Bonjour Rene,

Madame Cécile has addressed the question as to why “Elles sont” can’t be used here->

https://french.kwiziq.com/questions/view/in-the-sentence-j-utilise-ces-tomates-ce-cont-les-dernieres-why-can-t-we-say-elles-sont-les-derniere

Ce sont les dernières. --The're the last ones.

Ces usually requires a noun to follow:
Ces tomates sont les dernières. -- These tomatoes are the last ones.

Thanks for the replies... not very clear. :-(

Do I have to use "ce sont" because the following word is the article "le"?  I think there is a rule that says "c'est"and "ce sont" before "un, let, and possessive pronouns".  Am I on the right track?

Thanks for the replies... not very clear. :-(

Do I have to use "ce sont" because the following word is the article "le"?  I think there is a rule that says "c'est"and "ce sont" before "un, let, and possessive pronouns".  Am I on the right track?

Ce is often used as a pronom neutre, a neutral pronoun. Most of the time it is followed by a form of être.

Ces is a demonstrative pronoun and is followed by a noun.

Maybe this helps to clarify further: https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/6226/when-to-use-ils-sont-ces-sont-or-ce-sont

Hello, I too am struggling with "J'utilise ces tomates. ________ les dernières". According to the lesson "C'est" vs "Il/Elle est" to say it is/she is/he is in French, as we're talking about specific tomatoes we should use elles, and if we're using elles the adjective dernier (when qualifying the understood tomates) must agree, and in the question it does. Standalone adjectives after c'est are always masculine reinforces this. Please clarify, if this bump is found!

Hello, I too am struggling with "J'utilise ces tomates. ________ les dernières". According to the lesson "C'est" vs "Il/Elle est" to say it is/she is/he is in French, as we're talking about specific tomatoes we should use elles, and if we're using elles the adjective dernier (when qualifying the understood tomates) must agree, and in the question it does. Standalone adjectives after c'est are always masculine reinforces this. Please clarify, if this bump is found!