Practice Makes Perfect

Dont

The relative pronoun dont acts as an object of the main clause and can refer to both people and 

things. It is used to refer to objects of verbs or verbal expressions that include the preposition de. 

(You may wish to review the verbs and their prepositions in Chapter 21.)

Il a besoin de ces documents. 

He needs these documents.

Voici les documents dont il a besoin.  

Here are the documents he needs.

Elle se sert d’un pinceau. 

She uses a paintbrush.

Montrez-moi le pinceau dont elle se sert.  Show me the paintbrush she uses.

Tu as parlé d’un souffleur de verre. 

You talked about a glassblower.

Où habite le souffleur de verre dont tu  

Where does the glassblower you told us 

nous as parlé? 

  about live?

Elle est fière de son fils. 

She is proud of her son.

Denis est le fils dont elle est fière. 

Denis is the son she is proud of.

In modern French, dont usually replaces duquel, de laquelle, desquels, and desquelles.

Le marchand dont (duquel) je me  

The merchant I remember is in Saint-Ouen.