Question 1

Why do we need the word de before surveiller?

Accepted Answer

This is how you form an indirect command in French! When reporting that someone is asked to do something, you use a reporting verb like demander (to ask) or dire (to tell), followed by de and the infinitive form of the action verb. Here, it's demande ... de surveiller (asks ... to watch).

Question 2

Why is it demande à la garderie and not just demande la garderie?

Accepted Answer

In French, you ask to someone. The full structure of the verb is demander à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose (to ask someone to do something). Because the daycare (la garderie) is the entity being asked, it acts as an indirect object and needs the preposition à in front of it.

Question 3

How would I replace à la garderie with a pronoun to say "The mother asks it to watch the baby"?

Accepted Answer

Because la garderie is introduced by à, it is an indirect object. Since it is singular, you would replace it with the indirect object pronoun lui. The pronoun goes right before the main verb: La mère lui demande de surveiller le bébé.

Question 4

Could I use regarder instead of surveiller for "to watch" the baby?

Accepted Answer

Not naturally in this context! Regarder means to look at or watch something passively, like a movie or a bird out the window. Surveiller means to keep an eye on, monitor, or supervise. Since you want the daycare to actively look after the baby, surveiller is the perfect fit.

La mère demande à la garderie de surveiller le bébé.

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