12.5 Review — the subjunctive — Epoché
What this lesson reviews The French subjunctive: its forms, present and past; the places where it is required, after il faut que and impersonal expressions of necessity, after verbs of wanting with a new subject, after emotion, fear and doubt, after a negated verb of thinking, and after the conjunctions pour que , à moins que , sans que , jusqu'à ce que and bien que ; and the places where it is not used, with the same subject, after an affirmed opinion, and after espérer . English has almost lost its subjunctive, so for an English speaker every one of these choices is deliberate. This lesson explains nothing new. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Je pense que tout va bien pour nous. [1] I think we're all right. J'ai bien peur qu'il soit trop tard pour nous. [2] I'm afraid it's too late for us. Tout le monde n’est pas fait pour être heureux. [3] Not everyone is meant to be happy. Je déteste dire cela mais je pense qu'elle a raison. [4] I hate to say it, but I think she's right. Tout d'abord, laissez-moi vous dire combien je suis heureux d'être ici. [5] First of all, let me say how glad I am to be here. Que faut-il faire pour être un tant soit peu servi ici ? [6] What does it take to get some service here? Pour moi ça ne fait aucune différence qu'elle soit riche ou pas. [7] It makes no difference to me whether she is rich or not. Prerequisites : 12.4 — and in practice 3.14 Conjugation for the forms, 4.18 Grammar for necessity and wanting, and 4.19 Grammar for opinion, doubt, emotion and the conjunctions. Work through the sections in order and score yourself at the end. Twenty sentences All twenty are real sentences from the corpus. Cover the English, translate the French, and for each verb after que say which mood it is in and what triggers it. French English Il faut que je parte. [8] I have to leave. Il faut que tu sois poli. [9] You have to be polite. Il faut que tu fasses cela. [10] You have to do that. Il est nécessaire que tu partes. [11] It's necessary for you to go. Il est important que tu répondes. [12] It's important that you answer. Je veux que tu viennes. [13] I want you to come. Je veux partir. [14] I want to go. Je suis heureux que tu viennes. [15] I'm glad you're coming. J'ai peur qu'il échoue. [16] I am afraid he will fail. J'ai peur qu'il ne pleuve. [17] I'm afraid it's going to rain. Je doute qu'il vienne. [18] I am doubtful whether he will come. Je ne crois pas qu'il ait raison. [19] I don't think that he's right. Je crois qu'il a raison. [20] I think that he is right. J'espère qu'il viendra. [21] I hope he will come. Rapproche-toi pour que je te voie ! [22] Come closer so I can see you! Nous irons nous promener, à moins qu'il ne pleuve. [23] We will go for a walk, unless it rains. Il l'a fait sans que je le sache. [24] He did it without me knowing. Je lui expliquerai jusqu'à ce qu'il ait compris. [25] I'll explain it to him until he understands. Je regrette que tout cela se soit produit. [26] I regret that this all happened. Bien qu'il le dise, elle le fera. [27] Although he says it, she will do it. The groups: numbers 1 to 5 are necessity; numbers 6 and 7 wanting, with a new subject and with the same subject; numbers 8 to 10 emotion and fear; numbers 11 to 14 doubt and opinion, two with the subjunctive and two with the indicative; numbers 15 to 18 and 20 conjunctions, one of them (18) with the past subjunctive; number 19 regret, with the past subjunctive. Dictation Five sentences to write from the English. In each, decide first: subjunctive, indicative or infinitive? We must leave. (Which form of partir after il faut que ?) I want you to be happy. (English has an infinitive; French cannot.) I want to sleep. (Same subject.) I don't think she is right. (A negated opinion.) I hope she will come. (Does espérer take the subjunctive?) Read aloud Read these five twice each. Some subjunctives are heard; others look different but sound the same. Il faut que je parte. — the t is heard; in the present indicative, je pars , it is not. Je veux que tu viennes. — the n is heard and the vowel is not nasal, unlike tu viens . Il faut que tu fasses cela. — fasses sounds nothing like fais . Je ne crois pas qu'il ait raison. — ait sounds exactly like est : the difference is only written. J'ai peur qu'il ne pleuve. — keep the ne light; it is not a negation. Find the mistake Five sentences, each with exactly one error of mood. Correct it and name the rule. Il faut que tu fais attention. Je veux que je parte. Je pense qu'il soit malade. J'espère qu'il vienne. Bien qu'il est riche, il n'est pas heureux. The errors go in both directions. English gives no warning before il faut que or bien que , so the subjunctive is forgotten; and a learner who has just learned the subjunctive puts it where it does not belong, after an affirmed opinion or after espérer , whose English equivalent hope looks like a wish. Practice Read and translate. Read them aloud, then translate each into English: Elle fera tout ce que je veux. [28] / Cela va sans dire, il a raison. [29] / Fais-moi savoir ce que tu veux faire. [30] / Il nous faut être prêts à tout. [31] / Je pense que nous pouvons faire cela. [32] / Peux-tu au moins être heureux pour moi ? [33] / Elle viendra bientôt nous voir de nouveau. [34] Into French. Say these in French; every word has come up in the course: I'm happy that it's over. / Maybe we shouldn't do that today. / Who am I to tell you what to do? / She made a fuss for no good reason. Summary Read these back before you leave: every word in them has already appeared in the course. French English Je pense que tout va bien pour nous. [1] I think we're all right. J'ai bien peur qu'il soit trop tard pour nous. [2] I'm afraid it's too late for us. Tout le monde n’est pas fait pour être heureux. [3] Not everyone is meant to be happy. Je déteste dire cela mais je pense qu'elle a raison. [4] I hate to say it, but I think she'