Couldn't I say, "Je n'ai fait que mes devoirs"? Why is "Je n'ai que fait mes devoirs" better. The 1st one feels more natural.

Zachary L.B1Kwiziq community member

Couldn't I say, "Je n'ai fait que mes devoirs"? Why is "Je n'ai que fait mes devoirs" better. The 1st one feels more natural.

Asked 6 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Zachary,

grammatically both versions are correct but they mean slightly different things.

Je n'ai fait que mes devoirs. -- I did only my homework (and not somebody else's).
Je n'ai que fait mes devoirs. -- I only did my homework (and didn't do something else).

The "que" is placed immediately preceding the part it refers to, just like in English. The change in meaning is sometimes easily perceptible sometimes more subtle.

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Couldn't I say, "Je n'ai fait que mes devoirs"? Why is "Je n'ai que fait mes devoirs" better. The 1st one feels more natural.

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