Breakdown of Je veux emmener Paul à la plage et apporter une serviette pour chacun.
je
I
Paul
Paul
et
and
vouloir
to want
à
to
pour
for
chacun
each
une
a
apporter
to bring
la plage
the beach
emmener
to take
la serviette
the towel
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Je veux emmener Paul à la plage et apporter une serviette pour chacun.
What is the difference between emmener and apporter in this sentence?
Emmener is typically used when taking someone (a person or animal) from one place to another, whereas apporter is used when bringing an inanimate object along. In this sentence, the speaker uses emmener for Paul (a person) and apporter for une serviette (an object).
Why is une serviette in the singular form even though the idea is to provide one towel for each person?
The singular form is used because the construction pour chacun implies that each individual receives one towel. Even though multiple towels will be needed overall, the sentence pairs one singular item with each person individually.
What does pour chacun mean and what is its role in the sentence?
Pour chacun is an indefinite pronoun phrase meaning “for each one” or “per person.” It specifies that a towel is intended for every individual involved, emphasizing distribution on an individual basis rather than collectively.
Why isn’t the subject je repeated in the second clause after et?
In French, when two actions share the same subject, it is common to omit the subject in the second coordinated clause. The sentence efficiently connects the two intentions with et without repeating je.
Would the meaning change if we said une serviette pour tous instead of une serviette pour chacun?
Yes, it would change slightly. Pour chacun emphasizes that every individual gets one towel separately, while pour tous would suggest a towel provided collectively for the entire group without specifying that each person receives one.