Breakdown of Ils expliquent la directive alors que tu l'ignores.
tu
you (informal singular)
ils
they (masculine/mixed)
la
her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)
expliquer
to explain
ignorer
to be unaware of / to not know
alors que
whereas
la directive
the directive
Questions & Answers about Ils expliquent la directive alors que tu l'ignores.
Why use alors que here instead of pendant que?
Alors que is specifically used to express a contrast or opposition, much like "whereas" in English. While pendant que can also mean "while", it focuses purely on two actions happening at the exact same time. Here, the sentence highlights the sharp contrast between them explaining the directive and you ignoring it.
Do I need to use the subjunctive after alors que?
No, alors que is followed by the indicative mood, which is why we use the standard present tense tu l'ignores. Conjunctions of concession like bien que (although) take the subjunctive, but alors que strictly takes the indicative.
Doesn't ignorer usually mean "to not know" rather than "to ignore"?
What does the l' in tu l'ignores refer to?
The l' is a direct object pronoun replacing la directive. In French, object pronouns must be placed directly in front of the conjugated verb they belong to. Because ignores starts with a vowel, the feminine pronoun la contracts to l'.
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