Indefinite articles with ne...pas

More About Definite and Indefinite Articles with ne... pas

The definite article le/la/les is always retained after ne... pas.

Je n’ai pas les bonnes adresses.           I don’t have the right addresses.

Tu n’as pas le livre d’Antoine?   Don’t you have Antoine’s book?

The indefinite article un/une/des is never dropped after the negation of the verb être.

Ce n’est pas un vin rouge.                       This isn’t a red wine. It’s white.

Il est blanc.

Ce ne sont pas des touristes.     Those aren’t tourists.

Il y a... (There is . . . , There are . . . )

The expression il y a (there is, there are) points out people, ideas, or objects. Il y a is invariable (does not change) in the plural.

Il y a des problèmes dans                        There are problems in this

ce document.                                                document.

    Il y a un médecin dans la salle?            Is there a doctor in the room (hall)?

           Il y a une touriste devant                         There’s a tourist in front of

le musée.                                                       the museum.

Il y a des arbres dans le parc.       There are trees in the park.

Note : The negative of il y a is il n’y a pas de/d’, this may be followed by a singular or plural noun.

Il n’y a pas d’arbres dans                        There aren’t any trees in my

mon jardin.                                                    garden (yard).

Il n’y a pas de restaurant ouvert?   Isn’t there an open restaurant

(a restaurant that’s open)?

Acknowledgements