where does the 'd' before 'y' come from
SVP m'expliquez
- « Back to Q&A Forum
- « Previous questionNext question »
Susan T.Kwiziq community member
SVP m'expliquez
C'est bien d'y aller à pied,
This question relates to:French lesson "Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)"
Asked 1 year ago
Susan, this is an impersonal expression using 'ce' as a 'dummy subject' (that is 'ce' does not replace a known noun - it is a general statement).
The preposition 'de' is needed whether using 'il' or 'ce' as dummy subjects, in impersonal expressions of the form "il est (adjective) de (infinitive)" or "c'est (adjective) de (infinitive)".
This, and the distinction between 'real' and 'dummy' subjects, is discussed in section 2 of the attached link from Laura Lawless.
https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/using-impersonal-expressions/
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Ask a question
Find your French level for FREE
Test your French to the CEFR standard
Find your French level