Dans l’absolu, ce type d’inversion littéraire est possible et permet de mettre l’accent sur le complément. La phrase : Certains dangers sont dans les bois. peut être écrite, en mettant en valeur dans le bois : Dans les bois sont ...
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What is the correct word order when lining up the same verb in three different tenses?
Associations EditorsI find the order (past, present, future) more natural, but I think any order is ok. Choosing a different order puts a slightly different emphasis: if chronological order is not used, then the first time period is the focus of ...
Trouble parsing the grammar of this sentence with “ce que”
Business EditorsThe main clause in this sentence is “ouvrir un livret pour mettre de côté un peu d’argent” and the relative subordinate clause is “ce que font aussi beaucoup de parents (quand ils le peuvent)”. Emphasis is put on the subordinate ...
Order of complements: beyond COD and COI
Business EditorsI This covers the adverb but possibly not the complements other than COD and COI. Here is a grammar (ref.) that is accessible on line and that provides apparently an in depth treatment of many topics on the subject of ...
Where to place the year in a product’s name?
Business EditorsUsually, the model’s year is always going to come after the model’s name. As for the make, it can either be before the model’s name, or after the model’s year. If it is before, it does not need any particle ...
Elle vend un ancien chapeau – meaning of “ancien”
Associations Editors“Former hat” is not idiomatic but “hat she used to wear” is, and that is what “ancien chapeau” means. It remains to find a word or at least a shorter combination of English words to express that, if possible. I ...
“J’ai beaucoup lu” or “J’ai lu beaucoup”?
Business Editors“J’ai beaucoup lu” est plus correct s’il n’y a pas de complément. Mais on dira “J’ai lu beaucoup de livres”. Both sentences are correct “with the first one putting the emphasis on the action of reading and the second one ...
Pronom attaché au semi-auxiliaire dans « ne les pouvant payer »
Business EditorsEn complément à une réponse plus précise, le propos qui suit fait abstraction de la spécificité qu’aurait le verbe pouvoir et de l’emploi du participe présent plutôt que d’un verbe conjugué comme support de l’infinitif. On s’intéresse plutôt directement à ...
Does the placement of “tout” change the meaning of the sentence?
Associations Editors“Tout” is a global adjective, literally meaning “all” or “everything“ If you want to say “all of us/all of them” then you need to use “tous.” So, instead of “Nous tout disons…” you should use, “Nous disons tous…” Notice the ...
The placement of the word “seulement” in the following sentence
Business EditorsI think it’s for the rhyme with “maintenant” two verse above. Also putting “seulement” at the end is emphasing it. Moreover there is a comma before “seulement“, so maybe it can be understood as the beginning of the next line: ...