"Vous essayiez de ne pas avoir peur des monstres."

Translation: You used to try to not be scared of monsters.

[MarieForst]

Incorrect English again !Please correct this .

[TimmyKilminster]

It accepts "... not to be afraid of ...".

Friends, if you're here to learn English, DL's "You used to try to not be scared ..." would be understood, but generally be considered childish. "You used to try not to be scared ..." is preferable, and the form educated adults would consider "correct".

[Gordon964264]

I agree. Sounds dreadful!

[--Roody--]

What's wrong this time? Or are you just complaining generically?

[CarolineDa134133]

Split infinitive

[Gordon964264]

Can anyone distinguish between the spoken "essayez" and essayiez"?

[DanielDiAn5]

Why they won't accept "You tried not to fear monsters" ??

REPORTED 27/11/2020 (CORONAVIRUS ERA)

[HarishAbbe3]

Why ne and pas are together ...

[keri690040]

when the verb is in the infinitif, ne pas are grouped before it, instead of around it. dunno exactly why, it's just what I learned in high school

[HarishAbbe3]

So with infinitive verb we have to use ne pas together in negative sentences...tu essayais de ne pas conduire cette voiture.........

[LeeBrownst1]

It rejected "you tried to not be afraid of monsters". Reported 31 July 2020.

[jeanalcock]

You tried not to be afraid of monsters' accepted 05/08/20. Maybe objected to the split infinitive

[Gordon964264]

I doubt that is the reason. Duo is quite happy to split infinitives (just look at the recommended translation).

[--Roody--]

Its not a "recommended" translation. Its a default translation that sets up the reverse translation back into French.

[GraemeSarg]

That would be interpreted as "Vous avez essayé …", not "Vous essayiez…".

[HarishAbbe3]

You tried (passé compose) = tu as essayé .......
You were trying OR ( you used to try) (
(impearfait )= Tu essayais..........

[Paul_in_Victoria]

I don't think that this is a hard and fast rule in translating past tense in English into passé compose or imparfait in French.

[GraemeSarg]

It is not hard and fast, but is passé composé not what you would interpret it to mean?

[Noelmichae2]

I am not happy with this. Perhaps it's time to stop using Duolingo?

[RichardSus4]

How about : you used to try not being afraid of monsters--marked unacceptable!

[lanuit]

I translated this as: "You used to try to not fear monsters," and it was counted as incorrect.

[Mark84120]

I put the following and it was rejected: "You used to try and not be afraid of monsters"

This seems correct to me, can anyone explain why it is not? Thanks

[TimmyKilminster]

Your version adds an unnecessary "and" and so doesn't match the French, which is "... try not to be afraid ...".

[MurielCalder]

Why is it 'avoir peur des monstres' and not 'avoir peur de monstres'?
Thanks

[GraemeSarg]

Because it is "monsters in general" => "les monstres" => "avoir peur des monstres" ("de + les => des").

[Gord543537]

To be or to not be, that is the question.

[Gregg150683]

"You used to try to not have fear of monsters"- should also be accepted as correct english

[TimmyKilminster]

No. That’s wrong.

[EvaZelen1]

What's wrong with "You were used to trying to not be ... etc?"

[TimmyKilminster]

"You were used to trying to …" means something quite different to “You used to try to …”. It means you were habituated to trying, whereas the French and English need to be in the imperfect tense.