Spot the mistake
French grammatical homophones in a long argument: quoique, quoi que, quelque
Correct French quoique, quoi que and quelque in grammatical contexts that distinguish concession, an unrestricted object, plural quantity and adverbial approximation.
- C2
- 6 sentences
- Tap the wrong word
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In short
Use quoique for “although” and quoi que for “whatever”. Quelques objections gives an indefinite plural quantity; quelque trois cents means approximately three hundred. In quelque pertinentes qu’elles soient, quelque modifies the adjective and stays invariable.
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| Function | Test | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Concession | Replace by bien que. | Quoique le délai soit court… |
| Unrestricted thing | Whatever the thing decided. | Quoi que vous décidiez… |
| Indefinite plural quantity | A few objections. | Quelques objections précises… |
| Approximation | About three hundred. | Quelque trois cents pages… |
| Adverb before adjective | However relevant. | Quelque pertinentes qu’elles soient… |
Tap the word that's wrong in each sentence.
Whatever you decide, explain your criterion.
The intended unrestricted object is whatever you decide, not although.
Although the deadline is short, we can reread.
Concession is equivalent to bien que; replace the first two words as one segment.
A few precise objections deserve an answer.
An indefinite plural quantity modifies objections.
Approximately three hundred pages make up the file.
Adverbial approximation before a numeral is invariable.
However relevant these objections are, they do not settle everything.
Adverbial quelque modifies the adjective pertinentes and is invariable.
He is supposed to submit the note tomorrow.
The intended meaning is supposed to, not sensible.
The sound alone cannot resolve the spelling. Read enough of the clause to identify the missing role: quoi can be the thing decided, whereas quoique introduces a complete concessive clause. The subjunctive can occur in both constructions, so merely noticing that mood is not a sufficient test.
For proofreading, paraphrase the relation before checking the ending. “Although” and “whatever” express different structures, not two stylistic options for the same sentence. Likewise, a few pages and approximately three hundred pages give different quantities. A reliable correction preserves the intended meaning while restoring its grammatical form.