Query timing of sub clause

Suzy A.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Query timing of sub clause

I can’t quite understand why the subordinate clause here is in the present when the main sentence is past.  Nous avons passé une bonne journée ________d'avis. I wrote “sans que je n’aie changé” but the correct answer was in the present “sans que je ne change”…..

(We had a nice day without my changing my mind).




Asked 1 day ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

It is a common misconception that the subjonctif passé is simply used to express past actions. Rather, it serves to emphasize the sequence of events when one action has definitely occurred before another. Otherwise, the subjonctif présent is generally used, even for actions in the past.

This situation arises because, in French, there are really only two tenses of the subjunctive, compared to a much larger number of tenses in the indicative. As a result, the subjonctif présent functions as the default subjunctive tense, regardless of the actual time frame.

N.B.: Actually, there are also other tenses of the subjunctive mood in French but they have fallen out of use and live only in very high register literary French.

Suzy A.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

thank you, Chris….and because ‘changing my mind’ didn’t definitely happen before ‘we had a nice day’, one uses the present subjunctive?  

Suzy A. asked:

Query timing of sub clause

I can’t quite understand why the subordinate clause here is in the present when the main sentence is past.  Nous avons passé une bonne journée ________d'avis. I wrote “sans que je n’aie changé” but the correct answer was in the present “sans que je ne change”…..

(We had a nice day without my changing my mind).




Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Getting that for you now...