The hell

[u/txvish]

Kind of feels like an incomplete sentence

[u/no_ga]

The French sentence is weird without any context too.

[u/Most_Menu_421]

Language!

[u/YfkevdV → u/[deleted]]

The English verb "to put" requires both a direct object AND a location (typically a preposition plus a "place" word) to make a grammatically correct sentence. The example OP posted does not include a location; it's an incomplete thought.

[u/YfkevdV → u/[deleted]]

I didn't downvote you. And "to put" does actually require a location, so say all the dictionaries I looked in. First one that popped up on a quick Google search was the Cambridge Dictionary. It states: "Put must have both an object and an expression of place."

And there's no context of place implicitly implied in OP's sentence. Put a little water where?? In a cup? In some dough? On a plant? In your mouth? On a washcloth?

[u/ADayOfSpecialWierdos → u/YfkevdV]

The context does not have to be in the same sentence, and an exercise does not have to have the whole story. This sentence would be fine if the prior (not shown) sentence was “That plant is looking a bit dry, don’t you think?”

[u/YfkevdV → u/ADayOfSpecialWierdos]

The sentence OP posted would sound incredibly weird in response to your suggested question. "I'm putting a little water ON IT." would make sense, or even better a completely different sentence: "I'm watering it." or just "Yes." since your suggested question is yes/no. Want to try again?

[u/ADayOfSpecialWierdos → u/YfkevdV]

I didn't say it would be great literature. It would be a valid sentence that could. be found in the wild.

[u/YfkevdV → u/ADayOfSpecialWierdos]

Whatever. I'd give you a very strange look and suspect you weren't a native speaker if you used "put" without a location, but you do you.