Presidential election: Glucksmann wins a primary

Une primaire est un vote pour choisir un candidat avant une élection.

Être in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.

Une partie de la gauche a choisi son candidat à la présidentielle.

The passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.

Selon L’Internaute le 12 octobre, Raphaël Glucksmann a été désigné dès le premier tour de la primaire de la gauche sociale-démocrate, dimanche soir, avec environ 66 % des voix.

The past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.

Il appelle à rassembler la gauche tout en réaffirmant son refus d’une alliance avec LFI.

The gerund means “while doing”, “by doing” or “when doing”. Its form is en + present participle (-ant). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add -ant (faire → faisant). The subject is normally that of the main clause. It shows things happening at the same time, or the means.

Ce scrutin concerne la gauche sociale-démocrate ; il ne s’agit pas du résultat de l’élection présidentielle.

A pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).

Le président de la République n’a pas été élu.

Normally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.

Selon L’Internaute le 12 octobre, Raphaël Glucksmann a été désigné dès le premier tour de la primaire de la gauche sociale-démocrate, dimanche soir, avec environ 66 % des voix.

Selon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.

Une primaire est un vote pour choisir un candidat avant une élection.

This is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.

Ce scrutin concerne la gauche sociale-démocrate ; il ne s’agit pas du résultat de l’élection présidentielle.

It explains what something is about: “it is a matter of…”. The il is not a particular man but a formal subject of this construction. The negative il ne s’agit pas de means “this is not about…”.

Selon L’Internaute le 12 octobre, Raphaël Glucksmann a été désigné dès le premier tour de la primaire de la gauche sociale-démocrate, dimanche soir, avec environ 66 % des voix.

Le 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.

L’Internauteの報道によると、ラファエル・グリュックスマン氏が11日夜、社会民主系左派の予備選で約66％の票を獲得しました。

As in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.

大統領が決まったわけではありません。

These forms limit and deny an interpretation: “it does not necessarily follow” or “that is not what is meant”. They do not necessarily deny every fact in the sentence. Read what is being denied together with the earlier part.

今回は社会民主系左派の候補選びで、フランス大統領選そのものの結果ではありません。

They negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.

予備選は、本選挙に出る候補を選ぶための投票です。

ため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.

左派の一部が、大統領選に出る候補を選びました。

In “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.

第1回投票で候補に選ばれたと報じられています。

と takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.