Questions & Answers about Elle était fatiguée, néanmoins elle a continué.
How does néanmoins compare to other concession words like pourtant or cependant in this sentence?
Néanmoins means nevertheless and is slightly more formal and literary than pourtant (yet) or cependant (however). In structured argumentation, it is perfect for acknowledging a limiting fact but showing it did not prevent the main action. They are mostly interchangeable here. Could I rewrite this using the certes... mais structure from the current lesson?
Yes! You could say: Certes, elle était fatiguée, mais elle a continué. (Admittedly she was tired, but she carried on.) Néanmoins achieves the exact same type of concession but uses a single adverb to link two independent thoughts. Why does the sentence switch from the imperfect (était) to the passé composé (a continué)?
This is a classic past-tense pairing. Elle était fatiguée uses the imperfect to set the background state or physical condition. Elle a continué uses the passé composé for the specific, completed action she took in that moment despite her state. Do I have to repeat the pronoun elle after néanmoins?
Yes, it is strongly preferred here. Because néanmoins is an adverb introducing a new independent clause, French expects the subject to be restated. If you wanted to drop the second elle, you would typically use the coordinating conjunction mais instead: Elle était fatiguée, mais a continué. Learn Elle était fatiguée, néanmoins elle a continué and more in French
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