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As you review architectural blueprints and scale models for the new municipal library, you will often need to talk about a smaller group within a larger one (for example, "ten projects, three of which are great"). In French, the relative pronoun **dont** is perfect for this.

### Subsets with Quantities

When you want to say "of which" or "of whom" to describe a specific portion of a group, use **dont** followed by a number or a quantity word. Watch how **dont** links a subset back to the main group:

{{item:893572}}

{{item:893575}}

This works identically with broader expressions of quantity, such as *la moitié* (half) or *beaucoup* (many):

{{item:893585}}

{{item:893591}}

### Expressing Inclusion ("Including")

You can also use **dont** followed directly by a noun. In this structure, **dont** simply translates to "including." This is useful for giving specific examples from a broader category, like highlighting a building material or a key feature:

{{item:893580}}

{{item:893589}}

Relative pronoun for subsets (dont)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Definite articles and elision (le, la, l')

Indefinite articles (un, une)

Identifying vs. describing (c'est vs. il est)

Feminine adjective agreement (+e)

Plural pronouns and 'to be' (nous sommes, vous êtes)

Formal and informal you (tu vs. vous)

Plural nouns and indefinite articles (des... -s)

Plural definite articles (les)

Plural adjective agreement (+s)

Stressed pronouns (moi, toi, lui)

The verb "to have" singular (j'ai, tu as, il a)

The verb "to have" plural (nous avons, vous avez, ils ont)

There is / there are (il y a)

Basic verbal negation (ne... pas)

Negating "there is" (il n'y a pas de)

Regular -er verbs singular (je parle, tu parles, il parle)

Regular -er verbs plural (nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent)

The verb "to be called" (s'appeler)

Yes/no questions with intonation (Tu parles ?)

Yes/no questions with "Est-ce que" (Est-ce que tu parles ?)

Informal questions (qui, que, quoi)

Standard questions (est-ce que)

Singular possessives (mon, ton, son)

Plural possessives (notre, votre, leur)

Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces)

Adjective placement

Numbers 1 to 20

Numbers 21 to 100

Age and physical states (avoir)

The verb to go (aller)

The preposition to/at (à, au, aux)

Question word for location (où)

Prepositions for cities and countries (à, en, au, aux)

The verb to come (venir)

The preposition from/of (de, du, des)

Question word for origin (d'où)

The verb to do/make (faire)

Days of the week (lundi, mardi)

Telling time (il est... heure)

Question words for time (quand, à quelle heure)

The verb to take or have (prendre)

The verb to drink (boire)

Partitive articles (du, de la, de l')

Zero quantity (pas de)

Expressions of quantity (un peu de, beaucoup de)

Asking how much or how many (combien, combien de)

Very vs. a lot (très, beaucoup)

The verb to want (vouloir)

Polite requests (je voudrais)

The verb to be able to (pouvoir)

Obligation (devoir)

General obligation (il faut)

Why and because (pourquoi, parce que)

Expressing purpose (pour)

Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous)

Daily routine verbs (se lever, s'habiller)

Adverbs of frequency (parfois, rarement)

Never (ne... jamais)

Regular -ir verbs (choisir, finir)

Regular -re verbs (attendre, répondre)

Irregular -ir verbs (sortir, partir, dormir)

Informal 'we' (on)

The imperative mood

Direct object pronouns (le, la, les, l')

The near future (aller + infinitive)

The recent past (venir de + infinitive)

The passé composé with avoir

Irregular past participles (eu, été, fait, pris, vu)

The passé composé with être

The negative passé composé (ne ... pas)

Saying goodbye

Please, sorry and thank you

Which / what (quel)

The indefinite adjective (tout, tous)

Irregular feminine adjectives (-euse, -ve)

Double consonant adjectives (-enne, -ette)

Feminine adjective endings (-ère, -trice)

Irregular plurals (-x)

Plurals ending in -al (-aux)

Present tense stem changes (e to è)

Accent stem changes (é to è)

Double consonant verbs (appeler, jeter)

Verbs ending in -yer (payer, envoyer)

Irregular communication verbs (dire, lire)

Irregular action verbs (écrire, mettre)

Question	Answer
the shortlist	la présélection
innovative	innovant
We have ten projects in the shortlist, three of which are very innovative.	Nous avons dix projets dans la présélection, dont trois sont très innovants.
the scale model	la maquette
to discard	écarter
We received twenty scale models, five of which are discarded.	Nous avons reçu vingt maquettes, dont cinq sont écartées.
the finalist (m)	le finaliste
the sketch (drawing)	le croquis
Here are the five finalists, two of whom have an interesting sketch!	Voici les cinq finalistes, dont deux ont un croquis intéressant !
the material	le matériau
The architect proposes new materials, including wood.	L'architecte propose de nouveaux matériaux, dont le bois.
the lighting (m)	l'éclairage
We have options for the lighting, some of which are not yet ready.	Nous avons des options pour l'éclairage, dont quelques-unes ne sont pas encore prêtes.
the accessibility (f)	l'accessibilité
There are three possible projects, one of which improves accessibility.	Il y a trois projets possibles, dont l'un améliore l'accessibilité.
This is the shortlist of the projects, half of which we are going to discard.	Ceci est la présélection des projets, dont nous allons écarter la moitié.
It is better to compare these sketches, two of which are very precise.	Il vaut mieux comparer ces croquis, dont deux sont très précis.
the winner (m)	le lauréat
The winner used good materials, including steel.	Le lauréat a utilisé de bons matériaux, dont l'acier.
The scale model has many advantages, including innovative lighting.	La maquette a beaucoup d'avantages, dont un éclairage innovant.
The shortlist contains ten sketches, five of which are going to be discarded tomorrow.	La présélection contient dix croquis, dont cinq vont être écartés demain.
Must we choose the winner from these sketches, many of which ignore accessibility?	Est-ce que nous devons choisir le lauréat parmi ces croquis, dont beaucoup ignorent l'accessibilité ?
We have four projects for the library, two of which are finalists.	Nous avons quatre projets pour la bibliothèque, dont deux finalistes.