Breakdown of Marie achète des raisins pour le dessert, mais elle regrette de ne pas en avoir acheté davantage.
Marie
Marie
elle
she
ne ... pas
not
pour
for
acheter
to buy
de
of
mais
but
davantage
more
en
some
le dessert
the dessert
le raisin
the grape
regretter
to regret
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Questions & Answers about Marie achète des raisins pour le dessert, mais elle regrette de ne pas en avoir acheté davantage.
What does the pronoun en refer to in this sentence?
In the sentence, en replaces the noun phrase des raisins. It functions as a pronoun that avoids repeating the word “raisins” when mentioning that Marie regrets not having bought more of them.
Why do we use the construction de ne pas en avoir acheté davantage instead of a simpler form like avoir acheté plus de raisins?
The construction regrette de ne pas en avoir acheté davantage is typical after verbs like regretter, which are followed by the preposition de and an infinitive. Here, en refers back to des raisins, and davantage (meaning “more”) emphasizes quantity. This structure neatly expresses the idea of regret over a past action without unnecessary repetition.
How is the tense used in the sentence, specifically the present achète versus the infinitive avoir acheté later on?
Marie achète des raisins is in the present tense, describing what she is currently doing (buying grapes). Later, regrette de ne pas en avoir acheté davantage uses the infinitive form because it refers to a completed action that she wishes had been different. This combination is common in French; the action she is doing is in the present, while the regret concerns a past action expressed in an infinitive construction.
What does the word davantage mean and how is it used here?
Davantage means “more” or “to a greater extent.” In the sentence, it modifies the idea of buying: Marie regrets not having bought a larger quantity of grapes. It essentially reinforces the notion that the number of grapes purchased was insufficient for her dessert plans.
What role does the phrase pour le dessert play in this sentence?
The phrase pour le dessert is a prepositional phrase that explains the purpose of buying the grapes. It tells us that the grapes were intended to be used in making or serving dessert, thus providing context for both her action and her subsequent regret.