LImparfait du Subjonctif A French Literary Tense

The French limparfait du subjonctif (the  imperfect subjunctive) is a literary tense used in formal writing, such as literature, journalism, and history texts, and for narration. Like all literary verb forms, you really only need to be able to recognize it, not to use it. Limparfait du subjonctif  is one of five literary tenses in French. They have virtually disappeared from spoken language, unless the speaker wishes to sound erudite. All five French literary tenses  include: P​assà © simplePassà © antà ©rieurLimparfait du subjonctif                                                           Ã‚  Plus-que-parfait  du subjonctif  Seconde  forme du conditionnel passà © ​Examples of the French Imperfect Subjunctive The imperfect subjunctive is used in a subordinate clause when the main clause is in the past. Its nonliterary equivalent is the  present subjunctive. For example: Il partit pour que nous eussions la salle à   nous-mà ªmes.   He left so that wed have the room to ourselves.Nonliterary equivalent: Il est parti pour que nous ayons la salle à   nous-mà ªmes.Je voulais quil parlà ¢t à   son frà ¨re.   I wanted him to talk to his brother.Nonliterary equivalent: Je voulais quil parle à   son frà ¨re.Je craignais qu’il fà »t mort. I feared he was dead.Nonliterary equivalent:  Je craignais qu’il soit mort.Elle voyagea quoiqu’elle n’eà »t point d’argent. She traveled even though she didn’t have any money.Nonliterary equivalent:  Elle a voyagà © quoiqu’elle n’ait pas eu d’argent. How to Conjugate the French Imperfect Subjunctive Literary Tense Conjugation of the French  limparfait du subjonctif  is  based on the French  passà © simple  (simple past), also known as the preterite  or  passà ©Ã‚  dà ©fini (definite past). Passà © simple  is the literary equivalent of the everyday  passà ©Ã‚  composà ©, and, like the imperfect subjunctive, its  used predominantly in formal writing such as literature, journalism, and history texts. 1)  For all  -er verbs, including  stem-changing verbs  and the normally irregular verb  aller, take the third person singular form of the  passà © simple  as the stem and add the imperfect subjunctive endings. Note that  spelling-change verbs  like  manger  and  lancer  have their spelling irregularity in all of these conjugations. 2)  For  -ir verbs,  -re verbs, and irregular verbs, the imperfect subjunctive is formed as follows: third person singular form of the  passà © simple  minus the final t, plus the imperfect subjunctive endings. Below are the imperfect subjunctive endings and conjugations for: the -er verbs  parler  (to speak),  manger  (to eat),  lancer  (to throw), and  aller  (to go);the regular -ir and -re verbs  finir  (to finish) and  rendre  (to return) respectively;and the irregular verbs  avoir  (to have) and  venir  (to come). Indicative Conjugations of the  French Imperfect Subjunctive Tense parler manger lancer aller 3rd person singular pass simple il parla il mangea il lana il alla imperfect subjunctive stem parla- mangea- lana- alla- Pronoun Ending ...que je -sse parlasse mangeasse lanasse allasse ...que tu -sses parlasses mangeasses lanasses allasses ...quil -^t parlt manget lant allt ...que nous -ssions parlassions mangeassions lanassions allassions ...que vous -ssiez parlassiez mangeassiez lanassiez allassiez ...quils -ssent parlassent mangeassent lanassent allassent finir rendre avoir venir 3rd person singular pass simple il finit il rendit il eut il vint imperfect subjunctive stem fini- rendi- eu- vin- Pronoun Ending ...que je -sse finisse rendisse eusse vinsse ...que tu -sses finisses rendisses eusses vinsses ...quil -^t fint rendt et vnt ...que nous -ssions finissions rendissions eussions vinssions ...que vous -ssiez finissiez rendissiez eussiez vinssiez ...quils -ssent finissent rendissent eussent vinssent Additional Resources   French literary tensesP​assà © simple literary tensePassà © antà ©rieur  literary tensePlus-que-parfait  du subjonctif literary tense  Seconde forme du conditionnel passà ©Ã‚  literary tense