Ce n’est pas que au petit matin

IanC1Kwiziq community member

Ce n’est pas que au petit matin

‘Ce n’est que au petit matin’ : pourquoi pas ‘ce n’était  que au petit matin’?

Asked 1 year ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Ian, 

Oops! 

In French we would use the present de narration, this is often different in English, as in this case.

Bonne Continuation !

CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Ian,

Please take a look at the following page on which words can be elided, que being one of them.

https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/glossary/contraction/l-elision-elision

Bonne Continuation !

IanC1Kwiziq community member

Hi Cécile

Thanks for spotting my error but my questions related to the test of être: why is it the present and no the imperfect ie c’est rather that c’était

Thanks

AlanC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Since the rest of the story is not in the present tense, I don't think this can be the présent de narration

I answered a similar question here:

https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/questions/view/use-of-the-present-when-it-is-actually-the-past

I also found an explanation in a book, online. Here is a link to Google books, but I don't know if it will work for you:

https://tinyurl.com/yzr2cjmb

Ce n’est pas que au petit matin

‘Ce n’est que au petit matin’ : pourquoi pas ‘ce n’était  que au petit matin’?

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