Learn French: Nous avons dix projets dans la présélection, dont trois sont très innovants. - We have ten projects in the shortlist, three of which are very innovative.

In this sentence, dont is used to indicate a subset, meaning "of which" or "among which." While desquels is grammatically possible, dont is the standard, most natural choice in French when pulling a smaller quantity (trois) out of a previously mentioned larger group (dix projets).

The English translation says "three of which," but the French says dont trois. Why is the word order different?

In French, relative pronouns like dont must almost always go at the very beginning of the clause they introduce. Even though English puts the number first ("three of which"), French requires you to start the clause with "of which" (dont), followed by the subject (trois), and then the verb (sont).

Could I say dont trois d'entre eux sont très innovants to emphasize "among them"?

No, that would be redundant. Because dont already means "of which" or "of them" in this context, adding d'entre eux (among them) is a common trap for English speakers. It sounds like "of which three among them." Sticking to dont trois sont... is the correct and most natural phrasing.

Is la présélection the standard way to say "shortlist"?