An argument is held together by small words: although the plan is expensive, we should try it so that everyone benefits, provided that the costs are shared, unless a better idea appears. In French, half of those connectors take the subjonctif and half take the indicatif, and a list of thirty conjunctions is hard to keep straight under exam pressure. This lesson organises them by function. When you pick a connector for what it means (conceding a point, stating a goal, setting a condition), the mood comes with it. You will also learn the most useful upgrade at this level: when both clauses share a subject, most of these conjunctions have a preposition + infinitive partner that avoids the subjonctif entirely and sounds more natural.
The logic behind the moods
Conjunctions of purpose (the goal is not reached yet), condition (the condition may not be met; si and au cas où are exceptions with their own rules), time not yet reached (avant que, jusqu'à ce que) and exclusion (sans que: it does not happen) introduce something that is not presented as a real fact, so they take the subjonctif. Conjunctions of cause, result, real time and contrast present facts, so they take the indicatif. Concession is the exception you simply learn: bien que and quoique take the subjonctif even though what they introduce is true (Bien qu'il soit riche…: he really is rich).
Concession: although, even if, whereas
| Connector | Takes | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bien que, quoique | subjonctif | Bien qu'elle soit fatiguée, elle continue. | Although she's tired, she keeps going. |
| même si | indicatif (si rules) | Même s'il pleut, on ira au chalet. | Even if it rains, we'll go to the cottage. |
| alors que, tandis que | indicatif | Il travaille tout l'été alors que son frère voyage. | He works all summer whereas his brother travels. |
| malgré | a noun | Malgré la pluie, le festival a eu lieu. | Despite the rain, the festival took place. |
| pourtant, cependant | a new clause (indicatif) | Le projet coûte cher ; pourtant, il est nécessaire. | The project is expensive; yet it is necessary. |
| quoi que (two words) | subjonctif | Quoi que tu dises, je ne changerai pas d'avis. | Whatever you say, I won't change my mind. |
An elegant shortcut: bien que plus an adjective
When the subject of both clauses is the same and the verb after bien que would be être, you can drop the subject and the verb: Bien que fatiguée, elle a terminé la course (Though tired, she finished the race). Quoique très jeune, il dirige l'équipe (Though very young, he leads the team). This is the closest thing bien que has to an infinitive partner, and it reads well in an essay.
Purpose and fear: one subject or two?
ATwo subjects: conjunction + subjonctif
- Je parle lentement pour que tu comprennes. — I speak slowly so that you understand.
- Elle a tout noté afin que personne n'oublie. — She wrote everything down so that nobody would forget.
- Il a fermé la porte de peur que le chat (ne) sorte. — He shut the door for fear the cat would get out.
BOne subject: preposition + infinitive
- Je relis mon texte pour trouver les erreurs. — I reread my text to find the mistakes.
- Elle prend des notes afin de ne rien oublier. — She takes notes so as not to forget anything.
- Il se tait de peur de dire une bêtise. — He stays quiet for fear of saying something silly.
Condition
| Connector | Takes | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| à condition que | subjonctif | Je viendrai à condition que tu m'invites. | I'll come on condition that you invite me. |
| pourvu que | subjonctif | Tu peux emprunter ma voiture pourvu que tu la ramènes ce soir. | You can borrow my car provided you bring it back tonight. |
| à moins que (+ optional ne) | subjonctif | On ira au parc, à moins qu'il (ne) pleuve. | We'll go to the park unless it rains. |
| si | indicatif | Si tu m'invites, je viendrai. | If you invite me, I'll come. |
| au cas où | conditionnel | Prends un parapluie au cas où il pleuvrait. | Take an umbrella in case it rains. |
| à condition de, à moins de | infinitive (same subject) | Tu réussiras à condition de travailler régulièrement. | You'll succeed provided you work regularly. |
Time and exclusion
| Two subjects | Mood | Same subject | Example and English |
|---|---|---|---|
| avant que | subjonctif | avant de + inf. | Appelle-moi avant que je parte. / Appelle-moi avant de partir. — Call me before I leave. / Call me before you leave. |
| jusqu'à ce que | subjonctif | (no true partner: jusqu'à + inf. means to the point of) | Reste ici jusqu'à ce que je revienne. — Stay here until I come back. |
| en attendant que | subjonctif | en attendant de + inf. | Lis un peu en attendant que le film commence. — Read a bit while you wait for the film to start. |
| sans que | subjonctif | sans + inf. | Elle est partie sans que personne le remarque. / Elle est partie sans dire au revoir. — She left without anyone noticing. / She left without saying goodbye. |
| après que | indicatif | après + infinitif passé | On sortira après que tu auras fini. / Après avoir fini, il est sorti. — We'll go out after you've finished. / After finishing, he went out. |
| pendant que, dès que, lorsque | indicatif | (use a noun or the gérondif) | Dès que tu arriveras, on mangera. — As soon as you arrive, we'll eat. |
Look-alikes that change the mood
si bien que (so, with the result that) takes the indicatif: Il a beaucoup neigé, si bien que l'école est fermée. It is not bien que. De sorte que takes the subjonctif for a purpose (Parle fort de sorte qu'on t'entende: so that people hear you) but the indicatif for a result (Il a parlé fort, de sorte qu'on l'a entendu: so people heard him). Alors que means whereas or just as / when, and takes the indicatif in both meanings.
In an opinion piece
- « Bien que la semaine de quatre jours semble idéale, elle ne convient pas à tous les secteurs. » — Although the four-day week seems ideal, it doesn't suit every sector.
- « Pour qu'elle réussisse, il faudrait que les employeurs réorganisent les horaires. » — For it to succeed, employers would have to reorganise schedules.
- « Alors que les employés y gagneraient du temps libre, les clients risqueraient d'attendre plus longtemps. » — Whereas employees would gain free time, customers might have to wait longer.
- « On pourrait l'essayer, à condition que la qualité du service ne baisse pas. » — We could try it, provided that the quality of service does not drop.
- « Même si l'idée me plaît, je pense qu'il faut avancer prudemment. » — Even if I like the idea, I think we need to move carefully.
Read the paragraph again for its structure rather than its topic. The writer concedes (bien que + subjonctif semble), states a condition for success (pour que + réussisse), contrasts two groups (alors que + indicatif, here a conditionnel because the whole situation is imagined), sets a limit (à condition que + baisse) and closes with a concession that keeps the indicatif (même si + plaît). That variety is what makes an argument sound balanced. When you plan a paragraph, choose the function first (concede, contrast, set a condition) and the conjunction second; the mood follows automatically.