Ce grand événement peut l’émouvoir profondément, mais Paul sait la rassurer.

Paul

Breakdown of Ce grand événement peut l’émouvoir profondément, mais Paul sait la rassurer.

• grand: big
• ce: this
• mais: but
• pouvoir: to be able to
• la: her
• l': her
• savoir: to know
• l'événement: the event
• émouvoir: to move
• profondément: deeply
• rassurer: to reassure

Questions & Answers about Ce grand événement peut l’émouvoir profondément, mais Paul sait la rassurer.

Why is the object pronoun written as l’ in "l’émouvoir" but as la in "la rassurer"?

In French, when an object pronoun comes before a vowel sound, it elides. That means "la" becomes "l’" before a vowel—here, the vowel sound in "émouvoir." In contrast, "rassurer" begins with a consonant sound, so the pronoun stays in its full form as "la." Both forms refer to the same feminine object.

Why is the verb "émouvoir" in the infinitive form following "peut"?

"Peut" is the conjugated form of the modal verb "pouvoir," which expresses ability, possibility, or potential. French grammar requires that a modal verb like "pouvoir" be followed by an infinitive. That’s why "émouvoir" remains in its infinitive form after "peut."

What does the phrase "Paul sait la rassurer" imply about Paul’s role or ability?

The phrase means "Paul knows how to reassure her." It suggests that, despite the event’s strong emotional impact on her, Paul has the knowledge or ability to calm or comfort her. His skill in providing reassurance contrasts with the event’s potential to disturb her.

How can we tell that the pronoun in both parts of the sentence refers to a feminine person?

Although the first pronoun appears as "l’," which is ambiguous due to its elision (it could represent "le" or "la"), the second pronoun is clearly "la." In French, "la" is used for feminine objects. This indicates that both pronouns refer to the same feminine individual.

What is the overall structure of the sentence?

The sentence consists of two independent clauses connected by "mais" (but). The first clause explains that this major event is capable of deeply moving her emotionally. The second clause provides a contrasting idea by stating that Paul knows how to reassure her. This juxtaposition highlights the tension between an event’s emotional impact and a person’s ability to mitigate that impact.

Why are the object pronouns positioned before the verbs in this sentence?

In French, object pronouns are typically placed immediately before the conjugated verb. That’s why in "l’émouvoir" and "la rassurer," the pronouns appear before "émouvoir" and "rassurer" respectively. This placement is a standard rule in the syntax of French sentence structure.