Question 1

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of plus in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you pronounce it with a hard 's' sound. When plus modifies a verb to mean 'more' (like tiring yourself out more), the final 's' is always pronounced. This is different from when it modifies an adjective starting with a consonant, like plus grand, where the 's' is silent.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use plus qu' instead of plus de?

Accepted Answer

Because it is comparing the action of the verb (s'épuiser), not a quantity of a noun. If you wanted 'more of' a noun, you would use plus de. For verbs, the comparative structure is always [verb] + plus que. Here, que drops its 'e' to become qu' before the silent 'h' in hier.

Question 3

Why is there a double vous in vous vous épuisez?

Accepted Answer

The verb being used is s'épuiser, which is a reflexive verb meaning 'to exhaust oneself' or 'to tire oneself out'. The first vous is the subject ('you'), and the second vous is the reflexive pronoun ('yourself').

Question 4

Why use devriez instead of devez?

Accepted Answer

Devriez is the conditional form of devoir, which translates to 'should' and is used to give advice. If you used the present tense devez, it would mean 'must' or 'have to', making it a strict order rather than a strong recommendation.

Question 5

Does la cadence just mean 'the speed'?

Accepted Answer

It is closer to 'the pace' or 'the rhythm'. While la vitesse simply means 'speed', la cadence is commonly used when talking about the rate or rhythm at which you are working, running, or completing a task. Réduire la cadence is a very natural way to say 'slow down the pace'.

Vous devriez réduire la cadence parce que vous vous épuisez plus qu'hier.

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