Small paragraph in need of a last look over please :D

Heya,

Writing several pieces of written work for my university applications for other languages but still have to do one in French .. ?! Anyway, here's one of my paragraphs I'm a tad unsure about, looking for either the go-ahead sign or some corrections.

"Au sujet du futur, il est sensé de continuer avec la production dans les usines existantes afin d’assurer la transition vers une société libre de combustibles fossiles. D’ailleurs, la construction de nouvelles usines dépendra plus de la politique à l’avenir et elles seront sans aucune doute abandonnées avant que leurs émissions commencent à sembler importants. "

Thanks

Reply 1

Sundous

Edit: misread "combustibles fossiles" is fine, wesetters option is even better

sensé is a bit ambiguous I've never heard of it: perhaps use "necessaire" ?

the rest looks perfect to me!

Reply 2

Terrafire

:O With your French UMS, I don't think the universities will need much convinving that your French is okay! My A grade in A2 French was the dodgiest thing ever - 480/600...

Anyway, to my ignorant eye the passage looks fine with the corrections already made, except perhaps

"elles seront sans aucune doute abandonnées avant que leurs émissions ne commencent à sembler importants. "

I would put 'ne' in there after 'avant que' when using the subjunctive.

Edit: I hate to say this, but isn't French a rather ungainly language? It's only just occurred to me really, but it's very often wordy and inelegant... :frown:

That feels like blasphemy lol.

Reply 3

Terrafire

wesetters

The style in French is generally to rather short phrases and succinctity. The ungainliness comes when Anglo-Saxons write it and make funny long sentences, generally. Look at some prose from one of the great French authors and it looks nothjing like it :p:

You're spot on, thinking about it. Most non-native people writing French create silly fat sentences with about a million conjunctions, which might show off a command of the language and how one can use complex conjunctions correctly, but does nothing for the style. Correct is not always good, but most language courses below degree-level ignore stylistic points in favour of accuracy, which is a shame.

That's no reflection on the passage posted by the OP, I hasten to add! Shame the subject is so boring though... :p: