Breakdown of Les objets volumineux doivent être jetés dans cette benne.
être
to be
dans
in, inside
ce
this (before a noun)
devoir
to have to / must
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
jeter
to throw away
l'objet
the object, item (m)
volumineux
bulky
la benne
the dumpster
Questions & Answers about Les objets volumineux doivent être jetés dans cette benne.
How is the passive voice formed with the modal verb in this sentence?
To use the passive voice with a modal verb like devoir (must/have to), you conjugate the modal verb, then add the infinitive être (to be), followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here, it’s doivent (conjugated) + être (infinitive) + jetés (past participle) to mean "must be thrown."
Why is there an -s at the end of jetés?
In the passive voice, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. Since the subject, Les objets volumineux, is masculine plural, we add an -s to the past participle jeté to make it jetés.
Would the adjective volumineux look different if we were only talking about one object?
No, it would look exactly the same. Adjectives that end in -x in the masculine singular (like volumineux, heureux, or dangereux) do not change their spelling in the masculine plural. So, "a bulky object" is un objet volumineux.
Is benne the standard word for any trash can?
No, benne specifically refers to a large open container used for construction waste, recycling, or bulky items—like a "dumpster" or "skip" in English. A standard everyday household trash can is a poubelle.
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