French Grammar in Context

174 French Grammar in Context

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 demainIt is unlikely that she will arrive tomorrow

Il est probable qu’elle arrivera demainShe probably will arrive tomorrow

Note also the contrast between:

Il semble qu’elle comprenneIt seems that she may understand

Il me semble qu’elle comprendIt 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 quein the text)


• conditional: à condition que, pourvu que


• expressions of purpose: afin que, de façon que, de manière que, de sorte que(pour quein the
  text)


• expressions of restriction, denial: non que(not that), sans que(à moins quein the text)


• expressions of fear: de crainte que(de peur quein the text)


• soit que(whether)
  The conjunctions de façon que, de manière que, de sorte queonly 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 soyezwhoever you may be

quoi que:e.g. quoi que vous fassiezwhatever (pronoun) you do

quel(le) que:e.g. quel que soit son emploi du tempswhatever (adjective) his timetable may be

où que: e.g.où que vous alliezwherever you go

pour/si/aussi/quelque + adjective:e.g. pour désagréable que ce soithowever unpleasant it may be

Note the distinction between:

quoique(one word) + subjunctive – e.g. quoiqu’elle soit maladealthough she may be ill

quoi que(two words) + subjunctive – e.g. quoi qu’il fassewhatever he does