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.....
Can you advise why these words were wrong?
Bonsoir,
I'd like to know if the lack of the "ne explétif" is considered a grammar mistake or if it is optional in writing in the cases where it's supposed to be used when the verb is in the negative form.
Thanks in advance.
Can we ask "Tu as quel âge?" or "Vous avez quel âge?" ?
Bonjour!
When to use être à vs the possessive pronouns? Spoken vs written or are they just interchangeable?
Merci :)
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.....
If talking about an electric car (fem) why wouldn't I say : c'est moins bruyantE? Correction says bruyant.
I am looking at this sentence - 'j'économise sur les frais d'emballage et autres coûts de transport' - and wondering why 'autres' is preferred over 'd'autres'?
Rendre visite has a somewhat negative meaning in terms of something being an obligation. That's fine if that's what is intended but you "aller voir" someone who is a friend.
Is the plural used to describe one funeral?
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