French language Q&A Forum

The ne explétif is always optional. In everyday speech it is a rarity, for sure, but even in writing it is optional. The omission of a ne explétif never results in incorrect grammar, and Le bon usage is replete with such examples taken from writers of the highest caliber, including a Nobel laureate in literature (Colette) and a member of the Académie française (Montherlant). Nevertheless kwiziq quizzes regard the omission of the ne explétif as an error. This is misleading.

In  the sentence starting, "L'année dernière, j'ai découvert . . .,"  isn't "last year" referring to a unit of time that happened once, so wouldn't "l'an dernier" be correct?  I thought "l'année dernière" would indicate that the discovery happened multiple times over the course of a year. Please advise.

Every dictionary I have checked confirms that 'les soldes' is masculine (wheareas 'la vente' is feminine, and 'la solde' has a different meaning). Just about every French person (woman) I have asked is surprised to find this to be the case ! However, I think the exercise should at least reflect/indicate the 'correct' usage:

Perhaps a simple note under the heading of the lesson that although 'les soldes' is officially masculine gender, it is very commonly 'misused' in the feminine, and throughout this lesson the 'colloquial' feminine grammatical gender for 'les soldes' has been used.

Just leaving it incorrect doesn't seem to me to be the best option.

Let me start by saying that I love Kwiziq! Kwiziq software and method are superior and indispensable.

message deleted

James

I'd like to know what this sentence says:

"un ogre grand comme une maison"

Please translate.  Thank you

Salut. "Dont" c'est un pronom relatif qui me confond toujours -- quelquefois je me sens que je le comprends un peu mieux.

"Un traitement antirétroviral prophylactique est proposé à celles dont la test est positif"

Pourquoi dont? avec quoi s'accord il? peut-on dire ".... a celles pour qui la test est positif"?

Does it work ?? is it true in both ways?

ne me donne pas
ne donne pas à moi?

thank you so much for your help