Learn French: Ils sont sur le point de changer les pneus parce qu'il conduit le plus dangereusement. - They are about to change the tires because he drives the most dangerously.

Ils sont sur le point de changer les pneus parce qu'il conduit le plus dangereusement.

They are about to change the tires because he drives the most dangerously.

Breakdown of Ils sont sur le point de changer les pneus parce qu'il conduit le plus dangereusement.

ils

they (masculine/mixed)

Questions & Answers about Ils sont sur le point de changer les pneus parce qu'il conduit le plus dangereusement.

Why is it le plus dangereusement instead of matching a gender or number?

Because dangereusement is an adverb (it describes how he drives, not a noun). Adverbs are invariable in French, meaning they never change form to match gender or quantity. Because of this, when you want to say "the most [adverb]", you must always use the fixed phrase le plus, even if the subject doing the action is feminine or plural.

How is the adverb dangereusement formed?

For most regular French adverbs, you start with the feminine singular form of the adjective and add -ment. The adjective for "dangerous" is dangereux (masculine), which becomes dangereuse (feminine). Add -ment to the end, and you get dangereusement (dangerously).

What does the phrase sur le point de mean?

The expression être sur le point de followed by an infinitive verb is a very common idiom that means "to be about to" do something. In this sentence, Ils sont sur le point de changer translates directly to "They are about to change".

Why isn't the verb changer conjugated?