Ch 27 · Lesson 18French · Chapter 27 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
C'est facile à faire, il est facile de le faire
and take à when the subject is what the infinitive acts on ( ) and after an empty ( , ).
The short version
, or ?
.
Why?Hide
, and impossible take à when the subject is the thing the verb acts on, so nothing follows the infinitive: , . When for nothing, the preposition is : , . So ask: is the subject what the verb acts on?
C'est facile à faire, il est facile de le faire
, , and take either linker. Ask one question: is the subject the thing the infinitive acts on?
| Subject | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| the book | . | This book is easy to read. |
| the idea | . | This idea is hard to understand. |
| , that thing | . | That's hard to believe. |
| , nothing | . | It's easy to read this book. |
| , nothing | . | It's hard to sleep here. |
With , nothing follows the infinitive: its object is already the subject. With ... , stands for nothing, and the infinitive keeps its own object, or has none.
... + infinitive is on the AQA GCSE French specification at Higher tier, and rules use it constantly:
.- It is forbidden to smoke here..- It is important to arrive on time.
In speech, often replaces this empty . In writing, is the safer choice:
- C’est facile de le faire.
- Il est facile de le faire.
Going further: Adjectives with de: feelings and certainty and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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8-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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