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French subjunctive quiz: ten forms and sentence choices

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Try ten French subjunctive questions on regular endings, irregular forms, wishes, reactions and infinitives, with an explanation for every answer.

Before you start

The subjunctive follows openings such as il faut que, je souhaite que and je suis contente que. Choose a form that fits both the expression and its subject. These ten questions also include an indicative statement and a same-subject infinitive.

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A woman warmly welcomes a friend at a French apartment doorway.
Je suis contente que tu sois l’ expresses pleasure at someone’s arrival. Illustration: Atelier
Three decisions to keep apart
Look forAsk yourselfExample
The openingIs this a need, a wish or a statement?Il faut que… / Je sais que…
The subjectWho performs the next action?que nous… / qu’elles…
The constructionIs there a clause, or an infinitive?Je souhaite partir. / Je souhaite qu’elle parte.

Choose one answer per question. Some gaps test a written ending; others test the whole sentence. Where a tense is named in the instruction, use that tense. For question ten, the woman speaking is pleased that the other person is already there.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Complete with parler in the present subjunctive.Il faut que tu ___ au responsable.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    parles. Parles takes -es with tu. It has the same spelling as the indicative, but here it follows il faut que.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Complete with finir in the present subjunctive.Il faut que je ___ avant midi.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    finisse. Start from ils finissent: finiss- + -e gives finisse with je.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Use être with this plural subject.Je souhaite qu’elles ___ présentes.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    soient. The subject elles takes soient. Soit is singular, and sont is present indicative.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Use avoir with nous after the necessity expression.Il faut que nous ___ assez de temps.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    ayons. Ayons is the present subjunctive of avoir with nous. The necessity expression selects that mood.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Use faire in the present subjunctive.Il est important que vous ___ attention.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    fassiez. Faire uses fass- in the subjunctive: vous fassiez. Faisiez is the imparfait.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Use aller in the present subjunctive.Il faut que nous ___ chez Léa.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    allions. Aller uses all- for nous and vous: allions, alliez. The other subjects use aill-.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Use prendre with vous in the present subjunctive.Je souhaite que vous ___ le temps de réfléchir.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    preniez. Take pren- from nous prenons, then add -iez. The double n belongs to prenne and prennent.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Express a hope about tomorrow with espérer and the future indicative.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    J’espère que tu viendras demain.. In this affirmative hope, use the future indicative viendras. Compare the wish Je souhaite que tu viennes.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    You wish to leave yourself. Choose the infinitive construction.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je souhaite partir.. In Je souhaite partir, the speaker both wishes and leaves. The que tu option makes someone else leave.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Why is the subjunctive natural here, although the person is already present?Je suis contente que tu sois ici.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The opening expresses an emotional reaction.. Je suis contente que introduces the speaker’s reaction to the person’s presence and takes the subjunctive.

Which expressions take the subjunctive?

Je doute qu’elle puisse venir.

I doubt she can come.

Doubt is another common subjunctive opening. Pouvoir adds the idea of being able to do the following action.

A clause about an accepted fact can still take the subjunctive after an emotion expression. A direct statement such as Je sais qu’elle est ici uses the indicative. Read the opening together with its clause to see what the speaker is doing: stating, wishing, reacting or doubting.

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