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Condense French source sentences: keep the maximum and the exception

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Shorten French lending rules while retaining who can borrow, how many items, the excluded category and the deadline. Includes five controlled rewriting drills.

In short

Cut repeated wording before cutting a limit. Jusqu’à deux objets keeps a maximum; hors outils électriques keeps an exclusion. A shorter version is faithful when the reader still understands the same permission, exception and deadline.

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A resident borrows a simple hand rake and watering can from a community equipment cupboard, helped by a volunteer, no written labels or power tools.
The lending scene gives jusqu’à deux objets a context. Illustration: Atelier

Les résidents peuvent emprunter au maximum deux objets à la fois. Les outils électriques sont exclus du prêt. Les objets doivent être rendus au plus tard le mardi suivant.

Residents may borrow at most two items at a time. Power tools are excluded from lending. Items must be returned by the following Tuesday at the latest.

Your task is a complete short summary of these lending rules.

What can be borrowed?

Study first: replace repetition, keep the boundary
Source wordingCompact wordingWhat survives
au maximum deux objetsjusqu’à deux objetsMaximum, not an obligation to take two.
les outils électriques sont exclushors outils électriquesThe excluded category.
les objets doivent être rendusles objets sont à rendreThe return obligation.
au plus tard le mardi suivantau plus tard le mardi suivantThe final return date.

Les résidents peuvent emprunter jusqu’à deux objets à la fois, hors outils électriques. Ils doivent les rendre au plus tard le mardi suivant.

Residents may borrow up to two items at a time, excluding power tools. They must return them by the following Tuesday at the latest.

Two short sentences keep the permission and the return obligation easy to follow. Ils refers to the residents; les refers to the borrowed objects. The phrase à la fois keeps the maximum tied to simultaneous borrowing. The deadline includes Tuesday: replacing it with avant mardi would move the boundary.

Test the shortened version

A self-review aid, not a grade. Ticks are not saved.

1 · Keep the meaning inside each frame

  1. Les résidents peuvent emprunter deux objets à la fois. (Replace “au maximum” with jusqu’…; include the preposition.)
  2. Le prêt est ouvert . (Combine “à + les résidents”.)
  3. Deux objets peuvent être empruntés, outils électriques. (Use the one-word preposition meaning “excluding”.)
  4. Les objets sont au plus tard le mardi suivant. (Replace “doivent être rendus” with à + infinitive.)
  5. Les objets doivent être rendus le mardi suivant. (Restore the three-word phrase meaning “at the latest”.)

Question 1No account needed
Which shortened permission is too broad?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Les résidents peuvent emprunter deux objets de leur choix, sans restriction.. Sans restriction contradicts the excluded category; the source allows fewer than two items too.

Question 2No account needed
Can a summary about excluded categories alone leave out the return date?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Yes, when its stated scope is only the excluded categories.. The deadline is peripheral to a category-only answer, but essential to this complete practical summary.

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