a The tenses of the subjunctive most commonly used in speech and writing are the present and the perfect. There is no such thing as a future subjunctive, so that the present subjunctive covers instances where if the verb were indicative a future might be expected, e.g. j’ai peur . . . que mon indiscrétion ne lui paraisse étrange (line 8) = I am afraid that my indiscretion will/may appear strange to him. Similarly, de peur que le gamin ne finisse . . . (lines 26–7) = for fear that the kid will/may end up . . . . Note that you should not translate the English ‘may’ in these circumstances with a tense of pouvoir (see Chapter 24).
b The perfect subjunctive (see below) is used in instances where reference is made to prior events and where a present subjunctive would not convey this reference to the past, e.g. je crains même qu’il ne soit déjà parti (line 31) = I am afraid that he may already have left. The present subjunctive qu’il ne parte would mean ‘I fear that he may leave’.
Other points to note in the text
• Perfect subjunctive: il ne soit déjà parti (line 31) (see below for more information).
• Articles: de multiples raisons (line 5) (see Chapter 13).
• Negative: il n’a plus rien dit (line 30) (see Chapter 8).
The subjunctive (present and perfect) 173
• Pronouns: lui poser une question (line 7); il s’en alarme (line 9); il y en ait (line 13) (see Chapter 10).
• faire + infinitive: le fasse fuir (line 9).
• Present participle: ayant (line 24) (see Chapter 22).
D i s c o v e r m o re a b o u t t h e p re s e n t s u b j u n c t iv e
1 USAGE
a As stated above, the subjunctive is used almost exclusively in subordinate clauses. However, it is occasionally found in a main clause, functioning as a third person imperative (see also Chapter 19 on the imperative):
e.g. Qu’il se débrouille tout seul Let him manage on his own Que Dieu nous protège May God help us!
In certain set expressions, the introductory que may be omitted:
e.g. Vive le roi Long live the King Sauve qui peut Every man for himself
b We have seen above (The present subjunctive in the text) two of the three grammatical categories of trigger which occasion use of the subjunctive in a subordinate clause. The remaining category is a particular type of antecedent + relative pronoun qui/que/où. (The term
‘antecedent’ means simply the noun/pronoun occurring before the relative pronoun and to which the pronoun refers: see Chapter 11.) Within this third category there are three main subdivisions:
• a superlative expression (as subjective view, not as objective statement of fact): le plus . . . qui/que; le moins . . . qui/que, le premier, le dernier, le seul, l’unique . . . qui/que
e.g. C’est la plus jolie maison que l’on puisse souhaiter
Contrast the use of the indicative in: C’est le dernier livre qu’il a écrit.
• a negative, e.g. il n’y a personne qui puisse vous aider
• an indefinite: quelqu’un qui/que . . .; un(e) (e.g. chambre) qui/que . . .; but the subjunctive is only used when a desirable something or someone is being sought and does not necessarily exist:
e.g. Je cherche un étudiant qui puisse traduire cet article en allemand
However, if the something or someone is known to exist, the indicative is required:
e.g. Je connais quelqu’un qui pourra vous aider
c Personal verbs + subjunctive
Note that verbs of saying and believing are normally followed by an indicative:
e.g. Je pense/crois qu’ils sont déjà partis
It is only when they are used negatively or interrogatively and thus express doubt/disbelief that they are followed by a subjunctive:
e.g. Je ne pense pas qu’ils soient toujours là
The verb espérer (to hope) behaves in the same way. A positive expression of hope takes the indicative; a negative or interrogative expression takes the subjunctive.
French Grammar in Context 174
In contrast, s’attendre à (to expect) is always followed by the subjunctive:
e.g. Je m’attends à ce qu’il arrive ce soir = I am expecting him to arrive this evening Note the use of à ce que + subjunctive where English has an infinitive.
d Impersonal verbs + subjunctive
Expressions of improbability/impossibility/possibility are followed by the subjunctive, but expressions of probability are usually followed by the indicative. Contrast the following:
Il est peu probable qu’elle arrive demain It is unlikely that she will arrive tomorrow Il est probable qu’elle arrivera demain She probably will arrive tomorrow
Note also the contrast between:
Il semble qu’elle comprenne It seems that she may understand
Il me semble qu’elle comprend It seems to me that (= I think that) she understands
e Conjunctions
Most conjunctions of time, e.g. depuis que; pendant que, take the indicative, but three
conjunctions, all referring to events which have not yet taken place, take the subjunctive: avant que; en attendant que; jusqu’à ce que.
Although foreign learners of French are usually recommended to use the indicative after après que, it is not uncommon to find a subjunctive, presumably because it is associated in people’s minds with avant que. See also Chapter 29 on conjunctions.
Other types of conjunction which trigger the subjunctive are:
• concessive: malgré que, quoique (bien que in the text)
• conditional: à condition que, pourvu que
• expressions of purpose: afin que, de façon que, de manière que, de sorte que (pour que in the text)
• expressions of restriction, denial: non que (not that), sans que (à moins que in the text)
• expressions of fear: de crainte que (de peur que in the text)
• soit que (whether)
The conjunctions de façon que, de manière que, de sorte que only take the subjunctive when they express a deliberate intent/purpose:
e.g. Elle a rangé les documents de sorte que les enfants ne puissent pas les abîmer
When they express an accidental or incidental result or consequence, they take the indicative:
e.g. Elle est partie de sorte que je ne peux pas lui demander son avis
f The following ‘universal’ expressions take the subjunctive:
qui que: e.g. qui que vous soyez whoever you may be
quoi que: e.g. quoi que vous fassiez whatever (pronoun) you do
quel(le) que: e.g. quel que soit son emploi du temps whatever (adjective) his timetable may be où que: e.g. où que vous alliez wherever you go
pour/si/aussi/quelque + adjective: e.g. pour désagréable que ce soit however unpleasant it may be Note the distinction between:
quoique (one word) + subjunctive – e.g. quoiqu’elle soit malade although she may be ill quoi que (two words) + subjunctive – e.g. quoi qu’il fasse whatever he does
The subjunctive (present and perfect) 175
g Note also the construction que + subjunctive . . . ou (whether . . . or)
Qu’il nous réponde ou non, cela m’est égal Whether he replies or not, it’s all the same to me Qu’ils viennent ou qu’ils ne viennent pas, je leur téléphonerai demain Whether they come or not, I’ll phone them tomorrow
2 FORMATION
There are three more verbs with irregular stems to be noted.
aller: aille, ailles, aille, ALLIONS, ALLIEZ, aillent pleuvoir: il pleuve
valoir: vaille, vailles, vaille, VALIONS, VALIEZ, vaillent
It should be noted that aller and valoir only have an irregular stem in the je, tu, il and ils forms.
In this respect they behave like vouloir (see The present subjunctive in the text, 3c, above).