“Passer un an” vs “Passer une année” (again)I am aware that this has been discussed before but it is clear to me that in certain cases “passer une année” can be used.
For example, on the web page https://acupoffrench.com/french-grammar/an-vs-annee-2/, which also explains when to use “an” or “année”, there is the following example with passer and année used to stress the duration:
“Elle a passé quatre années à chercher un travail.”
So I think it would not hurt to explicitly mention this possibility to use année instead of an to stress the duration.
For the general case (not just related to passer), I think the rule from “Advanced French Grammar”/Monique L’Huillier section 5.2.1 an/année is clearer than the “time unit” vs “duration” distinction: “an usually follows cardinal numbers, whilst année follows ordinal numbers, or an indefinite or demonstrative adjective”.
This rule does not hold for jour/journée, soir/soirée and matin/matinée and these cases are treated separately in the book.
This rule is then followed up in the book with “If the year is modified in any way, “année” should be used” with the following examples.
“J’ai vécu à Londres pendant cinq ans.”
”J’ai gardé un très bon souvenir de mes cinq années à Londres.”
Hello everyone,
I was just wondering if you could give me some tips to use this website effectively, as I can't figure out how to remember the information. The topic tests aren't enough, so I was thinking to make flashcards, but that sounds straining.
I'm doing IB and I need some tips - anything helps.
Thank you.
Are there really no alternatives here for excité? I went for ravi - does this not work this context?
Aussi, comment on traduit le mot "to work" dans cette dernière phrase? Marcher marcherait-il?...
Merci en avance!
I had to search for this exercise in the Kwiziq Library Listening Practice.
The link from the Weekend Workout – ‘Eating Out’ takes you to a different exercise titled:
“Father of two”
1 or 2 is correct ?
1. dès que je l'ai réglé / 2. dès que je l'aie réglé
3 or 4 or 5 is correct ?
3. parler au traiteur / 4. parler à traiteur / 5. parler avec traiteur
Thanks
Nellie
I think there may be a problem on your end here with the technology. It has been very difficult to advance to the next sentence in the dictation, as it seems the system is "stuck." Please look into this matter. Thank you.
So one can say: Il fait que tu aies de la patience and Il fait que tu sois patient - yes? Both are grammatically correct in English? You must have patience / You must be patient. One being a noun the other an adverb.
This comment regards the content rather than the French language practice, so not really that important. The lack of tiebreaks in the deciding set was the case when this exercise was first published a couple of years ago, but now in 2022, all 4 Grand Slam tournaments have standardised and are using tiebreaks in the final set (they go to 10 points rather than to 7 points like in the other sets).
This question was asked in a previous quiz, and the answer was you cannot tell the gender of the ‘“amie”. I understand that the ending e makes it a female friend, but if the question is verbalized, that is not available information. In the quiz I just took, the answer is ‘a woman’. I am confused as to how to answer this question in future quizzes, as two different answers have been given.
I am aware that this has been discussed before but it is clear to me that in certain cases “passer une année” can be used.
For example, on the web page https://acupoffrench.com/french-grammar/an-vs-annee-2/, which also explains when to use “an” or “année”, there is the following example with passer and année used to stress the duration:
“Elle a passé quatre années à chercher un travail.”
So I think it would not hurt to explicitly mention this possibility to use année instead of an to stress the duration.
For the general case (not just related to passer), I think the rule from “Advanced French Grammar”/Monique L’Huillier section 5.2.1 an/année is clearer than the “time unit” vs “duration” distinction: “an usually follows cardinal numbers, whilst année follows ordinal numbers, or an indefinite or demonstrative adjective”.
This rule does not hold for jour/journée, soir/soirée and matin/matinée and these cases are treated separately in the book.
This rule is then followed up in the book with “If the year is modified in any way, “année” should be used” with the following examples.
“J’ai vécu à Londres pendant cinq ans.”
”J’ai gardé un très bon souvenir de mes cinq années à Londres.”
In the sentence, "Chaque après-midi, dès que la cloche sonnait la fin de l'école, je courais jusqu'à la devanture alléchante de la mercerie Arnaud qui regorgeait de bobines de fil coloré, de boutons enchanteurs et autres tissus à motifs, tous plus attrayants les uns que les autres.", there appear to be a series of nouns associated with the verb, regorger de. We have de bobines, de boutons, but tissus (not de tissus). Why isn't it d'autres tissus to follow the pattern ?
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