Thom 🌈

[tame iron]

Please be patient

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

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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.

[stray knot]

from what i understand, il-elle est is used to refer to something in specific, while c'est is for in general

like "t'aimes cette tarte ?"
"oui, elle est très bonne"

vs "t'aimes la tarte ?"
"oui, c'est très bon"

the second one is talking about tarts in general

[cinder yoke]

Well, I guess you wanna say "c'est ici" because in english there aren't masculine or feminine for objects or animals. For a cat you say "it", "it eats", but in french objects and animals have gender. So we usually say "il était là" when we talk about a pen for example, as a pen is "un stylo" in french, so masculine.
Saying "c'était" là" is also correct anyway, but we usually say "il" or "elle" regarding the gender

[wet zephyr]

« c'était » is generally for more conceptual things or things that aren't clearly named (or otherwise have an obvious noun) in order to give it a gender

[turbid gate]

So if I set a trap and I can't find it I be like "il était ici" Because that's how French people normally talk? (In my defense I'm watching pokemon)