French language Q&A Forum

I read somewhere that ne ... pas and ne ...point were the first negative constructions in the evolution of the French language. I can just imagine someone trekking through the woods in Old French times and saying, "Not another step."  Or a tired monk in some scriptorium copying over an illegible text and saying, "Not another period."

If I ask a 'how come' question that refers to myself (and not to someone else), presumably the subjunctive does not apply? For example: -

"How come I'm not in the football team?" this presumably would not attract the subjunctive??

I only ask because other subjunctive lessons state:

 'When something happens so that / in order that someone else does something in French'

I've keyed the below sentence into google. 

As the subject is the 'same person' in both parts of the sentence, is the translation wrong? 

According to the lesson the subjunctive occurs when something happens so that someone else does something.

"I do it so that I look beautiful" ... "Je le fais pour que je sois belle." 

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/glossary/transitivity

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/glossary/transitivity/transitive-verb

Retourner can be used with avoir or être in compound tenses depending on its meaning in French (Le Passé Composé)

Grammar Jargon:   
partir and sortir are intransitive verbs, whereas quitter and laisser are always transitive verbs (i.e. have a direct object).

In this lesson the comment is made that «quitter and laisser are always transitive verbs - ie have direct objects» . While both parts of the statement are correct, it seems to link the need for a direct object to be the definition of being a transitive verb. It is the definition only for «les verbes transitifs directs». (In other lessons as for 'retourner' here the same inference is given by noting that retourner is «intransitive because it lacks a direct object»). 

In a number of other references, and discussed fully on the KwizIQ glossary pages linked, the definition for 'transitive verb' is that it needs an object, with some verbs only taking direct objects, some indirect objects, and some taking both. Some verbs are intransitive - cannot have any object. There are of course verbs that have both transitive and intransitive usage. So as not to repeat everything, I will just note that the 'description' of these forms in lessons is not always consistent with their 'definitions'.

What's the difference between le verbre aller et aillent? Is it the same verb, different tense? Or am I way off and it's just pronounced aillent?

Allo! I'm wondering if you put the determinant only if there isn't an adjective? So if I say "il est policier", there is no determinant, and if I say "il est un policier courageux" I do? Thank you!

Hello,

I am doing the A1 reading passage for the Cher journal and the sentence I'm confused on is. Il me reste des crosissants du weekend. 

I know il me reste is a direct object sentence but not sure how the meaning of the word reste is used here.

I think it means he has leftover croissants?

Thanks

Nicole

In the phrase 'ils se sont donné le mot' why is donné not plural ?

"qui nous permettent entre autres de dater précisément des pigments."

Could you please explain why 'nous permettent' is used in the above sentence and not 'nous permettons'

Thank you