Why is "Using the subjunctive after every 'que', e.g. *je pense qu'il soit gentil*" a common mistake in Present subjunctive?

Why it happens: Learners over-generalise the 'subjunctive comes after que' rule and apply it to reporting verbs too. How to avoid it: Only use the subjunctive after a genuine trigger of necessity, wish, emotion or doubt. *je pense que / je sais que / je crois que* assert facts and take the indicative: *je pense qu'il est gentil*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 2 & 4

Why is "Using que + subjunctive when the subject doesn't change, e.g. *je veux que je parte*" a common mistake in Present subjunctive?

Why it happens: English allows 'I want that…' patterns loosely, so learners keep que even with the same subject. How to avoid it: If both verbs share the same subject, drop que and use the infinitive: *je veux partir* (I want to leave). Keep que + subjunctive only for a different second subject: *je veux que tu partes*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Adding regular endings to être/avoir, e.g. *que je soie* or *que j'avie*" a common mistake in Present subjunctive?

Why it happens: Learners apply the -e/-es/-e endings to the two most irregular verbs. How to avoid it: Learn être (sois, sois, soit, soyons, soyez, soient) and avoir (aie, aies, ait, ayons, ayez, aient) as fixed vocabulary — they break the usual pattern in je/tu. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Building the subjunctive stem from the infinitive, e.g. *que tu finis* instead of *finisses*" a common mistake in Present subjunctive?

Why it happens: Beginners take the stem from the infinitive (*finir → fin-*) and lose the *-iss-*. How to avoid it: Always build the stem from the *ils/elles* present form: *ils finissent → finiss- → finisses*. The *-iss-* of *-ir* verbs must stay. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Misspelling irregular subjunctives, e.g. *fassons* for *fassions*, or *soie* for *soit*" a common mistake in Present subjunctive?

Why it happens: The nous form -ions and the silent endings are easy to mishear and miswrite. How to avoid it: Memorise the full set with their -i- in nous/vous (*fassions, fassiez*; *allions, alliez*) and the silent -t of *soit/ait/fasse*. Write them out until automatic. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Verb Tenses and MoodsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Present subjunctive

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The present subjunctive (le subjonctif présent) — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A gentle beginner's guide to the French present subjunctive: the mood you use after il faut que (it is necessary that) and je veux que (I want that). Learn the handful of trigger phrases and verb forms that lift your Speaking and Writing into the top band.

At a glance

The subjunctive is a mood, not a tense. It usually appears after que (that) and expresses wish, necessity, emotion or doubt rather than plain fact.
Its number-one trigger is il faut que (it is necessary that / I have to) — learn this one phrase and you already have a reason to use the subjunctive.
Regular verbs are easy to build: take the ils/elles form of the present tense, drop -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Four short irregulars do most of the heavy lifting: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make) — learn these like vocabulary.
The nous and vous subjunctive endings (-ions, -iez) look exactly like the imperfect tense — a friendly coincidence that saves memory.
The subjunctive only happens when the two halves of the sentence have different subjects: je veux que tu viennes (I want you to come). Same subject? Use the infinitive instead.
At Standard level you mainly need to recognise the subjunctive in Reading/Listening and produce a few set phrases (especially il faut que) in Speaking and Writing.
Master just il faut que + subjunctive and a sentence like il faut que je fasse mes devoirs (I have to do my homework) becomes a reliable top-band phrase.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Explain what the subjunctive mood is and how it differs from the indicative (factual) mood.
Recognise the common trigger expressions that require the subjunctive, especially il faut que.
Form the present subjunctive of regular -er, -ir and -re verbs using the ils-stem rule.
Conjugate the high-frequency irregular subjunctives être, avoir, aller and faire.
Decide correctly between subjunctive + que and the simple infinitive based on whether the subject changes.
Produce accurate subjunctive set phrases in Speaking and Writing to access higher accuracy marks.
Identify the subjunctive in Reading and Listening texts and understand the meaning it signals.

What is the subjunctive, and when do you need it?

The subjunctive is the 'mood of the unreal' — wishes, necessity, emotion and doubt, almost always after que.

Let's start by calming a fear: the subjunctive sounds scary, but at Standard level you only need a small, friendly toolkit. The hardest part is knowing when to use it, so we'll spend most time there.

French verbs come in moods. Almost everything you have learned so far is the indicative mood — the mood of facts: je mange (I eat), il pleut (it is raining). The subjunctive (le subjonctif — luh sub-zhonk-TEEF) is the mood of things that are wished for, required, doubted or felt, rather than stated as plain fact.

In English we barely have a subjunctive left (a rare survivor is "I suggest that he be here"), so there's no neat English signpost. Instead, French tells you to use it through trigger phrases, and these triggers almost always contain the little word que (that).

The big idea: trigger + que + subjunctive.

Trigger (English)	French trigger	What it expresses
It is necessary that / I must	il faut que	necessity
I want (someone) to	je veux que	wish
I would like (someone) to	je voudrais que	polite wish
I am happy that	je suis content(e) que	emotion
It is possible that	il est possible que	possibility/doubt
before	avant que	time conjunction
so that	pour que	purpose

Notice they all push toward something not yet real: a need, a desire, a feeling about something. That "not-yet-fact" flavour is the heart of the subjunctive.

Worked mini-example. Compare these two sentences:

Tu fais tes devoirs. (You do your homework.) — plain fact → indicative (fais).
Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs. (You have to do your homework.) — necessity after il faut que → subjunctive (fasses).

Same verb faire (to do/make), but the trigger il faut que flips it into the subjunctive form fasses.

The indicative states facts; the subjunctive expresses wish, necessity, emotion or doubt.
The subjunctive almost always follows a trigger phrase containing que (that).
The single most useful trigger is il faut que (it is necessary that / I must).
English has almost no subjunctive, so rely on learning the French triggers, not on translating.

Building regular verbs — the ils-stem rule

Take the ils/elles present-tense form, chop off -ent, and add the six subjunctive endings.

Here is the good news that makes the subjunctive learnable. For almost all verbs (regular and many irregular), the stem comes from one place you already know: the ils/elles form of the present tense.

The three-step recipe.

Take the ils/elles present-tense form, e.g. ils parlent (they speak).
Chop off the -ent → stem parl-.
Add the subjunctive endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

The endings are the same for every regular group. Let's see all three regular families side by side, each shown after the trigger que (that):

Person	-er: parler (to speak)	-ir: finir (to finish)	-re: vendre (to sell)
que je	parle	finisse	vende
que tu	parles	finisses	vendes
qu'il/elle	parle	finisse	vende
que nous	parlions	finissions	vendions
que vous	parliez	finissiez	vendiez
qu'ils/elles	parlent	finissent	vendent

(Notice finir keeps the -iss- you already know from ils finissent, because we built the stem from that very form.)

A lovely shortcut. For -er verbs, the je, tu, il, ils subjunctive forms look identical to the present indicative (je parle = que je parle). So for the most common verb type, three-quarters of the forms are already familiar — only nous and vous change to -ions / -iez.

Worked mini-example. Put choisir (to choose) into the subjunctive after il faut que (it is necessary that), for tu (you).

Present ils choisissent (they choose) → drop -ent → stem choisiss-.
Add the tu ending -es → choisisses.
Result: Il faut que tu choisisses (you have to choose).

Stem = ils/elles present form minus -ent (parlent → parl-).
Endings for every regular verb: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
For -er verbs, je/tu/il/ils match the ordinary present — only nous/vous differ.
Build the stem from the ils-form and the -iss- of -ir verbs comes along automatically.

The four must-know irregulars — être, avoir, aller, faire

Learn these four like vocabulary; they appear constantly and don't follow the ils-stem rule.

The regular subjunctive endings plus the four highest-frequency irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire.

A small number of very common verbs have irregular subjunctive stems that you must learn as vocabulary. The four below appear so often that knowing them covers most of what you'll meet:

Person	être (to be)	avoir (to have)	aller (to go)	faire (to do/make)
que je	sois	aie	aille	fasse
que tu	sois	aies	ailles	fasses
qu'il/elle	soit	ait	aille	fasse
que nous	soyons	ayons	allions	fassions
que vous	soyez	ayez	alliez	fassiez
qu'ils/elles	soient	aient	aillent	fassent

Notes to make these stick:

être and avoir are the most irregular (no -e/-es pattern in je/tu): sois, sois, soit… and aie, aies, ait…. Pronounce sois like "swa" and soit the same (the final t is silent); aie/aies/ait all sound like "eh".
aller is a two-stem verb: aille (eye) for je/tu/il/ils, but ordinary allions/alliez for nous/vous.
faire is beautifully simple — one stem fass- throughout: fasse, fasses, fasse, fassions, fassiez, fassent.

Two more worth recognising: pouvoir (to be able to) → puisse, puisses, puisse, puissions, puissiez, puissent; savoir (to know) → sache, saches, sache, sachions, sachiez, sachent.

Worked mini-example. Say I have to be on time using il faut que (it is necessary that). "To be" is être; "I" needs que je → sois. Être à l'heure = "to be on time". Result: Il faut que je sois à l'heure. (I have to be on time.)

Learn four irregulars cold: être (sois…), avoir (aie…), aller (aille…), faire (fasse…).
être/avoir break the usual endings in je/tu (sois, aie — not soie, avie).
aller uses two stems: aille (je/tu/il/ils) vs allions/alliez (nous/vous).
faire is easiest: single stem fass- everywhere.
Also recognise pouvoir → puisse and savoir → sache.

Subjunctive or infinitive? Watch the subject

Use the subjunctive only when the two halves of the sentence have different subjects; otherwise use the infinitive.

Decision guide: same subject on both sides → infinitive; different subjects → que + subjunctive.

This is the single most useful rule for avoiding the subjunctive when you don't need it. The subjunctive only kicks in when the subject of the trigger and the subject of the second verb are different people.

Different subjects → que + subjunctive.

Je veux que tu viennes. (I want you to come.) — je wants, tu comes: two people.
Il faut que nous partions. (We have to leave.) — necessity falls on nous.

Same subject → infinitive (no que, no subjunctive).

Je veux venir. (I want to come.) — same person wants and comes → infinitive venir.
Il faut partir. (One must leave / We must leave.) — il faut + infinitive is a clean, very common way to express necessity in general.

English shows the same instinct: "I want to come" (same person) vs "I want you to come" (different person). Let that English feel guide you.

Worked mini-example. Translate "I want to finish" and "I want you to finish".

"I want to finish" — same person → infinitive: Je veux finir.
"I want you to finish" — different person → subjunctive: Je veux que tu finisses.

So at Standard level you can often sidestep the subjunctive with il faut + infinitive (il faut faire mes devoirs), and bring out il faut que + subjunctive when you want to specify exactly who must act, or to show off range.

Subjunctive only when the two subjects differ: je veux que tu viennes.
Same subject on both sides → infinitive: je veux venir, il faut partir.
il faut + infinitive is a safe general way to say 'one/we must …'.
Use il faut que + subjunctive to pin the necessity on a specific person.

Set phrases that earn marks

A short bank of ready-made subjunctive phrases you can drop into Speaking and Writing.

At Standard level you are rewarded for using the subjunctive accurately, even just once or twice — it signals range and lifts your accuracy band. The smart strategy is to memorise a few ready-made phrases built on the safe trigger il faut que and the four key irregulars, then slot in your own ending.

Your starter phrase bank (each subjunctive form in bold):

French	English	Notes
Il faut que je fasse mes devoirs.	I have to do my homework.	faire → fasse
Il faut que je sois à l'heure.	I have to be on time.	être → sois
Il faut que j'aie de bonnes notes.	I have to get good marks.	avoir → aie (note j'aie)
Il faut que nous allions à l'école.	We have to go to school.	aller → allions
Je voudrais que tu viennes avec moi.	I'd like you to come with me.	venir → viennes
Bien que ce soit difficile, j'aime le français.	Although it's hard, I like French.	bien que → être soit
Je suis content(e) que tu sois là.	I'm happy that you are here.	emotion → être soit

How to deploy them in an exam:

In a Speaking role-play about school or daily routine, il faut que je fasse mes devoirs or il faut que je sois à l'heure fits almost any topic.
In a Writing task, one well-placed bien que ce soit difficile… (although it is difficult…) or je voudrais que… (I'd like … to…) shows the examiner you can handle the mood.

Two ready conjunctions that always take the subjunctive are worth a special mention because they're easy to slip in:

bien que (although) — bien que je sois fatigué(e) (although I'm tired).
pour que (so that) — je travaille dur pour que mes parents soient fiers (I work hard so that my parents are proud).

Worked mini-example. Upgrade the plain sentence Je dois faire mes devoirs (I must do my homework) into a subjunctive showpiece. Swap je dois + infinitive for il faut que + subjunctive: Il faut que je fasse mes devoirs. Same meaning, but now you've demonstrated the subjunctive — a concrete accuracy gain.

Memorise a few il faut que phrases (fasse, sois, aie, allions) ready to deploy.
bien que (although) and pour que (so that) always take the subjunctive and are easy to insert.
Emotion triggers like je suis content(e) que … sois show range in Writing.
Upgrading je dois + infinitive to il faut que + subjunctive is a quick mark-winning swap.

Recognising the subjunctive in Reading and Listening

You don't have to produce every form — but you should spot it and understand the meaning it carries.

Even if you never write a complex subjunctive yourself, you will meet it in Paper 2 (Reading) and Paper 1 (Listening). Recognising it helps you understand the tone of a sentence — that something is wanted, required or uncertain rather than stated as fact.

How to spot it:

Look for a trigger — il faut que, je veux que, bien que, pour que, avant que, il est possible que.
Look for a verb that's slightly "off-shape" compared with the indicative you know: soit (not est), ait (not a), fasse (not fait), aille (not va), vienne (not vient), puisse (not peut).

Indicative vs subjunctive — the most common look-alikes:

Verb	Indicative (fact)	Subjunctive (after trigger)
être	il est (he is)	qu'il soit (that he be)
avoir	il a (he has)	qu'il ait (that he have)
aller	il va (he goes)	qu'il aille (that he go)
faire	il fait (he does)	qu'il fasse (that he do)
pouvoir	il peut (he can)	qu'il puisse (that he can)

Worked mini-example. You read: Bien qu'il fasse froid, nous sortons. Spot the trigger bien que (although) and the off-shape verb fasse (subjunctive of faire; here faire froid = "to be cold", about the weather). Meaning: Although it is cold, we are going out. The subjunctive fasse simply signals the "although" — you translate it as a normal present in English.

So your Standard-level goal is a comfortable split: recognise broadly, and produce a handful of reliable phrases.

Spot a trigger (il faut que, bien que, pour que…) then an off-shape verb.
Key recognition pairs: est/soit, a/ait, va/aille, fait/fasse, peut/puisse.
The subjunctive often translates into a plain English present — it marks tone, not a new tense.
Aim to recognise widely but only produce a few dependable set phrases.

Quick recap

The subjunctive is a mood for wishes, necessity, emotion and doubt — not a tense — and almost always follows a trigger with que.
The top trigger is il faut que (it is necessary that / I must); others include je veux que, je voudrais que, bien que, pour que.
Regular stem = ils-form minus -ent; endings = -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Learn four irregulars cold: être (sois…), avoir (aie…), aller (aille…), faire (fasse…), plus recognise pouvoir → puisse and savoir → sache.
Use the subjunctive only when the two subjects differ (je veux que tu viennes); same subject → infinitive (je veux venir).
nous/vous subjunctive endings -ions/-iez look just like the imperfect — a handy memory link.
Standard-level goal: recognise the subjunctive widely, and produce a few accurate set phrases (especially il faut que…) to lift your marks.

How it’s examined

The present subjunctive appears across all four Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 papers, but the expectation differs between recognition and production.

Paper 1 (Listening): You may hear trigger phrases (il faut que…, bien que…) followed by subjunctive forms (soit, ait, fasse, aille). You don't reproduce them, but recognising the trigger and the 'off-shape' verb helps you grasp whether something is required, wished or doubtful.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts use the subjunctive naturally. Knowing the look-alike pairs (est/soit, a/ait, va/aille, fait/fasse) helps you decode meaning and catch nuance — e.g. je ne pense pas qu'il soit là signals doubt.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A correct subjunctive phrase (il faut que je fasse mes devoirs, il faut que je sois à l'heure) demonstrates grammatical range and supports a higher band. Memorise two or three reliable set phrases.
Paper 4 (Writing): One or two accurate subjunctive structures (il faut que…, bien que ce soit…, je voudrais que…) clearly evidence range and lift the language/accuracy mark. Accuracy matters: spell fasse, sois, aille correctly.

Examiner reports note that stronger candidates secure higher bands by including a small number of accurate complex structures such as the subjunctive, while weaker attempts either avoid it entirely or misuse que with the same subject. Quality over quantity: a couple of correct phrases beat many shaky ones.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Present subjunctive

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on present subjunctive, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Spot the trigger and pick subjunctive or indicative
Getting started
Question
Decide whether each blank needs the subjunctive or the indicative, and explain why: (a) Il faut que je ___ (être) à l'heure. (I have to be on time.) (b) Je pense qu'il ___ (être) gentil. (I think he is nice.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Look for a trigger of necessity/wish/emotion/doubt. Sentence (a) starts with il faut que (it is necessary that) — a necessity trigger, so it needs the subjunctive.
2. Step 2
  Check sentence (b). Je pense que (I think that) reports an opinion as a fact — there is que, but no necessity/wish/doubt trigger — so it stays indicative.
3. Step 3
  Conjugate être. Subjunctive que je form = sois. Indicative il form = est.
Answer
(a) Il faut que je sois à l'heure. (subjunctive — necessity trigger). (b) Je pense qu'il est gentil. (indicative — je pense que states an opinion).
Examiner tip
The presence of que alone does NOT trigger the subjunctive. Je pense que / je sais que take the indicative because they assert a fact. The subjunctive needs a trigger of necessity, wish, emotion or doubt — il faut que is the most common one at this level.
2Build a regular -ir verb in the subjunctive
Getting started
Question
Put finir (to finish) into the present subjunctive for tu (you) after il faut que: Il faut que tu ___ tes devoirs. (You have to finish your homework.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Find the stem from the ils-form. Present ils finissent (they finish) → drop -ent → stem finiss-.
2. Step 2
  Add the tu ending. The regular subjunctive endings are -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent; for tu it is -es.
3. Step 3
  Combine: finiss- + -es → finisses.
Answer
Il faut que tu finisses tes devoirs. (You have to finish your homework.)
Examiner tip
Building the stem from the ils/elles present form is the reliable rule for regular verbs — and it automatically carries the -iss- of -ir verbs (finissent → finiss-). Don't build it from the infinitive; that drops the -iss- and produces the wrong form.
3Conjugate an irregular: faire after il faut que
Building confidence
Question
Complete with the correct subjunctive of faire (to do/make): Il faut que nous ___ attention en classe. (We have to pay attention in class.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Recognise that faire is irregular — it does not use the ils-stem rule. Its subjunctive stem is fass- throughout.
2. Step 2
  Add the nous ending -ions to the stem: fass- + -ions → fassions.
3. Step 3
  faire attention is a fixed phrase meaning 'to pay attention', so the verb to conjugate is faire.
Answer
Il faut que nous fassions attention en classe. (We have to pay attention in class.)
Examiner tip
faire is the easiest irregular: one stem fass- takes all six endings (fasse, fasses, fasse, fassions, fassiez, fassent). A frequent slip is writing fassons — remember the -i- in fassions (it matches the -ions ending pattern).
4Choose between subjunctive and infinitive
Building confidence
Question
Translate both, deciding subjunctive vs infinitive each time: (a) 'I want to leave.' (b) 'I want you to leave.' Use vouloir (to want) and partir (to leave).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Check the subjects in (a). 'I want' and 'I leave' are the same person, so French uses the infinitive — no que.
2. Step 2
  Build (a): je veux + infinitive partir → Je veux partir.
3. Step 3
  Check the subjects in (b). 'I want' but 'you leave' are different people, so use que + subjunctive.
4. Step 4
  Build (b): partir is irregular-ish here; its subjunctive tu form is partes (stem from ils partent → part- + -es). → Je veux que tu partes.
Answer
(a) Je veux partir. (same subject → infinitive). (b) Je veux que tu partes. (different subjects → subjunctive).
Examiner tip
The same-subject test is decisive. Je veux que je parte (I want that I leave) is wrong — French forbids que + subjunctive when the subject is unchanged and demands the infinitive: je veux partir. Mirror the English instinct: 'I want to leave' vs 'I want you to leave'.
5Use a subjunctive conjunction: bien que (although)
Stretch
Question
Combine into one sentence using bien que (although): 'It is difficult' + 'I like French'. Use être (to be) in the subjunctive.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Know the rule: bien que (although) is a conjunction that always takes the subjunctive — no exceptions.
2. Step 2
  Conjugate être for 'it'. The il/ce subjunctive of être is soit. With the impersonal subject we use ce soit (it is).
3. Step 3
  Assemble: Bien que ce soit difficile (although it is difficult) + main clause j'aime le français (I like French).
Answer
Bien que ce soit difficile, j'aime le français. (Although it is difficult, I like French.)
Examiner tip
bien que + subjunctive is a high-value showpiece for Paper 4 Writing: it is easy to memorise as a chunk (bien que ce soit difficile…) and instantly signals grammatical range. Note soit ends in a silent -t and is pronounced 'swa'.

Model Answers — Present subjunctive

High-scoring sample answers for present subjunctive on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner asks: Que dois-tu faire pour réussir à l'école ? (What must you do to succeed at school?) Give a model answer using the subjunctive.
Model answer
Pour réussir, il faut que je fasse mes devoirs tous les soirs (To succeed, I have to do my homework every evening) et il faut que je sois attentif(ve) en classe (and I have to be attentive in class).

Je voudrais aussi que mes amis viennent étudier avec moi (I'd also like my friends to come and study with me), bien que ce soit parfois difficile (although it is sometimes difficult).
Why this scores
Why this scores. It packs in four accurate subjunctives after genuine triggers — il faut que (fasse, sois), je voudrais que (viennent) and bien que (soit) — without forcing them. This is exactly the 'small number of accurate complex structures' that lifts a Speaking answer into a higher band. Note the adjective agreement attentif/attentive must match the candidate's gender.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write one or two sentences about protecting the environment, including a subjunctive. (Topic: l'environnement.)
Model answer
Il faut que nous fassions des efforts pour protéger la planète (We must make an effort to protect the planet). Il est important que chacun recycle ses déchets (It is important that everyone recycles their rubbish), pour que la ville soit plus propre (so that the town is cleaner).
Why this scores
Why this scores. Three subjunctives, each after a clear trigger — il faut que (fassions), il est important que (recycle, a regular -er verb) and pour que (soit). Using a regular verb (recycle) alongside irregulars shows the candidate controls the rule, not just memorised chunks. Accurate spelling of fassions and soit secures the accuracy mark.
Question 3
Paper 2 (Reading) style. Explain the difference in meaning between Je pense qu'il est là and Je ne pense pas qu'il soit là, and why the verb changes.
Model answer
Je pense qu'il est là = 'I think he is there' — an opinion stated as fact, so the indicative est is used.

Je ne pense pas qu'il soit là = 'I don't think he is there' — the negation introduces doubt, which triggers the subjunctive soit.

The change from est to soit signals that the speaker is uncertain rather than asserting a fact.
Why this scores
Why this scores. It correctly identifies the trigger (negated opinion = doubt) and the look-alike pair est / soit, then explains the nuance. In Reading, spotting soit instead of est can be the exact clue a comprehension question tests — the speaker's doubt.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Present subjunctive

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for present subjunctive answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Le subjonctif (présent)
Examiner keyword
The present subjunctive — a verb MOOD (not a tense) used after certain triggers to express necessity, wish, emotion or doubt, almost always after que (that).
Example
Il faut que je sois à l'heure. (I have to be on time.)
Related: il faut que, que
il faut que
Examiner keyword
The most common subjunctive trigger, meaning 'it is necessary that' / 'I/we must'. The verb after it goes into the subjunctive.
Example
Il faut que tu finisses tes devoirs. (You have to finish your homework.)
Ils-stem rule
Examiner keyword
For regular and many irregular verbs, the subjunctive stem is the ils/elles present form minus -ent, plus the endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Example
ils parlent → parl- → que je parle; ils finissent → finiss- → que tu finisses.
être (subjunctive)
Examiner keyword
Irregular subjunctive of 'to be': sois, sois, soit, soyons, soyez, soient. (Pronounce sois/soit as 'swa'.)
Example
Il faut que je sois prudent(e). (I must be careful.)
avoir (subjunctive)
Examiner keyword
Irregular subjunctive of 'to have': aie, aies, ait, ayons, ayez, aient. (je → j'aie.)
Example
Il faut que j'aie de bonnes notes. (I have to get good marks.)
aller (subjunctive)
Examiner keyword
Irregular two-stem subjunctive of 'to go': aille, ailles, aille, allions, alliez, aillent.
Example
Il faut que nous allions à l'école. (We have to go to school.)
faire (subjunctive)
Examiner keyword
Irregular single-stem subjunctive of 'to do/make': fasse, fasses, fasse, fassions, fassiez, fassent.
Example
Il faut que je fasse mes devoirs. (I have to do my homework.)
bien que
A conjunction meaning 'although' that ALWAYS takes the subjunctive, regardless of whether the subjects match.
Example
Bien que ce soit difficile, j'aime le français. (Although it's hard, I like French.)
Related: pour que
Subjunctive vs infinitive rule
Use que + subjunctive only when the two subjects are DIFFERENT; if the subject is the same on both sides, use the infinitive (no que).
Example
Je veux venir (same subject → infinitive) vs Je veux que tu viennes (different → subjunctive).
L'indicatif
The indicative mood — the 'fact' mood used for statements and most reporting verbs (je pense que, je sais que). Contrasts with the subjunctive.
Example
Je pense qu'il est gentil. (I think he is nice — indicative est, not soit.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Present subjunctive

The traps other students keep falling into on present subjunctive questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using the subjunctive after every 'que', e.g. je pense qu'il soit gentil
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 2 & 4
Why it happens
Learners over-generalise the 'subjunctive comes after que' rule and apply it to reporting verbs too.
How to avoid it
Only use the subjunctive after a genuine trigger of necessity, wish, emotion or doubt. je pense que / je sais que / je crois que assert facts and take the indicative: je pense qu'il est gentil.
✕Using que + subjunctive when the subject doesn't change, e.g. je veux que je parte
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
English allows 'I want that…' patterns loosely, so learners keep que even with the same subject.
How to avoid it
If both verbs share the same subject, drop que and use the infinitive: je veux partir (I want to leave). Keep que + subjunctive only for a different second subject: je veux que tu partes.
✕Adding regular endings to être/avoir, e.g. que je soie or que j'avie
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Learners apply the -e/-es/-e endings to the two most irregular verbs.
How to avoid it
Learn être (sois, sois, soit, soyons, soyez, soient) and avoir (aie, aies, ait, ayons, ayez, aient) as fixed vocabulary — they break the usual pattern in je/tu.
✕Building the subjunctive stem from the infinitive, e.g. que tu finis instead of finisses
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Beginners take the stem from the infinitive (finir → fin-) and lose the -iss-.
How to avoid it
Always build the stem from the ils/elles present form: ils finissent → finiss- → finisses. The -iss- of -ir verbs must stay.
✕Misspelling irregular subjunctives, e.g. fassons for fassions, or soie for soit
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
The nous form -ions and the silent endings are easy to mishear and miswrite.
How to avoid it
Memorise the full set with their -i- in nous/vous (fassions, fassiez; allions, alliez) and the silent -t of soit/ait/fasse. Write them out until automatic.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Present subjunctive

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Spot the trigger and pick subjunctive or indicative

2Build a regular -ir verb in the subjunctive

3Conjugate an irregular: faire after il faut que

4Choose between subjunctive and infinitive

5Use a subjunctive conjunction: bien que (although)

Le subjonctif (présent)

il faut que

Ils-stem rule

être (subjunctive)

avoir (subjunctive)

aller (subjunctive)

faire (subjunctive)

bien que

Subjunctive vs infinitive rule

L'indicatif

✕Using the subjunctive after every 'que', e.g. je pense qu'il soit gentil

✕Using que + subjunctive when the subject doesn't change, e.g. je veux que je parte

✕Adding regular endings to être/avoir, e.g. que je soie or que j'avie

✕Building the subjunctive stem from the infinitive, e.g. que tu finis instead of finisses

✕Misspelling irregular subjunctives, e.g. fassons for fassions, or soie for soit

Past paper style quiz