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| French grammar and language pages : verbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Using the subjunctive in French Although it is not vital for communication,
the subjunctive mood is used, and should be used, in a number
of everyday grammatical contexts. It is used in everyday language
in two tenses, the present and the perfect (composite past); uses of
other subjunctive tenses are nowadays confined to very literary,
refined, stilted or administrative French. 1. Forms: the subjunctive tenses
The example above is for a classic group 1 -er verb; but the -e, -es, -e, -ions -iez, -ent
endings of the present subjunctive are more or less constant, and can
be added to the stem (or one of the stems in the case of some irregular
verbs) of most French verbs. Click for subjunctive forms of the main Group 2 -ir verbs, and the many Group 3 -re verbs, of être or of avoir. The preterite and other possible subjunctive tenses, such as the pluperfect, are hardly ever heard in modern French, and indeed many French speakers would not think of using them. 2. Uses of the subjunctive The
subjunctive is used in French in a number of quite common
circumstances. Generally speaking, the subjunctive is used in dependent
clauses following expressions that imply doubt, emotion, subjectivity, or conjecture. After many verbs expressing fear, doubt or negative feelings, and after avant que, the verb in the dependent clause is preceded by "ne" (the "ne explétif"); this is not a marker of negation. See examples 2, 4 & 10 below. The main uses of the subjunctive are: ► 1. In complement clauses after Il faut que..... Example: Il faut que tu viennes ! In this case, the subjunctive adds a note of uncertainty; even if the action is seen to be essential, the speaker - by saying il faut que - is admitting that there is some doubt. Examples 1 & 2 below. ► 2. In complement clauses after some other verbs expressing doubt, opinion, hope, fear or another emotion. Examples: Je doute qu'il soit là. J'apprécies que tu sois là. Je crains que nous ne soyons en retard. Je regrette que tu ne me l'aies pas dit. Examples 3 - 7 below. ► 3. In subordinate clauses following certain conjunctions expressing an aim or a condition: afin que, de (telle) sorte que, pour que, bien que, quoique, pour autant que, malgré que, pourvu que, à condition que, de crainte que, avant que, après que and a few other less common conjunctions. Examples 8 - 11 below. ► 4. As a third person imperative: Example: Que personne ne bouge ! Example 12 below. ► 5. In relative clauses after superlative adjectives and the adjectives premier, dernier and seul. Examples 13 & 14 below. Examples: 1. Il faut qu'il finisse avant ce soir He'll have to finish before this evening 2. Il faut que nous ayons tout nettoyé avant qu'il ne soit de retour. We'll have to have finished cleaning everything before he gets back. 3. Elle voudrait que je vende la maison !!. She'd like me to sell the house !!. (hope) 4. Nous craignons que nous ne soyons en retard. We're afraid we may be late. (fear) 5. Je m'oppose à ce qu'il vienne. I object to him coming. (opinion) 6. Il est tout à fait normal que les touristes soient tous partis. It's quite normal that the tourists have gone away. (opinion) 7. Il se peut que tu aies eu raison . You may have been right (uncertainty) 8. Je mis le champagne au frigo afin qu'il soit frais. I've put the champagne in the fridge so that it's cool. 9. Bien qu'il soit minuit, personne n'est encore sorti. Although it's midnight, no-one's come out yet. 10. Pose tout ça avant que tu ne casse quelque chose ! Put all that down before you break something ! 11. Pour autant que je sache, ce sont des règles européens As far as I know, the're European rules. 12. Que personne ne touche à quoi que ce soit ! No-one touch anything. 13. C'est la seule bière qu'il boive. It's the only beer he drinks. 14. C'est le plus grand poisson qu'il ait jamais attrapé! It's the biggest fish he's ever caught. ► 6. Special case: verbs implying certainty in the affirmative, doubt in the negative. Example: penser In the affirmative, the French verb penser expresses a firm opinion: the dependent clause does not therefore normally have a verb in the subjunctive. Examples: Je pense que je serai là. Je pense qu'il est mort. However, in the negative, penser implies uncertaintly, and this is commonly reflected in the use of the subjunctive tense in the dependent clause: Example: Je ne pense pas qu'il puisse le faire. Je ne pense pas qu'il soit mort Hovever, while this is considered good French, many speakers and writers in France would use an indicative tense, as in: Je ne pense pas qu'il pourra le faire. / Je ne pense pas qu'il est mort. Some similar verbs or expressions: croire que, dire que (when expressing opinion) être certain / sûr / exact / clair / vrai que, vouloir dire que Examples: 1. Je crois qu'il viendra I think he'll come. 2. Je ne crois pas qu'il vienne. I don't think he'll come. 3. Il est clair que nous avons déjà perdu It's clear that we've already lost. 4. Il n'est pas clair que nous ayons déjà perdu. It's not clear that we've already lost 5. Ca veut dire qu'il a gagné son procès. That means he's won his lawsuit. 6. Ca ne veut pas dire qu'il ait gagné son procès.. That doesn't mean he's won his lawsuit.
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