Learn Hardcore French: Ils portent leurs manteaux quand ils sortent en ville. - They wear their coats when they go out in the city.

Because ils (they) is a plural subject, the possessive adjective should also be plural: leurs. In French, leur is singular (used when referring to a single object jointly possessed), while leurs is plural (used when referring to multiple objects). Here, each person has a coat, so we collectively refer to multiple coats with leurs manteaux.

Why do we use portent instead of porter?

Portent is the third-person plural present tense form of the verb porter (to wear/carry). Porter is the infinitive form and cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence unless it’s following another conjugated verb. When describing what "they" do, you use ils portent.

What does ils sortent en ville imply?

The phrase ils sortent en ville suggests leaving home and going out around town for various activities (shopping, dining, etc.). Sortir en ville is a common French expression meaning "to go out," typically with the idea of leisure or errands in an urban environment.

Why do we use ils twice instead of a different subject pronoun the second time?

In French, it's normal to repeat the subject pronoun for clarity when you have multiple clauses, even if it refers to the same group of people. So the sentence uses ils for both actions: "Ils portent…" and "ils sortent…". This makes each clause grammatically complete on its own.

Is there a difference between en ville and à la ville?

Yes. En ville is the more common way to say that someone is going into town or city areas. À la ville is possible but less common and might be found in more formal or literary contexts. Generally, you’ll hear en ville in everyday speech whenever people talk about going or being in town.

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