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I read this answer, which claims that the following sentences are correct:

J'ai préparé un repas et l'ai mangé.

J'ai préparé un repas et j'ai mangé.

J'ai préparé un repas et mangé.

Can we leave out the subject but not the auxiliary when the object is not repeated? As in:

(1) J'ai préparé un repas et ai mangé.

Another example:

(2) Mes amis ont critiqué le film et ont qualifié l'interprétation de son acteur principal d'un échec.

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When the first « avoir » auxiliary verb and « et » are as close to each other as is the case with your examples, it is usual to leave out the duplicate second « avoir ».

On the other hand, if the first part of a sentence drags on and you feel that the listener/reader might have lost track of the construction of the first part by the time they have reached « et », then repeating « avoir » in the second part is fully justified. It should be noted, however, that in such a case, a comma tends to precede « et ».


The same holds true for another auxiliary verb « pouvoir ». For instance, I would say something like:

1 : Si certains d’entre vous pourraient se sentir découragés et être tentés d’abandonner tout espoir, sachez que je ne suis pas de ceux-là.

No repetition of « pourraient » because the first « pourraient » and « et » are in relatively close proximity.

+++ Compare:

2 : Si certains d’entre vous pourraient se sentir découragés par tout ce qui s’est passé ces derniers temps {comma}, et pourraient être tentés d’abandonner tout espoir, sachez que je ne suis pas de ceux-là.

= "If some of you might feel discouraged by the recent string of events and be tempted to give up all hope, I want you to know that I'm not one of them."

The dual use of « pourraient » because the first « pourraient » and « et » are a little too far apart for us to keep track of what has been said at the beginning of the first part.

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  • Thanks for your answer! I'm not sure about the meaning of your example sentence, though. Does it mean "If some of you could feel discouraged and tempted to give up all hope, know that I'm not like that."?
    – user11550
    Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 7:15
  • @user11550 I've added a translation to the 2nd sentence. Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 7:50
  • Si certains d'entre vous sont tentés (without pouvoir) is more idiomatic in this case. (Also conditionnal is allowed in the condition.) A better example is Je peux lire et écrire. The conjunction is made between infinitive clauses and this is not specific to pouvoir. Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 9:14
  • @StéphaneGimenez Example: "Je vais voir ce que je pourrais vous préparer." Hi. I occasionally use the Present Conditional of "pouvoir" to indicate a somewhat lower possibility than the Present Indicative does. In such cases -- and by extension, in these two example sentences -- I do not have the real conditional in mind. I wonder if I'm on the wrong track here. Merci. Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 9:52
  • Sorry, I meant “is not allowed” (in si conditions). In practice people use it sometimes, but it's really frowned upon. In this new example you're right it's ok to use conditionnal. It aims at being polite and modest. Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 10:00

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