Breakdown of Elles ne peuvent pas entrer sans un billet.
elles
they (feminine)
sans
without
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
Questions & Answers about Elles ne peuvent pas entrer sans un billet.
How do you pronounce peuvent? Do you say the ent at the end?
Why are ne and pas placed around peuvent instead of entrer?
In French, the negative words ne and pas act like a sandwich around the conjugated verb. Since peuvent is the conjugated verb (matching elles) and entrer is in the infinitive (the dictionary form), the negative sandwich goes around peuvent: ne peuvent pas.
Why is entrer not conjugated?
When you have two verbs back-to-back in French, like "can" and "enter", only the first one is conjugated. The second verb stays in its infinitive form (ending in -er, -ir, or -re). That is why we use the unconjugated form entrer right after peuvent.