Clermont-Ferrand: a fourth body found after an apartment building fire

Le maire Julien Bony a déclaré : « Clermont-Ferrand est en deuil.

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.

Selon franceinfo, un immeuble d’habitation du centre de Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme) a pris feu dans la nuit du jeudi 29 au vendredi 30 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”.

L’incendie s’est déclaré dans la nuit du 29 au 30 octobre.

The passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Le parquet évoque une « origine criminelle possible », mais la cause n’est pas établie.

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).

Trois corps ont été retrouvés le samedi 31 octobre au matin, puis un quatrième plus tard dans la journée dans les décombres, selon les pompiers cités par ICI Pays d’Auvergne.

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.

Le parquet évoque une « origine criminelle possible », mais la cause n’est pas établie.

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 franceinfo, un immeuble d’habitation du centre de Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme) a pris feu dans la nuit du jeudi 29 au vendredi 30 octobre.

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.

Le parquet est l’organe du ministère public, qui dirige l’enquête et décide des poursuites.

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.

L’incendie s’est déclaré dans la nuit du 29 au 30 octobre.

De…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.

L’incendie s’est déclaré dans la nuit du 29 au 30 octobre.

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.

franceinfoによると、中部オーヴェルニュ地方のクレルモン＝フェラン中心部で、29日から30日にかけての夜、集合住宅が火災になりました。

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.

「可能性がある」ということは、犯罪だと確定し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.

「可能性がある」ということは、犯罪だと確定し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.

検察は「犯罪の可能性」に触れていますが、原因は確定していません。

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.

有罪が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.

garde à vue は、捜査のため警察が一定時間、人を拘束する手続きです。

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.