In this exercise, we will contrast and combine the pronouns y and en. In answering all questions, use y and en whenever possible.
Unlike most other pronouns in French, y and en do not agree with the noun they are replacing; they remain 'invariable'.
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Grammatical Notes
Ex. #1 - Vocab.?
Ex. #2 - Vocab.?
Ex. #3 - Vocab.?
Ex. #4 - Vocab.?
Ex. #5 - Vocab.?
Ex. #6 - Vocab.?
Ex. #7 - Vocab.?
Ex. #8 - Vocab.?
Ex. #9 - Vocab.?
Ex. #10 - Vocab.?
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Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 1
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Most generally, en replaces nouns introduced by the preposition de, often in expressions of quantity, such as the idiomatic beaucoup de, trop de, etc... or the partitive article du, de la, des. The expression of quantity (beaucoup, trop, etc...) must be repeated at the end of the sentence.
Back to Ex. 1
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 1
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun for reference to place.
Most generally, y replaces nouns that refer to place, often introduced by the preposition à, but also with en, dans, devant, sur, etc... (eg: Je vais à Paris => J'y vais.)
Back to Ex. 2
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to place.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 2
Not a valid choice.
Improper placement of the pronoun(s).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 2
Not a valid choice.
Improper placement of the pronoun(s).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 3
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when a specific number is given.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 3
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun when a specific number is given.
en is used to replace expressions with numbers, including un/une. In these cases en is placed before the verb and the number is repeated at the end of the sentence. (eg: J'ai trois robes. => J'en ai trois.)
Proper placement of the pronoun(s).
y and en precede the verb to which they are logically related. In compound tenses, they precede the auxilary.
In sentences where y and en are both used, y always comes before en.
Back to Ex. 3
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when a verb or expression is idiomatically used with de.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 4
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun when a verb or expression is idiomatically used with de.
Verbs or expressions that are idiomatically used with the preposition de will take en as their pronoun (eg: avoir besoin de, être capable de.) In these cases, en can either replace a noun or a proposition.
Back to Ex. 4
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when a verb or expression is idiomatically used with de.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 4
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun when à refers to an entire proposition.
Be aware: y can also replace an entire proposition introduced by the preposition à (eg: Je réfléchis à ce que tu dis => J'y réfléchis.)
Back to Ex. 5
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when à refers to an entire proposition.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 5
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when à refers to an entire proposition.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 5
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when an expression of place is introduced by de (and not à).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 6
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun when an expression of place is introduced by de (and not à).
en (and not y) is used to replace expressions of place introduced by de. (eg: Je reviens de Paris. => J'en reviens.)
Back to Ex. 6
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when an expression of place is introduced by de (and not à).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 6
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when à introduces a person and not a place.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 7
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Most generally, en replaces nouns introduced by the preposition de, often in expressions of quantity, such as the idiomatic beaucoup de, trop de, etc... or the partitive article du, de la, des. The expression of quantity (beaucoup, trop, etc...) must be repeated at the end of the sentence.
Back to Ex. 7
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 7
Correct!
Proper placement of the pronoun(s).
y and en precede the verb to which they are logically related. In compound tenses, they precede the auxilary.
In sentences where y and en are both used, y always comes before en.
Back to Ex. 8
Not a valid choice.
Improper placement of the pronoun(s).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 8
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to place.
Try again.
Explanations?
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 8
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun when à introduces a person and not a place.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 9
Not a valid choice.
Improper placement of the pronoun(s).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 9
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun when à introduces a person and not a place.
Be aware: when à is used with a person and not a place, the indirect object pronoun is used (eg: Je parle à mon amie => Je lui parle.)
Proper placement of the pronoun(s).
y and en precede the verb to which they are logically related. In compound tenses, they precede the auxilary.
In sentences where y and en are both used, y always comes before en.
Back to Ex. 9
Not a valid choice.
Improper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 10
Correct!
Proper choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Most generally, en replaces nouns introduced by the preposition de, often in expressions of quantity, such as the idiomatic beaucoup de, trop de, etc... or the partitive article du, de la, des. The expression of quantity (beaucoup, trop, etc...) must be repeated at the end of the sentence.
Back to Ex. 10
Not a valid choice.
Improper placement of the pronoun(s).
Try again.
Explanations?
Back to Ex. 10
Grammatical notes for the exercises in this page.
In this exercise, we will contrast and combine the pronouns y and en. In answering all questions, use y and en whenever possible.
Unlike most other pronouns in French, y and en do not agree with the noun they are replacing; they remain 'invariable'.
The items covered are:
1)- The choice of pronoun for reference to place.
Most generally, y replaces nouns that refer to place, often introduced by the preposition à, but also with en, dans, devant, sur, etc... (eg: Je vais à Paris => J'y vais.)
Ex. 2 Ex. 8
2)- The choice of pronoun when à introduces a person and not a place.
Be aware: when à is used with a person and not a place, the indirect object pronoun is used (eg: Je parle à mon amie => Je lui parle.)
Ex. 7 Ex. 9
3)- The choice of pronoun when à refers to an entire proposition.
Be aware: y can also replace an entire proposition introduced by the preposition à (eg: Je réfléchis à ce que tu dis => J'y réfléchis.)
Ex. 5
4)- The choice of pronoun for reference to quantity, whether with an expression using de or a partitive article.
Most generally, en replaces nouns introduced by the preposition de, often in expressions of quantity, such as the idiomatic beaucoup de, trop de, etc... or the partitive article du, de la, des. The expression of quantity (beaucoup, trop, etc...) must be repeated at the end of the sentence.
Ex. 1 Ex. 7 Ex. 8 Ex. 10
5)- The choice of pronoun when a verb or expression is idiomatically used with de.
Verbs or expressions that are idiomatically used with the preposition de will take en as their pronoun (eg: avoir besoin de, être capable de.) In these cases, en can either replace a noun or a proposition.
Ex. 4
6)- The choice of pronoun when a specific number is given.
en is used to replace expressions with numbers, including un/une. In these cases en is placed before the verb and the number is repeated at the end of the sentence. (eg: J'ai trois robes. => J'en ai trois.)
Ex. 3
7)- The choice of pronoun when an expression of place is introduced by de (and not à).
en (and not y) is used to replace expressions of place introduced by de. (eg: Je reviens de Paris. => J'en reviens.)
Ex. 6
8)- The placement of the pronoun(s).
y and en precede the verb to which they are logically related. In compound tenses, they precede the auxilary.
In sentences where y and en are both used, y always comes before en.
Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 8 Ex. 9 Ex. 10
9)- The placement of the pronouns when y and en are combined with direct or indirect object pronouns.
When y and en are used with direct or indirect object pronouns, y and en always come last.
Back to Ex. 1
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Vocabulary for Ex. #1 - Back to Exercise?
- vouloir: to want
- le sucre: sugar
- le café: coffee
Vocabulary for Ex. #2 - Back to Exercise?
- habiter: to live
- longtemps: for a longtime
Vocabulary for Ex. #3 - Back to Exercise?
- vraiment: really
- dix: ten
- la voiture: the car
Vocabulary for Ex. #4 - Back to Exercise?
- avoir envie: to want, to feel like
- danser: to dance
- avec moi: with me
Vocabulary for Ex. #5 - Back to Exercise?
- penser à: to think about
- dire: to say
Vocabulary for Ex. #6 - Back to Exercise?
- savoir: to know
- venir de: to come from
Vocabulary for Ex. #7 - Back to Exercise?
- offrir: to offer
- des fleurs: flowers
- son amie: his/her friend
Vocabulary for Ex. #8 - Back to Exercise?
- voir: to see
- des éléphants: elephants
Vocabulary for Ex. #9 - Back to Exercise?
- parler à: to talk to
- ta mère: your mother
- nouveaux projets: new projects
Vocabulary for Ex. #10 - Back to Exercise?
- trop de: too many
- les soucis: worries
- en ce moment: now, at this time
Copyright 1998 Samuel Schiminovich and Anne Boyman.
The text and the HTML formatting of these exercises is covered by thiscopyright. One copy of this exercise can be downloaded and/or printed forpersonal use. Unauthorized commercial use of these exercises is forbidden, aswell as reloading on servers or republishing under unauthorized URL addresses.
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