Paul et Marie s’amuseront beaucoup pendant les vacances.

Paul

Breakdown of Paul et Marie s’amuseront beaucoup pendant les vacances.

• Marie: Marie
• et: and
• pendant: during
• se: oneself
• beaucoup: a lot

Questions & Answers about Paul et Marie s’amuseront beaucoup pendant les vacances.

What does the reflexive pronoun “s’” in “s’amuseront” indicate, and why is it contracted instead of appearing as “se”?

The “s’” comes from the reflexive pronoun “se,” which shows that the subjects are performing the action on themselves—in this case, having fun. It is contracted to “s’” before a vowel (as in “amuseront”) to ensure smoother pronunciation.

How is the future tense formed in this sentence, and why is “amuseront” used for Paul and Marie?

The future tense in French is typically formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of a verb. For regular verbs like “amuser” (after removing the reflexive “se”), you add endings such as –ai, –as, –a, –ons, –ez, –ont. Since “Paul et Marie” is plural and in the third person, the correct ending is –ont, resulting in “amuseront.”

What function does “beaucoup” serve in the sentence?

“Beaucoup” acts as an adverb modifying the verb “s’amuseront.” It means “a lot” or “greatly,” emphasizing the intensity of the fun that Paul and Marie will have during the holidays.

What role does the phrase “pendant les vacances” play in this sentence?

“Pendant les vacances” is a time expression that indicates when the action takes place. It translates to “during the holidays” and sets the time frame for when Paul and Marie will have fun.

Why is it important to maintain the word order in this reflexive construction?

In French, the placement of the reflexive pronoun is crucial because it comes directly before the conjugated verb. This word order (subject + reflexive pronoun + verb) clearly shows that the subject is performing the action on itself. Altering this order can change the meaning or render the sentence incorrect.