Avoiding the Subjunctive

The subjunctive may be avoided in the following ways:

• If the subjects of both clauses in the sentence are exactly the same in meaning, que is omitted and the subjunctive is replaced by the infinitive:

  • J'aimerais faire du shopping. (I would like to go shopping.)

    BUT:

  • J'aimerais que nous fassions du shopping. (I would like for us to go shopping.)

    Note that the same subject pronoun can indicate different subjects and il can be impersonal:

  • Il faut qu'il vienne. (He must come.)

  • Il doute qu'il vienne. (He [Pierre] doubts that he [Marc] will come.)

    BUT:

  • Il doute qu'il viendra. (He [Marc] doubts that he [Marc] will come.)

• When conjunctions are used, if the subjects of the two clauses are the same, an infinitive construction is used:

  • Je lui téléphonerai avant de partir. (I'll call him before leaving.)

    BUT:

  • Je lui téléphonerai avant que tu partes. (I'll call him before you leave.)

• A clause can be replaced with a noun:

  • Tu me verras avant que je ne parte. (You will see me before I leave.)

  • Tu me verras avant mon départ. (You will see me before my departure.)

• Que + clause can be replaced with à + person + de + infinitive with verbs indicating a command, permission, or refusal of permission:

  • Il permet que le garçon sorte. (He permits the boy to leave.)

  • Il permet au garçon de sortir. (He permits the boy to leave.)

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