Breakdown of Paul ne veut pas exiger trop de travail de chacun, alors il suggère de partager les tâches.
Paul
Paul
il
he
ne ... pas
not
vouloir
to want
le travail
the work
alors
so
de
of
trop
too
de
from
suggérer
to suggest
partager
to share
la tâche
the task
chacun
everyone
exiger
to demand
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Questions & Answers about Paul ne veut pas exiger trop de travail de chacun, alors il suggère de partager les tâches.
What does the verb exiger mean in this sentence, and why is it used instead of a simpler verb like demander?
In this context, exiger means “to demand” or “to require.” It is used to emphasize that Paul does not want to impose a strict or excessive workload on each person. Unlike demander (which often implies politely asking), exiger conveys a sense of insistence or obligation.
Why is trop followed by de travail instead of simply modifying travail directly?
In French, when expressing an excessive quantity with trop (“too much”), it is followed by de before the noun. Thus, trop de travail translates to “too much work.” This is a standard grammatical construction required whenever trop is used to quantify something.
What is the role of de chacun in the sentence, and why is it expressed that way?
De chacun means “from each person” or “of each individual.” It specifies that the work being mentioned applies individually to every person, reinforcing that Paul doesn’t want to burden any single person with too much work. This phrasing highlights a distributive sense regarding the workload.
Why is there a comma before alors, and how does alors function in this sentence?
The comma before alors separates two independent clauses. Alors functions as a coordinating conjunction meaning “so” or “therefore.” It connects Paul’s reluctance to impose too much work with his proposed solution of sharing the tasks, thereby clarifying the cause-and-effect relationship.
Why do we see the construction il suggère de partager rather than simply il suggère partager?
In French, many verbs that introduce an infinitive require the preposition de. With suggérer, the correct structure is suggérer de followed by an infinitive. Hence, il suggère de partager is grammatically correct and links the suggestion directly to the action of sharing the tasks.
How does the overall structure of the sentence effectively convey its intended meaning?
The sentence is divided into two clear parts. The first clause explains what Paul does not want—demanding too much work from each person—while the second clause presents his proposed solution—sharing the tasks. This logical order, combined with precise connectors (like alors) and proper use of negation and quantifiers, makes the intended cause-and-effect relationship explicit and easy to understand.
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