Question 1

What does propos mean here, and is it always plural?

Accepted Answer

Propos translates to "remarks," "words," or "statements." While the singular un propos exists, it is very common to use the plural les propos or des propos when referring to things someone said (which is helpful vocabulary for reported speech). You know it's plural in this sentence because of the plural possessive Ses and the plural verb étaient.

Question 2

Since the translation says "His remarks," could Ses propos also mean "Her remarks"?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it absolutely could! In French, possessive adjectives like ses agree with the noun being possessed (the plural propos), not the person speaking. Depending on the context, Ses propos can mean "his remarks" or "her remarks."

Question 3

Why is the imperfect tense étaient used here instead of the passé composé (ont été)?

Accepted Answer

The imperfect is used because it describes a state of being or a past description. You are painting a picture of what the remarks were like (they had a shocking quality), rather than focusing on a specific, bounded action that was completed in the past.

Question 4

Why does choquants end in an -s?

Accepted Answer

Here, choquants acts as an adjective derived from the verb choquer (to shock). Because it describes the masculine plural noun propos, it must agree in gender and number with that noun, which is why it gets a plural -s at the end.

Ses propos étaient vraiment choquants.

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