Spot the mistake
French civic action corrections: participer à, voter pour, signer
Correct six French civic-action constructions with participer à, voter pour, signer and s’opposer à, using the intended meaning of each sentence.
- B1
- 6 sentences
- Tap the wrong word
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Use participer à une réunion, voter pour une proposition and signer une pétition. S’opposer à une mesure names opposition. The preposition belongs to the expression and its intended meaning: voter contre expresses rejection, while signing takes the document directly.
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In each sentence, identify the one word that prevents the intended construction, then replace it. Use each English meaning to establish whether the sentence intends participation, support, signature or opposition.
Tap the word that's wrong in each sentence.
I am taking part in this meeting.
To take part in a meeting, use participer à une réunion.
She votes in favour of this proposal.
For the intended support, use voter pour cette proposition.
We sign the petition.
Signer takes its document directly: signer la pétition.
They oppose this measure.
To oppose a measure, use the reflexive s’opposer à. The elided pronoun stays attached to the verb: ils s’opposent.
You take part in this debate.
For joining this debate, use participer à ce débat.
I propose amending the text.
After proposer de, the verb is the infinitive modifier.
Pour and contre express different positions
Voter pour supports an option; voter contre rejects it. The exercise specifies the supportive meaning so that pour is the intended correction. Other uses of voter exist, including voter une loi in an institutional setting. This page teaches the complete examples given here instead of treating a single preposition as a rule for every use of the verb.
The document is what you sign
Je signe cette pétition après avoir lu le texte.
I sign this petition after reading the text.
Cette pétition is the direct object. No à or pour belongs between signe and the document in that sentence. A separate pour phrase can give a purpose, as in Je signe cette pétition pour soutenir l’accès au jardin. That purpose phrase does not replace the direct object.
Keep the reflexive form attached
S’opposer is reflexive: je m’oppose, nous nous opposons, ils s’opposent. The apostrophe replaces the vowel of se before opposent. Keep the reflexive pronoun and verb together as s’opposent. À introduces the measure opposed.
For practice, describe one meeting, one view and one action: Je participe à la réunion. Je vote pour la proposition. Je propose de modifier les horaires. These sentences can coexist because taking part, supporting and suggesting a change describe different aspects of participation.