CCEA A-Level French · Grammar backbone 5 of 10 — The subjunctive II
A-Level Grammar
The subjunctive II
You already build the present subjunctive. Now you add the perfect subjunctive for a completed action, and you learn the crucial A-Level point about the sequence of tenses — why modern French does not switch to the imperfect subjunctive after a past main verb.
Work through each screen and answer the questions — some ask you to recognise which subjunctive is needed, some to produce the form. Collect ⭐ and press Start.
Formation
The perfect subjunctive
The perfect subjunctive is built like the passé composé, but the auxiliary goes into the present subjunctive:
present subjunctive of avoir / être+ past participle
que j'aie fait — that I have done
qu'il soit parti — that he has left
que tu aies fini — that you have finished
qu'elle soit partie — that she has left
Agreement:être verbs and reflexives make the past participle agree with the subject — qu'elle soit partie, qu'ils soient partis.
Two auxiliaries
avoir-verbs vs être-verbs
Which auxiliary you use is exactly the same choice as in the passé composé — most verbs take avoir, but the movement/change-of-state verbs and all reflexives take être:
faire (avoir)
que j'aie fait
que tu aies fait
qu'il ait fait
que nous ayons fait
que vous ayez fait
qu'ils aient fait
partir (être)
que je sois parti
que tu sois parti
qu'il soit parti
que nous soyons partis
que vous soyez partis
qu'ils soient partis
venir (être)
que je sois venu
que tu sois venu
qu'il soit venu
que nous soyons venus
que vous soyez venus
qu'ils soient venus
Quick check
"I'm glad you came"
?Which is correct for a completed action? Je suis content que tu ___ ("I'm glad you came.") — from venir.
The key choice
Present vs perfect subjunctive
After a trigger + que, pick the subjunctive by timing:
Ongoing or still-to-happen → present subjunctive: Il faut que tu finisses (finish now / soon).
Already completed → perfect subjunctive: Je suis content que tu aies fini (you have finished).
Test: could you swap in "have done" / "has happened" in English? Then use the perfect subjunctive. If it's "do" / "will do", use the present.
Type it
Your turn — perfect subjunctive
1Write the que j' perfect-subjunctive of faire — "that I have done".
Hint: present subjunctive of avoir (que j' ___) + past participle fait.
Quick check
Ongoing action
?Complete for an ongoing action: Il faut que tu ___ — from finir ("you need to finish").
Sort it
Which subjunctive fits?
Type it
Your turn — être + agreement
2Write the qu'il perfect-subjunctive of venir — "that he has come".
Hint: venir takes être — present subjunctive of être (qu'il ___) + venu.
Quick check
Perfect subjunctive with être
?"Although he has left" — Bien qu'il ___ déjà — from partir.
A-Level key point
French has no strict sequence of tenses
In older or literary French, a past main verb pulled the subjunctive back into the imperfect subjunctive. Modern French does not do this. Even after a past main verb you keep the present subjunctive (for ongoing) or the perfect subjunctive (for completed):
Je veuxqu'il vienne. — I want him to come.
Je voulaisqu'il vienne. — I wanted him to come. (still present subjunctive!)
Rule of thumb: in speech and normal writing, choose only between the present and perfect subjunctive — never the imperfect subjunctive, whatever the tense of the main verb.
Type it
Your turn — present subjunctive
3Write the que je present-subjunctive of finir (to finish).
Hint: ils-stem finiss- + the "je" ending -e.
Game · Match
Match the infinitive to its perfect subjunctive
Tap an infinitive on the left, then its perfect subjunctive (que je form) on the right.
INFINITIVE
faire
être
avoir
aller
venir
partir
PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE (que je)
sois allé
aie fait
sois parti
aie eu
sois venu
aie été
Quick check
Past main verb — still present subjunctive
?Complete: Je voulais que tu ___ ("I wanted you to come.") — from venir.
Receptive only
The imperfect & pluperfect subjunctive
You will meet the imperfect subjunctive (qu'il fût, qu'il eût) and the pluperfect subjunctive (qu'il eût fait) in set texts and literature. They are receptive only: recognise them, but do not produce them in your own writing — CCEA lists the imperfect subjunctive as recognition only (R).
qu'il fût — literary imperfect subjunctive of être
qu'il eût fait — literary pluperfect subjunctive
In your own French: replace these with the ordinary present or perfect subjunctive — qu'il soit, qu'il ait fait.
Type it
Your turn — "that I have finished"
4Write the que j' perfect-subjunctive of finir — "that I have finished".
Hint: present subjunctive of avoir (que j' ___) + past participle fini.
Sort it
Present or perfect subjunctive?
Sort each form by whether the action is ongoing/future (present subjunctive) or already completed (perfect subjunctive).
Present subjunctive (ongoing/future action)
Perfect subjunctive (completed action)
Quick check
Spotting the literary form
?In a set text you read qu'il fût. What is it?
Type it
Your turn — "that she has left"
5Write the qu'elle perfect-subjunctive of partir — "that she has left" (mind the agreement).
Hint: partir takes être; with elle the participle agrees — partie.
Recap
Your subjunctive-II toolkit
Perfect subjunctive: present subjunctive of avoir/être + past participle — que j'aie fait, qu'il soit parti. Être-verbs and reflexives agree.