French grammar C2 · Lesson 2 of 4
The imperfect subjunctive
In classic literature, a subjunctive after a past verb takes the imperfect subjunctive: . Today we write , but you will meet the old form in books.
It is built on the : gives , gives , gives . The form always carries a circumflex and ends in .
Tell it apart from the : (he was) has no accent, (that he were) has one. The same goes for and : means it would have been necessary.
Examples
- Il fallait qu'il partît.
- Je voulais qu'elle vînt.
- Bien qu'il fût tard, il travaillait.
- Il eût fallu le prévenir.
- Il fut le premier à parler.