Il lit ses livres rapidement.

he

Breakdown of Il lit ses livres rapidement.

• lire: to read
• le livre: the book
• rapidement: quickly
• ses: his

Questions & Answers about Il lit ses livres rapidement.

What does Il represent in this sentence?

Il is the masculine singular subject pronoun in French, translating to he in English. Although il can sometimes mean it, the context of reading books makes it clear that it refers to a person.

What tense is used in the verb lit, and what does it indicate about the action?

Lit is the third person singular present tense form of the verb lire. This indicates that the action of reading is either occurring currently or is a habitual action, meaning he reads.

Why is the possessive adjective ses used in the phrase ses livres, and what does it tell us?

Ses is used to show possession and agrees in number with the noun it describes—in this case, livres (books), which is plural. While ses can mean his, her, or its, the context provided by the masculine subject (Il) indicates that it means his.

How is the adverb rapidement formed, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Rapidement is formed by adding the suffix -ment to the adjective rapide. This turns the adjective into an adverb, which modifies the verb lit by describing how the action of reading is carried out, namely, quickly.

Is the placement of rapidement typical in French sentence structure, and why is it positioned after the verb?

Yes, in French it is common for adverbs to be placed after the verb they modify. In this sentence, rapidement follows lit, making it clear that it describes the manner of the reading action.