Curfews in Paris, Lyon and elsewhere from 19 October: the aftermath of the 17th’s violence

Les chiffres sont ceux des autorités et peuvent changer.

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.

Le 19 octobre, Sébastien Lecornu a annoncé des couvre-feux à Paris, Lyon, Nice et dans d’autres villes, pour la nuit du 19 au 20 octobre.

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”.

Lille, Douai, Denain et Wattignies : portions de communes.

The imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.

D’autres couvre-feux pourront suivre.

The futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.

Après les violences du 17 octobre, des couvre-feux sont instaurés dans de grandes villes.

The passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).

La plupart des couvre-feux courent jusqu’au matin du 20 et peuvent être prolongés ou modifiés ; consultez la préfecture.

The imperative expresses commands, requests and advice. It has no subject: the sentence starts with the verb (Consultez les informations.). The vous form ends in -ez, nous in -ons (Restons prudents.), and tu in -e for -er verbs (Consulte). It is very common in notices and warnings (Vérifiez, Consultez, Restez informé).

Selon les autorités, environ 2 400 interpellations et près d’un millier de membres des forces de l’ordre blessés ; Gérald Darmanin évoque 2 331 gardes à vue.

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.

La plupart des couvre-feux courent jusqu’au matin du 20 et peuvent être prolongés ou modifiés ; consultez la préfecture.

Put a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.

À Paris, les habitants et les personnes qui s’y rendent pour travailler sont exemptés.

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.

À Paris, les habitants et les personnes qui s’y rendent pour travailler sont exemptés.

Qui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.

調査が始まったことは、警察に問題があったと決まったという意味ではありません。

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.

調査が始まったことは、警察に問題があったと決まったという意味ではありません。

It takes up a word, as in “在留資格とは？”, and asks for its meaning. In explanations it is used as “〜とは、…です”. Here the quotation と and the topic は are combined.

外出禁止の期間は、ほとんどが20日の朝までで、延長や変更があるかもしれません。

These forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.

調査が始まったことは、警察に問題があったと決まったという意味ではありません。

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.

ルコルニュ首相は19日、パリ、リヨン、ニースなどで、夜間の外出を制限すると発表しました。

“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.

17日の暴動を受けて、大都市で夜間の外出が制限されました。

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.