Let's avoid them an awkward situation

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Let's avoid them an awkward situation

The subject text was part of a recent pronouns exercise.

As I understand it the use of the imperative voice was being tested and I wrote "évitons-les" which was incorrect and the correct answer was "évitons-leur" .

I don't understand this because the verb éviter is transitive not intransitive?

I would like to understand why the correct answer is not évitons-les?

Asked 6 years ago
Tom K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Hi Jim,

I cannot find the original reference but the English sentence seems rather clumsily  constructed to me but I believe the reason that the answer is leur rather that les is that the following construction is called for:

éviter quelque chose à quelqu'un - Spare somebody something.

So the answer should be something like: évitez-leur une sitation génante.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Thanks Tom,

I see your point and I agree   éviter quelque chose à quelqu'un 

would indeed produce an answer of évitons-leur.

You have answered my question   -- many thanks.

Alan

CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Jim,

Just to add to Tom's excellent answer, if it was simply -

'éviter quelque chose/quelqu'un'

as in :

Let's avoid them!  = Evitons-les! 

or

Evitez-les! Avoid them!

You would then use the direct object pronouns.

Hope this helps!

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Thanks Cécile,

Perhaps it was that aspect (imperative) that puzzled me as to why évitons-les was deemed to be wrong.

But when we think of Tom's point in the sense of "spare somebody something" then he is right with évitons-leur and this was what, I suspect, the question was looking for.

Very much appreciate your comment though about the imperative point.

Regards,

Alan (Jim)

Let's avoid them an awkward situation

The subject text was part of a recent pronouns exercise.

As I understand it the use of the imperative voice was being tested and I wrote "évitons-les" which was incorrect and the correct answer was "évitons-leur" .

I don't understand this because the verb éviter is transitive not intransitive?

I would like to understand why the correct answer is not évitons-les?

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