Question 1

Why does mets end in s for the Je form?

Accepted Answer

Mettre (to put) is an irregular verb. In the present tense, its singular forms drop the -tre and add standard endings. The forms are: je mets, tu mets, and il/elle/on met. The s on the end is silent, so je mets and il met are pronounced exactly the same.

Question 2

I always mix up devant and avant. Why is it devant in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Use devant for physical locations, meaning literally in front of something in space. You use avant for time, meaning before an event. Since the keyboard is physically located in front of the screen, devant is the right choice here.

Question 3

Could mettre translate to setting or placing the keyboard in this context?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Mettre is a very flexible verb. While it is usually taught as meaning to put, it is the most natural verb to use in French when you mean placing or setting a physical object down somewhere.

Question 4

Écran is a masculine word, so why isn't it le écran?

Accepted Answer

Because écran starts with a vowel. Just like with feminine words starting with a vowel, you must drop the e in the masculine word le and combine it with the noun to make l'écran. This prevents two vowel sounds from clashing when you speak.

Je mets le clavier devant l'écran.

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