French Concessions
Giving an Inch and Taking a Mile
The various forms of grammatical concession in French: not only concessive clauses, but other kinds of constructions as well.
Ne saurait
A French Construction You Couldn't Possibly Do Without
The odd but elegant phrase ne saurait is here explained, also tips for translating it into English are given and examples are provided.
Que, etc., and Inversion
Inversion of Subject and Verb in Subordinate Clauses in French
Inversion of noun subject and verb in subordinate clauses in French: clauses introduced by que (whether the direct object relative pronoun or the conjunction), dont, où, and other words.
C’est que… = “The reason is that…”
Presentation of the phrase c’est que, when it introduces an explanation or cause and should be translated as “this is because” or something similar. With examples invented for illustration of this usage and others culled from real-life French authors.
Périphrase in French Prose
Avoiding Repetition at Any Cost
The French fondness for périphrase (the roundabout expression of a something, particularly as a way of avoiding the repetition of someone’s name).
