Spot the mistake
French debate corrections: porter sur, répondre à and objecter que
Correct porter sur, répondre à and objecter que in French debate summaries. Practise one precise complement correction per sentence.
- B2
- 5 sentences
- Tap the wrong word
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In short
Use porter sur for a topic, répondre à for a question or person, and objecter que before an objection clause. L’objection porte sur le coût. Elle répond à la question. Il objecte que le délai est trop court.
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A summary can contain the right vocabulary but attach the complement with an English preposition. The error hunt below targets one linking word per sentence. The verb and intended relationship stay fixed. In the final sentence, the chair is replying to Léa, rather than taking responsibility for her.
| Verb | Complement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| porter sur | Topic noun | Le débat porte sur les horaires. |
| répondre à | Question or person | Elle répond à Mina. |
| objecter que | Full proposition | Il objecte que le budget manque. |
Tap the word that's wrong in each sentence.
The topic follows porter sur: the debate concerns the trial’s duration.
Répondre à introduces the question answered. The question itself can concern cost.
The following subject and verb form a full clause, introduced here by que.
The subject of an objection follows porter sur.
To answer Léa, use répondre à Léa. Répondre de has a different meaning of responsibility.
A different preposition may create a different meaning
Répondre de quelque chose can mean answer for or be responsible for it. It is not the construction for replying to a person. Objecter à quelqu’un que… can identify the addressee as well as the objection clause: elle lui objecte que le coût n’est pas évalué. Keep the roles separate.
Le débat porte sur le budget ; Nora répond à Paul et lui objecte que le coût annoncé exclut les essais.
The debate concerns the budget; Nora answers Paul and objects that the announced cost excludes testing.
When a correction changes the relationship, reread the intended roles: who speaks, to whom, about what and with which objection? Those questions help you preserve the argument while repairing the grammar.