French Grammar in Context

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).

Discover more about the present subjunctive

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 seulLet him manage on his own
Que Dieu nous protègeMay God help us!
In certain set expressions, the introductory quemay be omitted:
e.g. Vive le roiLong live the King
Sauve qui peutEvery 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.