The Subjunctive – A Complete Guide.
* The subjunctive is not a tense as such, but a ‘mood’ and is often used
when there is a doubt, or when you want to express a wish, a judgement,
an emotion or an attitude.
* It is used after a range of set expressions (these are often followed by
‘que’).
* The subjunctive is also used after superlatives.
Formation: Je …………..e
For most verbs, you take the ils/elles Tu ………….es
form of the verb in the present tense, Il/Elle/On …………e
remove the ‘ent’ ending and you are Nous ………………ions
left with a ‘stem’, to which you add Vous ………………iez
the following endings: Ils/Elles …………..ent
ER Verbs IR Verbs RE Verbs
Donner (to give) with Finir (to finish) with Vendre (to sell) with
‘ils/elles’ in the present ‘ils/elles’ in the present ‘ils/elles’ in the present
tense è tense è tense è
Ils/elles donnent è Ils/elles finissent è Ils/elles vendent è
remove ‘ent’ è remove ‘ent’ è remove ‘ent’ è
The stem = ‘donn’ è The stem = ‘finiss’ è The stem = ‘vend’ è
Je donne Je finisse Je vende
Il donne Tu finisses Elle vende
Nous donnions Ils finissent Vous vendiez
Irregular subjunctives!
être avoir faire aller savoir
Je sois aie fasse aille sache
Tu sois aies fasses ailles saches
Il/ Elle/ On soit ait fasse aille sache
Nous soyons ayons fassions aillions sachions
Vous soyez ayez fassiez ailliez sachiez
Ils/ Elles soient aient fassent aillent sachent
prendre devoir pouvoir vouloir venir
Je prenne doive puisse veuille vienne
Tu prennes doives puisses veuilles viennes
Il/ Elle/ On prenne doive puisse veuille vienne
Nous prenions devions puissions voulions venions
Vous preniez deviez puissiez vouliez veniez
Ils/ Elles prennent doivent puissent veuillent viennent
The subjunctive is also used after superlatives and premier (first)/dernier
(last)/seul (only)
C’est le meilleur que… C’est le plus grand que… C’est le pire que…
C’est le premier que…
E.g. C’est le plus grand animal que je n’aie jamais vu! = It’s the biggest animal
that I have ever seen!
CGazzal©2017
Use the subjunctive after certain verbs. These are verbs of emotion, fear,
asking, forbidding, necessity, possibility, wishing or doubt:
aimer que avoir peur craindre demander désirer douter
(to like que (to be que (to que (to ask que (to que (to
that) afraid fear that) that) want doubt
that) that) that)
empêcher interdire permettre préférer souhaiter vouloir
que (to que (to que (to que (to que (to que (to
prevent forbid allow that) prefer that) wish that) want that)
that that)
être être être être désolé être regretter
content surpris étonné que triste que (to
que (to be que (to be que (to be (to be que (to regret
happy) surprised) astonished sorry) be sad) that)
)
Exemples:
Je suis étonné qu’il aille en ville = I am astonished that he is going to town.
Je suis contente que tu sois là = I am happy that you are here.
Use the subjunctive after certain conjunctions.
à condition que = as long as Exemples:
à moins que = unless
afin/pour que = so that Bien que je sois très riche, je dépense
avant que = before mon argent prudemment =
bien/quoique = although Although I am very rich, I spend my
cela ne veut pas dire que = doesn’t money carefully.
mean that
jusqu’à ce que = until Quoi que tu dises, je ne ferai jamais de
pourvu que = provided that camping! = Whatever you say, I will
que (at start of sentence!) = never go camping!
whether/let…
quel/le que = whatever Pour qu’il soit à l’heure, il faut qu’il
qui que = whoever parte à cinq heures du matin =
quoi que = whatever So that he is on time, he has to leave
où que = where ever at 5am.
sans que = without
Use the subjunctive after some impersonal verbs/expressions.
Il arrive que = it happens that Il n’est pas sûr que = it’s not sure that
Il est douteux que = it’s doubtful that Il est préférable que = it’s better to
Il est temps que = it’s time to Il semble que = it appears that (BUT
Il est im/possible que = it’s not : il me semble que…)
im/possible that Il se peut que = it’s possible that
Il faut que = you /one has/have to Il vaut mieux que = it’s better to
Il est nécessaire que = it is necessary to C’est dommage que = it’s a pity that
Exemples:
Il est préférable qu’on y aille maintenant = It is better if we go there now.
Il vaut mieux que tu restes au lit = It is better if you stay in bed.
CGazzal©2017
CGazzal©2017
