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Conjugation
Objective: Recognise impersonal expressions that require the subjunctive, apply the mood after il faut que and its variants, and distinguish the structure from the infinitive construction.
| Expression | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| il faut que | neutral | Il faut que tu partes. |
| il est nécessaire que | formal | Il est nécessaire que nous finissions. |
| il est important que | neutral | Il est important que tu sois là. |
| il est essentiel que | formal | Il est essentiel que vous veniez. |
| il est indispensable que | formal | Il est indispensable qu'elle parte. |
| il est urgent que | neutral |
Il faut que always triggers the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. The indicative viens would present the arrival as a fact rather than as a requirement.
The subjunctive stem of partir comes from ils partent, and the ending -e marks the first-person singular.
Il faut que introduces a subordinate clause whose subject is je, and the verb parte takes the subjunctive.
The impersonal expression il est nécessaire que triggers the subjunctive. The stem finiss- comes from ils finissent.
Être has the irregular subjunctive stem soi-, producing sois for the second-person singular.
The formal expression il est essentiel que triggers the subjunctive. Venir uses the stem ven- for the second-person plural.
Que elides to qu' before the vowel-initial elle. The subjunctive parte follows the elided conjunction.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
| Il est urgent que nous agissions. |
| il est temps que | neutral | Il est temps que tu partes. |
| il vaut mieux que | neutral | Il vaut mieux que tu restes. |
The impersonal expression il est important que triggers the subjunctive, and être has the irregular stem soi-.
Every clause introduced by il faut que takes the subjunctive, and the trigger does not lose its force when it is repeated. The stem finiss- comes from ils finissent.
The expression il est urgent que introduces a time pressure. The stem agiss- comes from ils agissent.
The expression il est temps que conveys that the action is overdue. The subordinate verb takes the subjunctive.
Il vaut mieux que gives a softened recommendation, and the verb restes takes the subjunctive.