Question 1

Why does the sentence say et que vous pouvez instead of et quand vous pouvez?

Accepted Answer

To avoid repeating subordinating conjunctions like quand (when), comme (since/as), or lorsque (when), French replaces the second instance with que. So instead of saying 'When you produce... and when you can...', French uses que to link the second condition.

Question 2

Since there is a que introducing the clause, shouldn't pouvoir be in the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

Not in this case! When que replaces a conjunction that takes the indicative, like quand, the verb stays in the indicative (vous pouvez). The subjunctive is only triggered if que replaces a conjunction that inherently needs the subjunctive, or when it replaces si (if).

Question 3

Is courant the standard word for 'power' or 'electricity'?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in everyday spoken French, le courant (literally 'the current') is commonly used to mean electricity. You will often hear it in everyday phrases like une panne de courant (a power outage) or couper le courant (to turn off the power).

Question 4

Why is the pronoun le placed right before stocker instead of before pouvez?

Accepted Answer

Object pronouns like le usually go immediately before the verb they are logically attached to. Because the 'it' applies to storing (storing it) rather than being able, the le goes directly in front of the infinitive stocker.

Quand vous produisez du courant et que vous pouvez le stocker, le stockage est utile.

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