Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is a literary verb form, meaning that it's reserved for formal, written French - mainly literature, but also history and journalism.
C1 Grammar
Advanced French Lessons
The imperfect subjunctive is a literary verb form, meaning that it's reserved for formal, written French - mainly literature, but also history and journalism.Informal Pronouns
Pronoun usage and pronunciation varies greatly between formal and informal French. Much of what you learn at school is formal and doesn't reflect how French is actually spoken. If you want to sound more French in informal situations—not to mention understand what you hear—you need to be aware of these pronoun differences.Inversion with je
Inversion with the first person singular je is a little trickier than with other subject pronouns. It's also very formal and therefore rare, so one of those grammar concepts you need to recognize but not necessarily use.Ne littéraire
In formal, usually written French, there are certain verbs and constructions that can be made negative with just ne - the inclusion of pas or some other negative word is not required.Pluperfect Subjunctive
The rarest French verb form is the pluperfect subjunctive. It's a literary tense, meaning that it's reserved for formal, written French - mainly literature, but also history and journalism.Progress with Lawless French
Progress with Lawless French is an adaptive, test-driven French learning system that will help you learn more efficiently with personalized kwizzes, writing challenges, and dictées.PwLF Super Study Lists
Take your Progress with Lawless French account to the next level with these super study lists that bring together all the lessons on a particular grammar topic.Substitute que
There's a way to use the subordinating conjunction que that isn't often taught in school: as a substitute for another conjunction. This usage is neither informal nor unusual, but it is limited to a specific construction and for a specific reason.Superlative Subjunctive
The subjunctive is optional with limits and superlatives: it depends on whether the speaker knows whether what s/he is saying is true.More Lawless French
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