French language Q&A Forum

I could not find photocopier in the Library Index so used Larousse online dictionnaire. This gave both photocopieur (n.m.) and photocopieuse (n.f.)  I chose the masculin form so did not mark myself down.  Is there a reason to prefer the feminin form?

Bonjour,I started learning l'iparfait and I cannot understant why my answer in bold is worng, as far as I can imagine the other anwer in italics is wrong. Could you please explain??

Hey,

why is it "et elle détestait particulièrement être le centre de l'attention."

Collins Robert Dictionary and other online sources all say "le centre d'attention"

The de/de la/d'/du is always confusing.

....compared to most other languages.

I wrote: 

.....comparée à la majorité D'autres langues. 

Why is it DES autres langues?

Also

........so my mother tongue would have prepared me.....

I wrote:

.....que ma langue maternelle m'aurait préparéE

I thought an extra 'e' was required because of la langue?

Quite often my written answer is marked wrong simply because I failed to insert a space before punctuation.  I am trying to train myself to add the space, but it does not come naturally for me when I write in English.  Why do you insert a space before certain punctuation marks, notably exclamation, colon and question mark?  For example:  This sentence !  and This list :  and This question ?

It seems you do not insert a space before other punctuation marks, such as period or comma, for example:  

Like this,  or Like that.

Why ?

The lesson seems to indicate that this separation is  'allowed' but 'irregular'.

 However it seems frequent and intrinsic enough in some translations to deserve identifying and defining as a rule of syntax.

If the 'possession' is the 'object' of the verb in the following clause then it is separated from dont and put after the verb in that clause. 'Dont' here is like a relative pronoun joining two clauses. All the examples support this  observation.

Tu as jeté la chaussure dont le talon est cassé.You threw away the shoe with the broken heel [lit. whose heel is broken]

BUT???Tu as jeté la chaussure chère dont  j'ai cassé  le talon.

Les enfants, dont je connais la maman, sont bien élevés.
François, dont j'ai rencontré la femme le mois dernier

Hi,

In the quiz, there were 4 choices given. I think I can translate them all, except one is puzzling me.

Paul aurait dû partir plus tôt. MEANS Paul should have left earlier

Paul aurait pu partir plus tôt MEANS Paul could have left earlier

Paul devrait partir plus tôt MEANS Paul should leave earlier.

If those are right, then that leave this one: What's the right translation for "'Paul had had to leave earlier?"

salut! Dans la paragraph dessus, j'ai vu le présent soudainement tandis que les reste des phrases sont en plus que parfait ou le passe composé.  vous pouvez exprimez cette difference merci

partitive article doesn't change with etre verb 

Vous etes des menteurs 

Vous n'etes pas des menteurs 

Are these sentences correct or not?