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Ryker B.A0Kwiziq community member

Would I use 'elles' for when there are more women than men in a group?

I know that ils is used for masculine or mixed masculine and feminine groups and elles is used for feminine groups. But what if there are more feminine than masculine objects such as a group of one man and ten women? Would it then be acceptable to use 'elles' to refer to that group or would I still have to use ils even if only thing is masculine?

Asked 3 years ago

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F. M.B2Kwiziq community member

I'm finding the grammar explanations difficultThe grammar explanations describe accurately. When I studied French I had not had a great education including in English so my understanding of the grammar explanations was not great and still isn't. My French got better through sheer repetition on my own part in private study and by living in France for the best part of a year. In other words there was a large amount of learning what is correct and not necessarily why, followed by what sounds right because I lived there long enough and in only francophone company to know. I am sticking with it, I just am also listening to France 24 en direct on Youtube as well because it's how my French improved so much between year 2 and 4 of my degree back in the day. I found in this exercise I was translating differently, sometimes because I'm so rusty, sometimes because the colloquial language has changed and sometimes because I used a different way of expressing it. It is honing my French again but I am wondering if to use aller faire instead of the future tense is as wrong as this exercise suggests i.e. was I supposed to remember it was to practise the future tense or were my translations really as wrong as it suggested?

Asked 1 year ago

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A. J.A2Kwiziq community member

Indefinite Relative Pronouns

In the sentence "il suffit d’observer ce que font les autres et les imiter," why have the verb (font) and the subject (les autres) swapped places? Shouldn't it be "il suffit d’observer ce que les autres font et les imiter"?

The sentence is taken from this text: "https://www.lawlessfrench.com/listening/bise-a-la-francaise/"

Thank you in advance.

Asked 2 years ago

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Barbara O.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

certaines choses sont universelles

this dictée made me smile. It's heartening to know that certain domestic issues are universal! :)

Asked 3 years ago

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Desiree C.B2Kwiziq community member

“… au cas où.” At the end of a phrase.Je prends la parapluie juste au cas où.

This sentence ending with “où” to me sounds unfinished. Is this considered informal speech? I feel like “où” is serving as a conjunction here… Is this a fixed phrase? Like the rest of the sentence is implied or used to be stated and now it dropped? For example, something like “…au cas où (il me faudrait)”

Asked 3 years ago

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Simon M.B1Kwiziq community member

Le bicross

I have never saw the use of bicross before, but always VTT (vélo tout terrain). Is this a difference between written and spoken language or is it used along eachother?

Thanks in advance

Asked 3 years ago

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Erlene H.B1Kwiziq community member

Problem playing the dictation.

One of the sentences for translation would not play so I had to leave it blank and continue.

Asked 3 years ago

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Matthew M.C1Kwiziq community member

Amuses-bouches not accepted for appetisers

It was in another new year exercise but not this one. Why not?

Asked 2 years ago