use of "était" when the subject is "Nos parents".

Kathleen P.C1Kwiziq community member

use of "était" when the subject is "Nos parents".

Why isn't is "étaient"?  the subject seems to be plural--"nos parents". 

Asked 1 year ago
CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour à tous,

Thank you very much for spotting these typos and correcting them! We must have been really tired before our Christmas break. They've now been amended in the exercise. 

- Nos parents avait avaient recouvert la table de plats festifs typiquement suisses,

the day he'd announced the this big news. = le jour où il avait annoncé cette grande nouvelle.

La vue sur les sommets enneigées enneigés était la plus belle que j'avais jamais vue,

 

Merci et bonne journée !

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I had the same question but used 'avaient' which was then corrected to avait.

Also two more:

Why is “the big news” translated as ‘cette grande nouvelle’ and not ‘la grande nouvelle’.

and 

les sommets enneigées – shouldn’t it be enneigés with sommet being masculine?

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I can't answer the question without knowing the entire sentence.

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

First sentence to be translated:

nos parents had covered the table with typically Swiss festive dishes,

A : nos parents avait recouvert la table de plats festifs typiquement suisses,

Second sentence:

the day he'd announced the big news.

A: le jour où il avait annoncé cette grande nouvelle.

Third sentence:

The view over the snow-covered mountain tops was the most beautiful I had ever seen,

A: La vue sur les sommets enneigées était la plus belle que j'avais jamais vue,

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

1st sentence: yes, this should be nos parents avaient recouvert....

2nd sentence: can't tell without context, but that maybe an inconsistency in the exercise

3rd sentence: yes, it should be les sommets enneignés.

Paul F.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I'm no expert, but I agree with all 3 of G's suggestions (nos parents "avaient" recouvert la table, il avait annoncé "la" grande nouvelle, la vue sur les sommets "enneigés").

Kathleen P. asked:

use of "était" when the subject is "Nos parents".

Why isn't is "étaient"?  the subject seems to be plural--"nos parents". 

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