Question 1

Why is entretenues feminine plural here instead of agreeing with the masculine singular l'air?

Accepted Answer

With the expression avoir l'air (to seem or to look), when the subject is an inanimate object like les voitures, the adjective must agree with the subject. Since voitures is feminine plural, entretenues takes the -es ending. If the subject were a person, the adjective could technically agree with either the person or the word air, though agreeing with the subject is still much more common.

Question 2

Why does vues have an -es at the end even though it is conjugated with avoir?

Accepted Answer

Usually, past participles conjugated with avoir do not agree with anything. However, they do agree with a preceding direct object. Here, the direct object is que (representing the feminine plural les voitures), which comes before the verb avons vues. Therefore, vu becomes vues.

Question 3

Could I use semblent instead of ont l'air in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, semblent (from sembler, meaning to seem) works perfectly here and has almost exactly the same meaning. You would say ...semblent bien entretenues. Avoir l'air is just a bit more conversational and focuses slightly more on the physical appearance (they look well maintained).

Question 4

How does d'ailleurs function at the start of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

D'ailleurs translates to moreover, besides, or incidentally. It is used to add a supporting piece of information or a relevant afterthought to whatever was just said. It is a fantastic linking word for B2 learners to make spoken and written French flow more naturally.

D'ailleurs, les voitures que nous avons vues ont l'air bien entretenues.

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