Hi Thomas!!!! is there a Subjonctif mode in English?
Je ne veux pas que vous manquiez la difference? :-\
Answer? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood)
Yes, in fact, there is a subjunctive! Unfortunately, it was not used very well. One of the most common examples is "I wish that I were..." -- normally, we say "I was", of course -- and it is used for similar reasons as in French, but the actual cases where you use it are different (sometimes -- some of them are the same).
I do plan on discussing it in several lessons some day, but if you have any specific questions in the meantime feel free to ask. Also, I read through that Wikipedia article (thanks John Doe :D ), it's pretty good at showing many of the different forms. In reality, many Americans do not use the subjunctive much, or use it incorrectly when they do :'(
thanks for your explanation!!!even if the john doe's explanation is a little bit complicated for my mind!!! :D
It's not me, it's wikipedia! :D
Can I say ? : If I were you.... Si j'étais à ta place ou traduit littéralement "si j'étais toi"
C'est un peu la même chose non? :D
ah bon ? ;)
If I were you, that's a perfect example.
Here's the difference between "If I were you" and "Si j'étais à ta place", though:
| English Past tense | English Subjunctive | French Past tense | French subjunctive |
| I was | I were* | J'étais | Je sois |
| You were | You were | Tu étais | Tu sois |
| He/She was | He/She were* | Il/Elle était | Il/Elle soit |
| We were | We were | Nouse étions | Nous soyons |
| | Vous étiez | Vous soyez |
| They were | They were | Ils/Elles étaient | Ils/Elles soient |
*notable differences between English past tense and subjunctive
Looking at the two languages, comparing the two conjugations, in French, it's super easy to tell if a verb is in imparfait or subjonctif. In English, because there are fewer conjugations for each verb, there are several overlaps between tenses, and this is one of them.
The "if + [hypothetical situation]" phrase takes a different mood in the two languages. In French, it takes the imparfait de l'indicatif. In English, it takes the present subjunctive. It's an interesting difference between the two languages ("interesting" at least if you enjoy grammar ;) ), and one worth noticing.
Thx for the explanation :)
Thank you Thomas for the comparaison of the tenses between French and English. It was very clear and useful for comprehension. And thanks a lot for the podcast " Expression 8". Have a nice day. Hope my encouragement will make your day... do you see what a mean ? ;)
thank you for your explanation :D
Haha, good one Joelle ;)