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Le lauréat a utilisé de bons matériaux, dont l'acier.

Le lauréat a utilisé de bons matériaux, dont l'acier.
The winner used good materials, including steel.
From Lesson 451:Relative pronoun for subsets (dont)·French

Questions & Answers about Le lauréat a utilisé de bons matériaux, dont l'acier.

Why is dont used here to mean 'including'?
In this sentence, dont introduces a subset of the previously mentioned group (de bons matériaux). While you probably know dont meaning 'whose' or 'of which', it is also commonly used to mean 'including' or 'among which' when singling out a specific example from a larger category.
Why is it de bons matériaux and not des bons matériaux?
Because the adjective (bons) comes before the plural noun (matériaux). In French, the plural indefinite article des changes to de when it directly precedes an adjective. This is a common rule to remember!
Do I always need a comma before dont when using it to mean 'including'?
Yes, it is standard practice. Just like in English where we usually put a comma before 'including', using a comma before dont l'acier sets it apart as an added detail or subset of the main clause.
Could I use y compris instead of dont in this sentence?
Yes, you could say y compris l'acier. Both dont and y compris work well to mean 'including' in this context. Using dont is just a slightly more elegant way to link the subset back to the larger group.

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