What is the meaning of "Aurélie n'est qu'allée au marché"?
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sheila h.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
What is the meaning of "Aurélie n'est qu'allée au marché"?
The above is one of the questions in the B1 Kwiz test. I just cannot understand the difference between the answers:- Aurélie only went to the market (and did nothing else) or (and went nowhere else)? I've tried reading the explanation page over and over but I don't see the difference between - and did nothing else and went nowhere else!!! Can someone make it simpler for a simple brain perhaps??
Asked 7 years ago
Bonjour Sheila !
The tricky part here is that in English you place the restrictive "only" before the verb most of the time, even when the restriction applies to other elements of the sentence, and use intonation to insist on this element:
"Aurelie only WENT to the market." vs "Aurelie only went to the MARKET."
In French we use the position of the restrictive "que" as an indicator of which element is being restricted:
"Aurélie n'est QU'allée au marché." -> Here the restriction in on the action of going, meaning she's only DONE this, only this action.
vs "Aurélie n'est allée QU'au marché." -> Here the restriction is on the destination, meaning she only went THERE, only this place.
I hope that's helpful!
If that's the case, I'll be happy to add this explanation to the core of the lesson :)
À bientôt !
The tricky part here is that in English you place the restrictive "only" before the verb most of the time, even when the restriction applies to other elements of the sentence, and use intonation to insist on this element:
"Aurelie only WENT to the market." vs "Aurelie only went to the MARKET."
In French we use the position of the restrictive "que" as an indicator of which element is being restricted:
"Aurélie n'est QU'allée au marché." -> Here the restriction in on the action of going, meaning she's only DONE this, only this action.
vs "Aurélie n'est allée QU'au marché." -> Here the restriction is on the destination, meaning she only went THERE, only this place.
I hope that's helpful!
If that's the case, I'll be happy to add this explanation to the core of the lesson :)
À bientôt !
sheila h.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Bonjour et merci Aurélie,
Yes you have made it clearer for me. I am sorry, I must seem quite thick., it's probably my age! I will refer to this each time I answer a question and hopefully it will eventually sink in!!
À bientôt
Sheila
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