French language Q&A Forum

Would de la confiture de framboise be a possibility rather than de la confiture à la framboise?

Thanks in advance

On regardait les lucioles, et soudain elles ont toutes disparu.

Why is it soudain and not soudainement?

Cutting marks for the conjugation marks seems un peu de trop !

Is it the case that both of these sentences are grammatically correct:
- Il est mon cousin -- as a statement about a specific person

- Qui est-ce? - C'est mon cousin -- as in, He + is + my [noun]

Or, equally:

- Elle est la présidente

- C'est la présidente

If they are both grammatically correct, can you explain the difference in meaning/usage between the two versions?

My guess: can I use the top version if we are having a conversation about Paul and I then explain that Paul is my cousin: "Paul te ressemble. - Oui, il est mon cousin."
or we are having a conversation about Sophie and I then comment that she is the class president: "Sophie a l'aire très confiante. - Oui, elle a gagné l'élection et elle est maintenant la présidente."

Whereas the bottom version applies if the identity of the person is unknown:
Who is that person? C'est mon cousin. 

Who is Sophie? C'est la présidente de la société.

We are still talking about a specific person, but the person is previously unknown in the conversation. 
Is this correct? Would you explain it another way?

why do we say je ne veux ni chanter ni danser

but we  do say tu n'avais envie ni DE sortir ni DE voir du monde?

What is compound tense. They love each other? It is compound tense? And how?

I'm posting this as a new question as I previously posted it as a reply and I don't think it gets picked up and answered? (See the lesson page for original question and answer)

Many thanks Jim, that helps.  I got confused because the subject of the lesson is about adding même and then these two examples don't without any explanation as to why - or perhaps I need to re-visit the basics! So it's because he is talking of/about himself.  If he was talking to himself then it would be 'Il aime vraiment parler à lui-même' ?  Also, what if he was saying 'He really likes to talk of/about him' ie a third person - what would be the distinction?

Also, since I posted this I've looked at the lesson on stress pronouns and I'm even more confused. This lesson gives the example of 'Je parle de lui - I speak of him'. So would 'Il parle de lui' be 'He speaks of/about him' or 'He speaks of/about himself'? Help!!

Est- ce qu'on dit " Je voudrais te raconter une expérience que j'ai vécue" ou "Je voulais te raconter une expérience que j'ai vécue 

Within the overall subject of this weeks exercises - celebrating the women of France - should this not continue the theme and be "les jeunes sportives".