il faut une enquête.An investigation is necessary.
- [faut + infinitive]
Il faut te calmer.It is necessary that you calm down. OR You have to calm down
tenus au courant de la nouvelle réglementation sur les conditions de
travail.
The personnel manager thinks the work force should be kept informed
of the new regulations on working conditions
- il faudrait que + subjunctive
tenus au courant de la nouvelle réglementation sur les conditions de
travail.
The personnel manager thinks the work force should be kept informed
of the new regulations on working conditions
- il faudrait + infinitive
Imparfait
The imperfect ( l'imparfait) expresses or describes
continued, repeated, habitual actions
or
incomplete actions, situations,
or
events in the past
The imperfect describes what was going on at an indefinite time in the past or what used to happen.
The imperfect can be translated by “would” when it implies “used to.”
the imperfect is very often translated in English as "was" or "was ___-ing."
I. Habitual actions or states of being
Quand j'étais petit, nous allions à la plage chaque semaine.
When I was young, we used to go to the beach every week.
II. Physical and emotional descriptions: time, weather, age, feelings
Quand il avait 5 ans, il avait toujours faim.
When he was five, he was always hungry.
III. Actions or states of an unspecified duration
Je faisais la queue parce que j'avais besoin de billets.
I stood in line because I needed tickets.
IV. Background information in conjunction with the passé composé
Il était à la banque quand il l'a trouvé.
He was at the bank when he found it.
V. Wishes or suggestions
Ah ! Si j'étais riche !
Oh, if only I were rich!
VI. Conditions in si clauses
Si j'avais de l'argent, j'irais avec toi.
If I had some money, I would go with you.
VII. The expressions être en train de and venir de in the past
J'étais en train de faire la vaisselle.
I was (in the process of) doing the dishes.
Il venait d'arriver.
He had just arrived.
References
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq0JplSWp6Q
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/The-Imparfait.topicArticleId-25660,articleId-25634.html
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/imperfect.htm
continued, repeated, habitual actions
or
incomplete actions, situations,
or
events in the past
The imperfect describes what was going on at an indefinite time in the past or what used to happen.
The imperfect can be translated by “would” when it implies “used to.”
the imperfect is very often translated in English as "was" or "was ___-ing."
I. Habitual actions or states of being
Quand j'étais petit, nous allions à la plage chaque semaine.
When I was young, we used to go to the beach every week.
II. Physical and emotional descriptions: time, weather, age, feelings
Quand il avait 5 ans, il avait toujours faim.
When he was five, he was always hungry.
III. Actions or states of an unspecified duration
Je faisais la queue parce que j'avais besoin de billets.
I stood in line because I needed tickets.
IV. Background information in conjunction with the passé composé
Il était à la banque quand il l'a trouvé.
He was at the bank when he found it.
V. Wishes or suggestions
Ah ! Si j'étais riche !
Oh, if only I were rich!
VI. Conditions in si clauses
Si j'avais de l'argent, j'irais avec toi.
If I had some money, I would go with you.
VII. The expressions être en train de and venir de in the past
J'étais en train de faire la vaisselle.
I was (in the process of) doing the dishes.
Il venait d'arriver.
He had just arrived.
References
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq0JplSWp6Q
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/The-Imparfait.topicArticleId-25660,articleId-25634.html
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/imperfect.htm
Passé simple
The passé simple, translated in English as either "simple past" or "preterite," is the literary equivalent of the passé composé, which means that it is used only in formal writing (e.g., historical and literary writing) and very formal speech.
In such writing and speech, the passé simple is used alongside the imperfect, just as in everyday speech/writing, the passé composé and imperfect are used together.
The passé simple (past definite) is used primarily in formal, literary, and historical writings to express a completed past action, event, or situation. In conversation and informal writing, the passé composé is used instead of the passé simple to express the past
In modern spoken French, the passé simple has practically disappeared
While literary and refined language still hangs on to the passé simple, the spoken language has simply renounced passé simple for the passe composé, which means that in French, there is no longer a nuance between:
« Je suis arrivé. » ("I have arrived." I have come to town. I may have just arrived.)
« J'arrivai. » ("I arrived." I came to town, but it is possible that I am not still here.)
References
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/passesimple.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass%C3%A9_simple
https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~jbaker/passesimple.html
In such writing and speech, the passé simple is used alongside the imperfect, just as in everyday speech/writing, the passé composé and imperfect are used together.
The passé simple (past definite) is used primarily in formal, literary, and historical writings to express a completed past action, event, or situation. In conversation and informal writing, the passé composé is used instead of the passé simple to express the past
In modern spoken French, the passé simple has practically disappeared
While literary and refined language still hangs on to the passé simple, the spoken language has simply renounced passé simple for the passe composé, which means that in French, there is no longer a nuance between:
« Je suis arrivé. » ("I have arrived." I have come to town. I may have just arrived.)
« J'arrivai. » ("I arrived." I came to town, but it is possible that I am not still here.)
References
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/passesimple.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass%C3%A9_simple
https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~jbaker/passesimple.html
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Brave New World
Anton Lesser reads Aldous Huxley's nightmare vision of the future
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dpyg1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dpyg1
Simon Bovey's Slipstream
Sci-fi adventure series set during World War II. Stars Rory Kinnear and Rachel Atkins
It is a story of a german pilot who has ancestors in both side and is kept in england.Germans somehow got hold of a technology to fly a plane which is faster and dangerous than their rivals.English spy team goes to find and get this technology.Towards the end they find out that germans got this technology from alliens.and the machine denies to kill and attack,because of this she kills the pilots.But this german pilot makes a bound with her and she asks him to fly her home.german pilot accepts this.meanwhile americans english germans russians fight to take hold of this technology.I think message is clear.Technology is not to kill people, on the contrary to help people make their life comfortable
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009prgg
It is a story of a german pilot who has ancestors in both side and is kept in england.Germans somehow got hold of a technology to fly a plane which is faster and dangerous than their rivals.English spy team goes to find and get this technology.Towards the end they find out that germans got this technology from alliens.and the machine denies to kill and attack,because of this she kills the pilots.But this german pilot makes a bound with her and she asks him to fly her home.german pilot accepts this.meanwhile americans english germans russians fight to take hold of this technology.I think message is clear.Technology is not to kill people, on the contrary to help people make their life comfortable
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009prgg
VI Warshawski - Bitter Medicine
Sara Paretsky's thriller with private eye VI Warshawski stars Sharon Gless
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nyfss
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nyfss
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
break: I stop blogging the books I read
I ll keep them on google books and goodreads websites from now on.
Mrs Bradley: The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop
the old woman with that loud bursting into laughters I never forget.she's amazing. Ruppert, is believed to have gone america,asks his solicitor to change his will.and events develop.some dig holes in the middle of the night,some try to stop people finding body,some finds joints of a human body, all people start to suspect each other and behave like dedectives.
1/2 An Offal Discovery
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fsx0h
1/2 An Offal Discovery
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fsx0h
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