French language Q&A Forum

Hi, a “rewind 10 seconds”, or something similar, would add great value to this exercise type. Currently, I need to re-listen to the whole audio just to try to catch a single word I’ve missed (and I need to do this many times).

Why is it "bien que ton papa et moi soyons en manque de sommeil" rather than "bien que ton papa et moi ayons été en manque de sommeil"?

Can someone explain the use of "à" in these two sentences: 

Elle se trouva confrontée aux limites de l'époque (why is it used to mean "with" in this sentence?)

Mais cette femme à la forte personnalité (also meaning with?)

Hi Chris,

WOW! I never knew there was an option when using vous. Figured since the vous (subject pronoun) imposed the plural second person it would ALSO impose the plural past participle. Is it grammatically wrong to use 'retournes' in this case... even though you are only using the vous form for politeness. In other words wouldn't you be allowed a pass based on grammar.

Since learning a new language, especially once as inflected in different forms of pronunciation compared to English (or, say, Japanese, which I speak), involves considerable oral drilling (at least when learned in school), may I suggest that you add a recording that functions as an oral drill of new verb forms at, say,  the B2 level and above? 

For example, an oral drill of 'e-' + endings: -us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, -urent. A strong-voice emphasis on practicing pronunciation would I think help enormously in achieving a correct understanding of voicing the specific forms, because while the examples sentences are good, the quality of speakers is sometimes uneven and sometimes verbs are quickly slurred into the next word, making it difficult/impossible to hear the correct pronunciation.

In the above examples, "Soudain, ils eurent l'impression d'être suivis" has "eurent" quickly sliding into "l'impression." As the pronunciation of this plural verb form is indistinct (though of course it's probably perfectly natural French in the context of the full French sentence), practicing correct pronunciation is difficult. 

So, to repeat, a stand-alone recording of something like 'e-' + endings: -us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, -urent and or B2 forms would be helpful.

I wonder how one is supposed to arrive at jeté mon dévolu for settled on.

 I chose choisir which seems to me to capture the sense but wasn’t credited.7

I speak French daily with educated people including medical doctors and professors of French. I never ever EVER hear anyone actually use sentences with elaborate subordinate clauses and tricky coordinated futures - especially not these dances of the futures. In fact, the French, based on my observations, will do anything they can to avoid subordinate clauses and the more treacherous irregular verbs. And as often as not they screw it up. I've heard some real botched sentences on France 2, where a brave C2 tries to deal with the ne expletive. If a French politician can't navigate this stuff.......... Sometimes I throw in a fancy sentence like the ones in this lesson: And as often as not my interlocuteur will ask if I read that in Balzac. Not that the budding francophone ought therefore ignore this stuff. You do see this in some written material but in my opinion ever more so rarely. I'd be interested in the comments of older C2s....max