Tense / Aspect / Mood / Voice
subjunctive usage: doubt
The choice of mood indicates the speaker’s degree of uncertainty: subjunctive implies the speaker doubts the existence or possibility of what is being described; indicative implies the speaker believes or is certain that what is being described is possible or does exist.
expressions of doubt and uncertainty
The subjunctive occurs in dependent clauses introduced by verbs and expressions of doubt or uncertainty whenever there are two different subjects in the two clauses linked by the subordinating conjunction que.
| il est possible que | it is possible that |
| il est impossible que | it is impossible that |
| il est incroyable que | it is unbelievable that |
| il est douteux que | it is doubtful that |
| douter que | to doubt that |
| Où est Edouard? Chez MacDo? | Where is Edouard? At MacDonald’s? | |
| Oh non! Il est impossible qu’Edouard soit chez MacDo! | Oh no! It is impossible that Edouard be at MacDonald’s! |
interrogatives and negatives
Doubt is commonly expressed by questioning or negating a statement.
| Crois-tu que Corey soit chez MacDo? | Do you believe that Corey is at MacDonald’s? | |
| Oui, je crois que Corey est chez MacDo. | I believe Corey is at MacDonald’s. | |
| Mais Edouard? Non, je ne crois pas qu’Edouard soit chez MacDo. | But Edouard? No, I don’t believe that Edouard is at MacDonald’s. |
The following expressions imply certainty, so when they are used in affirmative statements, they are followed by the indicative.
| croire que | to believe that |
| penser que | to think that |
| être sûr que | to be sure that |
| trouver que | to find that |
| se douter que | to suspect that |
| supposer que | to suppose that |
| avoir l’impression que | to have the impression that |
| il est vrai que | it is true that |
| il paraît que | it appears that |
| il est probable que | it is probable that |
| il (me) semble que | it seems (to me) that |
| il est clair que | it is clear that |
| il est évident que | it is evident that |
| il est certain que | it is certain that |
However, when these expressions are used in either the interrogative or the negative, doubt is introduced. Consequently, in the subordinate clause, the subjunctive is used. On the other hand, when expressions of doubt are negated, they indicate certainty and thus are followed by the indicative: Je ne doute pas qu’Edouard est un escargot distingué (I do not doubt that Edouard is a distinguished snail = I am certain that …).
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
| Tammy: Je suppose que nous allons nous marier. Il est clair que tu m’aimes. | Tammy: I suppose that we are going to get married. It is clear that you love me. | |
| Tex: Mais Tammy, euh, je ne crois pas que tu sois prête pour le mariage. Et puis, je ne suis pas sûr que tes parents soient d’accord. Non, non, vraiment, je ne trouve pas que ce soit une bonne idée. | Tex: But, Tammy, uh, I don’t think that you are ready for marriage. And then, I am not sure your parents would approve. No, no, really, I don’t think this is a good idea. | |
| Tammy: Te semble-t-il que je sois trop jeune? Tu n’es pas certain que je sois la femme de ta vie? | Tammy: Does it seem to you that I am too young? You’re not sure that I am the woman of your life? | |
| Tex: Oh, chérie, je ne doute pas que tu es la femme de ma vie. Mais il est évident que nous sommes trop jeunes pour le moment. En plus, il est certain que je n’ai pas encore assez d’argent. | Tex: Oh, my dear, I do not doubt that you are the woman of my life. But it is obvious that we are too young right now. Also, it is certain that I don’t have enough money yet. |
relative clauses
When relative clauses express uncertainty, they also trigger the use of the subjunctive. If the existence of the antecedent, or referent, is not certain, then the subjunctive is used to highlight this uncertainty. On the other hand, if the existence or possibility of the antecedent is likely and/or definite, then the doubt is removed and the indicative is used.
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
| Tammy: Je cherche un tatou qui est intelligent, bilingue et intéressant. Mais à vrai dire, je l’ai déjà trouvé! | Tammy: I am looking for an armadillo who is intelligent, bilingual and interesting. But, actually, I have already found him! | |
| Tex: Existe-t-il une seule fille qui ne soit pas obsédée par le mariage? N’y a-t-il rien qui puisse la détourner? | Tex: Is there one girl who is not obsessed with marriage? Isn’t there anything that can divert her? | |
| Tammy: Y-a-t-il quelque chose qui puisse le convaincre? | Tammy: Is there anything that might convince him? |
superlatives
The use of a superlative can influences the choice between the subjunctive and the indicative. The subjunctive is used after superlative expressions that contain a subjective opinion. On the other hand, if the superlative expression contains a fact or a completely objective opinion, then the indicative is used since the idea is devoid of any sort of doubt.
The following list contains a group of common expressions that are superlative-like in their use.
| le seul | the only |
| l’unique | the only |
| il n’y a que | there is only |
| le dernier | the last |
| le premier | the first |
| le meilleur | the best |
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
| Tex: Tammy est la plus belle tatou que je connaisse. Mais quand même, j’ai, j’ai peur du mariage. | Tex: Tammy is the prettiest armadillo that I know. But even so, I’m, I’m afraid of marriage. | |
| Tammy: Tex est le seul tatou français que je connais. Il est vraiment unique. | Tammy: Tex is the only French armadillo that I know. He is truly unique. |
