One of the responses of Plus-que-parfait

ExcelinFrench L.A1Kwiziq community member

One of the responses of Plus-que-parfait

In the 2nd quiz on plus-que-parfait (La soiree de mes Reves), the 4th blank from the END requires us to conjugate faciliter in the plus-que-parfait tense. 

According to me, it should be : ce qui nous avions facilite (with an accent on the last e of facilite); however the solutions key is showing it to be nous avait facilite (with an accent on the last e of facilite). 

Can you please explain why we are using the 3rd person singular form of conjugation of the auxiliary verb in imparfait (il /elle / on avait) rather than that with nous (avions) here ?


Asked 6 months ago
Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

ExcelinFrench 

 “ Ce qui “, 3rd person singular, is the subject of faciliter in the sentence ‘De plus, ils avaient pris en charge le buffet, ce qui nous avait facilité la vie. ‘ 

Nous is an indirect object pronoun here as the direct object of the verb ‘ faciliter ‘  is ‘ la vie ‘ in this fixed expression, so no past participle agreement with nous either. 

See attached lesson on the relative pronoun ‘ ce qui ‘ replacing the ‘whole idea’ of the preceding clause here.

Ce qui (vs ce que) = what/which (French Relative Pronouns)

ExcelinFrench L. asked:

One of the responses of Plus-que-parfait

In the 2nd quiz on plus-que-parfait (La soiree de mes Reves), the 4th blank from the END requires us to conjugate faciliter in the plus-que-parfait tense. 

According to me, it should be : ce qui nous avions facilite (with an accent on the last e of facilite); however the solutions key is showing it to be nous avait facilite (with an accent on the last e of facilite). 

Can you please explain why we are using the 3rd person singular form of conjugation of the auxiliary verb in imparfait (il /elle / on avait) rather than that with nous (avions) here ?


Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Let me take a look at that...