French language Q&A Forum

In the A1 writing challenge "Learning the guitar" the question

"because I find that it's a soothing instrument"

suggests the answer

"car je trouve cet instrument apaisant."

which I can see is very elegant but why is my answer incorrect:

"car je la trouve d'être un instrument apaisant"

I can find other examples on the web of similar usage such this:

"...que nous avons trouvé d'être un trait distinctif..."

i'm Scottish and "passer un exam" would be translated as "to sit an exam", so "Vous avez passé votre examen" to my mind would be "You sat your exam". 

Just commenting :-)

In the writing challenge "My mother's favourite singer"

1. The phrase "since then" is translated as "depuis lors" or "depuis" or "depuis cette époque" but shouldn't my answer of "depuis ce moment-là" also be accepted?

2. The verb "has been collecting" is used and is translated as "collectionne" but without knowing how the sentence is going to end aren't we also wondering whether to use  some other verb, as an alternative to "collectionne"?

You'll take your cousin to the party is gives as 'Tu ameneras ta cousine a la fete'. In all the dictionaries I have consulted, Amener means 'to bring', Emmener means 'to take'. In English these are two quite distinct actions. 'To take' implies that the taker and the taken are both at Point A and are going to Point B. To bring implies that the person being brought is at Point A, and the person speaking is at Point B. Duolingo never got the hang of this. You' ll take your cousin to the party should be 'Tu emmeneras ta cousine a la fete'. Or are amener and emmener synonymous?

sometimes it is beacoup de choses. is it not beacoup des choses..please clarify