Breakdown of En refusant le multitâche, nous augmentons notre rendement.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
notre
our (singular and plural forms: notre, nos)
augmenter
to increase
en
while / by (with gerund)
Questions & Answers about En refusant le multitâche, nous augmentons notre rendement.
How does the gérondif en refusant express a condition in this sentence?
In addition to its typical meanings of while doing or by doing, the gérondif can express a condition, similar to saying if. You can think of this sentence as being equivalent to si nous refusons le multitâche (if we refuse multitasking). The main clause (nous augmentons notre rendement) represents the positive result of meeting that condition.
Can the subject of the gérondif be different from the subject of the main clause?
No, and this is a strict rule in French that learners sometimes forget! The action in the gérondif (en refusant) must always be performed by the subject of the main verb (nous). Because it is nous who increase the output, the grammar automatically dictates that nous are the ones refusing multitasking.
Why is multitasking translated as a noun (le multitâche) instead of a verb form?
What is the exact nuance of rendement compared to a word like production?