Past participle assignment

[Adam Kiryk]

I'm taking a French podcast course in which there's an assignment to write a journal entry for a day. The idea is to use a variety of verbs in the past tense (not imperfect), both avoir and etre verbs as well as reflexive. I'd appreciate any comments on my phrasing or grammar.

Also, I'm uncertain how to handle a reflexive verb in the case of waking someone else up. I wake myself up like this: je me suis réveillé. But do I wake my son up like this? Je se suis réveillé. Thanks!

Ce matin, je me suis réveillé a six heures, et ensuite je suis allé en bas pour lire et boire du cafe. Ma femme s'est réveillée aussi, et nous avons parlé de notre jours. Je se suis réveillés mes deux fils et nous avons mangés la petit déjeuner. Mon fils qui a 14 ans est partí de la maison a 8 heures et a marché a l'ecole avec son copain. Mon outre fils, qui a 10 ans, et moi sommes allés a l'ecole quelques minutes plus tard.  

Here is what I intended to communicate:

This morning, I woke up at six o'clock and then went downstairs to read and drink a coffee. My wife also woke up and we talked about our days. I awoke my two sons and we ate breakfast. My older son left the house at 8:00 and walked to school with his friend. My other son, who is ten years old, and I went to school a few minutes later.

[Neil Coffey]

Hi Adam --

Re your question on reflexive verbs: if the person you are waking up is not yourself (or "himself" etc), then the verb is not reflexive. So you just use it like a "normal" verb: J'ai réveillé mes deux fils.

[Nausikaa]

Neil Coffey is right on the use of the verb, I just have some quick things to say:

- à six heures

- you can use "se lever" instead of "se réveiller" (they have slightly different meanings, "se réveiller" means that you have opened your eyes and you're ready to get out of bed, and "se lever" means that you really are getting out of bed)

- "nous avons parlé de notre journée": nos journées sounds a bit weird to me, and you can use "discuté" instead of "parlé" 

- "nous avons pris le petit-déjeuner": yes you eat it, but "prendre" is the verb commonly used to say that you ate your breakfast

- il est allé à l'école à pieds avec son copain": marcher and to walk are not used in the same way, if you want to use it here you would have to say "il a marché jusqu'à l'école", "aller à pieds" translates as "to go on foot" and is very common

- "autre" and not "outre" :)

[Yannick]

Je me suis réveillé

Je t'ai réveillé

Je l'ai réveillé (my son)

Je vous ai réveillé

Je les ai réveillé

Ce matin, je me suis réveillé a six heures, et ensuite je suis allé en bas (it's correct but people won't use it) descendu pour lire et boire du café. Ma femme s'est réveillée aussi (you can also use  également), et nous avons parlé de notre jours journée. Je se suis j'ai réveillés mes deux fils et nous avons mangés pris lae petit déjeuner. Mon fils qui a 14 ans est partí de la maison a à 8 heures et a marché est parti à l'ecole à pied avec son copain. Mon aoutre fils, qui a 10 ans, et moi sommes allés (correct but partis would be better) partis a l'ecole quelques minutes plus tard.  

[Adam Kiryk]

This is great feedback -- thanks. Keep it coming if you have anything to add!

[Yannick]

You may also find french people saying

tu descends en bas ou tu montes en haut while they shoud say

tu descends ou tu montes

since it obvious that going downstairs or upstairs implies a movement