Breakdown of Il ne cesse jamais de restaurer cette voiture classique.
il
he
la voiture
the car
ne
not (used before the verb)
ce
this (before a noun)
Questions & Answers about Il ne cesse jamais de restaurer cette voiture classique.
Why is there a de before restaurer?
The verb cesser (to stop or cease) is part of a group of verbs that require the preposition de before a following action. To say 'to stop doing something', you must use cesser de followed by an infinitive.
Why does the English translation use 'restoring' while the French uses the infinitive restaurer?
English often uses the '-ing' form after verbs like 'stop'. French, however, almost always uses the infinitive (the basic, unconjugated form) after a preposition like de. Because of this rule, de restaurer translates naturally to 'restoring' in this context.
Why is there no pas in this negative sentence?
Could I use arrêter instead of cesser to say he never stops?