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Usually when negating a sentence, if the direct object comes with an indefinite article (un/une/des), the article should be changed to de:

J'ai mangé une pomme ce matin.

Je n'ai pas mangé de pomme ce matin.

This rule does not apply if the verb is être:

C'est un canard.

Ce n'est pas un canard.

Are there any other cases when this rule does not apply (that is, when we still use an indefinite article in a negative sentence)? For example, if we want to negate

Cet étudiant mérite une bonne note.

should we say

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas une bonne note.

or

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas de bonne note.

?

2 Answers 2

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Despite the rule you cite, both forms are heard, especially with ne mérite pas:

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas de bonne note.

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas une bonne note.

Une in the second sentence might be taken as a numeral, not an indefinite article so using it wouldn't break the rule. A full sentence without anything implicit could also be:

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas une bonne note, il mérite une mauvaise note !

Another advantage of using une, especially in a spoken situation, is that there is no ambiguity about the number of notes deserved while the first form can be misunderstood as Cet étudiant ne mérite pas de bonnes notes.


Jean de La Fontaine in a letter to Madame de Montespan:

Je ne mérite pas une faveur si grande ;

It can be argued une is used here to make an alexandrine though.

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There is another exception added to the verb "être", this is the opposition.

Cet étudiant mérite une bonne note.

we should say

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas de bonne note.

or with opposition, for example :

Cet étudiant ne mérite pas une bonne note, mais une excellente note !

Partitive articles (du, de la, de l') follow same rules.

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  • 1
    Je n'ai pas mangé une pomme ce matin, mais deux !
    – jlliagre
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 22:19
  • This is a correct example of opposition use ;)
    – Izzie-29
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 14:26

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