Drill Answers and Explanations

The SAT French Subject Test

Part III

8 Drill Answers and Explanations

Chapter 8 Drill Answers and Explanations

CHAPTER 3

DRILL 1

une usine

a factory

la honte

the shame

l”œuvre

the work

en vouloir à

to be angry at, to have a grudge against

mou

soft, limp, listless

taquiner

to tease

la foule

the crowd

ramasser

to gather, to pick up

soutenir

to support, to sustain

repasser

to come back, to cross again, to iron

se méfier de

to mistrust, to be suspicious

se débarrasser de

to get rid of

DRILL 2

évaluer

to evaluate

sacré

sacred

retarder

to delay, to slow down

fréquenter

to go somewhere frequently, to see someone on a regular basis

nombre

number

assurer

to assure

raison

reason

plante

plant

attraper

to catch, to trap

servir

to serve

content

content or happy

accord

accord or harmony

cru

crude or raw

DRILL 3

1. xxxxx xxxxxxxx légumes xxxx xxxxx … vegetables

(A) cheminée
chimney

(B) jardin
garden

(D) quartier
quarter or neighborhood

2. xxxx xxxxxxx x tombée xxx xxxx … fallen

(A) envolée
taken flight

(B) échappée
escaped

(C) cassée
broken

(D) attrapée
caught

3. xx x xxx xxxxx chaises xxxx … xxxx xx xxxxx. chairs

(A) assommer
to knock out

(B) s”asseoir
to sit down

(D) associer
to associate

4. xxx xxxx ne se sent pas bien xxxxx xxx … doesn”t feel well

(A) une fièvre
a fever

(B) une armoire
a wardrobe

(D) une annonce
an announcement

5. xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx mangé xxx xxx … eaten

(A) soutenir
to support

(B) emporter
to take or carry away

(C) avaler
to swallow

(D) évaluer
to evaluate

PRACTICE SECTION

1 It”s cold outside. Are all the … closed?

fait froid

windows

2 Don”t make any noise; the children are …

bruit, enfants

asleep

3 Are these flowers from your …?

fleurs

garden

4 This coat lacks … where I can put my wallet.

manteau, porte-monnaie

pockets

5 Jeanne woke up … in order to see the sunrise.

lever du soleil

early

6 The train left the … at noon.

train

station

7 For Sunday”s meal, we eat a … with potatoes.

repas

food

8 The tarts that are sold in this … are delicious.

tartes

pastry shop

9 You can wash yourself now. The bathroom is …

salle de bains

open, empty

10 My … for class is to translate a poem of Rimbaud”s.

classe

homework, assignment

11 The noise in a club can be so loud that it hurts one”s …

bruit

ears

12 The moon is so … that I cannot imagine that man has gone there.

lune

far away

13 It”s not necessary to take out the garbage; Jean did it …

l”a … fait

already

14 We are spending Christmas with my grandparents …

Noël

winter

15 You”ve already done your homework? That …

déjà

surprises me, pleases me

16 Aren”t you … of doing that stupid thing?

bêtise

ashamed, embarrassed

17 This fabric is … like the skin of a baby.

peau d”un bébé

soft

18 The fox … the hunters.

renard, chasseurs

escaped, was caught

19 The film starts at exactly 8 o”clock; be …

commence

on time, early

20 There are too many people here; I prefer cafés that are less …

trop de monde

crowded

21 There is not enough evidence … this man.

pas assez de preuves

to convict, charge, indict

22 My brother is …; he never wants to help me clean the kitchen.

il ne veut jamais m”aider

lazy, selfish

23 The vase that I dropped …

laissé tomber

broke, shattered

24 You can find your grandmother”s wedding dress if you look in …

la robe de mariée de votre grand-mère

the attic

25 She got rid of her … clothing.

s”est débarrassée

unwanted, messed up

26 Diane cut her … so she would be more fashionable.

s”est coupé

hair

27 To establish the validity of his theory, the scientist conducted …

établir la validité

an experiment, study

CHAPTER 5

DRILL 1: PRONOUN QUESTIONS

1 ------- est arrivé à Paul hier?
What happened to Paul yesterday?

(A) Quel
Quel means “which” and is used to modify a noun (Quelle voiture est la vôtre?). We need something that means “what.”

(B) Quoi
In questions, quoi is used only with a preposition (À quoi sert cet exercice?).

(C) Qu”
Qu” is a shortened form of que. Since the “what” of the question is the subject (what happened), it cannot be que.

(D) Qu”est-ce qui is correct. You cannot use qui alone because that would mean “who happened to Paul yesterday?” And you need qui here because it is directly followed by a verb.

2 C”est -------.
It is he.

With c”est or ce sont you use either a noun or a stressed pronoun.

(A) eux
Eux is a stressed pronoun, which is correct, but since it is plural, the correct sentence would be Ce sont eux.

(B) il
Il is a subject pronoun. No good here.

(C) lui
Lui can be a singular stressed pronoun. This is the correct answer.

(D) le
Le is a direct object pronoun. Cancel it.

3 C”est grâce à ------- que nous avons pu venir.
It is thanks to them that we could

Because the pronoun is being used with a preposition (but not as an indirect object), we want a stressed pronoun.

(A) eux
Eux is a stressed pronoun, so this is the correct choice.

(B) les
Les is the direct object pronoun.

(D) ils
Ils is the subject pronoun.

4 La chose la plus difficile est de ------- réveiller le matin.
The most difficult thing is to wake him up in the morning.

The verb in this sentence is réveiller, a verb that takes a direct object. The correct answer must serve as a direct object pronoun.

(A) lui
Lui can be an indirect object pronoun or a stressed pronoun.

(B) il
Il is the subject pronoun.

(C) le
Le is the direct object pronoun, so this is the correct answer.

(D) moi
Moi is the stressed pronoun.

5 ------- a sorti la poubelle.
No one took out the garbage.

(A) Il n”
This choice does not work because the sentence lacks the pas that must be used with ne (n”) to make a negative.

(B) Personne n”
This is the correct answer. Personne must be used with ne and does not need the pas.

(D) Qui
Qui can begin the sentence in a question, but not in a statement.

DRILL 2: VERB QUESTIONS

1 Si-------, je préparerais le dîner.
If I had time, I would make dinner.

Since the conditional tense is used in the portion of the sentence following the blank, the verb that precedes it must be in the imperfect. Only choice (C) has a verb in the imperfect.

(A) vous en avez envie—present

(B) on me le demande—present

(C) j”avais le temps—imperfect

(D) tu seras d”accord—future

2 Paul regrette que nous ------- pas réussi.
Paul regrets that we have not succeeded.

What mode is used with verbs like regretter que? The subjunctive. Only choice (C) has the subjunctive.

(A) n”avons—present

(B) n”avions—imperfect

(C) n”ayons—subjunctive (present)

(D) n”aurons—future

3 ------- une lettre quand on a sonné à la porte.
I was writing a letter when the doorbell rang.

The use of the passé composé indicates that the sentence takes place in the past, so you can eliminate (A), (B), and (C). The answer is (D). The use of the imperfect indicates that the action of letter writing was ongoing when the doorbell rang.

(A) J”écris—present

(B) J”écrirais—conditional

(D)J”écrivais—imperfect

4 Elle n”a jamais oublié ce que nous ------- au moment de son départ.
She never forgot what we said at the moment of her departure.

Does the expression ce que take the subjunctive? No. Eliminate (B). The use of the passé composé in the first part of the sentence indicates that the sentence takes place in the past and the verb does not need to be in the subjective or conditional mood. Eliminate (A) and (D). The correct answer is (C).

(A) disons—present

(B) ayons dit—past of the subjunctive

(C) avons dit—passé composé

(D) aurions dit—past of the conditional

5 Est-ce que vous ------- contents si je n”avais pas accepté l”invitation?
Would you have been happy if I had not accepted the invitation?

Since a form of the imperfect is being used with si, the other verb must be in the conditional. Choice (D) is the only verb in the conditional. Since one part of the sentence has the past form of the imperfect (the plus-que-parfait), it makes sense that the conditional verb would also be in a past form.

(A) êtes—present

(B) soyez—subjunctive

(D) auriez été—past of the conditional

6 Nous doutons ------- leur rendre visite chez eux.
We doubt that he has time to visit them.

Does the verb douter que take the subjunctive? Yes, so (B), (C), and (D) must be wrong. Choice (A) is the correct answer because the subjunctive is used.

(A) qu”il ait le temps de—subjunctive

(B) qu”il voudrait—conditional

(D) qu”elle avait envie de—imperfect

7 -------, elle est partie pour le long trajet chez elle.
Having said goodbye, she left for the long journey home.

We need a verb form that shows when she said goodbye (the verb is in all the answer choices). We can eliminate (B), since it is the infinitive and the sentence is in the past. To show that she said goodbye either before or as she left, we need either the perfect or the present participle. The only participle here is (C), the perfect participle, “having said goodbye.” This is our answer. The other choices, (A) and (D), cannot be used by themselves in a phrase.

(A) Disait au revoir—imperfect

(B) Dire au revoir—infinitive

(C) Ayant dit au revoir—perfect participle

(D) Avoir dit au revoir—past infinitive

8 Tu pourras regarder la télé une fois que tu ------- ton travail.
You will be allowed to watch TV once you have finished your homework.

Does the conjunction une fois que take the subjunctive? No. Eliminate (D). We need a verb form that shows that your homework must be finished in the future before you may watch TV. Choice (B) is the imperfect so it does not work. Choice (A) is the past form of the conditional, so it does not work either. The correct answer is (C), futur antérieur, future perfect tense.

(A) aurais fini—past conditional

(B) finissais—imperfect

(C) auras fini—future perfect

(D) finisses—subjunctive

DRILL 3: PREPOSITION QUESTIONS

1 Marie ------- les résultats de ses examens.
Marie is waiting for the results of her exams.

(A) pense
Penser requires the preposition à or de.

(B) attend
Attendre requires no preposition. This is the correct answer.

(C) compte
Compter requires the preposition sur. Without a preposition, it means “to count” and makes no sense here.

(D) a envie
Avoir envie requires the preposition de.

2 Je ------- de leur écrire.
I am compelled to write them.

(A) suis obligé
This is the correct answer. Être obligé requires the preposition de.

(B) espère
Espérer takes no preposition in French.

(D) réfléchis
Réfléchir takes the preposition à. It cannot be used with de.

3 Je n”ai jamais eu l”occasion ------- voir ce film.
I have never had the opportunity to see this film.

C The expression avoir l”occasion takes the preposition de. (C) is the correct answer.

4 ------- le concert, elles bavardaient sans cesse.
During the concert, they chattered endlessly.

(A) Pendant
Pendant means “during.” This is the correct answer.

(B) Dans
Dans means “in.” You cannot say dans le concert.

(C) Avec
Avec means “with.” You might find a context in which avec works with le concert, but in this context, it does not.

(D) En
There might be a context in which en concert is acceptable, but en le concert is never correct.

5 Je la vois souvent à -------.
I see her often at the bakery.

(A) France
The correct expression would be en France.

(B) ville
You can say either à la ville or en ville.

(C) la boulangerie
This is the correct answer. You can say à la boulangerie.

(D) loin
Loin is never used with à.

6 Elle n”a pas réfléchi ------- de refuser l”offre.
She did not think before refusing the offer.

(A) —
Réfléchir must be used with a preposition.

(B) avant
This is the correct answer.

(D) à
You cannot have these two prepositions, à and de, following each other.

PRACTICE SECTION

Part B

1 Odds and Ends

(A) quelque chose is correct

(B) rien must be used with ne—n”a rien

(D) quelque must modify something

2 Prepositions

(A) rejeter cannot be followed by a verb

(B) aimer takes the infinitive

(C) être obligé takes de, so it is correct

(D) avoir voulu takes the infinitive

3 Odds and Ends

(A) plural

(B) amie is feminine, but it”s correct because amie begins with a vowel

(D) plural

4 Odds and Ends

(A) avant de partir works with the future tense

(B) tout à l”heure is okay, but not with à

(D) jamais must be used with ne

5 Pronouns

(A) personne requires ne

(B) subject pronoun

(D) stressed pronoun is correct with c”es t

6 Prepositions

(A) préférer takes the infinitive—correct

(B) rêver takes de and then the infinitive

(D) insister takes pour and the infinitive

7 Pronouns

(A) subject or stressed pronoun

(B) stressed pronoun

(D) demander quelque chose à quelqu”un—indirect object is correct

8 Pronouns

(A) indirect object pronoun

(B) subject pronoun

(C) stressed pronoun is correct with avec

(D) direct object pronoun

9 Pronouns

(A) plural

(B) singular and feminine possessive pronoun—correct

(D) possessive adjective

10 Prepositions

(A) Russie is feminine—correct with en

(B) États-Unis is plural (aux)

(D) Canada is masculine (au)

11 Odds and Ends

(A) adverb

(B) adverb

(C) adjective—correct

(D) preposition

12 Verbs

(A) savoir que doesn”t take the subjunctive

(B) regretter que takes the subjunctive—correct

(D) nothing hypothetical, so no subjunctive

13 Pronouns/Prepositions

(A) parler takes de—therefore dont is correct

(B) quoi is used with things

(D) avant que is a conjunction, not a pronoun

14 Pronouns

(A) quelle is feminine

(B) qu”est-ce qui is used to refer to things

(C) où means “where”—correct

(D) quoi is used with things

15 Pronouns

(A) quel must modify something

(B) y refers to place or location

(D) avoir envie takes de—correct

16 Prepositions

(A) aller does not take de

(B) espérer takes either the infinitive or que

(C) essayer takes de—correct

(D) pouvoir does not take de

17 Verbs

(A) sans doute means “probably”

(B) certain, so no subjunctive

(C) Je crains means “I fear.” This expression takes the subjunctive—correct

(D) no doubt or uncertainty, so no subjunctive

18 Prepositions

(A) in order to

(B) when

(C) in spite of—correct

(D) unless

19 Verbs

(A) imperfect followed by conditional—correct

(B) present, so following clause can”t be conditional

(D) past imperfect would take past conditional

20 Verbs

(A) passé composé

(B) passé composé

(D) subjunctive is used with superlatives—correct

Part C

21 Verbs

(A) imperfect

(B) past imperfect

(D) past conditional follows a clause with si and the past imperfect—correct

22 Pronouns

(A) subject or stressed pronoun

(B) indirect object—correct

(D) direct object and singular

23 Pronouns

(A) stressed pronoun with chez—correct

(B) subject

(D) subject and masculine

24 Vocabulary

(A) no one—correct

(B) a person

(D) nulle is an adjective

25 Vocabulary

(A) Finally—correct

(B) Terminé is not an adverb, but a past participle

(D) In order to

26 Pronouns

(A) arriver de makes no sense in this context

(B) y indicates place: in this case, the café—correct

(D) arriver cannot be reflexive

27 Verbs

(A) no agreement or masculine singular

(B) feminine singular

(D) feminine plural: requires agreement because direct object precedes verb—correct

28 Prepositions

(A) cinéma is masculine

(B) au is correct because cinéma is masculine

(D) entrer par doesn”t make sense in this context

29 Prepositions

(A) you cannot use avant and a verb without a preposition

(B) avant à does not exist

(C) the correct expression is avant de

(D) avant que would have to be followed by a clause using the subjunctive

30 Verbs

(A) no agreement required—correct

(B) feminine

(D) feminine plural

31 Prepositions

(A) needs a preposition to make sense

(B) à demander makes no sense

(D) pour demander: to ask—correct

32 Conjunctions

(A) si—correct

(B) when

(D) who

33 Vocabulary

(A) en temps does not exist; à temps (on time) would be correct

(B) every hour

(C) on time—correct

(D) from time to time

CHAPTER 6

PRACTICE SECTION

1 Etienne lacked the energy to

(A) “sleep”: familiar word—wrong context

(B) “undress”: see phrase tout vêtu (fully dressed)

(C)“eat”

(D)“put on his clothes”

2 According to the passage, why is Etienne tired?

(A) “He ate too much.” familiar words—wrong context

(B) “He did not sleep at all in two days.” Too extreme; he did get some sleep.

(D) “He has slept only for a few hours in 48 hours”: see En deux jours, il n”avait pas dormi quatre heures.

3 At what time of day did he get up?

(A) “early in the morning”

(B) “noon”

(C) “early in the evening”: see au crépuscule, avant de … se coucher pour la nuit

(D) “midnight”

4 How does he react at the moment he wakes up?

(A) “He doesn”t remember where he is”: see sans reconnaître le lieu où il se trouvait

(B) “He can”t find his clothes.”

(D) “He is hungry.”

5 What did he want to do before eating dinner?

(A)“breathe”

(B) “go for a walk”: see prendre l”air

(D) “run”

6 When did Morissot leave to reach the island?

(A) “after sunset”

(B) “at sunset”

(C) “at sunrise”: see dès l”aurore

(D) “in the afternoon”

7 How did he reach the island?

(A) “by bus and on foot”

(B) “by boat”

(D) “by train and on foot”: see chemin de fer (railway), à pied

8 At what point did he start fishing?

(A) “at almost the moment he arrived”: see àpeine arrivé

(B) “at the moment he started to dream”

(D) “when his friend arrived”

9 What is located on Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Street?

(A) “the island”: makes no sense

(B) “the place the two friends would meet”

(C) “Mr. Savage”s shop”: see mercier (dealer in sewing wares)

(D) “the train station”

10 The parents of Guillaume

(A) “advise him never to go to the movies”

(B) “don”t concern themselves with what he does”

(D) “give their opinion about the films he chooses”: see je leur demande ce qu”ils en pensent

11 To Gilles”s question, Claire replies

(A) “that she never goes to the movies”

(B) “that she goes to the movies if her parents agree”

(C) “that she goes to the movies without telling her parents”: see en cachette (secretly)

(D) “that she goes to the movies often”

12 What reason does Guillaume give for not lying to his parents?

(A) “His parents let him do anything.”: familiar words—wrong context

(B) “His parents let him decide what to do.”: see Je crois que je me sens libre

(D) “His parents don”t like the movies.”

13 The author reacts to the change in Boulevard St. Michel and Place Saint-André-des-Arts with

(A) “impatience”

(B) “regret”

(D) “pleasure”: makes no sense

14 What does one find near Luxembourg?

(A) “small, anonymous restaurants”: familiar words—wrong context

(B) “pleasant cafés”: familiar words—wrong context

(D) “American establishments”: McDonald”s

15 According to the passage, “Gibert” is

(A) “a film”

(B) “a café”

(C) “a bookstore”: see cinémas et librairies semblent résister

(D) “a museum”

16 What do young people do instead of going to Boulevard St. Michel?

(A) “They go to Place Saint-André-des-Arts.”

(B) “They are in a rush to see American films.”

(C) “They look for cool bars in another area.”: see autour du Panthéon

(D) “They resist going to bookstores.”

17 The narrator lets it be understood that she

(A) “worked a lot”

(B) “was an invalid”

(D) “married her father”s friend”: see Un vieil ami de mon père m”a demandé ma main.

18 The brother of the narrator

(A) “lived with her for six years”: familiar words—wrong context

(B) “was younger than she”: cadet

(D) “didn”t like her husband”

19 The passage gives us the impression

(A) “that she wanted to defend her actions”: see Qu”auriez-vous fait à ma place?

(B) “that she missed her husband”

(D) “that she liked good weather”: misunderstanding, as sans un nuage is not literal

20 After six years, what happened?

(A) “The husband of the narrator left.”

(B) “The good weather changed.”: sans un nuage is not literal

(D) “The narrator found a lover.”: see j”ai rencontré celui que je devais aimer.

21 It is understood that Antoine Lemurier

(A) “is dead”

(B) “missed the train”

(D) “nearly succumbed to an illness”: see avait manqué mourir (almost died)

22 What did the neighbors think of Lemurier”s illness?

(A) “They expected an interesting end to the tragedy.”: see ils vivaient anxieusement dans l”attente d”un dénouement qui fût digne de la pièce

(B) “They were sad.”

(D) “They fell ill.”

23 According to the neighbors, what would have been a fitting end to the situation?

(A) “Mr. Lemurier loses his job.”

(B) “Mr. Lemurier completely recovers.”

(C) “Mrs. Lemurier is without shelter.”: see la femme à la rue

(D) “Mrs. Lemurier sells the house.”: close, but the phrase is le mobilier être vendu