Conversational French Quiz: Placing Pronouns
20 questions · exam conditions
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Placing PronounsQuestion 1 of 20

Remplacez 'des pommes' par 'en' : 'Elle a acheté des pommes.' →

Elle a acheté en
Elle a en acheté
En elle a acheté
Elle en a acheté
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Conversational French Quiz

Conversational French Quiz: Placing Pronouns

Practice Placing Pronouns in Conversational French with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Placing Pronouns, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Conversational French.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Remplacez 'des pommes' par 'en' : 'Elle a acheté des pommes.' →

  1. Elle a acheté en
  2. Elle a en acheté
  3. En elle a acheté
  4. Elle en a acheté (correct answer)
Explanation: In compound tenses like 'a acheté', the object pronoun 'en' goes before the auxiliary verb, not after it. So 'des pommes' becomes 'en' and you get 'Elle en a acheté'. The tempting 'Elle a en acheté' is wrong because 'en' must precede 'a', not sit between the auxiliary and the past participle.

Question 2

Transformez à l'impératif affirmatif : 'Tu lui dis la vérité.' (la vérité → la)

  1. Dis-lui-la
  2. Dis-la-lui (correct answer)
  3. La lui dis
  4. Lui dis-la
Explanation: At the imperative, pronouns move after the verb, and the direct object goes before the indirect object: dis + la + lui. So replace la vérité with la to get Dis-la-lui. The tempting mistake is Dis-lui-la, which keeps the declarative order lui ... la vérité, but affirmative imperatives require the opposite pronoun order.

Question 3

Mettez à la forme négative et remplacez 'mes amis' par 'les' : 'Je veux voir mes amis.' →

  1. Je ne veux pas les voir (correct answer)
  2. Je ne les veux pas voir
  3. Je ne veux les pas voir
  4. Je ne veux pas voir les
Explanation: Replace 'mes amis' with the object pronoun 'les' and place it directly before the infinitive 'voir': 'veux les voir'. For the negative, put 'ne ... pas' around the conjugated verb 'veux', giving 'Je ne veux pas les voir'. The tempting error is 'Je ne les veux pas voir', which moves 'les' before 'veux'; with an infinitive complement, the pronoun belongs with the infinitive.

Question 4

Mettez à la forme négative : 'Parle-lui de ce projet !' (de ce projet → en)

  1. Ne en lui parle pas
  2. Ne lui parle pas en
  3. Ne lui en parle pas (correct answer)
  4. Ne parle-lui en pas
Explanation: Replace 'de ce projet' with 'en', so the affirmative is 'Parle-lui-en.' In a negative command, pronouns go before the verb between 'ne' and 'pas': 'lui' then 'en' then 'parle'. This gives 'Ne lui en parle pas.' A common mistake is 'Ne lui parle pas en,' but 'en' cannot stay after the verb in a negative imperative; all object pronouns must precede it.

Question 5

Remplacez 'à Paris' par 'y' : 'Je vais aller à Paris.' →

  1. Je vais aller y
  2. J'y vais aller
  3. Je vais y aller (correct answer)
  4. Je y vais aller
Explanation: In 'Je vais aller à Paris', the pronoun y replaces 'à Paris' and must be placed before the infinitive it belongs to, so it goes between 'vais' and 'aller': 'Je vais y aller'. The tempting wrong answer is 'J'y vais aller', because y must attach to the infinitive 'aller', not the conjugated 'vais'. Keep 'Je vais' together and put y right before 'aller'.

Question 6

Marie wants to tell her friend that she gave the book to him yesterday, but she's unsure about pronoun placement. Which sentence correctly places both pronouns?

  1. Je le lui ai donné hier. (correct answer)
  2. Je lui le ai donné hier.
  3. Je l'ai lui donné hier.
  4. Je ai le lui donné hier.
Explanation: In compound tenses with two object pronouns, both pronouns must precede the auxiliary verb 'avoir.' The correct order is direct object pronoun 'le' followed by indirect object pronoun 'lui': 'Je le lui ai donné hier.' Choice B reverses the pronoun order, C places 'lui' after the auxiliary verb, and D omits the auxiliary verb 'ai.'

Question 7

In the sentence 'Paul va donner les fleurs à sa mère,' if both 'les fleurs' and 'à sa mère' are replaced with pronouns in the near future tense, what is the correct result?

  1. Paul va les lui donner demain. (correct answer)
  2. Paul les lui va donner demain.
  3. Paul va lui les donner demain.
  4. Paul lui va les donner demain.
Explanation: With infinitive constructions like 'va donner,' pronouns are placed before the infinitive, not before the conjugated verb. The order is direct object 'les' followed by indirect object 'lui': 'va les lui donner.' Choices B and D incorrectly place pronouns before 'va,' while C reverses the pronoun order before the infinitive.

Question 8

Thomas wants to tell his sister not to give the keys to their neighbor. He needs to use both object pronouns in the negative imperative. What is the correct construction?

  1. Ne les lui donne pas! (correct answer)
  2. Ne lui les donne pas!
  3. Les lui ne donne pas!
  4. Ne donne pas les lui!
Explanation: In negative imperatives, pronouns precede the verb and follow normal order: direct object 'les' before indirect object 'lui.' The structure is 'Ne + pronouns + verb + pas.' Choice B reverses pronoun order, C misplaces the negation, and D puts pronouns after the verb as in affirmative imperatives.

Question 9

Sophie wants to say 'Show them to us!' using an affirmative imperative with 'montrer.' How should the pronouns be arranged after the verb?

  1. Montrez-nous-les tout de suite!
  2. Montrez-les-nous tout de suite! (correct answer)
  3. Les nous montrez tout de suite!
  4. Nous les montrez tout de suite!
Explanation: When dealing with affirmative imperatives in French that include both direct and indirect object pronouns, you need to understand the specific word order that follows the verb. In affirmative commands, pronouns are attached to the verb with hyphens, and they follow a strict sequence: direct object pronoun comes before indirect object pronoun. The formula is: Verb + direct object + indirect object. In this case, "them" (les - direct object) comes before "us" (nous - indirect object), giving you "Montrez-les-nous!" Answer B is correct because it follows this proper sequence: "Montrez-les-nous tout de suite!" The direct object pronoun "les" (them) is placed immediately after the verb, followed by the indirect object pronoun "nous" (us). Answer A reverses the pronoun order incorrectly. While it does place the pronouns after the verb as required in affirmative imperatives, "nous-les" puts the indirect object before the direct object, which violates French grammar rules. Answers C and D both place the pronouns before the verb ("Les nous montrez" and "Nous les montrez"), which is completely wrong for affirmative imperatives. This placement would be correct in negative imperatives or declarative sentences, but not in affirmative commands where pronouns must follow the verb. Study tip: Remember the acronym "DIDO" - Direct before Indirect in affirmative imperatives. When you see affirmative commands with two pronouns, always put the direct object pronoun first after the verb.

Question 10

Sophie is responding to 'Est-ce que tu as parlé de ce problème à tes parents?' She wants to say she talked to them about it. Which response correctly places the pronouns?

  1. Oui, je leur en ai parlé hier soir. (correct answer)
  2. Oui, je en leur ai parlé hier soir.
  3. Oui, j'en leur ai parlé hier soir.
  4. Oui, je leur ai en parlé hier soir.
Explanation: When combining 'leur' (indirect object) with 'en' (replacing 'de ce problème'), the correct order is 'leur en' before the auxiliary verb: 'je leur en ai parlé.' Choice B reverses the order, C incorrectly contracts 'je en' to 'j'en,' and D places 'en' after the auxiliary verb, breaking the pronoun rule.

Question 11

During a conversation about a surprise party, Luc wants to say that we shouldn't tell her about it. He needs to use a negative construction with an indirect object pronoun. Which sentence correctly places the pronoun in this negative context?

  1. Nous ne devons pas dire lui.
  2. Nous ne lui devons pas dire.
  3. Nous ne devons pas lui dire. (correct answer)
  4. Nous lui ne devons pas dire.
Explanation: In negative constructions with modal verbs + infinitive, the pronoun goes before the infinitive, and 'ne...pas' surrounds the modal verb. Choice A uses the wrong pronoun form (lui instead of the required construction). Choice B places the pronoun between the negative elements. Choice D incorrectly places the pronoun before the negative construction begins.

Question 12

Camille is talking about her grandmother and wants to say that she calls her every week. However, she's using a pronominal verb 'se téléphoner' which requires special consideration. Which sentence correctly places the pronoun with this reciprocal construction?

  1. Je me lui téléphone chaque semaine.
  2. Je lui téléphone chaque semaine. (correct answer)
  3. Je me téléphone lui chaque semaine.
  4. Je téléphone me lui chaque semaine.
Explanation: The verb 'téléphoner' takes an indirect object (à quelqu'un), so 'téléphoner à sa grand-mère' becomes 'lui téléphoner.' The reflexive 'se téléphoner' is used only for reciprocal actions between multiple people. Choice A incorrectly combines reflexive and indirect object pronouns. Choices C and D place pronouns in impossible positions for this verb construction.

Question 13

Thomas wants to tell his sister not to lend her car to their brother. He needs to use a negative imperative with two object pronouns. Which sentence correctly places the pronouns in this negative command context?

  1. Ne lui le prête pas!
  2. Ne le lui prête pas! (correct answer)
  3. Ne prête-le-lui pas!
  4. Ne prête pas le lui!
Explanation: In negative imperatives, pronouns precede the verb in the same order as declarative sentences: direct object (le) + indirect object (lui). Choice A reverses the pronoun order. Choice C incorrectly uses affirmative imperative pronoun placement in a negative construction. Choice D places pronouns after the verb in a negative imperative, which is incorrect.

Question 14

Julie is describing her morning routine and wants to say that she washes her face every day using a reflexive construction. She's considering different ways to express this with pronoun placement. Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive pronoun in this context?

  1. Je la me lave chaque jour.
  2. Je lave mon visage chaque jour.
  3. Je me la lave chaque jour.
  4. Je me lave le visage chaque jour. (correct answer)
Explanation: When dealing with reflexive verbs in French, you need to understand how reflexive pronouns work with body parts and the concept of possession. This question tests your knowledge of proper pronoun placement and the correct way to express actions performed on one's own body. The correct answer is D) "Je me lave le visage chaque jour." In French, when you perform an action on your own body part, you use the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se) and the definite article (le, la, les) before the body part, not a possessive adjective. The reflexive pronoun "me" indicates that the action is being performed on oneself, and "le visage" (the face) uses the definite article because the reflexive context already establishes possession. Let's examine why the other options are incorrect: A) "Je la me lave chaque jour" has the pronouns in the wrong order and creates confusion about what's being washed. When multiple pronouns appear together, reflexive pronouns come first. B) "Je lave mon visage chaque jour" uses the possessive adjective "mon" instead of the reflexive construction, which sounds unnatural in French for body parts. C) "Je me la lave chaque jour" incorrectly places "la" (referring to "la figure" perhaps) after the reflexive pronoun, but without specifying the body part and creating grammatical confusion. Remember this pattern: with reflexive verbs and body parts, use the reflexive pronoun + definite article + body part. This construction is more natural than using possessive adjectives when the action involves your own body.

Question 15

Pierre is at a bakery and wants to ask the baker if he can show him some croissants, but he realizes he needs to use 'en' because he's asking about some quantity of them. Which sentence correctly combines the indirect object pronoun with the partitive pronoun 'en'?

  1. Pouvez-vous me montrer en?
  2. Pouvez-vous en me montrer?
  3. Pouvez-vous m'en montrer? (correct answer)
  4. Pouvez-vous montrer m'en?
Explanation: When you encounter questions about French pronoun order, you're dealing with one of the trickiest aspects of French grammar. The key is remembering that pronouns must follow a specific sequence and attach directly to the verb. In this sentence, you need both an indirect object pronoun (me/m') meaning "to me" and the partitive pronoun "en" meaning "some/of them." When multiple pronouns appear together, they must follow the order: me/te/se/nous/vous + le/la/les + lui/leur + y + en. Here, "me" comes before "en," and they contract to "m'en" before the vowel sound. Option C) "Pouvez-vous m'en montrer?" correctly places both pronouns together before the infinitive "montrer," with proper contraction of "me" to "m'" before "en." Option A) "Pouvez-vous me montrer en?" incorrectly separates the pronouns, placing "en" after the verb instead of keeping pronouns clustered together before the infinitive. Option B) "Pouvez-vous en me montrer?" reverses the correct pronoun order. Remember that "me/te/se/nous/vous" always precede "en" in the pronoun sequence. Option D) "Pouvez-vous montrer m'en?" places the pronoun cluster after the infinitive instead of before it. In French, object pronouns attach to the conjugated verb or precede the infinitive when there's a verb + infinitive construction. Remember this pattern: in verb + infinitive constructions, pronouns go before the infinitive in their fixed order, and adjacent pronouns contract when possible (me + en = m'en).

Question 16

Marc is giving advice to his friend about returning a borrowed book. He wants to say 'Give it back to her' using an imperative with two pronouns. Which sentence correctly handles the pronoun placement and forms in this affirmative command?

  1. Lui le rends!
  2. Rends-lui-le!
  3. Le lui rends!
  4. Rends-le-lui! (correct answer)
Explanation: When forming affirmative imperatives with two pronouns in French, you need to master both pronoun order and placement rules. This is a common area where students make mistakes because the rules differ from declarative sentences. In affirmative commands, pronouns come after the verb and are connected with hyphens. The correct order is: direct object pronoun (le/la/les) + indirect object pronoun (lui/leur). So "Give it back to her" becomes "Rends-le-lui!" - literally "Give-it-to her!" Option D is correct because it follows both rules perfectly: the verb "rends" comes first, followed by the direct object pronoun "le" (it/the book), then the indirect object pronoun "lui" (to her), all connected with hyphens. Option A ("Lui le rends!") places the pronouns before the verb, which only works in negative commands or declarative sentences. Option B ("Rends-lui-le!") has the pronouns in wrong order - indirect object before direct object, which violates the affirmative imperative rule. Option C ("Le lui rends!") again puts pronouns before the verb instead of after. Remember this pattern: in affirmative imperatives, think "verb-DIRECT-INDIRECT" with hyphens connecting everything. A helpful memory trick is that the order spells "DI" (Direct-Indirect) when the command is affirmative, but switches to "ID" (Indirect-Direct) in negative commands like "Ne le lui rends pas!"

Question 17

Emma is explaining to her teacher that she already showed her homework to her parents yesterday. She wants to use the passé composé with both direct and indirect object pronouns. Which sentence demonstrates the correct pronoun placement and agreement?

  1. Je le leur ai montré hier. (correct answer)
  2. Je leur l'ai montré hier.
  3. Je le leur ai montrée hier.
  4. Je l'ai leur montré hier.
Explanation: With two object pronouns in passé composé, the order is direct object (le) + indirect object (leur) + auxiliary + past participle. The past participle agrees with the direct object 'le' (masculine), so 'montré' is correct. Choice B reverses the pronoun order. Choice C uses feminine agreement when the direct object is masculine. Choice D places the indirect object pronoun after the auxiliary verb.

Question 18

When answering 'Avez-vous donné de l'argent à votre fils?' with 'Yes, I gave him some yesterday,' which sentence correctly handles both pronoun replacements in the passé composé?

  1. Oui, je lui en ai donné hier. (correct answer)
  2. Oui, j'en lui ai donné hier.
  3. Oui, je lui ai en donné hier.
  4. Oui, j'ai lui en donné hier.
Explanation: The correct order is 'lui' (indirect object) then 'en' (partitive, replacing 'de l'argent'), both before the auxiliary: 'je lui en ai donné.' Choice B incorrectly contracts 'je en,' C places 'en' after the auxiliary, and D omits the auxiliary verb while misplacing pronouns.

Question 19

In 'Il faut que tu donnes ce cadeau à ta mère,' if both objects become pronouns in this subjunctive construction, where do the pronouns go?

  1. Il faut que tu lui le donnes avant demain.
  2. Il faut que tu le lui donnes avant demain. (correct answer)
  3. Il le lui faut que tu donnes avant demain.
  4. Il faut le lui que tu donnes avant demain.
Explanation: When you encounter subjunctive constructions with double object pronouns, you need to understand that pronoun placement follows the same rules as in indicative mood - the pronouns attach to the conjugated verb, not to the infinitive or subjunctive verb. In "Il faut que tu donnes ce cadeau à ta mère," you have two objects: "ce cadeau" (direct object → le) and "à ta mère" (indirect object → lui). When both become pronouns, they must be placed before the conjugated subjunctive verb "donnes" in the correct order: indirect object pronoun (lui) comes before direct object pronoun (le) when both are third person. Option B correctly places both pronouns before "donnes" in the proper sequence: "Il faut que tu le lui donnes." Wait - this appears backwards from what I just explained, but actually, when you have "le/la/les" with "lui/leur," the direct object pronoun comes first: le + lui = "le lui." Option A reverses this order incorrectly, placing "lui le" instead of "le lui." Option C attempts to move the pronouns outside the subordinate clause entirely, placing them with "faut," which is grammatically impossible since "faut" doesn't take these objects. Option D similarly misplaces the pronouns, breaking up the "il faut que" structure incorrectly. Remember this pattern: in French double object pronoun sequences, when you have third-person direct (le/la/les) + third-person indirect (lui/leur), the direct object pronoun always comes first. This order remains consistent across all moods, including the subjunctive.

Question 20

Caroline wants to say 'Don't give any to them!' using a negative imperative with 'donner.' How should she position the pronouns 'en' and 'leur'?

  1. Ne donnez pas leur en trop!
  2. Ne en leur donnez pas trop!
  3. Leur en ne donnez pas trop!
  4. Ne leur en donnez pas trop! (correct answer)
Explanation: When forming negative imperatives in French with multiple pronouns, you must follow a strict word order that differs from affirmative commands. The structure is: ne + pronouns + verb + pas. The correct positioning places both pronouns immediately after "ne" and before the verb. In option D, "Ne leur en donnez pas trop!" follows this pattern perfectly: "ne" begins the negation, "leur" (indirect object pronoun) comes first, "en" (partitive pronoun) follows, then the verb "donnez," and "pas" completes the negation. Option A incorrectly places "leur" between "pas" and "en," disrupting the required pronoun sequence that must come directly after "ne." Option B places "en" before "leur," which violates the pronoun order rule - indirect object pronouns like "leur" always precede "en" in negative imperatives. Option C positions both pronouns before "ne," completely breaking the negative imperative structure where "ne" must come first. The pronoun order within the group is also crucial: when "leur" and "en" appear together in negative constructions, "leur" always comes before "en." This mirrors the order used in regular negative sentences, unlike affirmative imperatives where pronoun placement follows different rules. Study tip: Remember the formula "Ne + [indirect object pronoun] + [en/y] + verb + pas" for negative imperatives. Practice with common combinations like "leur en" and "lui en" to internalize this pattern, as it's frequently tested in conversational French exams.