Asking for feedback on a proposal draft | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. J'ai terminé un brouillon de la proposition.

   I finished a draft of the proposal.

   J'ai

   I have

   terminé

   finished

   brouillon

   draft

   proposition

   proposal

   More detail

   J'ai combines the subject pronoun je (“I”) with the present-tense auxiliary ai, the first-person singular form of avoir (“to have”). In this sentence, ai helps form the passé composé; it is not expressing possession. The apostrophe is an elision of je before the vowel sound in ai. terminé is the past participle of terminer (“to finish”). With ai, it forms j'ai terminé, meaning “I finished” here. The passé composé commonly presents a completed past event. For example, J'ai fini le travail. means “I finished the work.” brouillon is a masculine noun meaning “draft,” as in an unfinished version of a text. The phrase un brouillon uses the indefinite article un; it introduces a draft without asserting a particular numeric count. The noun is masculine, which is why this article is un rather than une. proposition is a feminine noun meaning “proposal” here. In de la proposition, de la marks the proposal that the draft concerns: “of the proposal.” The feminine article la agrees with proposition; after de, it remains de la in this context. Together, un brouillon de la proposition means “a draft of the proposal.” The completed-event construction J'ai terminé combines with that noun phrase to produce the full meaning: “I finished a draft of the proposal.”

2. Je peux relire le brouillon avant que vous le partagiez.

   I can review it before you share it.

   Je peux

   I can

   relire

   review again

   le

   it

   brouillon

   draft

   avant que

   before

   vous

   you

   partagiez

   share

   More detail

   Je peux uses pouvoir (“to be able to”) in the present tense, first-person singular: je peux. It is followed by an infinitive to express ability or permission in context; here it expresses ability: “I can review.” Example: Je peux venir. — “I can come.” relire means “to read again,” and in this sentence that naturally means “to review.” It is an infinitive, formed with the reusable prefix re- plus lire (“to read”). After a form of pouvoir, the following verb stays in the infinitive: Je peux relire. Example: Elle peut relire le texte. — “She can review the text.” The first le, in le brouillon, is the masculine singular definite article “the.” The noun it introduces is brouillon, meaning “draft.” Brouillon is a noun for an unfinished version of a text or document; its plural is brouillons. Example: Le brouillon est prêt. — “The draft is ready.” avant que means “before” and introduces an event that has not yet happened relative to the main event. In standard French, it is followed by the subjunctive. Thus avant que vous le partagiez means “before you share it,” rather than using the indicative form that would normally describe a straightforward fact. vous is the subject pronoun for second-person plural and also for formal second-person singular address. The fixed translation gives “you” but does not determine which of these grammatical uses is intended. In vous le partagiez, the form partagiez is the second-person plural/formal-subject form. The second occurrence of le, in vous le partagiez, is not an article. It is a masculine singular direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here, referring to the draft identified in the sentence and preceding context. French object pronouns normally come before the conjugated verb: vous le partagez means “you share it.” partagiez comes from partager (“to share”). Here it is the present subjunctive, second-person plural/formal form, selected after avant que: que vous partagiez. The base infinitive is partager; the ending in partagiez marks the vous subject in this subjunctive form. Example: Je partirai avant que vous arriviez. — “I will leave before you arrive.” Together, Je peux relire le brouillon says “I can review the draft.” The clause avant que vous le partagiez adds the time condition “before you share it,” with the second le referring back to the draft. The complete utterance therefore means: “I can review it before you share it.”

3. Pouvez-vous vérifier la section d'introduction ?

   Could you check the introduction section?

   Pouvez-vous

   Could you

   vérifier

   check

   section

   section

   d'introduction

   introduction

   More detail

   Pouvez-vous is an inverted question form built from pouvez, the present-tense form of pouvoir, and vous, the subject pronoun. Pouvez agrees with vous, which can refer to several people or to one person addressed formally; this form alone does not determine which. In this request, the form makes the request polite: “Could you…?” The present form does not itself specify a past time. A reusable pattern is Pouvez-vous + infinitive ... ?, for example: Pouvez-vous attendre ? — “Could you wait?” vérifier is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify.” After pouvoir, French uses an infinitive: Vous pouvez vérifier — “You can check.” The infinitive does not show the subject or tense by itself; pouvez carries the person and tense here. section is a feminine noun meaning “section” or “part.” Its gender is a grammatical property of the noun, not a statement about the section’s content. The plural is sections, as in deux sections — “two sections.” d'introduction contains de (“of/about”) before introduction; the final vowel of de is elided before the vowel-initial noun, giving d'introduction. introduction means “introduction,” and the phrase identifies which section is meant: the introduction section. The apostrophe is part of the written form of this elision. For example, la page d'accueil means “the home page.” Together, Pouvez-vous vérifier forms a polite request using pouvoir plus an infinitive. la section d'introduction is the noun phrase naming what should be checked. The complete utterance therefore means: “Could you check the introduction section?”

4. L'idée principale est claire.

   The main idea is clear.

   L'idée

   the idea

   principale

   main

   est

   is

   claire

   clear

   More detail

   L'idée is the noun phrase “the idea.” idée is a feminine noun; its plural is idées. The definite article appears as l' before a vowel sound: l'idée. This article marks a specific noun, not a numeric quantity. principale means “main” here and describes idée. It is the feminine singular form of principal; the masculine singular form is principal, and the plural forms are principaux (masculine) and principales (feminine). The adjective agrees with the noun it describes. est means “is” here. It is the third-person singular present form of être (“to be”): je suis, tu es, il/elle est. Example: L'idée est simple. — “The idea is simple.” claire means “clear” here. It is the feminine singular form of clair, agreeing with feminine singular idée. Example: La réponse est claire. — “The answer is clear.” Together, L'idée principale means “the main idea,” and est claire says that this idea is clear. The complete utterance is: “The main idea is clear.”

5. Mais la section semble trop longue.

   But the section feels too long.

   Mais

   but

   section

   section

   semble

   seems

   trop

   too

   longue

   long

   More detail

   Mais means “but” and connects this statement with the previous idea while marking a contrast. It is a conjunction and does not change form. Example: Je comprends, mais je préfère attendre. — “I understand, but I prefer to wait.” section is a feminine singular noun meaning “section.” Its plural is sections; the feminine gender matters for the adjective that follows. Example: Cette section est utile. — “This section is useful.” semble is the present-tense third-person singular form of sembler, “to seem” or “to appear.” The pattern sembler + adjective describes how something appears: La réponse semble correcte. — “The answer seems correct.” Here, the fixed translation’s “feels” conveys the intended impression, but semble itself is the form of sembler, not of se sentir. trop means “too” before an adjective and signals an excessive degree: trop long means “too long,” not merely “very long.” Compare très long, “very long,” which expresses a high degree without necessarily saying it is excessive. Example: Le texte est trop compliqué. — “The text is too complicated.” longue means “long” here and is the feminine singular form of the adjective long. It agrees with the feminine singular noun section; the masculine singular form is long, as in un texte long, while the feminine plural form is longues. Example: La phrase est longue. — “The sentence is long.” Together, la section semble trop longue means “the section seems too long”: the section is presented as appearing excessively long. With the initial Mais, the complete utterance is “But the section feels too long.”

6. Devrais-je déplacer certains détails dans une autre section ?

   Should I move some details to another section?

   Devrais-je

   should I

   déplacer

   move

   certains

   some

   détails

   details

   dans

   in; into

   autre

   other; another

   section

   section

   More detail

   Devrais-je is the first-person singular conditional form of devoir, followed by the subject pronoun je through question inversion. Here it expresses a polite or tentative “should I…?” question. The conditional is not the past tense: je dois means “I must / I have to,” while je devrais means “I should.” Example: Devrais-je attendre ? — “Should I wait?” déplacer is the infinitive meaning “to move” or “to relocate.” After devrais-je, the infinitive names the action being considered; the conditional marking is on devrais, not on déplacer. Example: Je devrais vérifier le texte. — “I should check the text.” certains is the masculine plural form of the indefinite determiner/pronoun family corresponding here to “some.” It agrees with the masculine plural noun détails; it does not state an exact number. Its feminine plural counterpart is certaines, as in certaines sections — “some sections.” détails is the plural of the masculine noun détail, meaning “detail.” The plural ending -s is written here but is normally not pronounced in French. Example: J’ajoute un détail. — “I am adding a detail.” dans introduces the destination or place: with a movement verb such as déplacer, dans is naturally understood as “into.” It can also mean “in” with a location that is not being entered. Example: Le fichier est dans le dossier. — “The file is in the folder.” autre means “other” or “another.” In une autre section, it is the feminine singular form agreeing with section; un autre détail is the masculine singular pattern. The article une and the adjective autre together identify a different, unspecified section, not an explicitly stated numerical count. section is the feminine noun meaning “section.” In this sentence it is the destination after dans: the details would be moved into a different section. Example: Cette section est courte. — “This section is short.” Together, Devrais-je déplacer asks whether the speaker ought to move something, certains détails identifies the items as some details, and dans une autre section gives the destination. The complete meaning is: “Should I move some details to another section?”

7. Mettez les détails supplémentaires dans la section de contexte.

   Put the extra details in the background section.

   Mettez

   put / place

   détails

   details

   supplémentaires

   extra / additional

   dans

   in

   section

   section

   contexte

   context / background

   More detail

   Mettez means “put” here. It is the vous-form imperative of mettre (“to put/place”), used for one person addressed formally or for more than one person. The present imperative forms are mets (tu), mettez (vous), and mettons (nous). Example: Mettez le livre ici. — “Put the book here.” détails means “details.” It is the plural of the masculine noun détail; les marks these as definite details in the instruction. Example: Les détails sont importants. — “The details are important.” supplémentaires means “extra” or “additional” here. It is the masculine plural form of the adjective supplémentaire, agreeing with masculine plural détails. The adjective has the same written form for masculine and feminine in the plural. Example: des informations supplémentaires — “additional information.” dans means “in” or “into.” With a destination such as la section, it indicates where something is to be placed. Example: Mettez le document dans le dossier. — “Put the document in the folder.” section means “section.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by la in the full phrase la section. Example: Cette section est courte. — “This section is short.” contexte means “context” and, in this fixed translation, contributes to “background” in section de contexte. It is a masculine noun: le contexte. The sequence de contexte specifies what kind of section it is; in the natural English translation, de is not rendered as a separate word. Example: Le contexte est important. — “The context is important.” Together, Mettez gives the instruction, les détails supplémentaires identifies the extra details to be placed, and dans la section de contexte identifies their destination. The complete meaning is: “Put the extra details in the background section.”

8. Je vais réviser le brouillon et vous le renvoyer.

   I will revise the draft and send it back.

   Je vais

   I will

   réviser

   revise

   brouillon

   draft

   vous

   you

   le

   it

   renvoyer

   send back

   More detail

   Je vais introduces the near-future construction aller + infinitive. vais is the first-person singular present form of aller; here it combines with the following infinitives to express “I will” or “I am going to.” The subject je is included in this construction, so the verb agrees with the speaker. réviser means “to revise” here. It is an infinitive, the form used after vais. The useful pattern is je vais + infinitive: Je vais répondre. — “I will answer.” brouillon means “draft.” The masculine singular noun appears with the definite article le in the full phrase le brouillon, referring to the draft as an identifiable document. French nouns have grammatical gender, so this noun takes masculine le; that gender is a property of brouillon, not of the verb réviser. vous is an object pronoun meaning “you.” In this sentence it marks the recipient of the later action: the speaker will send the item back to the addressee. Vous can refer to one person addressed formally or to more than one person; the supplied sentence does not specify which. Its form is the same in those uses. le is a masculine singular direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here. The translation identifies the item as the draft, and le matches the masculine singular grammatical form of brouillon. French object pronouns normally come before the verb: Je le renvoie. — “I send it back.” renvoyer means “to send back.” It is an infinitive, coordinated with réviser after the same vais; the repeated subject is understood rather than stated again. The prefix-like element re- is part of this verb’s spelling and meaning here, so do not replace it with the unrelated verb envoyer (“to send”) when the return meaning is intended. The pattern vous le renvoyer places the recipient pronoun vous before the direct-object pronoun le, followed by the infinitive. Together, Je vais réviser le brouillon means “I will revise the draft,” and et vous le renvoyer adds “and send it back to you.” The shared vais supplies the future meaning for both actions, while le refers back to the draft and vous identifies the recipient. The whole utterance therefore means: “I will revise the draft and send it back.”

9. Envoyez la nouvelle version quand elle sera prête.

   Send the new version when it is ready.

   Envoyez

   Send

   la

   the

   nouvelle

   new

   version

   version

   quand

   when

   elle

   it

   sera

   will be

   prête

   ready

   More detail

   Envoyez is the vous imperative of envoyer, “to send.” It can address one person formally or several people; the form itself does not identify which. Example: Envoyez le fichier. — “Send the file.” la is the feminine singular definite article, “the.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun version. The other singular definite article is le for masculine nouns; both become l’ before a vowel sound. nouvelle is the feminine singular form of nouveau, “new,” here agreeing with version. Compare un nouveau document — “a new document” — with une nouvelle version — “a new version.” version is a feminine singular noun meaning “version.” Its gender is reflected here by la and nouvelle. Example: La version est correcte. — “The version is correct.” quand is a conjunction meaning “when.” It introduces the time clause that specifies when the sending should happen. Example: Appelez-moi quand vous arrivez. — “Call me when you arrive.” elle is a third-person feminine singular subject pronoun. In this sentence, the fixed translation supports “it,” referring to la nouvelle version; its feminine form agrees grammatically with that noun. Depending on context, elle can also mean “she.” sera is the third-person singular future form of être, “to be”: être → sera. Here it places the state of being ready in the future relative to the utterance or relevant reference time. It is not a form of avoir. prête is the feminine singular form of the adjective prêt, “ready.” It agrees with elle, whose supported referent here is la nouvelle version. The masculine singular form is prêt, as in Le document est prêt. — “The document is ready.” Together, Envoyez la nouvelle version gives the request “Send the new version.” quand elle sera prête adds the time clause “when it will be ready”; natural English uses the present form in this future time clause: “when it is ready.” The complete utterance is: “Send the new version when it is ready.”