Une nuée de commentaires sont apparus sous celle-là.

Questions & Answers about Une nuée de commentaires sont apparus sous celle-là.

Why is the verb plural (sont apparus) instead of singular (est apparue) to agree with une nuée?
When a collective noun like une nuée de is followed by a plural noun (commentaires), French often lets you choose the agreement. You use the singular to focus on the group as a single mass, but you use the plural (as done here) to emphasize the large number of individual things acting.
Since the verb agrees with commentaires, why is the participle apparus and not apparues?
The noun un commentaire is masculine, so the plural past participle is apparus. If the speaker had decided to emphasize the collective noun and make the verb agree with the feminine une nuée, it would have been written as est apparue.
Does une nuée literally mean a swarm?
Yes, it is related to un nuage (a cloud) and traditionally refers to a thick, moving cloud or a massive swarm of birds or insects. Used figuratively here, it gives the vivid image of an overwhelming, buzzing flood of comments.
Why use celle-là at the end instead of just ça?
Celle-là means 'that one' and is a demonstrative pronoun. It is used here because it replaces a specific feminine singular noun mentioned previously (such as une photo or une publication). Ça is used for abstract or general ideas, whereas celle-là points to a specific, tangible noun.
Why does apparaître use être (sont) here instead of avoir?
While its base verb paraître (to seem) usually takes avoir, apparaître (to appear) takes être in compound tenses. It falls into the category of verbs expressing a change of state, much like the classic 'Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp' verbs you learned earlier.

Learn Une nuée de commentaires sont apparus sous celle-là and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free