The Present Subjunctive (Le Subjonctif Présent)

The subjunctive is one of the grammatical moods in French, alongside the indicative, conditional, and imperative. It's used to express subjectivity, possibilities, hypotheses, feelings, thoughts, wishes, doubts, uncertainty, or advice.

When to Use the Present Subjunctive

The subjunctive usually appears after the word "que" (that). Here are the main cases where it's used:

1. After "il faut que" (it is necessary that): Example: *Il faut qu'*elle reste concentrée et professionnelle. (It's necessary that she remains focused and professional.)
2. After certain conjunctions: avant que (before), jusqu'à ce que (until), pour que (so that), afin que (in order that), bien que (although), quoique (although), à condition que (on condition that), pourvu que (provided that), sans que (without) Example: Elle fait en sorte que chaque émission soit un succès, *bien qu'*elle sache que des imprévus peuvent survenir. (She ensures that each show is a success, although she knows that unexpected events can occur.)
3. After verbs expressing doubt, fear, wish, etc.: souhaiter (to wish), désirer (to desire), aimer (to like), avoir peur (to be afraid), craindre (to fear), regretter (to regret), vouloir (to want), demander (to ask), permettre (to allow) Example: Elle craint que l'audience ne soit déçue si tout ne se passe pas comme prévu. (She fears that the audience might be disappointed if everything doesn't go as planned.)
4. After opinion verbs in negative form: Example: Tu ne penses pas que Juliette soit une bonne présentatrice. (You don't think that Juliette is a good presenter.)
5. After certain impersonal expressions: il est important que (it is important that), il est nécessaire que (it is necessary that), il est possible que (it is possible that) Example: *Il est important qu'*elle reste concentrée et professionnelle. (It's important that she remains focused and professional.)

Formation of the Present Subjunctive

To form the present subjunctive, we generally use the stem of the 3rd person plural of the present indicative, to which we add the endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

Here's the conjugation for some regular verbs:

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs have irregular conjugations in the present subjunctive. Here are a few:

Important Points to Remember

1. The subjunctive doesn't express time, but rather the speaker's attitude towards what is being said.
2. Some verbs like "espérer" (to hope) and "décider" (to decide) are followed by the indicative, despite expressing a wish or feeling.
3. The conjunction "après que" (after) is followed by the indicative, unlike "avant que" (before).
4. Some verbs can be used with either the indicative or subjunctive depending on the intended meaning: the subjunctive adds a nuance of uncertainty.

Quiz

Complete the following sentences using the present subjunctive: