DICTIONNAIRE DES DIFFICULTES DE LA LANGUE ANGLAISE

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ADJECTIF

On place à droite du nom : available, concerned, involved, possible, present, proper, responsible, suitable. ex : "all people concerned".

ADVERBE

I remember very clearly the morning that George first came to school.

He wrote to Mary foolishly/kindly( =manner)

He foolishly wrote her a letter (=it was foolish of him to do so)

this house was badly built/built badly

I well remember your father/I remember your father well.

AFFRONT

he affronted him/to put an affront upon so/to offer an affront to so/to suffer an affront at the hands of so/ to pocket an affront(=avaler un affront)

AFRAID

I am afraid lest that I should offend him.

I am afraid that he will not come.

APT TO

innocent persons are apt to be nervous

ARTICLES DEFINIS

       A. Prononciation.

       B. Dénombrables pluriel et indénombrables

1. sens général= pas d'articles

2. déterminés par 1: une proposition 2: un complément of, at, between, in 3: par le contexte (ex: I was fed up with the war) = articles.

        C. Articles avec:

1. les planètes (the earth, the sun, the moon; mais Mars, Jupiter)

2. phénomènes atmosphériques

3. les titres

4. les institutions

ex: the police

5. les inventions

ex: the telephone

6. les catégories

the rabbit, the rose

        D. Les noms propres

Pas d'article :"Queen Elisabeth" mais "the Emperor", "the Czar"

"Good old George"

        E. noms de peuples

The French; the Americans (100%)//Americans (80%)

        F. noms de pays

Pas d'article "Argentina" mais "the Argentine (republic)"

        G. Les cours d'eau

                The thames

        H. chaîne de montagnes : The Alps

        I. sommets

Mount Blanc

        J. les mers: the Atlantic

        K. les rues: Oxford st

mais the rue de Rivoli.

        L. noms abstraits

nature

        M. le temps

winter

        N. jours de la semaine

                                Monday

Last/next week mais the last week= durée

        O. les repas, maladies, jeux

breakfast, the flu, the measles, the mumps, football

        P. Titres de journaux

        Q. article 0: superlatif employé comme adv.

                            This is where you eat best.

        R. adj subst.

the blind, the rich

S. sens distributif

paid by the hour; mais most people/ most of the people who...

ASKANCE

the Egyptians you pass look askance at you.

BUSY ONESELF IN DOING SOMETHING

BUT

so that/in order that/lest/for fear that

we erected a monument, lest our children (should)forget it/lest a spoken message (should)be misunderstood.

If everyone is to hear you, you must speak up (=si vous voulez que)

CANTANKEROUS

grognon, de mauvaise humeur, acarâtre, querelleur

CAUSE

A. Because, since, as, seeing that...

B. For (langue écrite, précédée d'une virgule, jamais en tête de phrase

ex: he went away, for he had finished his work.

C. si la cause est un nom ou un gerund

because, of, on account of, in view of, owing to

ex: in view of their deciding to change their holidays../he lost his way on account of having lost his map/ he was charged with murder, owing to the police finding the weapon on him.

D. cause exprimée sous forme d'un nom abstrait:

ex: he shuddered with fear, wept for joy, /out of malice/through your carelessness(négligence)

E. participe présent (style écrit) même sens qu'avec as

ex: being late, we decided/ john being late, we decided/ It being late, having already eaten 2 buns, he left/peter coming home, they felt relieved/John forgetting his umbrella, he got drenched/Being stunned, he did not know what was happening.

F. for+gerund

ex: I'm sorry for being late/ thank you for helping me/ he was punished for stealing apples/I am tired for working a lot./ I'm sorry for being late/ He was disappointed for having missed her./ she was happy for making so much money.

G. the+comp.+as/since/because

ex: I'm all the more tired as I worked a lot

CHANCE

Is there any chance of getting tickets/in getting tickets/to win tickets/that he will come.

The chances are that he will come

I came on the off chance that you would be there/of finding you there

he stands a good chance of passing the test.

CONCESSION

        A. Although/though

Although he is only 14, he is as tall as his father/he is as tall as his father -- though not as intelligent. /He does not want to go. he must, though. Though/Although I was not in the same class as John, I never knew him well.

  EVEN THOUGH:

1. (=though) even though he said he had a brother, I did not believe him. Even though he sat next to me, we never said a word to each other (renforce le contaste) ! !

even though et even if ne sont pas équivalents

2. Even if he said he had a brother I wouldn't believe him.

        B. HOWEVER, STILL, YET, NEVERTHELESS, EVEN SO.

However, if you back him, I'll believe him.

STill: He has a lot of money, still he is not happy/ and yet he is not happy.

YET: i's incredible, yet true/

EVEN SO: everything was burning, even so he kept smiling/ all the same he kept smiling

IN SPITE OF/ DESPITE

        C. WHATEVER/NO MATTER/HOWEVER

EX: Whatever you do / no matter/what you do/who/where/how much/how rich

No matter what caused the accident, it was not a broken bottle. Whoever was responsible, it was not the pedestrian. Whenever it happened it was not yesterday. Wherever you met her, it was not in my house.

HOWEVER+ADJ: however happy you look = si heureux que vous paraissiez.

HOWEVER + MUCH +VB = however much you want to go./ However he tries, he will never ... ! il n’y a pas de much ici !

        D. avec aux / may ou sans

adj+as+s+vb => patient as he was/ strong as he was/Good as he is, he will never be top of his class

        E. much+as+s+vb

much as I dislike him

        F. nom+though+s+vb

Frenchman though I am.

        G. VB+AS+S+WOULD et autres expressions.

try as I would/ work as I would/ Try as he does/will/may/might/he will never..

say what you will

do what I might

be this as it may.

        H. FOR ALL+NOM/PROP

FOR ALL HIS WEALTH/FOR ALL YOU MAY THINK/ for all I know/

        I. NOT THAT

                he is angry with me. NOT that I care (d'ailleurs cela m'est indifferent

        J. May sens concessif

Brown may have lived all his life in France, but he does not speak French well

The children may come from poor homes, but they are quite neatly dressed

1. EXERCICE:

TRANSFORMER LES PHRASES SUIVANTES

Though he is very learned, I doubt whether he knows this

=>no matter how learned he may be, I

=>however learned he may be

=>learned as he may be

go!

Though it's very cheap, it's too expensive for them.

Though he was very shy, he told them what he thought.

Though I write to him, he never answers my letters.

Though he is foolish, he can't have made this mistake.

Though we admire him, we can't forgive him for being so cruel.

Though it's very late, we must ring them up.

Though I tried very hard, I couldn't understand this sentence.

Though it's very pleasant here, we shall have to leave very soon.

Though I dislike it, I feel I ought to tell you the truth.

CONDITION

                

                if, event if, so long as, suppose, supposing that, on condition that, provided that, unless, in case it rains.

If you parked your car here, where is it now ?/You were very foolish/the police would have removed. (il s’agit non pas d’un irréel du présent mais d’un vrei passé)

If you were to touch that wire, you would be killed instantly. (supposition future)

 

I’ll let you drive 

on condition (that)

provided (that)

providing (that )

so long as

as long as

you have a valid licence

Suppose

Supposing that

I had

I were to have

an accident, who would pay ?

Suppose

Supposing that

I had had

an accident, who would have paid ?

EVER

ever s’emploi séparé de what who when why how : what ever caused the accident, nobody knows why.

EXCLAMATIVES

So strong a man

mais ! such a strong man !

attention: "such strong men" est possible,  mais :"so strong men " est impossible ! ! ! !

FORGET

On dit: I have forgotten my umbrella

mais: I have left my umbrella at home!

et non pas:* I have forgotten my umbrella at home.

Donc: quand il y a précision du lieu on ne peut pas mettre forget.

 

FORTHRIGHT

carré, franc :he is forthright :il ne mâche pas ses mots.

FRAZZLED

éreinté, claqué : worn to a frazzle

GENITIF

        génitif déterminatif : the Russian’s reaction (the appartient au Russian)

        génitif générique : a children’s home ("a" appartient à home !)

the Queen of England’s fortune ; the woman next door’s children ; ken and Klare’s home ; ken’s and clare’s homes.

A three hours’ journey ; a three-hour journey ;mais "a five years’ imprisonment "car indénombrable !

a film of Clint Eastwood’s

        N2 of N1

The election of the president (pendant la campagne,) mais the president’s election -après la campagne) la relation existe déjà.

N1 est suivi d’une préposition ou une proposition relative: the name of the man in Anna’s room was O’Brien. ; the name of the man who spokle bad German.

N1 est inanimé :the bonnet of the car.ou N1 est objet de l’action : the discovery of America.

N1 bien qu’inanimé a un lien avec une activité humaine.

GIVE

he is not given to making rash statements

GOING to avec if

If Tom passes the examination, his father is going to buy him a bicycle

Mais ! If Tom asks his father to buy him a biclycle, his father will probably do so (=going to impossible)

HAGGARD

visage défait, hâve, décomposé

HARDLY

HARDLY/SCARCELY had I/ did I ....   WHEN

NO SOONER had I ... THAN

HAVE

! have got/do you have:

I haven't got any money now

mais I don't usually have any money with me (action habituelle)

HEART

In my heart of hearts I knew full well

HOPE

I hope that he has arrived safely

I’m hoping to hear that

I’m hoping for news of his arrival

We hope to see you in may/we shall hope to see you.../we hope that we shall see you...

INDIRECT SPEECH

si la situation existe toujours : I told you the road is closed/the bridge has collapsed/no one can cross it.

INVERSIONS

        A. Après neither, nor ,so

Sauf dans: "that's Isabelle". "So it is!"

        B. Après les expressions négatives et only en début de phrase.

Seldom, rarely, never, hardly ... when , scarcely ... when, no sooner ... than,no .

EX: only then did I understand/ only after a year did I understand/ only in a few countries does the population enjoy a good standard of living/ not only did we lose, but we came close to losing our lives

ex avec NO: at no time was he aware/under no circumstances/ in no way can he be held responsible/ on no account are visitors allowed in.

        C. Après les ct. circonstanciel de lieu en début de phrase (pas de do ni did)

Ex: On a hill stood.../A few miles further lies.../Round the corner walked .../Under the table was lying a man...

        D. mais pas d'inversion après Perhaps!

KNOW

I don't know that he will be there: Je ne crois pas qu'il sera là.

LIKELY  TO

Is it likely that he will come ?

Is he likely to come?

Is there any likelyhood/chance of his coming?

MERETRICIOUS

factice, clinquant

MILLIARD

1000 000: one million (=10 6)

1000 000 000: one thousand million (gb) (=10 9)= one billion (US)=un milliard(fr)

Aux US chaque fois qu'on ajoute 3 zéros on passe à trillion, quadrillion etc.. en GB on a la séquence one billion, one thousand billion, one trillion, one thousand trillion etc...

NEGATION

Il faut mettre la NEGATION au début:

Not all children can do it.

et I don't believe/think/imagine he will come

et non pas! *I think he won't come.

NOMS

        invariables ; verbe sg. 

Advice furniture, information, luggage, rubbish, health weather advice information, progress, research, news, knowledge hair, spagehtti, macaroni

fish is expensive fruit is rich in vitamins.

Billiards, mumps, measles news.

        Invariables verbes pl.

Barracks

the cattle were grazing

retired clergy were given a pension

his herd were decimated (petit bétail)

the management evisage more redundancies

the police were called in

are your wages sufficient.

Invariables avec verbes sg ou pl

mathematics is interesting/ your mathematics are not good(application)

a series/series a species/species

an aircraft/two aircraft plaice (carrelet) salmon sheep trout

changement de sens : damage/damages (dégâts/dommages et intérêts ) pain/pains (douleur/efforts)

les noms propres : the two Germanys, the hillarys

quand tous les éléments sont invariables : a grown-up / grown-ups

quand le dernier est invariable : a mother-in-law / mothers-in-laws

OFF HAND manners

des façons très dégagées, peu cérémonieuses

OFTEN

On dit: I often go to the restaurant

mais: I fell several times! when going down that slope

et non pas :*I often fell when going down that slope.

conclusion: "often" ne peut s'employer quand il s'agit d'une action répétée dans les mêmes circonstances.

ORDRE DES MOTS

On the platform was a man ; In walked the headmaster ; In he walked.

Had we not been delayed, the accident would never had happened. : on ne peut pas dire Hadn’t we... ! !

ORDRE DES ADJECTIFS

determinatives+quality+size, length, shape+colour+noun,gerund=noun

ex : a very valuable gold watch

quite an attractive triangular green Cape-colony stamp

a useful oblong red tin box

a pretty purple silk dress

place des adverbes

we generally have coffee for breakfast (ful verb)

we have always bought best coffee

I often have to cook my breakfast

I have often cooked...

PHOTOGENIQUE

He photographed well

PLANE

The Kremlin is a global power on a plane with the US.

PREFER

I prefer my meat well done.

Would you prefer to start early ?

I should have preferred you to start early

He preferred that nothing be said

I prefer walking to cycling

I should prefer to start early rather than have to travel in crowded trains/ Rather than have to travel ... I should prefer to start early

Il faut obligatoirement employer rather than après prefer et non pas than seul. ! ! ! !

PRESENT PERFECT

Since we have lived here, we have made many friends.

PRETERIT

Preterit avec FROM: si l'action n'arrive pas jusqu'au moment présent

He played the piano from the age of 3, then stopped at 4

mais: He has been playing the piano since the age of 3 (et encore maintenant)

He had been playing the piano since the age of 3 when he had to stop.

ou bien: he had been playing since the age of 3, when his mother died and he had to stop.

et on peut dire: I have not seen him since I have been here.

PRETERIT MODAL

Georges writes as if he is left-handed (he is left handed)/ as if he was left-handed(he might be left handed)/as if he were left-handed (he is not left-handed)

PRIG

a prig=un pharisien/priggish=pharisaïque, suffisant, fat/priggishness=fatuité

PRONOM RELATIF

séparation du relatif de son antécédent : George was the only boy at school that I really liked. A war broke out which lasted for forty years.

That après :

all that remains

everything that

anything that

the first boat that

the fastest boat that

the next boat that

relative non-limitative, on trouve :

Sergeant Brown, to whom I showed my license, was very polite./..., whom I showed my licence to, ...

I can lend you two books, both of which are very good./..., of which both are very good.

That is the boy of whose father we have just been speaking. He is a man on whose shoulders falls a heavy responsibility.

PRURIENT

lascif/llascive

PUBLIC PURPOSES

60 years of communism even have shrivelled the sense of voluntary and conscientious commitment to public purposes.

QUITE

Moderately before a gradable adj (below 100%)

ex : quite good/well/pleased

I quite like it

Before an ungradable word (=100%)

quite right

I quite understand

I quite appreciate/believe/forget/realise/recognise. On peut trouver : I don’t quite understand.

RATHER / FAIRLY

that is a fairly long story/rather long story

that is rather a long story. It’s rather a story=a remarkable or complicated story. I rather like him. He was rather surprised/somewhat

SEWAGEMEN/DUSTMEN

SHOULD

avec than that

there is nothing I want more than that you should be happy

I am ready to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it..

SO

on peut trouver so en tête de phrase :George was good at maths. So he was put into the 2nc class.

SUPERLATIF DES ADJECTIFS

A. IN/OF

IN= localisation OF=appartenance à un groupe.

ex: the best doctor in town

mais the youngest of the family

the tallest of the boys.

Omission de ONE

on peut omettre one parfois après:

1. comparatif: i bought the more expensive

2. superlatif: I took the largest

3. adjectif de couleur: I want the blue.

TAKE STOCK

she took stock of me

WHILE

G  arrived while i was having a bath./He was playing while i was doing my homework./ G waited while I had my bath

WHIM

Late that night the whim seized him to drive to...

WHOSE

Whose house is this ? Whose is this house ?

WITNESS

to bear witness to/of : the test bear witness to the quality of the car

to give witness on behalf of the accused

he witnessed to the truth of the statement/to having seen the accused near the scene of the crime

WORTH/WORTH WHILE

Il est plus idiomatique de dire:

worth while to, mais worth while doing n'est pas faux.

Il faut un It anticipatoire pour construire acvec worth while

ex: it is worth while hearing about this subject

sinon on peut dire : this subject is worth hearing about

ex: it is worth while to remember this

ou bien: this is worth remembering.