Looking for some tips on improving your French? Our e-Tutor Sev is here to help you with the tricky problem of verbs and their prepositions.
In Part I, I wrote about the importance of knowing the correct prepositions associated with verbs.
However, a number of common verbs never take a preposition before a noun, unlike their English equivalent. These are often hard to get right! So practice them until it’s second nature.
Here are mistakes on 3 very common verbs:
- chercher qq chose: to look for something)
Je cherche un restaurant (not: je cherche pour un restaurant)
- attendre qq chose
Ex: J’attends le train. (not: j’attends pour le train): I’m waiting for the train.
- demander qq chose
Ex: Je demande un renseignement. (not: je demande pour un renseignement): I’m asking for information.
But some of these verbs need a certain preposition when followed by a verb in the infinitive.
Again, those same 3 verbs:
- chercher à verbe qq chose: to try to do something
Ex: Je cherche à acheter des macarons. (
- attendre de + verbe qq chose: to wait to do something
Ex: J’attends de trouver une place disponible (I’m waiting to find an available seat/
- demander de + verbe qq chose: to ask (someone) to do something
Ex: Je vous demande de nettoyer la chambre. (I’m asking you to clean the room)
We’ll look more at this issue next week. Want to learn more French? Start here.