Diving into the Archives
When researching the past, a historian might plunge into old documents, leafing through or completely devouring texts in hopes of making a discovery.
| The historian often dives into the archives. | L'historien plonge souvent dans les archives. |
| He totally devoured the old book. | Il a totalement dévoré le vieux livre. |
Expressing Extreme Consequence: "au point que"
When you get so absorbed in something that it leads to an extreme consequence, connect your clauses using au point que (to the point that).
Because au point que expresses a real, factual consequence, it is always followed by a verb in the indicative mood (your standard tenses, like the present or passé composé)—never the subjunctive.
| I am absorbed to the point that I lose all track of time. | Je suis absorbé au point que je perds la notion du temps. |
| She devoured the document to the point that she heard nothing. | Elle a dévoré le document au point qu'elle n'a rien entendu. |
Intensifying with "à tel point que"
For an even stronger statement, use à tel point que (to such an extent that). Like au point que, it is followed by the indicative.
| The historian reads to such an extent that he totally forgets the time. | L'historien lit à tel point qu'il oublie totalement l'heure. |
| He dived into the archives to such an extent that he saw no one. | Il a plongé dans les archives à tel point qu'il n'a vu personne. |
| I totally devoured this text, to such an extent that I forgot the appointment! | J'ai totalement dévoré ce texte, à tel point que j'ai oublié le rendez-vous ! |
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