Log inSign up

L'inspecteur posait des questions parce que la victime pleurait.

L'inspecteur posait des questions parce que la victime pleurait.
The inspector was asking questions because the victim was crying.
From Lesson 171:The past infinitive (après avoir, après être)·French

Questions & Answers about L'inspecteur posait des questions parce que la victime pleurait.

Why does the French sentence use posait instead of demandait for 'was asking'?
In French, you don't use the verb demander (to ask) with the word question. The fixed expression is always poser une question (literally 'to pose a question'). Trying to say demander une question is a very common trap for English speakers!
Why are posait and pleurait in the imperfect tense rather than the passé composé?
The imperfect tense is used here to describe ongoing, continuous actions in the past. The inspector 'was asking' while the victim 'was crying'—both were happening at the same time like a background scene. If you used the passé composé (a posé, a pleuré), it would sound like a sequence of completed, isolated events rather than an ongoing situation.
If the sentence were negative, would des questions stay the same?
No, it would change. If the inspector was not asking questions, you would say: L'inspecteur ne posait pas de questions. In negative sentences, the plural indefinite article des (some) changes to de (any).

Learn L'inspecteur posait des questions parce que la victime pleurait and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →