Questions & Answers about Chaque bénévole trie plusieurs conserves.
Why is bénévole singular? Doesn't 'every volunteer' imply multiple people?
In French, chaque (each or every) is always followed by a singular noun, just like 'each' in English. So we say chaque bénévole and use the singular verb trie. Does plusieurs change to match masculine or feminine nouns?
No, plusieurs (several) is an invariable adjective, meaning it never changes its spelling. It stays exactly the same whether the noun it describes is masculine or feminine. Here, it simply pairs with the plural feminine noun conserves. Is bénévole masculine or feminine here?
It could be either! The word bénévole (volunteer) applies to both men and women without changing its spelling. Since chaque also doesn't change based on gender, we can't tell the gender of the volunteer from this sentence alone. Does conserves mean the same thing as the English word 'preserves'?
They are false friends! While 'preserves' usually means sweet fruit jam or jelly in English, une conserve in French refers to everyday canned or tinned food, like canned vegetables or tuna. If we started the sentence with plusieurs instead of chaque, what else would change?
If you used plusieurs (several) instead of chaque (each), the subject would become plural: Plusieurs bénévoles. You would then need to change the verb to its plural form to match: Plusieurs bénévoles trient plusieurs conserves. Learn Chaque bénévole trie plusieurs conserves and more in French
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