Question 1

Since this lesson is about the causative 'faire', how would you change this sentence to say 'They are having us draft it'?

Accepted Answer

You would say Ils nous la font rédiger. In the causative construction, when you have both a direct object pronoun (la for la circulaire) and an indirect object pronoun (nous for the people being instructed to do the action), both pronouns go before the conjugated form of faire, not before the infinitive.

Question 2

Could I just use écrire instead of rédiger here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Ils sont en train d'écrire la circulaire is grammatically correct and means basically the same thing. However, rédiger specifically means "to draft" or "to compose a document," making it the more precise and professional choice for business contexts like writing a memo.

Question 3

Is it necessary to use en train de here instead of just the standard present tense (Ils rédigent)?

Accepted Answer

It is not strictly necessary, as the standard French present tense can mean either "They draft" or "They are drafting." However, using être en train de puts a strong emphasis on the fact that they are currently in the middle of the task right now, perhaps implying they shouldn't be interrupted.

Question 4

Does la circulaire translate exactly to a "circular" in English?

Accepted Answer

They share the same root, but in a modern French administrative or professional context, une circulaire is typically an internal memo, a policy directive, or a staff newsletter, rather than a promotional flyer or junk mail.

Ils sont en train de rédiger la circulaire.

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