Grande Grammaire du Français
General Terms and Conditions
(Conditions générales de vente et d’utilisation or CGV/CGU)
Read our General Terms and Conditions (or CGV/CGU) here.
SUBSCRIPTION / SIGN IN
How can I create an account?
On the website www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com, click on Je m’abonne (Subscribe) or on 15 jours de découverte sans engagement (15 days discovery with no commitment).
On the page that appears:
• click on Connexion at the top right of the page;
• then click on Créer mon compte;
• follow the instruction and fill in the required fields.
You can also create your account after adding the requested offer to your basket.
How can I Sign in?
To sign in, you have to create an account. See How to create an account?
If you have an account, click on Connexion, at the top right of the home page www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com. Then fill in the email address used to create the account and your password. This email address is your login ID.
I forgot my password, what should I do?
Go to the top right of the home page. Click on Connexion. On the sign in page, click on J’ai oublié mon mot de passe (I forgot my password).
Fill in the password recovery form.
An email will be sent to the email address you used to create your account with the instructions to create a new password.
How can I update my information?
Log in to the GGF, then go to your Mon compte space. You can then change your info by clicking on Modifier mes informations.
I wish to delete my information, what should I do?
You can request the deletion of your personal information in accordance with the regulations in force (law 78-17 of 6 January 1978) by writing to the address: serviceclients@grandegrammairedufrançais.com and specifying your request.
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SUBSCRIPTION
What is the OFFRE DÉCOUVERTE GGF?
The OFFRE DÉCOUVERTE is a one-time-only and free of commitment offer: it grants you a 15 days access to all the written and audio contents of the grammar (introduction, texts, summary sheets, glossary, index, sources, bibliography...) and to the following features: memorisation and management of your bookmarks, browsing history to keep track of your searches.
How can I benefit from the OFFRE DÉCOUVERTE (Discovery offer) GGF?
To benefit from the OFFRE DÉCOUVERTE (Discovery offer) , click on 15 jours de découverte sans engagement (15 days discovery with no commitment) in the Abonnement (Subscription) tab on www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com. On the page that appears, click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe) and follow the instructions.
Valid one-time-only, it grants you a 15 days access to all the written and audio content of the GGF, without any commitment on your part.
Why cannot I access the GGF content anymore?
If you have benefited from the OFFRE DÉCOUVERTE (Discovery offer) and no longer have access to the GGF content 15 days after creating your account, it means that the offer has expired. To continue accessing the GGF, click on the Je m’abonne (Subscribe) button in the Abonnement (Subscription) tab on the home page www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com.
See How can I subscribe?
How can I subscribe?
On the website www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com, click on Je m’abonne (Subscribe) in Abonnement (Subscription).
On the page that appears, select the offer that suits you and click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe). Follow the instructions to finalise your subscription (account creation or sign in if you already have an account, payment if the offer is subject to a fee).
For more information, please read our GTC (CGU/CGV) here.
How can I resubscribe?
Sign in to your account on the website www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com and access your Mon abonnement (My subscription) space.
Click on Je me réabonne (I want to resubscribe) and select the offer adapted to your wish.
Click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe) to add the offer to your basket and follow the instructions.
Once the payment is made, you will have full access to the contents of the GGF.
Of course, your browsing history, bookmarks and notes will still be available.
I have purchased the printed version of the Grande Grammaire du Français and wish to use my coupon (voucher) for a 60 days discovery access to the online version. How to activate this voucher?
Your individual activation key can be found at the end of volume 2 of the printed version. On the home page www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com, click on J'utilise mon coupon (Use my voucher).
Choose the OFFRE COUPONS (Vouchers offer) and click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe), then type the activation key in the form COUPONS that appears when confirming the basket.
Your account will then be credited with a 60 days access.
The activation key can be used only once. It is strictly personal and cannot be shared with others, either free of charge or for a fee.
For more information, feel free to read our General Terms and Conditions (CGV/CGU) here.
My employer offers me a subscription to the online version of the GGF. How can I activate mycoupon and enjoy my subscription?
Your employer has given you an individual activation key.
On the home page www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com, click on J'utilise mon coupon (Use my voucher).
Choose the OFFRE COUPONS (Vouchers offer) and click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe), then fill this activation key in the form COUPONS that appears when confirming the basket.
Your subscription will be credited with a 365 days access.
The activation key can be used only once. It is strictly personal and cannot be shared with others, either free of charge or for a fee.
For more information, feel free to read our General Terms and Conditions (CGV/CGU) here.
I am a partner of the GGF and the publisher offers me access dor 365 days.
How can I activate my coupon and enjoy my subscription?
Your employer has given you an individual activation key.
On the home page www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com, click on J'utilise mon coupon (Use my voucher).
Choose the OFFRE COUPONS 365 days (Vouchers offer) and click on Je m'abonne (Subscribe), then fill this activation key in the form COUPONS that appears when confirming the basket.
Your subscription will be credited with a 365 days access.
The activation key can be used only once. It is strictly personal and cannot be shared with others, either free of charge or for a fee.
For more information, feel free to read our General Terms and Conditions (CGV/CGU) here.
How can I unsubscribe?
You can contact us via the following email address: contact@grandegrammairedufrançais.com.
How can I subscribe a local institution to the GGF?
Local institutions can apply for registration by clicking on Pré-inscription collectivités et entreprises (Institutions and companies Pre-Registration) in the Abonnement (Subscription) tab on the home page of www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com.
You will immediately receive a quote request form. Our teams will quickly contact you to define the formula best suited to your needs.
How can I subscribe my employees to the GGF?
Companies can apply for registration by clicking on Pré-inscription collectivités et entreprises (Institutions and companies Pre-Registration) in the Abonnement (Subscription) tab on the home page of www.grandegrammairedufrançais.com.
You will immediately receive a quote request form. Our teams will quickly contact you to define the formula best suited to your needs.
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PAYMENT
Can I use a credit card to pay my subscription?
You can use a credit card to pay your subscription: Mastercard, Visa and American Express via Stripe. You can also pay your subscription with Paypal. To do so, add the subscription to your basket and follow the instructions. See How to subscribe?
Is the credit card payment secured?
The credit card payment is secured. Your bank details are encrypted and directly transmitted to our financial partners in a completely secure environment.
Can I use a bank transfer to pay my subscription?
Only local institutions can use bank transfer to pay their subscription.
Can I use a cheque to pay my subscription?
We do not accept payment by cheque.
How should I proceed if I have another question regarding the methods of payment and the payment of my order?
Please contact our customer service from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm at the following address: serviceclients@grandegrammairedufrançais.com or with this phone number: +33 (0)1 80 97 93 33.
For more information, read our GTC (CGU/CGV) here.
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DESIGNERS AND AUTHORS
Who are the designers and authors of the GGF?
Here is all you need to know about the designers and authors of the GGF.
The name(s) of the person(s) in charge of each chapter, as well as the name(s) of the author(s) of each section, subsection, etc., are listed in blue in the “table des sections et des auteurs” found at the end of the drop-down table of contents here.
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EDITORIAL CONTENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Where can I find the table of contents and how to use it?
The detailed table of contents can be found in the top left corner of your screen here. It unravels as you click on a chapter, a section, a subsection,…
TEXTS AND LEVELS OF READING
How are the texts organised?
The GGF is organised in twenty main chapters numbered with Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V,…), each divided in sections (I-1, I-2,…), subsections (I-1.1, I-1.2,…) and finally paragraphs (I-1.1.1, I-1.1.2,…). Sections, subsections and paragraphs are marked with Arabic numerals.
How can I differentiate two levels of reading?
It is common for the main text, intended for most readers, to alternate with more specialised content used to further develop a question and which can be found in indented paragraphs.
Why are some texts indented?
The indented and vertically framed texts offer some more specialised content used to further develop a question.
TABLES, LISTS AND FIGURES
How are the tables, lists and figures organised?
The text comes with a large number of tables, lists and figures – the latter including melodic curves. These 500 indispensable analytical tools are numbered according to each chapter – tableau XVI-4 is the fourth table in chapitre XVI.
SUMMARY SHEETS
What is the purpose of the summary sheets?
51 sheets summarising the main grammatical points and always available here.
GRAMMATICAL TERMINOLOGY AND GLOSSARY
How can I find the definition of a grammatical term?
The terminology adopted in this grammar is the subject of a glossary containing over 600 terms. It can always be consulted here.
Where is the grammatical terminology defined?
The terminology adopted in this grammar is the subject of a glossary, that can always be consulted here, and of equivalence tables with the official French grammatical terminologies established by the Ministry of Education in 1998 and in 2020. These tables can be downloaded here.
Where can I find the glossary?
The glossary can always be consulted here.
WRITTEN AND AUDIO EXAMPLES
How are the examples numbered?
The examples are numbered according to each section. Each new section resumes the numbering at 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. The number that precedes the example as well as the number that calls for it in the text is always in bold (1a, 34c...).
How can I distinguish between written and audio examples?
Written examples
The GGF is based on 30,000 examples, either quoted throughout the text or grouped in numbered series as explained in Introduction-2.2. Whether written or oral, made up or attested (Introduction-2.2.1), all examples are in italic, unless otherwise stated.
Sound examples
The online edition allows you to take full advantage of the first “talking grammar” through the optimised listening of 2,000 recorded examples (words, sentences and dialogues). Each recorded example is indicated by the clickable picto 
.
Where can I find the source of an example?
Attested examples are followed by their source (see Introduction-2.3, tableau Introduction-2 and Corpus écrits et oraux).
If the source is abbreviated (author’s name + date), its full reference can be found in the sources of literary examples here.
If the example has been borrowed from a corpus, the references of the latter can be found here.
How should I interpret the annotation criteria for examples?
How should I interpret the blue symbols *, ?, !, # or % placed in front of an example?
How should I interpret the signs, punctuation marks and special underlining used for the pronunciation of examples?
Each example is annotated according to different criteria explained in Introduction-2.2.2 and tableau Introduction-1. You can always find them here.
How are the examples punctuated?
Oral examples are punctuated for readability, while the original punctuation of written examples is respected. When examples are integrated into the explanatory text, their final punctuation does not merge with that of the sentence, except at the end of the sentence. For example: “[…] ce peut être un destinataire, comme aux enfants en 11c, un lieu dans Paul rentre à la maison., une manière dans Paul se porte à merveille.”
How are the examples spelled?
The original spelling of written examples has been respected, even when it differs from the Spelling Corrections (Rectifications de l’orthographe) adopted by the GGF. The principles of these Spelling Corrections can be found here.
REFERENCES
What does > VI-1.2 mean?
Navigation within the GGF is made easy thanks to innumerable tags which, with a simple click, refer a passage of text to another passage (chapter, section, sub-section, paragraph, etc.) thematically linked to it. Each tag is marked with the pictogram > followed by a grey number.
INDEX
How should I read the index?
The index, which can be found here at any time, makes it easier to find a notion, a grammatical word, etc.
It specifies thematically 4,500 entries according to the following typographical distinctions. In SMALL BLACK CAPITALS LETTERS are:
- the notions: ABSTRAIT, ABSORPTION (Loi d’—), etc.
- the names of countries and regions: AFRIQUE SUBSAHARIENNE, ALBERTA, BELGIQUE, etc.
In SMALL BLUE CAPITALS LETTERS are the notions defined in the glossary: ABRÉVIATION, ABSOLU, ACCENT, etc.
Black italics are for words or parts of words: À, a-, à bas, actuel, etc.
Black Roman characters are for the names of cities: Aix-en-Provence, Bangui, Bordeaux, etc.
The same applies to the names of languages: Allemand, Alsacien, Ancien français, etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Where can I find the general bibliography?
The extensive general bibliography is always available here.
Where can I find the thematic bibliographies?
The introduction and each of the 20 chapters are followed by their main bibliographical references, which are arranged thematically and with comments. Each reference listed in the bibliography is linked to the general bibliography, available here.
Where can I find the full references of the publications listed in the “bibliographic references”?
The abbreviated bibliographic references (name + date) are provided in full in the general bibliography, which is always available here.
SPELLING
What spelling has the GGF adopted?
Like other reference grammars, the GGF has adopted the so-called “new” spelling (“nouvelle orthographe”). The GGF thus conforms to the spelling corrections submitted by the Conseil Supérieur de la Langue Française, approved by the Académie Française and published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française on December 6, 1990, the principles of which can be found here.
SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
How should I interpret the blue symbols *, ?, !, #, %, ◊, =, ≠, /, […], (…), ‘…’, >, < and +?
How should I interpret the signs, punctuation marks and special underscores used to note the pronunciation?
The signs, punctuation marks, symbols and special underscores, adopted throughout the GGF texts and examples, and their explanation can be found here.
How should I interpret abbreviated words?
The abbreviations adopted in the GGF and their explanation can be found here.
What does the > pictogram mean?
The > pictogram followed by a grey number indicates that the preceding passage is thematically linked to another area of text (paragraph, sub-section, section, chapter). Each reference is clickable. See What does > VI-1.2 mean?
INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET
How should I interpret the phonetic transcriptions signs?
Phonetic transcriptions are marked with the signs of the International Phonetic Alphabet, which are listed in the chapter XIX-1.1.1 (Tableau XIX-1 and Tableau XIX-2).
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FEATURES MY SEARCH
How to do a search?
Simple search
For a SIMPLE SEARCH, type one or more words into the search bar at the top centre of your computer screen or click on the magnifying glass at the top right of your mobile and tablet screen, then select the concerned area to its left: to search through the entire text, select “All”; to search only through the summary sheets, select “Summary sheets”, etc. To start the search, click on the magnifying glass pictogram.
During a SIMPLE SEARCH, lemmatisation is automatically disabled: the search focuses only on the exact form of the word(s) you are looking for. See What is lemmatisation?
Advanced Search
For an advanced search, click on Recherche avancée, to the right of the search bar (if you are on a computer) or below the search bar (if you are on a tablet or a mobile) after clicking on the magnifying glass pictogram. The screen that opens offers you to search through:
- All the fields
- One or more fields (just tick or untick Fiches, Glossaire, Table des matières, Index, Tableaux, Listes, Figures, Texte, Exemples)
You can search one or more words or an exact expression. You can also exclude one or more words from your search.
When searching for one or more words, you can choose to extend or not your search to all forms of the word(s). You simply have to activate lemmatisation. See What is lemmatisation?
What is lemmatisation?
Lemmatisation allows you to extend the search from one form of the searched word(s) to all other forms (gender, number and time).
During a SIMPLE SEARCH, lemmatisation is automatically disabled: the search focuses only on the exact form of the word(s) you are looking for.
During an ADVANCED SEARCH, lemmatisation is optional: activated, the search focuses on all the forms of the word(s) you are looking for.
It is automatically disabled for the word(s) filled in the exclure field and in the rechercher l’expression exacte field.
My search results do not display a word or a group of words?
Your search cannot apply to the following words or groups of words:
à, à ce que, afin, ainsi que, aller, après que, au, aucun, aussi, autre, autre chose, autre part, autrui, aux, avant que, avec, avoir, beaucoup, bien, c’est, ça, ce, ce dernier, ce que, ceci, cela, celui, celui-ci, celui-là, certain, ces, cet, cette, chacun, chaque, combien, comme, comment, contre, d’aucuns, dans, de, de ce que, de la, des, dessus, devoir, Dieu sait que, dont, du, elle, en, et, et puis, et/ou, être, faire, faire ainsi, faire de même, faux, grand monde, grand-chose, ici, il, il y a, ils, jamais, je, je ne sais lequel, je ne sais quel, je ne sais qui, je ne sais quoi, jusqu’à ce que, l’autre, l’un, l’un l’autre, l’un… l’autre, la, laisser, le, le mien, le sien, le tien, lequel, les, les uns, les uns… les autres, leur, leurs, lorsque, lui, lui-même, ma, maint, mais, me, même, mes, moi, moi-même, mon, moult, n’importe lequel, n’importe quel, n’importe qui, n’importe quoi, ne, ni, non, nos, notre, nous, nul, nulle part, on, on ne sait quel, ou, où, oui, par, pas, personne, peu, plus, plusieurs, plutôt, pour, pourquoi, pouvoir, puis, qu’est-ce qu’, qu’est-ce que, quand, qu', que, que ce soit, quel, quel qu’il soit, quelconque, quelle, quelles, quelqu’un, quelque, quelque chose, quelque part, quelques, quelques-uns, quels, qui, qui que ce soit, quiconque, quoi, quoi que ce soit, rien, sa, sans, savoir, se, sentir, ses, si, soi, soi-même, soit, son, sur, ta, tant, te, tel, tellement, tes, toi, toi-même, ton, tous, tous les, tout, tout le monde, très, tu, un, un certain, un peu, une, untel, venir, voici, voilà, vos, votre, vouloir, vous, vrai, y.
Their frequency in the French language is such that any search would produce too many results, making it unusable.
But you can search for the underlined words: you will find all you need to know on the terms à, aller, aussi, autre, avoir, beaucoup, bien, ce, ceci, cela, celui, combien, comme, de, des, dessus, dont, du, en, être, faire, il, le, lui, même, ne, non, où, par, pas, peu, plus, pour, quand, que, quel, quelqu’un, quelque, quelques, qui, quoi, rien, se, si, sur, tant, tel, tous, tout, un, un peu, voici, voilà et y in the summery sheets dedicated to them.
Watch the Search video tutorial here.
MY SEARCH HISTORY
How can I access my search history?
Each search (simple or advanced search) is saved in the Mon historique space accessible in the menu at the top right of your computer screen, or the left of your mobile or tablet screen.
Watch the Search history video tutorial here.
MY BOOKMARKS
Creating and saving bookmarks allows you to find at any time the information, notions, examples, etc., that caught your interest. You can find a bookmark within the text itself (star pictogram) as well as from your Mes favoris space accessible from the menu at the top right of your computer screen and on the left of your tablet or mobile screen.
How can I create my bookmarks?
You can continuously create and store new bookmarks. As you browse through the site, find the section that interests you. Go to the beginning of the section and click on the star pictogram on the right of your screen. Each time you add a bookmark, the star will turn dark grey.
How can I access my bookmarks?
The sections you selected as bookmarks are automatically saved. You can find them instantly clicking on My bookmarks in the menu at the top right of your computer screen and on the left of your tablet or mobile screen.
How can I find the context of a bookmark?
To find the context of a bookmark, i.e. to which section of the text it refers, simply consult it. See How to access My bookmarks? Then click on Lire plus.
How can I delete a bookmark?
You can delete a bookmark:
- either by going back in the text to the beginning of the previously selected section and unticking the star on the rightof your screen;
- or by accessing Mes favoris in the menu and unticking the star in the relevant box.
Watch the Bookmarks video tutorial here.
MY NOTES
You can create and save notes to find at any time the information, annotations, etc., that you wished to save. You can retrieve a note within the text itself as well as from Mes notes space in the menu at the top right of your computer screen and on the left of your mobile or tablet screen.
How can I create notes?
You can always create and save notes by clicking on the pencil icon at the top left of the different sections of the grammar. When filling in the fields, you can name the note (Libellé), write it (Contenu), file it in a new folder (Créer un dossier) or to an existing folder (Choisir un dossier). Before closing your note, do not forget to save it with the Enregistrer!
The presence of one or more notes attached to a section and filed in a folder is recalled in the list displayed on the left of the Mes notes page in the menu. It is also indicated in the grammar at the beginning of a section with a sheet pictogram; the number of notes archived in the folder is specified by a number.
How can I access a note?
You can instantaneously retrieve any note:
- either by going back in the text to the beginning of the section to which it is attached and clicking on the pictogram showing a sheet;
- or by selecting Mes notes from the menu at the top right of your computer screen or on the left or your mobile or tablet screen.
How can I retrieve the context of a note?
To find the context of a note, i.e. to which section of the text it relates, simply consult it (see How to consult a note?) from the Me notes menu.
You then have two options:
- when you are in the file that contains the relevant note, all the notes are displayed in zones. Click on the 3 points at the top right corner of the note and select Voir, then click on Voir le contexte in the window that appears;
- when you are on the note itself, Voir le contexte appears above the note.
How can I modify a note?
Select Mes notes from the menu at the top right of your computer screen or in the left of your mobile or tablet screen. Click on the file that contains the note, it is then highlighted in blue. All the notes contained in the file appear on your screen. Click on the 3 points at the top right of the note you wish to modify, then on Modifier, and then on Enregistrer.
How can I create a file for a note?
Any file with one or more notes can be created:
- either when creating a note (see How to create My notes?);
- or in the menu Mes notes: click on Créer un nouveau dossier in the middle of your screen if you have not created any yet or at the bottom left if some notes are already archived.
When created, the new file appears on the left in the list Mes notes.
How can I rename a note?
To rename a note, select it from the menu Mes notes. The name of the note is highlighted in blue. Click on Renommer, write the new label, then press Entrée on your keyboard to save the change.
How can I delete a note?
To delete a note, select Mes notes in the menu at the top right of your computer screen or on the left of your mobile and tablet screen. Select the note you wish to delete from your files and notes. Click on Delete.
Watch the Notes video tutorial here.
COPY AND PASTE
How can I copy and paste an extract?
You can copy and paste entire paragraphs of the GGF into .rtf format, excluding all tables, figures and melodic curves, which are images.
To copy a paragraph, click on the pictogram associated with it at the top right, which shows two superimposed pages. The copied portion of text can be pasted and saved in a note (see How to create My notes?), or in an independent file.
Why cannot I paste tables, figures and melodic curves?
The copy and paste function is only available for the text of the GGF. The .rtf format does not apply with tables, figures and melodic curves, which are images.
Watch the Copy and paste video tutorial here.
MY DOWNLOADS
How can I download an extract?
Each subsection of the GGF can be downloaded in a .PDF format. To download an extract, just click on the arrow pictogram at the top right of the section. Once downloaded, the extract will always be preceded by its bibliographic reference. To quote precisely the authors, refer to the table des sections et des auteurs, accessible from the Table of contents of the grammar (see How to quote the GGF?).
Watch the Downloading video tutorial here.
GREYED-OUT FEATURES
I wish to access a feature, but it is greyed-out. Why?
Some features (Note taking, Copy and pasting, Extract downloading) are only accessible to subscribers’ accounts.
If you see these features greyed-out, you may be enjoying the discovery offer and may not be subscribed yet. To access these features, please subscribe (see How to subscribe?).
If you are accessing the GGF through a local institution offer, these features are not accessible.
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QUOTING THE GGF
How should I quote the GGF?
Because the GGF is the work of many linguists, we recommend that, for any quote, the author(s) of the relevant section, subsection or paragraph should always be mentioned.
To quote the GGF as a whole, use the following form:
Extract from La Grande Grammaire du français, Anne Abeillé et Danièle Godard (dir.), Arles, Actes Sud / Imprimerie nationale Éditions, 2021.
To quote an extract from the GGF, refer to the table des sections est des auteurs at the end of the drop-down Table of contents. You will find there the name(s) of the author(s) and the exact title of the section, subsection or paragraph concerned.
Use the following form:
Olivier Bonami, « Les classes d’adverbes », La Grande Grammaire du français, Anne Abeillé et Danièle Godard (dir.), Arles, Actes Sud / Imprimerie nationale Éditions, 2021
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Downloading: some documents are downloadable in .PDF format.
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CONTACT US
For any other question, use the contact form.