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Although the subjunctive is commonly used in French, many alternative turns of phrase are often used to avoid the subjunctive.
impersonal expressions with infinitive clauses
Many impersonal expressions which take the subjunctive can be modified and completed with infinitive clauses instead.
Note that the infinitive construction eliminates the subject of the original dependent clause.
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| subjunctive |
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infinitive |
| Il est important que tu boives du vin. (It is important that you drink wine.) |
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Il est important de boire du vin. (It is important to drink wine.) |
| Il est préférable que tu sois poli. (It is preferable / advisable that you be polite.) |
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Il est préférable d'être poli.(It is preferable / better to be polite.) |
| Il est essentiel que tu lises les journaux. (It is essential that you read the papers.) |
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Il est essentiel de lire les journaux. (It is essential to read the papers.) |
| Il est dommage que tu fumes autant. (It is a pity that you smoke so much.) |
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Il est dommage de fumer autant. (It is a pity to smoke so much.) |
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conjunction replaced by preposition + infinitive
Some conjunctions which are normally followed by the subjunctive have corresponding prepositions, so the sentence can often be rephrased using one subject,
with an infinitive following the preposition.
|
conjunction +
subjunctive |
translation |
preposition +
infinitive |
| à condition que |
on the condition (that) |
à condition de |
| afin que |
so that, in order to |
afin de |
| à moins que |
unless |
à moins de |
| avant que |
before |
avant de |
| de crainte que |
for fear that (of), lest |
de crainte de |
| de peur que |
for fear that (of), lest |
de peur de |
| en attendant que |
while waiting for (to) |
en attendant de |
| pour que |
in order that (to) |
pour |
| sans que |
without |
sans |
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Using the infinitive involves a restatement of the content so there is only one grammatical subject in the sentence. For example:
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conjunction + subjunctive
(2 subjects) |
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preposition + infinitive
(1 subject) |
| Bette drague Tex pour que Tammy soit jalouse. Tex est victime de harcèlement sexuel! (Bette is hitting on Tex in order that Tammy be jealous. Tex is a victim of sexual harrassment!) |
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Bette drague Tex pour rendre Tammy jalouse. Tex est victime de harcèlement sexuel! (Bette is hitting on Tex in order to make Tammy jealous. Tex is a victim of sexual harrassment!) |
| Tex ne dit rien à Tammy de peur qu'elle se mette en colère. (Tex does not say anything to Tammy for fear that she get angry.) |
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Tex ne dit rien à Tammy de peur de la mettre en colère. (Tex does not say anything to Tammy for fear of making her angry.) |
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conjunction replaced by preposition + object
Some conjunctions, like jusqu'à ce que and bien que, which introduce the subjunctive,
may be restated using prepositions followed by a noun:
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| conjunction + subjunctive |
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preposition + noun |
| Jusqu'à ce que Tammy arrive, Tex est très pensif. (Until Tammy arrives, Tex is very pensive.) |
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Jusqu'à l'arrivée de Tammy, Tex est très pensif. (Until Tammy's arrival, Tex is very pensive.) |
| Quand elle arrive, il lui sourit, bien qu'il ait des soucis. (When she arrives, he smiles at her, although he is worried.) |
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Quand elle arrive, il lui sourit, malgré ses soucis. (When she arrives, he smiles to her despite his worries.) |
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other structural transformations
The following pairs of sentences will give you still more ways to avoid the subjunctive.
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| subjunctive |
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avoiding the subjunctive |
| Tammy: Je ne suis pas sûre que tu sois prêt pour le mariage. (I am not sure that you are ready for marriage.) |
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Tex: Je ne sais pas si je suis prêt pour le mariage. (I don't know if I am ready for marriage.) |
| Tammy: Il est possible que tu sois l'homme de ma vie. (It is possible that you may be the man of my life.) |
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Tex: Je suis peut-être l'homme de ta vie. (Maybe I am the man of your life.) |
| Bette: Je n'ai pas l'impression que Tammy soit la femme de ta vie, Tex. (I don't think that Tammy is the woman of your life.) |
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Tammy: J'ai l'impression que Bette n'est pas la femme de ta vie, Tex. (I think that Bette is not the woman of your life.) |
| Tex: Tammy, j'ai besoin que tu viennes me voir. (Tammy, I need you to come and see me.) |
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Bette: Viens me voir chez moi, Tex. J'ai besoin de te voir. (Come and see me, Tex. I need to see you.) |
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