Marie écrit un rapport, puis elle l'envoie par courriel.

Marie

Breakdown of Marie écrit un rapport, puis elle l'envoie par courriel.

• elle: she
• l': it
• envoyer: to send
• écrire: to write
• par: by
• puis: then
• le rapport: the report
• le courriel: the email

Questions & Answers about Marie écrit un rapport, puis elle l'envoie par courriel.

Why is écrit in the third-person singular present tense?

Since the subject is Marie, a third-person singular noun, we use écrit, the third-person singular form of écrire in the present. It describes what Marie is doing right now.

Why isn’t there a preposition before un rapport?

The verb écrire is transitive when you write something: you write un rapport directly. If you write to someone, you use écrire à (+ person). Here Marie writes the report itself, so no preposition is needed.

Why do we say elle l’envoie and what does l’ stand for?

l’ is the direct object pronoun replacing le rapport (masculine singular). French avoids repeating the noun, so elle l’envoie means “she sends it.”

Why is the pronoun placed before the verb in l’envoie instead of after it?

In French simple tenses (present, passé composé, etc.), object pronouns always precede the conjugated verb. Only in affirmative commands do pronouns follow the verb.

Why is courriel used instead of e-mail or mail?

courriel is the official French term (short for courrier électronique). e-mail and mail are anglicisms—understood but less formal and not preferred in standard French.

Why do we use par in par courriel?

We use par to indicate the medium or means: par avion, par téléphone, par courriel. It tells you how the report is sent.

What’s the difference between puis, et, and ensuite when connecting actions?

et simply means “and.” ensuite means “then/afterwards” in a neutral way. puis also means “then/after that” but is slightly more formal or literary than ensuite. All can link actions, but puis often signals a clear sequence.

Why is the present tense used instead of the future “enverra”?

French often uses the present to narrate immediate or sequential actions (the “historic present”). Saying Marie écrit un rapport, puis elle l’envoie keeps both actions in the same present timeframe. Using enverra would shift to the future narrative.