Breakdown of A-t-on conseillé au journaliste d'utiliser l'oreillette ?
on
one / we (informal)
avoir
to have
à
at / to / in (general locations) / about (what one thinks about / reacts to)
utiliser
to use
le journaliste
the journalist
conseiller
to advise
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
l'oreillette
the earpiece (f)
Questions & Answers about A-t-on conseillé au journaliste d'utiliser l'oreillette ?
Why doesn't this sentence use the passive voice like the English translation "Was the journalist advised"?
In French, the verb conseiller takes an indirect object, meaning it is followed by à (conseiller à quelqu'un). Unlike in English, you cannot turn an indirect object into the subject of a passive sentence in French. You cannot say Le journaliste a été conseillé. Instead, you must use the active voice with the indefinite pronoun on (literally, "Did one advise the journalist?").
Why is it au journaliste instead of just le journaliste?
This ties directly into the verb structure: conseiller à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose (to advise someone to do something). The preposition à contracts with the masculine definite article le to form au.
What is the purpose of the -t- in A-t-on?
It is inserted purely for pronunciation. When inverting a verb that ends in a vowel (like a) and a subject pronoun that starts with a vowel (like on, il, or elle), French adds a -t- to prevent two vowel sounds from clashing.
Why is there a d' before utiliser?
The verb conseiller requires the preposition de before an infinitive action. Because utiliser starts with a vowel, de contracts into d'.
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