Breakdown of Il a fait une demande de travail.
faire
to do, to make
le travail
the job
la demande
the request
Questions & Answers about Il a fait une demande de travail.
This lesson is about indirect commands like demander de + infinitive. Why isn't there an infinitive here?
Good catch! While the verb demander (to ask) is followed by de plus an infinitive for indirect commands (like Il a demandé de travailler - "He asked to work"), this sentence uses the noun une demande (a request or application). Here, de simply links it to another noun (travail) to describe what the application is for.
Why do we use fait here? Couldn't we just use the verb demander?
You definitely could say Il a demandé du travail (He asked for work). However, faire une demande is a very common fixed expression that translates to "to make an application" or "to put in a request." Using faire gives it a more formal or administrative feel, exactly like "making an application" does in English.
Why is it de travail and not du travail?
When de is used to link two nouns where the second noun describes the type, purpose, or category of the first, the article (le, la, les) is dropped. It acts like a compound noun in English: a "work application." You see this exact same pattern in phrases like un cours de français (a French class) or une salle de bain (a bathroom).
Learn Il a fait une demande de travail 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