Question 1

Why do we use pour avoir attendu here instead of just pour attendre?

Accepted Answer

The structure pour + past infinitive (avoir or être + past participle) is used to explain the cause of something by referring to a completed action. If you used pour attendre, it would mean "in order to wait" (a purpose), whereas pour avoir attendu means "because of having waited" (a cause).

Question 2

Why is it C'est lui qui and not C'est il qui?

Accepted Answer

After the phrase c'est (it is), you must always use a stressed pronoun like moi, toi, or lui. The structure c'est lui qui is a very common way to emphasize the subject, directly translating to "he is the one who".

Question 3

Why is the adjective grave placed before the noun infection?

Accepted Answer

While most French adjectives follow the noun, grave can go before or after. Placing it before the noun emphasizes the severity of the situation or makes it more subjective. A clinical diagnosis might use une infection grave, but une grave infection highlights the speaker's alarm at the severity.

Question 4

Why isn't there a preposition like pendant before plusieurs mois?

Accepted Answer

You can say pendant plusieurs mois to mean "for several months", but in French, the preposition pendant is very often dropped when describing the duration of an action. Simply saying plusieurs mois is perfectly natural and common.

C'est lui qui a une grave infection pour avoir attendu plusieurs mois.

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