Remember that in sentences it is/they are ... + article/determinant (un, une, le, la, les, des...) + noun/pronoun, you will use c'est or ce sont instead of il/elle est or ils/elles sont.
See C'est vs il/elle est: Saying it is
Now look at these examples:
Est-ce ta trousse? - Oui, c'est la mienne.
Is this your pencil case? - Yes, this is mine.
À qui sont ces livres? Ce sont mes livres.
Whose books are these? These are my books
Note that ce is used with the verb être as follows: in its singular form, c'est, means it is /this is /that is, and in its plural form, ce sont, means they are /these are /those are.
Both forms are used to refer to a thing or a person (i.e. a girl, a table, a house, ...), and they agree in number (singular or plural) with the thing they refer to.
BUT
When c'est is followed by an adjective or an adverb on its own, you NEVER use ce sont, even if the thing referred to is plural:
C'est pratique, les ciseaux.
They're practical, scissors.
Et leurs anniversaires ? - C'est bientôt !
What about their birthdays? - They're soon!
Note that if c'est is followed by an adverb AND a noun, then the noun is the one that matters!
ATTENTION:
It is worth noticing that the first rule is not always followed rigorously by French speakers. You could indeed hear them using c'est when they should use ce sont:
However, they will never use ce sont for c'est !
Et leurs anniversaires ? - C'est bientôt !
What about their birthdays? - They're soon!
Ce sont bientôt les vacances!
It's almost the holidays!
C'est pratique, les ciseaux.
They're practical, scissors.
C'est ma maison.
This is my house.
Ce sont mes maisons.
These are my houses.
Ce sont les amis de mon frère.
These are my brother's friends.
À qui sont ces livres? Ce sont mes livres.
Whose books are these? These are my books
Est-ce ta trousse? - Oui, c'est la mienne.
Is this your pencil case? - Yes, this is mine.
C'est bientôt les vacances!
It's the holidays soon!
In the examples given,
C'est pratique, les ciseaux.
There is an adverb and a noun. Why would this not be ce sont? is les ciseaux similar to par of jeans? Where it is plural but acts singular? If this is so it is a slightly confusing example. Thank you.
Hi Jack,
Just to add to what Chris said -
C'est is always followed by a masculine, singular adjective.
Here, 'pratique' is what we call in grammar terms an attribute adjective as it doesn't follow the noun directly and follows a verb of state.
Hope this helps!
The lesson states:
When c'est is followed by an adjective or an adverb on its own, you NEVER use ce sont, even if the thing referred to is plural.
In the example, c'est is followed by pratique, which is an adjective used in an adverbial sense. This is what the above statement is really talking about.
In the examples given,
C'est pratique, les ciseaux.
There is an adverb and a noun. Why would this not be ce sont? is les ciseaux similar to par of jeans? Where it is plural but acts singular? If this is so it is a slightly confusing example. Thank you.
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Hello, I m trying to understand this sentence:
J'utilise ces tomates. Ce sont les dernières.
Are we using ce sont here before the article les? My first reaction was to say elles sont...
thank you.
Bonjour Rene,
Madame Cécile has addressed the question as to why “Elles sont” can’t be used here->
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 m trying to understand this sentence:
J'utilise ces tomates. Ce sont les dernières.
Are we using ce sont here before the article les? My first reaction was to say elles sont...
thank you.
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Hi Carlos,
C'est is for a singular , Ce sont for a plural .
because of the clash of the two vowels.
C'est mon fils , c'est ma fille = He is / this is my son, she is/ this is my daughter
Ce sont mes enfants = These are my children / They are my children
Hope this helps!
Ce sont mes livres -- This are my books. Here the demonstrative pronoun ce is not like an adjective to "books". It is a demonstrative pronoun all by itself and hence is not matched in gender and number to "books".
Ces livres sont à moi. -- These books belong to me. In this case ces refers directly to the books and behaves like an adjective. Therefore it needs to be matched to "books".
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Hi,
I have looked all over the site, but cannot seem to find where to learn the correct answer for "Ces livres _ nous/These books are ours" - it's very frustrating.
For me, I'd write "Ce sont nos livres" or "Ces livres sont les notres".
Could someone clarify the instance where I'd use "nous" at the end? Or at least direct me to the lessons explaining these instances?
I've been stuck on Gold A1 for 3 days (99.97%) and it's extremely frustrating to continuously have these setbacks. All I want is my diamond badge so I can move on to A2.
Many thanks
Hi Chase,
You could also say -
Ces livres sont à nous.
Hope this helps!
Normally when you get a question wrong, you get a link to the appropriate lesson. Did that not happen here?
Hi,
I have looked all over the site, but cannot seem to find where to learn the correct answer for "Ces livres _ nous/These books are ours" - it's very frustrating.
For me, I'd write "Ce sont nos livres" or "Ces livres sont les notres".
Could someone clarify the instance where I'd use "nous" at the end? Or at least direct me to the lessons explaining these instances?
I've been stuck on Gold A1 for 3 days (99.97%) and it's extremely frustrating to continuously have these setbacks. All I want is my diamond badge so I can move on to A2.
Many thanks
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Bonjour -
Yes, "mine" is a possessive pronoun, and la mienne is its feminine singular equivalent. French possessive pronouns always begin with an article - see Le mien, le tien, le sien, etc = Mine, yours, his/hers/its (possessive pronouns)
I understand, so because it is followed by an article "la mienne" c'est is used.
Can I say "Cette robe que je porte au travail" instead of,
"C'est la robe que je porte au travail"
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Bonjour,
In the examples on the right you say in number 4 on the second row:
C'est bientôt les vacances!
It's the holidays soon!
But in explaining the lesson you say:
Ce sont bientôt les vacances!
It's the holidays soon!
Which is correct?!
Thank you.
Hi Heba,
Both are acceptable, although the plural version "ce sont" is more formal and considered a bit more "proper".
Here is a page that explains it well: http://www.oniris.be/forum/c-est-les-vacances-ou-ce-sont-les-vacances-t6977s0.html
Bonjour,
In the examples on the right you say in number 4 on the second row:
C'est bientôt les vacances!
It's the holidays soon!
But in explaining the lesson you say:
Ce sont bientôt les vacances!
It's the holidays soon!
Which is correct?!
Thank you.
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Hi Maria,
You could say:
"J'utilise ces tomates, elles sont très mûres, ce sont les dernières de la saison."
(I am using these tomatoes, they are very ripe , the last ones of the season.)
You cannot say, elles sont les dernières de la saison.
Hope this helps!
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Bonjour CrystalMaiden!
The answer is no, you would never say "ceux sont" in French :)
Bonne journée !
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Bonjour Emily !
"Cela est" can be used but would sound overly pompous, and nowadays you would only encounter it when people are making fun of a "posh" accent, as no one would use "cela est" in an non-ironic way these days.
Bonne journée !
In other words, one will never ever find herself using the construction "Cela est"?
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