Question 1

Why does illustrés have an s at the end?

Accepted Answer

In the passive voice, the verb is formed with être (here, sont) plus a past participle (illustrés). Because the past participle acts like an adjective in this structure, it must agree with the subject. Since Ces magazines is masculine plural, we add an s.

Question 2

Why is souvent placed between sont and illustrés instead of at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Short, common adverbs like souvent (often), toujours (always), and bien (well) usually go directly after the conjugated verb. Here, the conjugated verb is sont, so souvent slips right in before the past participle. Putting it at the very end would sound unnatural in French.

Question 3

The lesson uses par for "by". Do we always use par in the passive voice?

Accepted Answer

Mostly yes, especially for physical actions or specific deeds, like being illustrated by an artist. However, French uses de instead of par for states of being, emotions, or conditions (for example, Il est respecté de tous for "He is respected by everyone").

Question 4

How do I know if magazine is masculine or feminine here, since ces is the same for both?

Accepted Answer

Ces (these) is indeed the plural demonstrative adjective for both masculine and feminine nouns. However, un magazine is masculine. If you wanted to say "this magazine" in the singular, you would use ce magazine. Also, be careful not to confuse it with un magasin (with an "s"), which means a store!

Ces magazines sont souvent illustrés par un artiste.

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