Devoir (and its discontents)After I had had to do my homework, I went for a walk.Really? No native English speaker would ever say this. One might say "After I did my homework, I went for a walk" but that doesn't mean what I think the question writer is after.
Having had to do something is a state of being, not something after which one takes a walk. Consider a work around to what is said: "After being in a position where I was required to do my homework, I took a walk." Weird, awkward, unidiomatic, and just strange. If this question was written by a native English speaker, it was surely in pursuit of teaching the plupurfect of devoir, which I never hear in conversation. It is something taught but in my experience never used and really never needed. Apparently, whatever exists on the conjugation chart has to be worked into a question....
When I took French in 60s, the pluperfect of devoir was translated as "must have", but I only hear the passe compose in cases where the pluperfect might have worked. Again, I never hear this said and rarely written.
Anyway you look at it, devoir in the past is a condition - not something that happens before something else happens. So no more is needed than the passe compose IMO.....
Si qu'aiment-ils means 'what do they like" comment on dit "who do they like"???
Question 11:
The best answer is:
and il faisait le clown
(et is crossed out and substituted with and)
Hello,
"Commun" sounds like "Comman" this is a little confusing, you cannot hear the 'U' is there an explanation ?
Many Thanks
Can qui be used instead of ce qui in the sentence
ce qui lui donnait les joues une douce teinte rosée
«Dont + possession» replaces «possession + de». The 'possession' is named in both expressions, it is just found in a different position. It is placed directly before de or found directly or indirectly after dont.
Really? No native English speaker would ever say this. One might say "After I did my homework, I went for a walk" but that doesn't mean what I think the question writer is after.
Having had to do something is a state of being, not something after which one takes a walk. Consider a work around to what is said: "After being in a position where I was required to do my homework, I took a walk." Weird, awkward, unidiomatic, and just strange. If this question was written by a native English speaker, it was surely in pursuit of teaching the plupurfect of devoir, which I never hear in conversation. It is something taught but in my experience never used and really never needed. Apparently, whatever exists on the conjugation chart has to be worked into a question....
When I took French in 60s, the pluperfect of devoir was translated as "must have", but I only hear the passe compose in cases where the pluperfect might have worked. Again, I never hear this said and rarely written.
Anyway you look at it, devoir in the past is a condition - not something that happens before something else happens. So no more is needed than the passe compose IMO.....
Hi there,
I realize the rule is stated towards the beginning of the lesson, but I think an example would be very useful there, contrasting the use of aimer qqch meaning to love something with aimer qqch meaning to like something.
Elle aime sa nouvelle veste -- she loves her new jacket
Il aime son nouveau manteau -- he likes his new coat
As a side note, I really appreciate the distinction of change in meaning when the construction is interrogative :)
Is it possible to use à instead of 'en' when saying "Je suis à ville."?.....Thirza0
Why does repondre keep the d in the present tense when prendre loses it and yet they are supposed to follow the same rule as irregulars?
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