Log inSign up

La majorité choisit donc des critères tels que l'âge ou la classe sociale.

La majorité choisit donc des critères tels que l'âge ou la classe sociale.
The majority therefore chooses criteria such as age or social class.
From Lesson 357:Giving examples (tel que)·French

Questions & Answers about La majorité choisit donc des critères tels que l'âge ou la classe sociale.

Why is it tels que and not just tel que?
The phrase tel que (such as) has to agree in gender and number with the noun it refers back to. Here, it is giving examples of des critères (criteria), which is a masculine plural noun. Therefore, tel takes an -s to become tels que.
Would tels que change if the examples that followed it were all feminine?
No, the agreement would stay exactly the same! The phrase tel que agrees with the general category being illustrated (des critères), not the specific examples that follow. Even though la classe sociale is feminine, the agreement is locked to the masculine plural word critères.
In English we often say 'the majority choose' (plural). Why is the verb singular (choisit) here?
In French, collective nouns like la majorité, le groupe, or la famille are grammatically singular on their own, so they take a singular verb. However, if you were to add a plural complement, like la majorité des gens (the majority of people), you could then optionally use a plural verb.
Why is donc placed after the verb choisit instead of before it?
In French, short adverbs like donc (therefore) are typically placed immediately after the conjugated verb. While in English we often put 'therefore' before the verb, French prefers the post-verb position: choisit donc.

Learn La majorité choisit donc des critères tels que l'âge ou la classe sociale 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
Start learning French →