French Language

Discuss and learn French: French vocabulary, French grammar, French culture etc.

French Vocab Games app for iPhone/iPad French-English dictionary French grammar French vocab/phrases

For the latest updates, follow @FrenchUpdates on Twitter!

La code de la route de la route impose que l'on mette une ceinture de securite

 

 

What is the 'le' in 'l'on mette' referring to?

Views: 126

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

OK, this is slightly nasty and combines a couple of more difficult points of grammar.

The first is the form l'on, which is essentially a formal version of on (meaning "one", "people in general"). Essentially, writers tend to use l'on in formal use when it "sounds better". (I can go into more details if it's interesting, but essentially that's the idea.)

Then, mette is a special form of the verb mettre. This special form is called the subjunctive, and is essentially used in cases where you're not actually stating that something happens/happened, but more like taking a "snapshot" of a situation. For more details, have a look at the site's section on the French subjunctive.
P.S. I guess it was just a typo, but code is masculine.

RSS

Follow BitterCoffey on Twitter

© 2024   Created by Neil Coffey.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service