French Grammar: The Subjunctive After Conjunctions
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French Grammar: The Subjunctive After Conjunctions
la grammaire française: le subjonctif avec les conjonctions subordonnées
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The subjunctive is used when we are uncertain whether or not an action will take place. If we know that the action is or will be a reality, the indicative is used. The subjunctive is used to express doubt, how a person feels about an action or state of being, a wish, intent or command. It can also be used to express facts that are the opposite of reality.
The subjunctive is also used with certain subordinating conjunctions. Conjunctions are words that join two clauses. Examples of English conjunctions are “and”, “although”, “but”, “if”, and “unless”. A subordinating conjunction joins a subordinate clause to a main clause. A subordinate clause is sometimes also called a “dependent” clause because it is dependent on the main clause – that is, it doesn’t make sense if used on its own. The following subordinating conjunctions require the use of the subjunctive in French.
Conjunctions that express conceding:
bien que … : although … /though …
ce n’est pas que … : it’s not that …
encore que … : although … / though …
malgré que … : in spite of the fact that …
non que … : not that …
quoique … : although … / though …
Conjunctions expressing conditions:
à condition que … : on the condition that … / provided that …
à moins que … : unless …
pourvu que … : provided that …
Conjunctions expressing fear:
de crainte que … : for fear that … / in case …
de peur que … : for fear that … / in case …
Conjunctions expressing negation:
sans que … : without …
Conjunctions expressing purpose:
afin que … : in order that … / so that …
de façon que … : in order that … / so that …
de manière que … : in order that … / so that …
de sorte que … : in order that … / so that …
pour que … : in order that … / so that …
Conjunctions expressing time:
avant que … : before …
en attendant que … : until …
jusqu’à ce que … : until
NOTE: With the conjunctions “à moins que”, “de crainte que”, “de peur que”, “sans que”, and “avant que”, the verb in the subordinate clause is usually preceded by “ne”.
Example:
J’hèle un taxi à moins que tu ne veuilles prendre le bus.
I will hail a taxi unless you (informal) want to take the bus.
The conjunctions in the list below are followed by the indicative, not the subjunctive:
après que … : after
aussitôt que … : as soon as …
dès que … : as soon as …
étant donné que … : given that … / inasmuch as … / insofar as …
parce que … : because …
pendant que … : while …
peut-être que … : perhaps …
puisque … : since …
tandis que … : whereas … / while …
Example:
Lucien parle italien tandis que nous parlons français.
Lucien speaks Italian, whereas we speak French.
When the subject of the main and the subordinate clause is the same, the infinitive is used instead of the subjunctive.
Example:
J’étudie beaucoup afin de recevoir de bonnes notes.
I study a lot in order to get good grades.
Adapt:
Elle va à la fête pourvu qu’ils aillent aussi.
She is going to the party provided that they (masculine) are going, too.
Nous attendons jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez.
We are waiting until you all arrive.
Je parle plus fort pour que tu puisses m’entendre.
I am speaking louder so that you (informal) can hear me.
Leur mère les emmène à l’école, quoiqu’elles soient malades.
Their mother is taking them to school, even though they (feminine) are sick.
Vous portez un parapluie de crainte qu’il ne pleuve.
You (formal) are bringing an umbrella in case it rains.
