MICHEL THOMAS FRENCH (ADVANCED) COURSE, 4 CDsTRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets.

Version 2, Jan 15th 2006Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (75.26)(1) 3.46I want it now I don't want them do you want it?why do you want it now? why don't you want it now? (2) 2.52I don't know where it is I don't know what it is to explain can you explain to me what it is? what do you want? what do you want to do? what do you want to say? what do you mean? I don't understand what you meancan explain to me what you mean? that's not what I mean what do you mean? it means what does it mean? I don't understand what it meansI wantI'm goingI want itI don't want itI want some, I want some of it I don't want any

that's not what I mean I don't know what it means (3) 4.00there are many people here(monde is used in a general sense for "a lot of people")everybody knows where it is nobody knows where it is, nobody can find it but everybody wants to see it I have itI don't have itI want itI don't want itI want themI don't want themI don't want anythingI don't want itI don't want any of itI don't want itI don't want themI don't want any (4) 2.03I don't understand itI don't understand anything neverI never understand what he wantsI never knowI knowI don't knowI don't know anythingI never know("not...any more" is ne...plus)I don't know any more I don't understand him any more(5) 4.45I'm going to see itto it, there I'm going thereI would like to go therebut I cannot go there now mais because I'm busy parce queI'm very busy nowI would like to go there with youwith himwith her

with themI'm going to see him tonight and I'm going to give him his bookI'm going to see her tonight and I'm going to give her her bookI'm going to tell him I'm going to tell her Will you tell him can you tell her? to themwill you tell themWill you give them the book (6) 0.52the bookthe pound(7) 2.51to them their to bring Will you bring them their book I'm going to send him the money I'm going to send her the moneyI'm going to send them money I'm going to send the money to himI'm going to send the money to her I'm going to send the money to them(8) 6.20I'm going to send it to him I'm going to send it to her (if you have two pronouns that both begin with l- then le, la always comes before lui, leur. Any pronouns that don't begin l- come first, such as vous le "it - to you"I'm going to send it to you I'm going to send it to him I'm going to send them to her I'm going to send them to her I'm going to send them to Paris I'm going to write a letter to them I'm going to send themo herI'm going to send them to himI'm going to send them to themwill you send it to meI cannot tell it to you now because I don't know it (9) 3.38(verbs are in four groups, ending -er, -ir, -re, -oir)the power

the duty that is your duty homework(eighty percent of verbs end -er. Verbs can be thought of as belonging to two groups: -er verbs and non -er verbs)(10) 3.48(we'll talk now about -er verbs)to speak(we can think of conjugated verbs belonging to two boxes, a long and short box. The long box consists of "we" and "you")you speak we speak (all others are in the short box. Cut off the -r from the infinitive. They all sound the same, and the final consonant is sounded e.g. je parle, il parle)I speakI am readyI am eating I don't speak to staywe are stayingyou are stayinghow long are you staying? how long are we staying? (11) 1.19(for the imperative, just drop vous)stay!don't stay! we are staying(for “let's” imperative, just drop nous)let's stay!let's stay here! let's speak French! speak French with me!don't speak English now! (12) 4.01I'm stayingI'm not stayingeverybody is staying nobody is staying my friend is staying it is ready it is staying it is not staying he is stayingthey are staying(-ent is silent as the verb ending for "they")

it is special specially normalnormallypossiblepossiblycertain certain(for -ent and -ant words, you must contract)evident evidentlyconstant constantly (13) 6.57to beginwe are startinglet's start!at what time are we starting? at what time are you starting?start now!don't start now! Start a little later! I don't understandI don't understand anythingI don't understand any moreit is readyit is starting noweverybody is startingmy friend is startingmy friends my friends are starting my friends are arriving tonight to leavewe are leavinglet's leave!at what time are you leaving?at what time are we leaving?don't leaveto preparehe is preparing it they are preparing ithe is not accepting ithe doesn't accept the conditioneverybody is readyeverybody is startingmy friends are starting

my friends are arriving my friends are leaving they are leavingto sell they are selling itto waitthey are waitingthey are waiting for memy friends are waiting for me wait! Wait a moment! let's wait here! don't wait!they are waiting for you(14) 3.50(For non -er verbs: don't sound the final consonant of the infinitive stem in the short box, except for "they" forms)I am waitinghe is waitingthey are waiting everybody is leaving I'm leaving they are leavingto sleepI'm sleeping he is sleepingeverybody is sleeping my friends are sleeping she is sleeping to serve he is serving the dinnerthey are serving the dinner at seven o'clock one is serving the dinner at seven o'clock (15) 2.16dinner is being served at seven o'clock we are very comfortable herewe are leaving soon we are going to leave soon (16) 1.11we are going to start soon we can start now we must start on (17) 1.31to feel

I feel it they feel it he feels it (to make a distinction in French between "I feel something" and "I feel fine", "I don't feel well" use "I myself feel")I feel fineI don't feel fine(18) 3.29better I feel better(note comparitive and superlative: good-better-best is bon-meilleur-le meilleur but well-better-best is bien-mieux-le mieux)this wine is better than the other it is the best wine of the houseI feel fine I feel betterI feel much better now (sentir bon means "to smell", not "to feel good")it smells good (19) 1.38I'm sleepinghe is sleepingone is sleeping they are sleeping (for -er verbs, you drop the -r from the infinitive in the short box to leave -e, or -ent for "they". For non -er verbs, the short box is je --s, il --t, ils --ent)to doI'm doing I'm not doing ithe is doing it one is doing it one is not doing it that way (that also means "it is not being done that way")(20) 1.25it is making a big difference that way (english nouns ending -ence are the same in French, and are la)it doesn't make much differencehow much time I don't have much time (21) 2.20it is too lateyou're going too fastit is too much to work he is working too much to take

it is taking too much timeit is taking too much time like that it is much too much it is much too much for me it is taking much too much time that way (22) 1.40I'm taking it he is taking (it is not spelled prendt because -t is not added to a "d" or "t")he doesn't understand me everybody is waiting for memy friends are waiting for me (23) 1.55(for -ir verbs, in the short box, you drop the consonant that you don't sound. The endings are still -s and -t, though)I am sleeping everybody is sleepingmy friends are sleeping I feel it dinner is being served (24) 1.32to putI'm putting it on the table he is putting it on the table where are you putting it? put the book on the table please don't put it here! (25) 2.27to startstart now!don't start!let's start!let's not start!let's wait!let's not wait!let's put the book on the table on the floor let's not put it on the floor don't put it on the floor! (in a positive command, the pronoun goes after the verb)put it here!

(end of recording)

CD 2 (76.07)(1) 3.47don't put it there I am putting it herewe are putting it heredon't put it here put it here don't put it there put them on the table don't put them on the floorI'm calling you you are being calledcall me later! don't call me today, call me tomorrow wait for me! (an alternative to this imperative is a polite form using voulez-vous)Will you wait for me wait for me!don't wait for me (2) 1.39you have to wait for meone has to wait for me wait for medon't wait for me(3) 3.14I will do itI havehe hasthey have to leaveI will leave he will leavethey will leave we will leave you will leave (4) 3.56(there are a few exceptions in the future tense, but they concern stems and not endings. For example -oir verbs contract)to be able I will be ableto have to I will have to we will have to leave soon I will have it we will have it

I will know I will tell you later I will write to youI will do it he won't do ithe won't tell you why he won't do it (5) 0.55to putI will put it here (all English composite verbs ending -mit come from the French mettre)to commit to omit to permit to submit to promise I promise I promise you (6) 1.03I will put it here I will take it I won't understand himhe will sell it he's selling itthey're selling it (7) 2.47to comeI am comingthey are comingthey are coming from Viennait is comingit is going to comeI will comewe will come to come back I will come backthey will come back soonwe will come back soon we are going to come back soon (8) 3.03to be I will be he will bethey will bewe will be you will be (the French verb aller is irregular because it comes from three separate Latin verbs)

I'm goinghe is goingthey are going they're going to be here soon they will be here tonight(9) 2.31it won't be possible to do it that way it won't be necessary to do it today it will take too much time that way it will take too much time it's a pleasure to see youI enjoy very much seeing you I will enjoy seeing you (this means "I'm looking forward to seeing you")(10) 2.07I'm goinghe's goingthey're goingwe are goingyou're goingthey're going to come with usI will gohe will gowe will go they will goyou will go I will go therewe will go there tonight(11) 2.06(there are three ways in French to express the future tense)I will call you tomorrow I will call you next week (12) 2.46(in the long box, there is a single exception for nous and three exceptions for vous)we are you are you are doing, you are makingyou are saying, you are telling what are you doing? what are you saying? I don't understand what you're saying tell me! don't tell me, I don't want to know it don't tell it to me don't tell it to him

don't tell it to her (13) 2.03(the key to the short box is the sound of the 1st person je)nobody knows where it is everybody wants to see itnobody can find it everything must be ready today (whereas the key to the long box is the infinitive of the verb)nobody knowswe know (14) 2.50(prendre, comprendre, apprendre, rependre all lose -d- in nous, vous, ils)we understand you understand do you understand? do you understand it? do you understand me?we are taking it why don't you take it? they take they don't understand it(15) 1.59(there are three irregular verbs in French)I havehe has they haveI go he's goingthey're goingwe have you have we are going you are goingI am he isthey arewe are you are where are they? they are not there (là also means "to be in, to be home")they are not inhe's not in(16) 1.04(faire is also irregular in the "they" form)they are

they havethey are goingthey are doing, makingthey are doing it they are not doing it they are not in (17) 4.03(for the past tense, use avoir. So, "I bought it" becomes "I have bought it")(-er verbs now end é, both sound the same)I spokehe spokedid you speak? we didn't speak with him when did you speak with him? did you buy something? what did you buy? he prepared a dinner the film has started(18) 2.31already still, still more I would like another cup of coffeea little more not yetwe haven't started yet the film has startedthe film has started already ago ten minutes ago two days ago(19) 6.32I have itI don't have itI have themI don't have themI have some, I have some of it I don't have any(in the past tense, all the pronouns come before the verb)I bought itI didn't buy it I bought them I didn't buy them I bought some for you I didn't buy any today because I didn't find anyhow many did you buy of them?

where did you buy them? to forgetI forgot where I bought themat what time did you call? at what time did you call me?she called me this morningwhy did you call me? why didn't you call me? I called them I called him I called her I called you I didn't call youto askI asked you I didn't ask you why did you ask me?why didn't you ask me? (20) 3.14(-re verbs take -u in past tense)I sold it why did you sell it? why didn't you sell them? he sold themwe sold some I waited I waited for you you didn't wait for me why didn't you wait for me? (-ir verbs take -i in the past tense)we finished at what time did you finish? he slept we slept well bad, badly he slept very badly(21) 1.49(instead of avoir, you can use a construction involving être)he prepared the dinnerdinner is preparedhe sold iteverything is sold nothing is sold yet one served the dinnerdinner is served (22) 3.24

(a few verbs are a regular in the past tense.For example comprendre etc becomes compris etc)understood service included service is includedservice is not included did you understand? did you understand it? did you understand me? why did you not understand me? I understood you I understood you well I understood you very well (prendre becomes pris)I took themI took some of it why did you take them? why didn't you take them? (apprendre becomes appris)I learned I learned something today(j'ai appris also means "I found out")(23) 2.48(mettre becomes mis)where did you put it?where did you put them? I forgot where I put themto admit to omit to permit to promise (promettre becomes promis)I promise you I did not promise youyou promised me I promised him it is promised (24) 5.18(three more: faire becomes fait, dire becomes dit, écrire becomes écrit)he is doing ithe did it (English -ct verbs come from French)the fact the objectthe subjecthe is doing it

he did itit is done I didn't do itwhy did you do it? why didn't you do it? he did itit is donehe didn't do it he told meI told youI didn't tell youyou told me why didn't you tell me? I wrote to you why didn't you write to me? why didn't you call me?it is written one told me (in English, this would be "I was told")I called you this morningwhy didn't you buy them? (25) 4.05I was I had I was very busy he was here tothey were who was there? nobody was there I was thereI was very busy it was ready I was there but it wasn't ready yet last night who was there with you last night? yes I was there but nobody was there oui we were you were (26) 1.23(whenever you have -ais in the short box, the full set of endings are always -ais -ait -aient (short) -ions -iez (long) )I hadhe had they hadwe had you had

we had a plane (27) 0.42everything is soldeverything was sold everything will be sold ( because after any form of avoir or être, you always dive i.e. use -é -i -u! )(28) 1.19I would like he would likethey would likeeverybody would like to see it my friends would like to go therewe would like you would like (29) 1.09(-rais, -rait, -raient, -rions, -riez express "would" and can be used with any verb)

(end of recording)

CD 3 (74.12)(1) 3.11("will" and "would" use the same contractions, i.e. "I will have" j'aurai "I would have" j'aurais)I will have he will havethey will havewe will have you will have I would have he would havethey would havewe would have you would have I would have it we would have it we would have them we would have brought them I washe was he hadhe would havehe will have (2) 2.48(-oir verbs in the past tense end -u e.g. voir becomes vu)I saw it if I had seen itif I had seen it I would have bought it (savoir becomes su)if I had known itI would have told you if I had known it, I would have told youif you had told me, I would have seen it and I would have bought it(3) 3.19he wouldn't wait you wouldn't wait vous we wouldn't wait nous (so "would" is -rais etc, and "would have" is therefore aurais etc)he would sell ithe would have sold it I did it I didn't do it why did you do it? why didn't you do it? I told you

I didn't tell you you didn't tell me why didn't you tell me? (4) 2.07was était had avait would have I was busy he was not herewho was there last night? nobody was there I was there with my friend but you were not thereI was very busy and I didn't have the time to do it (5) 1.58(avoir becomes eu, savoir becomes su, pouvoir becomes pu, devoir becomes du, voir becomes vu)did you see? did you see it? where did you see me? I was there last night but I didn't see you where were you? I didn't see you (6)1.48(the three steps on the diving board are: at the top "would have" aurais (conditional), in the middle "had" avais (perfect past tense) and at the bottom "have" ai (past tense) )I had I would haveI saw it had would have I saw it if I had seen it I would have seen it and I would have told you why I didn't buy it at(7) 1.31 he told me that you wouldn't do itI hadif you had told it to me, I would have known it (8) 5.55(with a handful of French verbs, you don't dive from the low diving board. e.g. "I was" is not "I have been" but j'étais)we were you were

I hadI would have if I had had I was beensummer summer fashion summer dress I had been if I had been there, I would have seen it si j'avais été là, je l'aurais vuyou would have seen it if you had been there last night (of course, you don't "dive" after a handle verb)you can I could they couldnobody could wait we could you could was had could (9) 1.30had to (i.e. must) he had to wait one had to wait we had to wait I wanted (10) 4.33he had to wait (don't confuse "had" and "had to")you have to wait (and, "you have to wait" = "you must wait", but "you don't have to wait" is not "you mustn't wait" but "you don't need to wait")to need you don't have to wait vous you don't have to give it to himyou don't have to need to give it to (11) 1.39("Will" usually expresses the future, but not always)Will you tell me? when will you tell me? (12) 2.53washadcould

had to wanted I didn't want to do ithe didn't want to tell meI knew I didn't know nobody knew where it was, nobody could find itwashadcouldwantedhad toknew(these are the few cases where you don't dive)(13) 2.24(that applies to the simple past. For "had" of course you must dive)I knew where it was if I had known where it was I would have told it to youI wanted to buy it (vouloir becomes voulu)if I had wanted to have it, I would have bought it (14) 3.49(there is one more handle: aller. In the past, use ais)I was goingI was going to do itI wasn't going to tell you I didn't know you were going to come today you didn't tell me that you were going to be here this afternoon we were going to leave today (15) 1.58if you had called me this morning and if you had told me that you were going to arrive today, I would have waited for you and we would have had dinner(16) 3.08I am going to do it I was going to do itwe are going to do it we were going to do it you are going to do it you were going to do it

he is going to do it he wasn't going to do it we are going to leave we were going to leave you didn't tell me that you were going to arrive today vous (17) 5.00(so the w-ing tenses "I was (go)ing, they were (go)ing - can be used with any verb. In French, the -ing verb is an -ais, -ait verb)I am stayingI was staying we were staying here he is waiting for me he was waiting for mewe were waiting for you we are waiting for you he is leavinghe was leavingwe were leaving (the w-ing tense is used more in French than in English. The w-in tense expresses a straight line in the past, e.g. "I was doing it" je le faisais)I was doing it I was telling itto readI was readingto write I was writing I was doing it (in French, this straight line could also be a broken line, meaning in English "I used to do it" or "I did it repeatedly (every day, very often) )I used to do itI did it (continuous line)I did it every day (broken line) I did it often (broken line) he prepared it this morninghe prepared it (every day), he used to prepare it(18) 3.03(-er verbs can usually be guessed from the English equivalent. -ir verbs are a closed book - no new verbs will ever be added, the same for -oir verbs)(19) 2.49(-ir verbs have two branches. The one we have been using is finished - no new verbs will be added. The other branch is "living", implying going, becoming, growing, getting - i.e. movement. e.g. finir "to go to the end" or "to finish". These are conjugated differently from other -ir verbs - you just drop the -r from the infinitive)I finishhe is finishing

(-ss- is used in all the plurals)we finish you finish they finish(20) 2.26(will now give some French -ir verbs. Try to work out what they mean)to grow (grow big) the child is growingthe children are growingto blush, turn redyou are blushing! to turn paleyou are going pale to grow oldhe is growing oldthey are growing oldto grow young again, rejuvenate (21) 2.12to land we are landing in a few minutes to land on the water (seaplane) to land on the moon(in French you don't literally say "land on the water" or "land on the moon" since it is not logically possible)(22) 4.32(now talking about a family of verbs ending -vrir e.g. ouvrir or -frir e.g. offrir. They behave as -er verbs, except the past participle. e.g. ouvert means "open" and "opened")I opened it it is open, it is opened(also couvert "covered", découvert "discovered", offert "offered")I offered it to you I offered itI offered it to him(23) 3.29(use of tu - it is in the short box and follows the sound of "I", except for three verbs where it follows the sound of "he")you have you are goingyou are(tu as an object is te)what are you saying? I am telling you (24) 3.07I'm doing it I don't do it(for "I have been doing it for/since", use present tense plus depuis "since")

he has been working here for a long time(25) 2.08if you had been here last night he would have seen it and you would have bought it everything his sold everything was sold everything will be sold everything would be sold everything would have been sold(26) 1.25(will now give three master keys to unlock the door to 19 tenses. Key #1: -ing. I am waiting, I have been waiting, I was waiting, I will be waiting (I will wait), I would be waiting (I would wait) )

(end of recording)

CD 4 (76.28)(1) 6.36(note that in English, you can use -ing by itself or after a preposition, without expressing a tense, e.g. "he left without saying a word, seeing is believing voir c'est croire, understanding everything is forgiving everything tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner, leaving is dying a little partir c'est mourir un peu)(2) 5.53(Key #2: -r- will or would have)(Key #3: two diving towers, to have and to be, after which there is no place else but to dive)(these are the nineteen cases)he is selling the househe was selling the house he sold the househe has been selling the house for a long time the house is soldthe house was soldthe house has been soldhe will sell the house he is going to sell the housethe house will be sold the house is going to be sold he would sell the house the house would be soldif I had sold the house if the house had been sold he would have sold the housethe house would have been sold he will have sold the housethe house will have been sold (3) 1.29we would be very busy he would be ready we would have been ready (4) 4.34(for some French verbs, you dive from the être tower, not the avoir tower. For verbs of coming and going, use être)I went to see it we went he wentthey went you went where did you go? I didn't go he came with us he came back

we came back at what time did you come back?they came backhe didn't come back yet (5) 6.43(actually, there is a going group and a coming group. The going group is aller "to go", sortir "to go out", partir "to leave")we went out last night where did you go? he left a few minutes ago (the going group is venir, revenir, retourner, arriver)we arrived at what time did you arrive? he didn't arrive yet (there's a third group which includes going and coming, e.g. entrer)he came in(and also rentrer to re-enter (i.e. the home) )at what time did you come home last night? he didn't come home yet(also monter to go up, come up)I went upwe went up they came up (also descendre to go down, come down)he came down(and one more which is neither coming nor going, rester to stay)I stayedhow long did you stay?we didn't stay long, we left right after dinner and we went to the cinema(6) 1.38(monter expresses any motion up: bringing up, carrying up etc. In any sense except "going up", "coming up", monter uses avoir. This also applies to descendre)the bellboy went up and he brought up my suitcasehe came downand he brought down my suitcase (7) 6.14to lift up I'm lifting it up I'm getting upwe are getting up you're getting up he is getting up

they are getting upshe is getting upeverybody is getting up nobody is getting up it is getting up you are getting up heavyI cannot lift it up because it's too heavyWill you lift it up please? can you lift it up? lift it up! don't lift it up, it is very heavy I'm getting up get up please!don't get up I'm going to get up soon we are going to get up soon one is going to get up (8) 2.12to hurry I'm hurryingto be in a hurry I'm in a hurry I'm hurrying because I am in a hurry we are hurrying because we are in a hurry hurry up because we are in a hurry (9) 4.02to askI'm asking youI was asking you I asked youto callto call back Will you call me back I call you back laterI call you back tomorrowI'm going to call you back I will call you back to remember I don't remember to askI'm asking you I ask myself, I wonder I was wondering why

I asked you (10) 3.53(reflexive verbs always dive from the être tower)I lifted it up I got up(this applies even when you make a non-reflexive verb reflexive)to tellI say to myselfI told you I said to myself that it cannot be done that way I'm hurrying I was hurryingI hurried we hurried I wondered why (11) 3.42(the subjunctive tense isn't used as much in English as much as in French, e.g. you must be here. It is absolutely necessary that you be here. The subjunctive expresses doubt or uncertainty. It is always used after certain expressions implying doubt e.g. c'est nécessaire que, il faut que)(12) 3.12I must ask you (all -er verbs are the same as the present in the short box. In the long box, they end -ions -iez)you must say we must leave nowyou must start nowwe must stay herehe must stay(13) 4.57I'm speakingI'm leaving (so in the short box, -er verbs sound the final consonant and non -er verbs don't. In subjunctive, all verbs sound the final consonant in the short box, following the form of "they")it is necessary that I leaveI must waitI must finish we must finish you must finishit is necessary that you put it on the table here he must put it hereI must tell youI must read it I must write to you

you must write to me (14) 4.28(in English, whenever you say "I want you to" or "do you want me to", in French you say "I want that you..." followed by the subjunctive)I want you to stay here with me what do you want me to tell you? I would like you to tell me I want you to read it I want you to write to me they come do you want me to come with you? at what time do you want me to leave? where do you want me to put it? they take do you want me to take it? (15) 8.22(there are four one-syllable exceptions, where "they" is not the key to the subjunctive)I am that I be that we beat what time do you want me to be here tonight? I would like you to be readyI have that I havethat we have to be to have I go that I godo you want me to go there with you? at what time do you want me to go there?that we go that you go I would like you to go there with me to beto haveto go that I do that we do what do you want me to do? what do you want me to tell you? why don't you want me to do it? what do you want me to tell him? I don't want you to do it why don't you want me to do it?

(16) 2.59(two more exceptions: savoir becomes sache, sachions, sachiez)I must know itwe must know itI would like you to know it (the other is pouvoir which becomes puisse. This comes from the old form puis, only used now in the question puis-je? "can I, may I?")it's important that he may see it(17) 2.22(past subjunctive is very easy - just use avant que..., or:)before I leaveI left before I leftbefore we start before we started (18) 3.12

(end of recording)