Breakdown of Pourtant, son épargne financière semblait suffisante.
son
his/her/its (son, sa, ses)
sembler
to seem
pourtant
yet, however
financier
financial
suffisant
sufficient
l'épargne (f)
the savings (f)
Questions & Answers about Pourtant, son épargne financière semblait suffisante.
Since épargne is a feminine noun, why does the sentence use son instead of sa?
Even though épargne is feminine, you must use the masculine possessive adjective son because the noun begins with a vowel. This rule exists to make pronunciation flow better by avoiding the awkward vowel clash that would happen with sa épargne.
What is the difference between épargne and économies?
Why is semblait in the imperfect tense rather than the passé composé?
The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing states, conditions, or background situations in the past. Because 'seeming sufficient' was an ongoing impression or state of being rather than a sudden, completed action, the imperfect is the most natural choice here.
Could I use cependant instead of pourtant to mean 'yet'?
Yes, cependant (however/yet) would also be grammatically correct. Both words express contrast. However, pourtant often carries a slightly stronger sense of contradiction or surprise (closer to 'and yet' or 'despite expectations'), which fits perfectly when someone's financial situation defies what was previously stated.
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