Multiple subjects
When you have more than one subject, you have to figure out which subject pronoun would replace that group and then conjugate the verb accordingly. For example, toi et moi would be replaced by nous, as would David et moi. Toi et lui and Michel et toi would be replaced by vous. Lui et elle or Marc et Anne would be replaced by ils. The trick is to make this replacement in your head without actually saying it out loud, as denoted by the (parentheses):
- Toi et moi (nous) pouvons le faire - You and I can do it
Laure et moi (nous) étudions - Laure and I are studying
Paul, Marie et moi (nous) mangeons - Paul, Marie, and I are eating
Toi et elle (vous) êtes en retard - You and she are late
Sophie et toi (vous) devez partir - You and Sophie have to leave
Luc et sa femme (ils) sont arrivés - Luc and his wife have arrived
Lui et elle (ils) lisent beaucoup - He and she read a lot
Subject + object pronoun
In a construction with an object pronoun, usually nous or vous, there is sometimes a tendency to conjugate the verb according to it, rather than to the subject pronoun, because the object directly precedes the verb. Though this tends to be a careless mistake made orally rather than a lack of understanding, it's included here just as a little reminder.
- Je vous ai donné la liste - I gave you the list
xx Je vous avez donné la liste xx
Vous nous avez menti - You lied to us
xx Vous nous avons menti xx
C'est... qui
The construction c'est + pronoun + qui makes many people - including at times native French speakers - want to use the third person singular verb conjugation. But this is incorrect; in fact, the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.
- C'est moi qui ai gagné - It's me that won
xx C'est moi qui a gagné xx
C'est vous qui avez tort - You're the one who's wrong
xx C'est vous qui a tort xx
C'est nous qui allons le faire - We're the ones who are going to do it
xx C'est nous qui va le faire xx
Pronoun + qui
Similar to the c'est... qui construction is the pronoun + qui construction. Again, the qui makes people want to use the third person singular, but once again the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.
- Vous qui avez mangé pouvez partir - Those of you who have eaten may leave
Ceux qui veulent aider doivent me voir - Those who want to help need to see me
Je cherche celles qui étudient - I'm looking for the ones who are studying
Collective Subjects
Collective subjects can take the third person singular or plural:
- Un tas de fleurs sont mortes (est mort) - A bunch of flowers died
Un grand nombre de livres ont disparu (a disparu) - A large number of books disappeared
Adverbs of quantity
Adverbs of quantity take the third person singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun that follows:
- Beaucoup d'étudiants sont arrivés - A lot of students have arrived
Peu de pluie est tombée - Little rain fell
Combien de livres y a-t-il ? - How many books are there?
Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns always take a third person conjugation (either singular or plural, depending on the number of the pronoun).
- La plupart a décidé - Most have decided
Plusieurs sont perdus - Many are lost
Tout le monde est là - Everyone is there
...d'entre...
When an adverb of quantity or indefinite pronoun is followed by entre + pronoun, many non-native French speakers (including myself) tend to conjugate the verb according to the personal pronoun. But this is incorrect - in this construction, the verb has to be conjugated to agree with the indefinite pronoun.
- Certains d'entre vous ont oublié - Some of you forgot
xx Certains d'entre vous avez oublié xx
Beaucoup d'entre nous sont en retard - Many of us are late
xx Beaucoup d'entre nous sommes en retard xx
Chacun d'entre vous peut le faire - Each one of you can do it
xx Chacun d'entre vous pouvez le faire xx
