Practice Makes Perfect

31·7

EXERCICE

Translate the following sentences using inversion as needed and tu or vous, as indicated.

 

1.  I am sure the clinic will keep Étienne at least a week.

 

2.  Where do you keep your tea cups? (tu) (ranger)

 

3.  We are in a theater. Keep quiet! (vous)

 

4.  This bread won’t keep more than three days.

 

5.  Don’t keep me waiting! (tu)

 

6.  Patrick keeps complaining about everything.

285-646_EM_Heminway.indd   447

5/29/18   9:29 AM

---

 448

  practice makes perfect  Complete French All-in-One   

 

7.  Keep the change! (vous)

 

8.  You cannot keep him from seeing his ex-mother-in-law. (tu)

 

9.  Anne promised to keep the secret.

 

10.  He keeps forgetting to buy olive oil.

Faire

In the previous sections, we illustrated the numerous discrepancies between English and French 

verbs by providing examples of incorrect usage caused by the learner’s good-natured belief that 

verbs like to play nice! Well, as you know by now, they play, but as far as their mannerisms are 

concerned, the word nice does not come to mind.

Until now, the English examples on the left side of the page have given you a selection of 

verbs known for their uncanny ability to attract false friends. So moving from left to right, you 

were to seek a safe route between Scylla and Charybdis, hoping to land on a friendly French verb.

Let’s see what happens when we ask the two mythological monsters to take a break and play 

a game of Scrabble. On the left, you will still find English sentences with a variety of verbs, which, 

as you will discover on the right side, all become faire in French. The purpose of this particular 

exercise is not only to demonstrate the productivity of a frequently used French verb, but also  

to familiarize you with an important part of French idiomatic vocabulary and to enable you to 

investigate these key verbs on your own.

Can you bake a cake? 

Tu peux faire un gâteau?

What about going for a walk? 

Si on faisait une promenade?

I am going to play hooky. 

Moi, je vais faire l’école buissonnière.

The doctor will probably give you a shot. 

Le médecin vous fera sans doute une piqûre.

I have several checks to write. 

Je dois faire plusieurs chèques.

What about a cruise? 

Et si on faisait une croisière?

Our bedroom is twenty feet wide. 

Notre chambre fait six mètres de large.

I went around all the libraries, but I 

J’ai fait toutes les bibliothèques mais je n’ai pas 

could not find the book I needed. 

  pu trouver le livre dont j’avais besoin.

I am only repeating what Christine said. 

Je ne fais que répéter ce que Christine a dit.

It has been five years since we last went 

Cela fait cinq ans que nous ne sommes pas allés 

to Amsterdam. 

  à Amsterdam.

She is a self-made woman. 

Elle s’est faite toute seule.

It does not matter. 

Cela ne fait rien.

Don’t worry! 

Ne t’en fais pas!/Ne vous en faites pas!

285-646_EM_Heminway.indd   448

5/29/18   9:29 AM

---

 

Verb transfers and confusing verbs