Can the infinitive be implied?
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William C.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Can the infinitive be implied?
Can the infiniive be implied in this construction? For example: J’aurais pu traduire le titre, mais j'ai décidé de ne pas. (I could have translated the title but I decided not to.)
This question relates to:French lesson "Using negations with infinitive verbs in French indirect speech (French Negations)"
Asked 6 years ago
Hi William,
You have to finish the sentence with 'to do it' or it seems unfinished in French.
I would prefer, however,
"...mais j'ai décidé de ne pas le faire" not to repeat 'traduire' which I was taught to avoid at school...
Hope this helps!
Chris W. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
No, I don't think that would work in French. You would need to say:
J'aurais pu traduire le titre, mais j'ai décidé de ne pas le traduire. -- I could have translated the title, but I decided not to translate it.
William C. asked:
Can the infinitive be implied?
Can the infiniive be implied in this construction? For example: J’aurais pu traduire le titre, mais j'ai décidé de ne pas. (I could have translated the title but I decided not to.)
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