Et d'autant que je me souvienne

Question

Why is this in the subjunctive?

Céline Pickard · Accepted Answer

Bonjour Catriona,
In French, Le Subjonctif is often used to express doubt, uncertainty, or a lack of certainty. It is often used to express subjective views or personal opinions, which aligns with the nature of recollection or memory which is the case here. In fact, in this particular sentence, the speaker is indicating that their memory might not be completely certain ; hence, the use of Le Subjonctif:
D'autant que je me souvienne, ... = As far as I can remember/to the best of my recollection, ...
-> this was a long time ago, so Mathilde's memory might not be as accurate as it would have been closer to that event.
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Jim Jones · Answer

Bonjour Catriona,"Mathilde recalls the worst family camping trip she ever went on.""Why is this in the subjunctive?"I confess that I haven't done the exercise, but it occurs to me that there would have been a measure of frustration, involved in the experience of such a camping trip as headlined above.Frustration, irritation, disappointment, are all emotions that would trigger the subjuctive mood.Let's wait for an comment from a staff expert to see if I am "near the mark" with my observation.Bonne journéeJim