Question 1

Why is the verb font instead of ending in '-ent' like regular verbs?

Accepted Answer

Font is the 'they' (third-person plural) form of the irregular verb faire (to do / to make). Because it is irregular, it doesn't follow the normal pattern you see in regular verbs. You just have to memorize that ils/elles font means 'they do' or 'they are doing'.

Question 2

The translation says 'are doing'. Is there a specific way to say 'are doing' instead of just 'do' in French?

Accepted Answer

In French, the present tense covers both! Les étudiants font can mean 'The students do' or 'The students are doing' depending on the context. French doesn't have a separate 'is/are + -ing' tense like English does.

Question 3

I learned that devoir is a verb meaning 'must'. Why is it used as 'assignment' here?

Accepted Answer

Devoir can be both a verb (to have to / must) and a noun (a duty / an assignment / a piece of homework). You can tell it is a noun here because it has the article un (a/an) right in front of it.

Question 4

Why is the adjective difficile placed after devoir?

Accepted Answer

In French, most adjectives come after the noun they describe, unlike in English where they come before. So, instead of saying 'a difficult assignment', you say un devoir difficile (an assignment difficult).

Question 5

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of Les in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you do! Because étudiants starts with a vowel, you must make a liaison (a linking sound). The 's' in Les sounds like a 'z' and connects directly to the 'é', making the beginning of the sentence sound like 'Lay-zay-tu-dee-ahn'.

Les étudiants font un devoir difficile.

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