#grammaire
(For the PDF version, click here.)
The present subjunctive (subjonctif présent)
The majority of French verbs follow the same pattern when they are conjugated in the present subjunctive. In other words, they follow the conjugation of the présent de l’indicatif, except for the first- and second-person plural (nousandvous), where they follow the conjugation of the imparfait de l’indicatif.
The only exceptions to this rule are the verbs êtreandavoir.
However, many verbs present irregularities in the stem. These exceptions can be divided into three categories:
a. verbs with one irregular subjunctive stem
The verbs faire,pouvoir, and savoir have a stem that is completely different from the présent de l’indicatifstem.
b. verbs with two irregular subjunctive stems
The verbs allerandvouloir also have a stem that is completely different from that of the présent de l’indicatif, but unlike the previous verbs, they use the stem from the présent de l’indicatif for the first- and second-person plural.
c. verbs with two stems in the présent de l’indicatif
These verbs will use the stem of the 3rd person plural from the présent de l’indicatifforje,tu,il, and ils.Nousandvous keep the same stem in the subjunctive. This category includes all the irregular verbs not mentioned previously.
The past subjunctive (subjonctif passé)
The past subjunctive can be divided into three tenses: past, imperfect, and pluperfect. Of those three, only the past subjunctive is still used in everyday speech and writing.
Thesubjonctif passé indicates that the action taking place in the subordinate clause happened before that of the main clause. It is created by combining the present subjunctive of the auxiliary verb (avoirorêtre) with the past participle.
The imperfect and the pluperfect subjunctive (subjonctifs imparfait et plus-que-parfait)
The imperfect and pluperfect tenses are considered to be literary tenses, and as such are only found in formal writing.
An upcoming post will detail when to use the subjunctive!
GRAMMAIRE
Peut-être et toujours peut-être
adverbes que vous m’ennuyez
avec vos presque et presque pas
quand fleurissent les apostrophes
Est-ce vous points et virgules
qui grouillez dans les viviers
où nagent les subjonctifs
je vous empaquette vous ficelle
Soyez maudits paragraphes
pour que les prophéties s’accomplissent
bâtards honteux des grammairiens
et mauvais joueurs de syntaxe
Sucez vos impératifs
et laissez-nous dormir
une bonne fois
c’est la nuit
et la canicule
— Philippe Soupault, Poèmes et poésies