French language Q&A Forum

Please can you explain whether this still applicable when you are using conditional phrasing.  Instead of:

Je ne prétends pas que ce soit comme ça partout.

I don't claim it's like that everywhere

How would you say:  I don't claim that it would be like that everywhere

Does that still use the subjunctive?

Thank you.

Hi there,

I realize the rule is stated towards the beginning of the lesson, but I think an example would be very useful there, contrasting the use of aimer qqch meaning to love something with aimer qqch meaning to like something.

Elle aime sa nouvelle veste -- she loves her new jacket

Il aime son nouveau manteau -- he likes his new coat

As a side note, I really appreciate the distinction of change in meaning when the construction is interrogative :)

In the sentence: "We brushed our hair", should we write "Nous nous sommes brossé les cheveux" or "Nous nous sommes brossés les cheveux", please? Thank you.

This is more of a comment than a question.  My problem is that in terms of the grammar, I know all the concepts and have achieved 90% in my progress reports.  I only achieved 50% for this because of the speed and liaison/elision of the speaker.  For example  "moins le quart" sounded to me like moinsquart.  I did not pick up the "le".  Another example "Le taxi arrivera vers six heures et demie", I didn't hear "vers" at all, so substituted "à" for it to make sense.  I need B1 to be successful in an application for citizenship.  Phew!!  I've got a long way to go.

Please can you explain the ending of the word "partir" for me in this instance? I put "is" and it was incorrect, 

many thanks, Marie

In translating "Before we moved to the city when I was 13," I used the past subjunctive, "Avant que nous n'ayons emménagé...".  However, you used the present subjunctive, "n'emménagions".  Why is that?

For I haven't stopped all day..., shouldn't one say, "Je n'ai pas m'arrêté une minute...  (i.e., i haven't stopped myself). Isn't arrêter alone mean arrêter + qqch ? Or in the case it is implying "Je n'ai pas m'arrête (+faire qqch) so the reflexive is not used. 

Also in French is there a way to distinguish: 1) We are all keeping our fingers crossed, and 2) We are keeping all our fingers crossed? (or in general: We are all selling our qqch vs. We are selling all of our qqch where qqch is a masculine noun? ). 

It would be helpful to have the dictation slower, or at least become slower as one needs to hear it repeatedly