fifteenminutes

[inland sinew]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[copper violet]

commencer can be followed by à or de, no problem. à is more common though

[fickle rivet]

It's one of the rare verbs that can use either preposition with no special change in meaning.

[copper violet]

On the other hand, it's always "Tarrou a commencé"

a is the conjugated form of avoir, required to use this tense
à is a preposition

[warped socket]

oh sorry that one was a typo

[copper violet]

Ah no worries. It's a common mixup, so I figured I'd clarify

[warped socket]

okay thank you

[warped socket]

thank you as well

[inland verge]

it really doesn't shock you guys to read/hear "il a commencé de travailler" ?

it sounds so weird

[copper violet]

It's not technically wrong though, and I've definitely seen natives write that. But like I said, à tends to be more common

[inland verge]

hmm