expression of quantity + à + infinitive
French frequently combines expressions of quantity with an infinitive to describe tasks, obligations, potential actions, or intended outcomes. These constructions are especially common with avoir, but avoir is not a grammatical requirement. The governing verb can vary, provided it can introduce a noun phrase that the infinitive logically modifies.
1. The core structure
The general pattern is:
- verb + expression of quantity + noun + à or pour + infinitive
The infinitive modifies the noun introduced by the quantity expression, not the verb itself.
Common quantity expressions include:
- beaucoup de
- trop de
- assez de
- suffisamment de
- peu de
- un certain nombre de
- plusieurs
2. The frequent role of avoir
Avoir is common because it expresses possession, availability, or burden, which aligns naturally with actions to be done.
Examples:
- J’ai beaucoup de travail à terminer. I have a lot of work to finish.
- Tu as trop de choses à gérer en même temps. You have too many things to manage at the same time.
- Nous avons assez de temps pour réfléchir. We have enough time to think.
- Ils ont peu de marge pour négocier. They have little room to negotiate.
Synonyms or alternatives that keep a similar meaning include:
- disposer de as a formal alternative to avoir
- bénéficier de when the quantity is advantageous
Examples:
- Nous disposons de plusieurs options à examiner. We have several options to examine.
- Ils bénéficient de suffisamment de ressources pour agir. They benefit from enough resources to act.
3. Verbs of existence and remaining quantity
Possession can be replaced by existence or persistence without changing the structure.
Examples:
- Il y a beaucoup de problèmes à résoudre. There are many problems to solve.
- Il reste plusieurs décisions à prendre. Several decisions remain to be made.
- Il subsiste peu de doutes à lever. Few doubts remain to be clarified.
- Il manque encore des documents à fournir. Some documents are still missing to be provided.
Common alternatives:
- il demeure
- il persiste
- il apparaît in formal contexts
4. Verbs of evaluation, discovery, and observation
Many verbs that express assessment or identification naturally precede these constructions.
Examples:
- Je trouve trop d’erreurs à corriger. I find too many errors to correct.
- Nous constatons plusieurs points à améliorer. We observe several points to improve.
- Tu identifies peu d’éléments à modifier. You identify few elements to modify.
- Ils relèvent un certain nombre d’anomalies à vérifier. They note a certain number of anomalies to check.
Related verbs include:
- repérer
- déceler
- observer
- noter
5. Verbs of reception, accumulation, and management
When the subject receives or handles items, the same structure applies.
Examples:
- L’équipe reçoit trop de demandes à traiter. The team receives too many requests to process.
- Nous accumulons beaucoup de dossiers à examiner. We accumulate many files to examine.
- Tu gères plusieurs projets à finaliser. You manage several projects to finalise.
- Ils traitent peu de cas à approfondir. They handle few cases to investigate further.
Close alternatives include:
- prendre en charge
- s’occuper de
- administrer in formal or institutional contexts
6. Verbs of contribution or provision
Some verbs introduce quantities that serve a purpose, often followed by pour.
Examples:
- Il apporte suffisamment d’arguments pour convaincre. He brings enough arguments to convince.
- Nous fournissons trop peu d’informations pour conclure. We provide too little information to conclude.
- Tu présentes plusieurs solutions à envisager. You present several solutions to consider.
7. Choice between à and pour
The preposition depends on meaning.
- à expresses obligation, necessity, or potential, often with an implicit passive value.
- pour expresses purpose or intended result.
Contrast:
- Il reste beaucoup de tâches à accomplir. Many tasks remain to be accomplished.
- Il reste assez de temps pour accomplir ces tâches. Enough time remains to accomplish these tasks.
8. Structural limits
The governing verb must be able to take a noun phrase as its complement. Verbs that do not allow this structure cannot introduce quantity expressions followed by an infinitive.
Ungrammatical patterns include:
- parler beaucoup de choses à faire
- dormir trop de travail à finir
The issue is verb selection, not the absence of avoir.
Summary
- Expressions of quantity followed by an infinitive are not restricted to avoir.
- The infinitive modifies the noun governed by the quantity expression.
- Many verbs can precede this structure, including verbs of existence, evaluation, reception, and provision.
- The choice between à and pour depends on whether obligation or purpose is intended.
