Using the Subjunctive

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Using the Subjunctive

In French, you need to use the subjunctive after phrases that show desire, doubt, emotions and some conjunctions.

Expressing desire

When a phrase is expressing someone's desire or will, in French you need to use the subjunctive.
Here are some common phrases:
- Aimer mieux que - to prefer that.
- Demander que - to ask that.
- Il est important que - it is important that.
- Il est nécessaire que - it is necessary that.
- Il est essentiel que - it is essential that.
- Il faut que - it is necessary that.
- Vouloir que - to want to.

Expressing emotions and feelings

Verbs that express emotions or feelings need the subjunctive.
Here are a few examples of set phrases:
- Avoir peur que - to be scared that.
- Aimer que - to like that.
- Adorer que - to love that.
- Il est bon que - it is good that.
- Il est triste que - it is sad that.
- Il est heureux que - it is fortunate that.

Expressing doubt

Verbs that express doubt and opinion need to use the subjunctive.
- Douter que - to doubt that.
- Ne penser pas que - to not think that.
- Il est impossible que - it is impossible that.
- Il semble que - it seems that.
- Il n'est pas clair que - it is not clear that.
- Il n'est pas évident que - it is not evident that.

Conjunctions

Some phrases in French that use conjunctions need to use the subjunctive.
- À moins que - unless.
- Afin que - so that.
- Bien que - although.
- Pour que - so that.
- Encore que - even though.

1Everyday Activities

2Personal & Social Life

2.1Self, Family & Friends

2.1.1Greetings

2.1.2How Are You?

2.1.3Describing Yourself

2.1.4Physical Appearance

2.1.5Personality

2.1.6Family Members

2.1.7Other Family Members

2.1.8Role Model

2.1.9Childhood

2.1.10Friends

2.1.11Opinions on Friends

2.1.12Relationships

2.1.13Self, Family & Friends - Listening

2.2In the Home

2.2.1Home

2.2.2Rooms of the House

2.2.3In Your House

2.2.4Furniture & Furnishing

2.2.5Household Appliances

2.2.6Daily Routine

2.2.7Chores

2.2.8Pocket Money

2.2.9Home: Verbs & Expressions

2.2.10Routine - Listening

2.2.11In the Home - Listening

2.3Colours

2.3.1Colours

2.3.2More Colours

2.3.3Colours - Listening

2.4Clothes & Accessories

2.4.1Clothes (1/2)

2.4.2Clothes (2/2)

2.4.3Accessories

2.4.4Style & Fashion

2.4.5Clothes & Accessories: Verbs

2.4.6Clothes - Listening

2.5Leisure Time

2.5.1Free Time

2.5.2Music

2.5.3Cinema

2.5.4TV

2.5.5Sport

2.5.6Why Do You Play Sports?

2.5.7Different Sports

2.5.8Sports With Jouer

2.5.9Sports With Faire (1/2)

2.5.10Sports With Faire (2/2)

2.5.11Cinema & TV - Listening

3The World Around Us

3.1People & Places

3.1.1Continents

3.1.2Masculine Countries

3.1.3Feminine Countries

3.1.4Nationalities

3.1.5Compass Points

3.1.6People & Places - Listening

3.2Natural World, Environment, Climate & Weather

3.2.1The Environment

3.2.2Animals

3.2.3Good Weather

3.2.4Bad Weather

3.2.5The Climate - Verbs & Expressions

3.2.6Natural World - Listening

3.3Communications & Technology

3.3.1The Digital World (1/2)

3.3.2The Digital World (2/2)

3.3.3Social Media

3.3.4Documents & Texts

3.3.5Mobile Technology

3.3.6Social Media - Listening

3.3.7Mobile Technology - Listening

3.4The Built Environment

3.4.1Where Do You Live?

3.4.2What is There in Your Region?

3.4.3Places in the Town

3.4.4Things to Do

3.4.5Shops

3.4.6Money Matters

3.4.7The Built Environment - Listening

3.5Measurements

3.5.1Measurements

3.5.2Measurements - Listening

3.6Materials

3.6.1Materials

3.6.2Materials - Listening

4The World of Work

4.1Education

4.1.1School Routine

4.1.2Subjects (1/4)

4.1.3Subjects (2/4)

4.1.4Subjects (3/4)

4.1.5Subjects (4/4)

4.1.6School Life

4.1.7School Trips

4.1.8Education Post-16

4.1.9Learning a Language

4.1.10Education - Listening

4.2Work

4.2.1Jobs (1/2)

4.2.2Jobs (2/2)

4.2.3Career (1/2)

4.2.4Career (2/2)

4.2.5The Workplace

4.2.6Job Applications

4.2.7Charity

4.2.8Work: Verbs & Expressions

4.2.9Work - Listening

5The International World

5.1Culture, Customs, Faiths & Celebrations

5.1.1Culture, Customs, Faiths & Celebrations

5.1.2Festivals & Customs (1/2)

5.1.3Festivals & Customs (2/2)

5.1.4Religious Festivals

5.1.5Festivals in French-Speaking Countries - Listening

6Common Tenses

6.1Present Tense

6.1.1Regular ER Verbs

6.1.2Regular IR Verbs

6.1.3Regular RE Verbs

6.1.4Reflexive Verbs

6.1.5Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)

6.1.6Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)

6.1.7Irregular IR Verbs (1/2)

6.1.8Irregular IR Verbs (2/2)

6.1.9Irregular RE Verbs (1/3)

6.1.10Irregular RE Verbs (2/3)

6.1.11Irregular RE Verbs (3/3)

6.1.12Present Participle (1/2)

6.1.13Present Participle (2/2)

6.1.14Irregular Present Participles

6.1.15Avoir & Être

6.1.16'Depuis' + Present Tense

6.1.17'Venir De' + Present Tense

6.2Perfect Tense

6.2.1Avoir (1/2)

6.2.2Avoir (2/2)

6.2.3Irregular Past Participles (1/2)

6.2.4Irregular Past Participles (2/2)

6.2.5Être ER Verbs

6.2.6Être IR & RE Verbs

6.2.7Irregular Être

6.2.8Avois & Être - Perfect Infinitive

6.2.9Être - Perfect Passive

6.3Imperfect tense

6.3.1Regular ER Verbs

6.3.2Regular IR Verbs

6.3.3Regular RE Verbs

6.3.4Irregular ER Verbs

6.3.5Irregular IR Verbs

6.3.6Irregular RE Verbs

6.3.7Être

6.3.8Être - Imperfect Passive Voice

6.3.9'Depuis' + Imperfect Tense

6.3.10'Venir De' + Imperfect Tense

6.4Imperfect vs Perfect

6.4.1Imperfect vs Perfect: Which One to Use?

6.5Future Tense

6.5.1Regular ER Verbs

6.5.2Regular IR Verbs

6.5.3Regular RE Verbs

6.5.4Irregular Future Stem (1/2)

6.5.5Irregular Future Stem (2/2)

6.5.6Immediate Future

6.5.7Future Passive Voice

7Advanced Tenses

7.1Conditional Tense

7.1.1Regular ER Verbs

7.1.2Regular IR Verbs

7.1.3Regular RE Verbs

7.1.4Irregulars (1/2)

7.1.5Irregulars (2/2)

7.2Pluperfect Tense

7.2.1Avoir (1/2)

7.2.2Avoir (2/2)

7.2.3Être ER

7.2.4Être IR & RE

7.2.5Irregular Être

7.3Present Subjunctive

7.3.1Regular Verbs (1/2)

7.3.2Regular Verbs (2/2)

7.3.3Irregulars (1/2)

7.3.4Irregulars (2/2)

7.3.5Using the Subjunctive

7.3.6Imperative

8Extra Grammar

8.1Articles

8.1.1Definite & Indefinite Articles

8.1.2Partitive Articles

8.1.3'De' After Negative Verb Forms

8.1.4Some

8.2The Passive Voice

8.2.1Être - Present

8.2.2Être - Perfect

8.2.3Être - Future & Imperfect

8.2.4Avoiding the Passive

8.3Pronouns

8.3.1Personal Pronouns (1/2)

8.3.2Personal Pronouns (2/2)

8.3.3Reflexive Pronouns

8.3.4Direct Object Pronouns: Le, La, Les, L'

8.3.5Direct Object Pronouns: Agreement

8.3.6Direct Object Pronouns: Imperative

8.3.7Indirect Object Pronouns: Lui, Leur

8.3.8DO & IO Pronouns: Combination

8.3.9Demonstrative Pronouns

8.3.10Neutral Demonstrative Pronouns

8.3.11Interrogative Pronouns

8.3.12Relative Pronouns

8.3.13Possessive Pronouns

8.3.14Indefinite Pronouns

8.3.15Ça, Cela

8.3.16Celui

8.3.17Emphatic Pronouns

8.4Asking Questions

8.4.1Question Words

8.4.2Question Words: Est-Ce Que...

8.5Nouns

8.5.1Gender: Masculine

8.5.2Gender: Feminine (1/2)

8.5.3Gender: Feminine (2/2)

8.5.4Plurals

8.5.5Irregular Plurals

8.6Prepositions

8.6.1Prepositions (1/3)

8.6.2Prepositions (2/3)

8.6.3Prepositions (3/3)

8.6.4Phrases

8.7Adverbs

8.7.1Forming an Adverb

8.7.2Forming an Adverb: Good, Badly, Fast

8.7.3Adverbs of Time & Place

8.7.4Interrogative Adverbs

8.7.5Common Adverbial Phrases

8.7.6Comparative Adverbs

8.7.7Superlative Adverbs

8.7.8A Lot, Enough, Very

8.7.9Quantifiers

8.8Adjectives

8.8.1Agreement

8.8.2Irregular Agreements

8.8.3No Pattern Irregulars

8.8.4Position (1/2)

8.8.5Position (2/2)

8.8.6Possessive Adjectives

8.8.7Demonstrative

8.8.8Interrogative Adjectives

8.8.9Indefinite

8.8.10Comparative Adjectives

8.8.11Superlative Adjectives

8.8.12Good, Better, Best

8.9Negative

8.9.1Negatives (1/2)

8.9.2Negatives (2/2)

8.10Conjunctions

8.10.1To Make Sentences Longer

8.10.2To Add Extra Information

8.11Miscellaneous

8.11.1Abbreviations

8.11.2Expressions

8.11.3Present

8.12Verbs

8.12.1Boot Verbs

8.12.2Impersonal Verbs

8.12.3Verbs Governing An Infinitive

8.13Numbers

8.13.1Numbers 1-10

8.13.2Numbers 11-20

8.13.3Numbers 21-29

8.13.4Numbers 30-100

8.13.5Parties

8.13.6Ordinal Numbers

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