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Revision:Imperfect Subjunctive

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The Imperfect Subjunctive

Usage

The imperfect subjunctive replaces the present subjunctive (not the subjonctif passé, which is replaced by the pluperfect subjunctive) in a text written in the past tense. It is only used in very high register French, generally in combination with the passé simple. You will never see a text using the passé composé and the imperfect subjunctive at the same time. Nowadays the imperfect subjunctive is very rare and used almost exclusively in the third person singular (you may be marked down for it in an exam if you use it in any other form)

Conjugation

The terminaisons of the imperfect subjunctive are :

je -sse
tu -sses
il -^t (ât, ût, etc.)
nous -ssions
vous -ssiez
ils -ssent

Verbs in the 1st conjugation, eg. chanter, take a before the subjunctive ending:

que je chantasse
que tu chantasses
qu'il chantât
que nous chantassions
que vous chantissiez
qu'ils chantassent

Second conjugation verbs, eg. finir, take i before the ending:

que je finisse
que tu finisses
qu'il finît
que nous finissions
que vous finissiez
qu'ils finissent

In the case of third conjugation verbs, the letter is generally decided by the ending of the past participle. Eg. the past participle of lire is lu:

que je lusse
que tu lusses
qu'il lût
que nous lussions
que vous lussiez
qu'ils lussent

Irregular verbs

avoir
que j'eusse
que tu eusses
qu'il eût
que nous eussions
que vous eussiez
qu'ils eussent
faire
que je fisse
que tu fisses
qu'il fît
que nous fissions
que vous fissiez
qu'ils fissent
être
que je fusse
que tu fusses
qu'il fût
que nous fussions
que vous fussiez
qu'ils fussent

Aller is conjugated as a 1st group verb in the imperfect subjunctive.


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