La mise en œuvre: which noun controls French agreement?

Find the head noun in la mise en œuvre des mesures. Practise singular verbs, feminine participles and plural mises en place with examples and a quiz.

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In short

In la mise en œuvre des mesures, the main noun is feminine singular mise. It controls agreement: La mise en œuvre des mesures est prévue lundi. For several implementations, pluralise the head: les mises en œuvre. The fixed ending en œuvre stays the same.

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Volunteers unpack books and arrange a community reading corner.
La mise en œuvre brings a shared plan into practice. Illustration: Atelier

The action as a verb and as a noun

mettre en œuvreto implement

Focus: The actor is the subject of the verb.

Le comité met les mesures en œuvre lundi.
The committee implements the measures on Monday.

la mise en œuvre dethe implementation of

Focus: The process becomes the subject.

La mise en œuvre des mesures commence lundi.
Implementation of the measures begins on Monday.

Change the head, then check the agreement

Singular and plural models
SubjectWhat follows
La mise en place du dispositifest progressive.
Les mises en place successivessont terminées.
La mise en œuvre des mesuresest prévue lundi.
Les mises en œuvre locales de la réformesont prévues en septembre.

Mise en place means setting something up; mise en œuvre means implementing it. Both have the feminine head mise. When you count separate operations, use mises. Add plural agreement to the adjective or participle describing those operations: successives, terminées, prévues.

  • La mise en œuvre des mesures sont prévues lundi.La mise en œuvre des mesures est prévue lundi.

    The singular process is the subject, even though the measures are plural.

  • La mise en place du dispositif est progressif.La mise en place du dispositif est progressive.

    The adjective describes feminine mise en place, so it takes feminine agreement.

  • Les mises en places sont terminées.Les mises en place sont terminées.

    Add plural -s to the head mises. Keep the fixed expression en place.

Swap the actor to test your analysis

La mise en œuvre du projet par l’équipe est confirmée. La mise en œuvre du projet par le comité est confirmée.

Implementation of the project by the team is confirmed. Implementation of the project by the committee is confirmed.

Changing a feminine actor to a masculine actor leaves confirmée unchanged. The participle describes the implementation.

Le lancement du projet est confirmé.

The launch of the project is confirmed.

Now the head itself has changed: masculine lancement gives confirmé.

Question 1No account needed
Complete the sentence.La mise en œuvre des consignes ___ demain.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

commence. The singular action noun is the head; the plural instructions belong to its complement.

Question 2No account needed
Describe two successive setups.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Ces deux mises en place sont terminées.. The head and participle take feminine plural agreement; the fixed ending stays unchanged.

Question 3No account needed
Which word controls the participle in La mise en œuvre du projet par le comité est confirmée?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

mise. The feminine singular head of the subject controls the predicate participle.

Question 4No account needed
Complete the sentence with the new head noun.Le lancement des mesures est ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

confirmé. The head is now masculine singular, so the participle takes that agreement.