French language Q&A Forum

Hi there, I was wondering if you could explain the present tense in the following sentence:

Mais c'était avant qu'ils ne reçoivent plus de 15 millions de paquets de la part des 26.000 buralistes de France...

Why is "reçoivent" in present (subjunctive)?

Thanks!

"Je n'ai jamais rien dit!" is an example sentence, and there is a quiz question that tests this.

Just wondering if there is a rule explaining why it is incorrect to say "Je n'ai jamais dit rien!" ?

The translation of "Quoi que vous pensiez, gardez-le pour vous" should be "Whatever you're thinking, keep it TO yourself", correct? In other words, don't say what you're thinking?

Is un repas an acceptable alternative to un dîner ?

Also chez nous instead of à la maison.

In which cases would I use each of lequel/laquelle/lesquels/lesquelles

For example, for "Les pâtisseries sont toutes délicieuses, mangez n'importe ----" would I use laquelle or lesquelles, or does it depend on what the speaker is trying to convey?

Thanks!

One of the question for this lesson was "During World War II, Charles de Gaulle was the architect of France's liberation."

May I ask by what wild stretch of the imagination could this be even remotely factual?

He was far more of a hindrance than a help.

It was the British and Americans who liberated France. All De Gaulle did was continually get in the way and create unnecessary problems. 

He was nothing more than a self serving politician who ran away to hide in Algiers when the going got tough.

When learning a foreign language, I believe it is important to get the history of that country right.

J’ai utilisé les médecins dans la texte. Ce n’est pas correct ?

Noting Joan's question previously (~1 year ago) and Cécile's response, I have to ask why «dehors» is/was not recognised as an option in place of «à l'extérieur». I know the usual - can't cover every possibility - reason. However, in practice (at least where I am currently in the east of France) «dedans» and «dehors» are far more commonly used to express inside or outside (the house), and à l'intérieur or à l'extérieur are rarely heard. Suggest this very common and applicable alternative should be recognised.

Depuis has gotten confusing in this forum likely due to one comment stating emphatically that Depuis is used for a duration that starts and ends in the past. The lesson says no such thing, yet the incorrect comments show no clarification, and we are left to wonder. If Depuis cannot be used for a duration that starts and ends in the past, then something should be mentioned in the lesson, or, better, corrections should be added in response to the incorrect forum comments. Otherwise, it is confusing. Thank you much.