Is the text meant to trap?
One might think so as its author, Maurice Druon, sows grammatical exceptions and complex agreements.
The brilliant author of the
Cursed Kings
saga was a bit fanciful, even in his choice of words.
The resistance fighter, co-author of
“Song of the Partisans”
with his uncle Joseph Kessel, became a successful man of letters and a flamboyant politician after the war.
He was elected to the French Academy in 1966, of which he became permanent secretary in 1985. We know the honors and appearances that mark his career.
But the text of this dictation will probably be unknown to you.
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And yet, this extract from
“Des Baux à la mer”
is a gold mine for teachers who want to give their students a hard time.
As if he condensed into a few lines the most fanciful exceptions of our language.
The agreement of the verb
“succéder”
, the adjective
“contiguous”
or even color adjectives.
Words with Byzantine spelling, like
“bailiwick”
for example.
This extract will take you through the Baussenc country of Occitan poets, the Baux-de-Provence region.
Will you get 10/10 on this terrible dictation?