Phil argues French grammar

Phil throws the potato towards the hole and it misses, rolling across the red green and into the grass.

Phil retrieves the potato, and returns to Antoine’s side. He then gives the potato to Antoine, and asks him to put the potato into the hole for him.

When Antoine asks Phil if he is sure that’s what he wants, Phil re-reads the task brief, clarifying that the “you” who may not touch the red green is himself, and that Antoine is therefore not forbidden to.

Antoine thus walks across the red green and places the potato directly into the golf hole for him.

In the studio, Louis acknowledges Phil’s reasoning, but also points out that the task starts with ‘Envoyez cette patate’ (‘Get this potato’) – the way the verb is conjugated, the task is specifically instructing ‘you’ to move the potato. Phil argues, in response, that when he ‘sends’ a package or a letter, he doesn’t physically take them to the recipient himself, but that linguistically, he’s still the one who ‘got’ the items there.

Phil’s argument actually brings his doubtful competitors around to his side, and the audience rallies behind him. Louis – clearly still doubtful – asks the audience if they agree with Phil, and they cheer loudly. Kevin praises Phil’s solution, calling it “intelligent and lazy”.

Ultimately, Louis accepts Phil’s argument, and awards him joint first place.

(Written by Jenny R and proofread by Karl Craven)

(Illustrations collected by Jenny R and adjusted by David Fuller)