Ils ont

[suein56]

[quote user="Lisleoise"]From the website:

* Michel Thomas is available personally to conduct private courses in French, German, Spanish and English only for interested clients in London. Michel conducts his courses at his suite at the May Fair Intercontinental Hotel, Stratton St., in London. All other instruction (with an instructor) must take place at the offices (in the case of corporate clients) or private residence of the client.

PLEASE NOTE: For all courses given by Michel in places other than New York or Beverly Hills, the client must cover Michel's round-trip airfare and accommodations during the duration of the course in addition to the regular course fees.

[8-)]  [blink]  Do you think they need to update their website? [/quote]

They certainly do as MT died before we came out to France in 2005.

Sue

PS Pads I have sent you a pm.

[mogs]

Personally I found the MT CD's the most boring way of learning, I found myself nodding off and the bleep woke me up each time!   Sorry for all you people who are his fans but I've just thrown out all the CD's I had because I couldn't get on with them.

[Ron Avery]

For a really good site to learn the French lanquage and reinforce learning go here http://french.about.com/cs/francophonie/a/learnfrench.htm

and subscribe to their newsletters.  Others have mentioned it and it is top of my favourites. Having been to a French course where only French was spoken in class and no explanations were forthcoming if you did not understand a particular point like the dreaded subjunctive or the differences between to bring, return, take and carry etc etc which caused massive headaches in our class, this site is invaluable for explaining clearly all those things you don't understand whether learning at home or at a French school.  It goes much further than many French courses, it has a good verb conjugator site and also highlights the errors that we can all make if not careful, with regular quizzes to reinforce learning.  The search facility is also excellent.

[Loiseau]

[quote user="J.R."]

...Ils ont - I pronounce eelzon(t) with emphasis on the Z, this is to differentiate it from Ils sont - which I pronounce eelson(t) with emphasis on the S. The "T"s would be pronounced to make a liason with a following vowel i.e; "ils ont allé" "ils sont heureuses" (the h is silent)

  [/quote]

Oh dear - another can of worms here, JR!

The examples should read:
"ils sont allés" (aller is conjugated with être and not avoir; also because of this, the past participle has to agree with the plural subject), and
"ils sont heureux" (heureux has to agree with the masculine "ils").
(I'll just crouch below the parapet now, in case one of the native French forum-eers corrects this!)  [blink]

Also, I believe (and perhaps the native French forum-eers would confirm or correct) that although you would pronounce the liaison with the "t" on the end of "sont" (être), you would not do so with the "t" on the end of "ont" (avoir).
So "ils sont allés" - pronounced EEL SONT ALLAY
but "ils ont apporté" - pronounced EEL ZON APORTAY

Angela

[mint]

Angela, my understanding of this is the same as yours and I, too, hope I've got it right.  It will be really good if Frenchie, or Clair or 5-Element will come and give us the definitive version.

Thanks for posting Angela.  You've enabled me to do a little self-check on this.

[5-element]

[quote user="Loiseau"]

 the liaison with the "t" on the end of "sont" (être), you would not do so with the "t" on the end of "ont" (avoir).
So "ils sont allés" - pronounced EEL SONT ALLAY
but "ils ont apporté" - pronounced EEL ZON APORTAY

Angela

[/quote]

 

EEL SONT ALLAY = no problem

EEL ZON APORTAY is the most common way of saying it, but I have also heard EEL ZONT APORTAY, which might be the very proper way of saying it. However, I am not sure. (being more of a commoner myself, I would say EEL ZON APORTAY[:D] )

I don't know what other native French speakers might say though. However, I do think this is so much one of the finer points, that for most people, knowing whether to say it this way or that way, would be the cherry on the very top of the gateau! So. not a big issue either way IMHO!

[Ron Avery]

"but I have also heard EEL ZONT APORTAY, which might be the very proper way of saying it.........

 or mean something completely different.

The reason why its not pronounced with the t carried over like EEL SONTALLAY is if you say EEL ZONT APORTAY (quelque chose), you are saying  they brought you (something) as in ils ont t'apporté...(quelque chose),  You can only apporter an object by the way. 

[mint]

I see what you mean, Ron, and it's a good point.  However, being new here, I am not yet on "tu" terms with anybody and so ils ont t'aporté is not a phrase that I would have occasion to use.[:D] 

[Christine Animal]

Good, because there's a mistake in it.  It should be "ils t'ont apporté".   [:D]

 

[mint]

Good old Christine, yes, even I can see that!

[Ron Avery]

Just testing................[Www]

 

 

[Chancer]

[quote user="Loiseau"][quote user="J.R."]

...Ils ont - I pronounce eelzon(t) with emphasis on the Z, this is to differentiate it from Ils sont - which I pronounce eelson(t) with emphasis on the S. The "T"s would be pronounced to make a liason with a following vowel i.e; "ils ont allé" "ils sont heureuses" (the h is silent)

  [/quote]

Oh dear - another can of worms here, JR!

The examples should read:
"ils sont allés" (aller is conjugated with être and not avoir; also because of this, the past participle has to agree with the plural subject), and
"ils sont heureux" (heureux has to agree with the masculine "ils").
(I'll just crouch below the parapet now, in case one of the native French forum-eers corrects this!)  [blink]

Also, I believe (and perhaps the native French forum-eers would confirm or correct) that although you would pronounce the liaison with the "t" on the end of "sont" (être), you would not do so with the "t" on the end of "ont" (avoir).
So "ils sont allés" - pronounced EEL SONT ALLAY
but "ils ont apporté" - pronounced EEL ZON APORTAY

Angela

[/quote]

Thanks for the corrections Angela, no need to hide under the parapet!

Now that I no longer have formal lessons (although I hope to restart) my written errors go undetected, whilst several of my friends read my French text in E-mails they feel embarrassed to correct me, I have however got most of them to correct my speech.