Is it the case that both of these sentences are grammatically correct:
- Il est mon cousin -- as a statement about a specific person
- Qui est-ce? - C'est mon cousin -- as in, He + is + my [noun]
Or, equally:
- Elle est la présidente
- C'est la présidente
If they are both grammatically correct, can you explain the difference in meaning/usage between the two versions?
My guess: can I use the top version if we are having a conversation about Paul and I then explain that Paul is my cousin: "Paul te ressemble. - Oui, il est mon cousin."
or we are having a conversation about Sophie and I then comment that she is the class president: "Sophie a l'aire très confiante. - Oui, elle a gagné l'élection et elle est maintenant la présidente."
Whereas the bottom version applies if the identity of the person is unknown:
Who is that person? C'est mon cousin.
Who is Sophie? C'est la présidente de la société.
We are still talking about a specific person, but the person is previously unknown in the conversation.
Is this correct? Would you explain it another way?
