dont or ou

chris w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

dont or ou

Le film, ________ l'acteur principal est Jean Dujardin, a gagné un Oscar.  Why can this not be 'ou' (accented of course) rather than dont?. It seems to work grammatically.
Asked 3 years ago
Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Hi Chris,

Yes!   It (where) probably would work in English, but in french we need to express "of whom" The film "of whom / of which" the actor .....

This is why "dont" is the most appropriate.

This is how I see it   --  hope it helps.

Jim.

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

is a spatial or temporal preposition (where, when). As Jim says, in the example you inquire about, you are looking for a possessive construction (of which).

dont or ou

Le film, ________ l'acteur principal est Jean Dujardin, a gagné un Oscar.  Why can this not be 'ou' (accented of course) rather than dont?. It seems to work grammatically.

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