Learn Hardcore French: Je cherche un professeur de français qui puisse corriger mes textes chaque semaine. - I am looking for a French teacher who can correct my texts every week.

Je cherche un professeur de français qui puisse corriger mes textes…
= I’m looking for some French teacher who would be able to correct my texts (I don’t know yet if such a person exists / I don’t have them yet).

If you’re describing a known, real, identified teacher, you use the indicative (peut):

J’ai un professeur de français qui peut corriger mes textes chaque semaine.
= I have a French teacher who can correct my texts every week.

So:

chercher / vouloir / avoir besoin de / souhaiter
- un/une/des
  - qui…
    → often trigger the subjunctive: qui puisse, qui sache, etc., when the person/thing is just desired/possible, not already certain.

What exactly is « puisse » (tense, mood, person), and how does it relate to « peut »?

« Puisse » is:

Verb: pouvoir (to be able to / can)
Mood: subjunctive
Tense: present
Person: 3rd person singular (il/elle/on)

Present indicative of pouvoir (the “normal” one):

je peux
tu peux
il/elle/on peut
nous pouvons
vous pouvez
ils/elles peuvent

Present subjunctive of pouvoir:

que je puisse
que tu puisses
qu’il/elle/on puisse
que nous puissions
que vous puissiez
qu’ils/elles puissent

So in your sentence, « qui puisse » = “who can / would be able to”, but in a context that requires the subjunctive.

Can I say « qui peut corriger » instead of « qui puisse corriger »? What’s the difference?

You can say « qui peut corriger », but the nuance changes.

Je cherche un professeur de français qui puisse corriger mes textes.
→ Standard, careful French when:
- You’re just looking for such a person.
- You don’t know if they exist yet.
- It sounds slightly more formal / precise.
Je cherche un professeur de français qui peut corriger mes textes.
→ Grammatically possible in spoken French, but:
- It can sound less careful to some speakers.
- It might suggest you kind of assume such teachers are available or that you already know this is generally possible.

In written, careful French (especially in exercises or exams), « qui puisse » is the expected form here.

Why is it « un professeur de français » and not « un professeur français »?

Because these two structures mean different things:

un professeur de français
= a teacher of French (French is the subject taught)
- professeur de maths = math teacher
- professeur de musique = music teacher
un professeur français
= a teacher who is French (French is the nationality)
- un professeur allemand = a teacher who is German
- un professeur canadien = a Canadian teacher

So:

You want someone who teaches the French language → professeur de français
You want a teacher who is French by nationality → professeur français

Is « professeur » masculine or feminine? How do I refer to a female teacher?

Traditionally, « professeur » is grammatically masculine, even for women:

un professeur de français → can be a man or a woman
You then refer to a female teacher with elle:
- Mon professeur de français est très gentille. Elle m’aide beaucoup.
  (“My French teacher is very kind. She helps me a lot.”)

Modern usage:

Some people now write « une professeure » (feminine form), especially in Canada and in some modern/inclusive French contexts.
In everyday speech, many people simply say:
- un prof de français (masc., for anyone)
- une prof de français (fem., very common in speech)

For general, neutral French, « un professeur de français » is perfectly correct even if the teacher is a woman.

Why is it « je cherche un professeur » and not « je cherche pour un professeur » (like “I’m looking for a teacher”)?

Because « chercher » already means “to look for” in French.

chercher = to look for / to search for / to seek

You do not add pour in this meaning:

Je cherche un professeur. = I’m looking for a teacher.
Je cherche mes clés. = I’m looking for my keys.
Je cherche un appartement. = I’m looking for an apartment.

« Chercher pour » exists but normally means “to search / look on behalf of someone”:

Je cherche pour mon ami. = I’m searching on behalf of my friend.

So in your sentence, « je cherche un professeur de français » is exactly “I’m looking for a French teacher.”

Why is it « mes textes » and not just « les textes »?

French uses possessive adjectives (mon/ma/mes, ton/ta/tes, etc.) more systematically than English to show whose things we’re talking about.

mes textes = my texts
les textes = the texts (could be anyone’s; just “the texts” in general)

In English, context often allows you to say:

“Can you correct the texts every week?” and still mean my texts.

In French, if you mean your own texts, you almost always say:

corriger mes textes (my texts)
corriger ses textes (his/her texts)
etc.

« Corriger les textes » would be understood as some specific texts known from context, but not automatically as “my texts.” Your version « mes textes » is the natural choice here.

What is the difference between « chaque semaine » and « toutes les semaines »?

Both can translate as “every week”, and in many contexts they’re interchangeable.

chaque semaine
- Literally: “each week”
- Slightly more neutral/formal.
- Focuses a bit on each individual week.
toutes les semaines
- Literally: “all the weeks”
- Very common in speech.
- Emphasizes repetition, “week in, week out”.

In your sentence, both are fine:

…qui puisse corriger mes textes chaque semaine.
…qui puisse corriger mes textes toutes les semaines.

The meaning in everyday use is practically the same: regular weekly correction.

Why do we use « qui » and not « que » in « qui puisse corriger »?

Because « qui » is the relative pronoun used when it is the subject of the verb that follows.

In your sentence:

qui is the subject of puisse corriger
“(a teacher) who can correct…”

Structure:

Je cherche un professeur de français (antecedent)
qui (relative pronoun = subject)
puisse corriger mes textes (verb phrase)

Compare with « que », which is used as a direct object:

Le professeur que je cherche est très patient.
- que = direct object of je cherche
- I am looking for the teacher.
Le professeur qui m’aide est très patient.
- qui = subject of aide
- The teacher who helps me is very patient.

In « qui puisse corriger », the teacher is the one doing the correcting, so qui is needed.

Could I say « un professeur de français pour corriger mes textes chaque semaine » instead of « qui puisse corriger »?

Yes, you can say:

Je cherche un professeur de français pour corriger mes textes chaque semaine.

This is completely correct and natural. The nuance:

« qui puisse corriger »
- Describes a quality/ability of the teacher.
- Emphasizes “a teacher who is able to correct my texts.”
« pour corriger »
- Expresses purpose: “a teacher in order to correct my texts.”
- Feels a bit more goal-oriented and is very common in everyday speech and ads:
  - Je cherche un professeur de français pour progresser à l’oral.

Both are fine; « pour corriger » is slightly simpler and very natural in spoken French.

Is « de français » absolutely necessary? Can I say just « un professeur qui puisse corriger… »?

You can omit « de français »:

Je cherche un professeur qui puisse corriger mes textes chaque semaine.

Then it simply means “a teacher” (not necessarily a French teacher), which could be fine if:

The context already makes it clear that the subject is French.
Or you don’t care which subject they teach; you just want a teacher to correct your texts.

Adding « de français »:

Specifies that you want someone who teaches French.
Removes ambiguity.

So:

If you mean “a French teacher” specifically → keep « de français ».
If you just need any teacher (or the context already indicates French) → you can drop it.

What is the level of formality of this sentence? Could I use it in a message or advertisement?

The sentence is neutral and perfectly appropriate for many contexts:

Email to a teacher / school:
- Je cherche un professeur de français qui puisse corriger mes textes chaque semaine.
Ad in a Facebook group / forum:
- Same sentence works fine.
Spoken request:
- It’s correct, though in casual speech people might simplify:
  - Je cherche un prof de français pour corriger mes textes chaque semaine.

So:

Register: neutral, slightly on the careful side (mainly because of the subjunctive puisse).
Usage: totally fine in both written and spoken French, especially when you want to sound polite and clear.