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Ils ne lisent jamais la presse.

Ils ne lisent jamais la presse.
They never read the press.
From Lesson 86:Irregular communication verbs (dire, lire)·French

Questions & Answers about Ils ne lisent jamais la presse.

Why does lisent have an "s" in it, and how is it pronounced?
Lisent is the "they" form of the irregular verb lire (to read). In the plural forms (we, you plural, they), this verb adds an s to its stem. Because this s is between two vowels, it is pronounced like a "z". Also, remember that the -ent ending for "they" verbs is always silent!
Why isn't there a pas in this sentence?
The structure ne ... jamais means "never". It wraps around the verb (lisent) exactly like ne ... pas does, but you cannot use both together. When you use a negative word like jamais, it replaces the pas.
What does la presse refer to in French?
Just like in English, la presse (the press) is used to talk about the media, specifically printed journalism like newspapers and magazines.
Do native speakers ever drop the ne when saying this sentence?
Yes! In everyday spoken French, it is very common to drop the ne and just say Ils lisent jamais la presse. However, you should always keep the ne when writing or speaking formally.

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