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French Advanced Grammar and Conversation Syllabus

The Advanced Grammar and Conversation syllabus for French in full: 3 chapters and 9 topics, every one listed below, plus 49 Advanced Grammar and Conversation flashcards with answers.

3Chapters
9Topics
49Flashcards

Advanced Grammar and Conversation syllabus: all 3 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Subjunctive Mood

     3 topics
    • Understand when to use the subjunctive
    • Practice conjugation of subjunctive verbs
    • Use subjunctive in complex sentences

  2. Advanced Sentence Structures

     3 topics
    • Learn relative clauses
    • Use indirect speech
    • Practice with passive voice

  3. Fluency in Conversation

     3 topics
    • Engage in debates and discussions
    • Practice storytelling in French
    • Improve listening skills with native content

French Advanced Grammar and Conversation flashcards — 49 questions with answers

  1. What is the subjunctive mood (le subjonctif) used to express in French?

    It expresses subjectivity: wishes, doubt, necessity, emotion, obligation, possibility, and opinions that are not stated as objective fact. It appears in a subordinate clause introduced by 'que'.

  2. After which category of verbs/expressions of WILL or DESIRE is the subjunctive required?

    After verbs of wishing/wanting such as 'vouloir que', 'souhaiter que', 'désirer que', 'aimer que', 'préférer que', and 'exiger que'. Example: 'Je veux que tu viennes.'

  3. Give three impersonal expressions of NECESSITY or JUDGMENT that trigger the subjunctive.

    'Il faut que', 'il est nécessaire que', 'il est important que' (also 'il vaut mieux que', 'il est possible que'). Example: 'Il faut que tu partes.'

  4. Which conjunctions automatically require the subjunctive that follows them?

    'bien que', 'quoique', 'pour que', 'afin que', 'avant que', 'jusqu'Ă  ce que', 'Ă  condition que', 'Ă  moins que', 'sans que', 'pourvu que'. Example: 'Bien qu'il pleuve, je sors.'

  5. Do verbs of thinking/certainty like 'penser que' and 'croire que' take the subjunctive in the affirmative?

    No — in the affirmative they take the indicative ('Je pense qu'il vient'). But in the NEGATIVE or INTERROGATIVE they often take the subjunctive ('Je ne pense pas qu'il vienne').

  6. How is the present subjunctive of regular verbs formed?

    Take the third-person plural (ils) present-indicative stem, drop '-ent', and add the endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Example: 'ils parlent' → 'que je parle'.

  7. Conjugate 'parler' in the present subjunctive (all six forms).

    que je parle, que tu parles, qu'il/elle parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu'ils/elles parlent.

  8. Conjugate 'finir' in the present subjunctive (all six forms).

    que je finisse, que tu finisses, qu'il finisse, que nous finissions, que vous finissiez, qu'ils finissent.

  9. Conjugate 'ĂŞtre' in the present subjunctive.

    que je sois, que tu sois, qu'il soit, que nous soyons, que vous soyez, qu'ils soient.

  10. Conjugate 'avoir' in the present subjunctive.

    que j'aie, que tu aies, qu'il ait, que nous ayons, que vous ayez, qu'ils aient.

  11. Conjugate 'aller' in the present subjunctive.

    que j'aille, que tu ailles, qu'il aille, que nous allions, que vous alliez, qu'ils aillent.

  12. Conjugate 'faire' in the present subjunctive.

    que je fasse, que tu fasses, qu'il fasse, que nous fassions, que vous fassiez, qu'ils fassent.

  13. Conjugate 'pouvoir' and give the subjunctive stem of 'savoir'.

    'pouvoir': que je puisse, ... qu'ils puissent. 'savoir': stem 'sach-' → que je sache, que nous sachions, qu'ils sachent.

  14. Which two verbs have irregular 'nous/vous' subjunctive forms in addition to an irregular stem, illustrated by 'vouloir'?

    'vouloir' (que je veuille, que nous voulions, qu'ils veuillent) and 'valoir'/'falloir' patterns. 'vouloir' and 'aller' both change stem in nous/vous back toward the indicative ('voulions', 'allions').

  15. How is the past subjunctive (subjonctif passé) formed?

    With the present subjunctive of the auxiliary 'avoir' or 'ĂŞtre' + the past participle. Example: 'Je suis content que tu sois venu.'

  16. When do you use the past subjunctive instead of the present subjunctive?

    When the action of the subordinate clause happened BEFORE the action of the main clause. Present subjunctive = same time or later; past subjunctive = anterior.

  17. Rewrite in the subjunctive: main clause 'Il est essentiel' + 'nous / prendre une décision'.

    'Il est essentiel que nous prenions une décision.' (subjunctive of 'prendre' = 'prenne / prenions').

  18. In a complex sentence, what condition must be met for the subjunctive to appear rather than the infinitive?

    The main clause and the subordinate clause must have DIFFERENT subjects. If the subject is the same, French uses the infinitive: 'Je veux partir' vs. 'Je veux que tu partes.'

  19. What is a relative clause (proposition relative) and what introduces it?

    A subordinate clause that modifies a noun (the antecedent), introduced by a relative pronoun: qui, que, dont, oĂą, lequel, etc. Example: 'Le livre que je lis...'.

  20. Contrast the relative pronouns 'qui' and 'que'.

    'qui' is the SUBJECT of the relative clause ('l'homme qui parle'); 'que' is the DIRECT OBJECT ('l'homme que je vois'). 'que' elides to 'qu'' before a vowel; 'qui' never elides.

Show the other 29 Advanced Grammar and Conversation flashcards

  1. When is the relative pronoun 'dont' used?

    'dont' replaces 'de + noun' — for verbs/adjectives/nouns constructed with 'de', or to show possession. Example: 'Le film dont je parle' (parler DE); 'la femme dont le fils...' (whose son).

  2. What does the relative pronoun 'oĂą' refer to, and what special use does it have?

    'où' refers to a place ('la ville où j'habite') and also to TIME ('le jour où il est arrivé' = the day when). It replaces 'à/dans/sur + place' and time expressions.

  3. When must you use 'lequel/laquelle/lesquels/lesquelles' instead of 'qui' or 'que'?

    After a preposition when referring generally to things (or people): 'la chaise sur laquelle je suis assis'. With 'Ă ' and 'de' they contract: auquel, duquel, etc. For people after a preposition, 'qui' is also possible.

  4. What agreement occurs on the past participle in a relative clause with 'que' + passé composé with 'avoir'?

    The past participle agrees in gender and number with the preceding direct object (the antecedent). Example: 'les fleurs que j'ai achetées' (achetées, feminine plural).

  5. What is indirect (reported) speech — le discours indirect?

    Reporting someone's words within a subordinate clause introduced by a verb of speech, rather than quoting directly. Direct: Il dit: « Je pars ». Indirect: 'Il dit qu'il part.'

  6. How does 'que' vs. 'si' vs. 'ce que' work when converting questions to indirect speech?

    Statements → 'que'. Yes/no questions → 'si' ('Il demande si tu viens'). 'Qu'est-ce que/que' → 'ce que' ('Il demande ce que tu fais'). 'Qu'est-ce qui' → 'ce qui'.

  7. State the tense backshift rules when the reporting verb is in the PAST (e.g. 'il a dit que...').

    présent → imparfait; passé composé → plus-que-parfait; futur simple → conditionnel présent; futur antérieur → conditionnel passé. Imparfait and plus-que-parfait stay unchanged.

  8. Convert to indirect speech (past reporting): Il a dit: « J'ai fini mon travail ».

    'Il a dit qu'il avait fini son travail.' (passé composé → plus-que-parfait; 'mon' → 'son').

  9. Convert to indirect speech (past reporting): Elle a demandé: « Est-ce que tu viendras demain ? »

    'Elle a demandé si je viendrais le lendemain.' ('est-ce que' → 'si'; futur → conditionnel; 'demain' → 'le lendemain').

  10. How do time and place expressions shift in indirect speech with past reporting?

    aujourd'hui → ce jour-là; hier → la veille; demain → le lendemain; maintenant → à ce moment-là; ici → là; ce matin → ce matin-là.

  11. How are imperatives reported in indirect speech?

    With 'de + infinitive' after a verb like 'dire' or 'demander'. Direct: « Pars ! » → Indirect: 'Il m'a dit de partir.'

  12. What is the passive voice (la voix passive) and how is it formed in French?

    The grammatical object becomes the subject; formed with the auxiliary 'ĂŞtre' conjugated in the required tense + past participle, which agrees with the subject. Example: 'La lettre est Ă©crite.'

  13. How do you introduce the agent (the doer) in a French passive sentence?

    With 'par' for most actions ('Le livre a été écrit par Hugo') or with 'de' for verbs of state/emotion ('Elle est aimée de tous', 'entouré de').

  14. Transform to the passive: 'Le chef prépare le dîner.'

    'Le dîner est préparé par le chef.' (être in present + past participle agreeing with 'le dîner').

  15. How does the past participle agree in the passive voice?

    It agrees in gender and number with the SUBJECT (which was the original object). Example: 'Les portes ont été fermées' (fermées, feminine plural).

  16. Name two common ways French AVOIDS the passive voice.

    Using the pronoun 'on' ('On a construit ce pont') and using the pronominal/reflexive passive ('Ce plat se mange froid' = this dish is eaten cold).

  17. Give the passive of a compound tense: transform 'On a vendu la maison.'

    'La maison a été vendue.' (passé composé passive = 'avoir été' + participle, both agreeing → 'été vendue', feminine).

  18. In a debate, which connectors introduce and reinforce an argument (adding points)?

    'd'abord', 'ensuite', 'de plus', 'en outre', 'par ailleurs', 'non seulement... mais aussi', 'd'une part... d'autre part'.

  19. Which French expressions signal CONTRAST or concession in a discussion?

    'cependant', 'néanmoins', 'toutefois', 'pourtant', 'en revanche', 'par contre', 'malgré (+ noun)', 'bien que (+ subjunctive)'.

  20. Which expressions are used to give one's OPINION in a debate?

    'à mon avis', 'selon moi', 'je pense/crois que', 'je trouve que', 'il me semble que', 'personnellement', 'd'après moi', 'en ce qui me concerne'.

  21. Which phrases express AGREEMENT and DISAGREEMENT politely in French discussion?

    Agreement: 'je suis d'accord', 'tout Ă  fait', 'en effet', 'c'est vrai'. Disagreement: 'je ne suis pas d'accord', 'au contraire', 'je ne pense pas', 'permettez-moi de nuancer'.

  22. Which connectors introduce a CONCLUSION or summary in an argument?

    'en conclusion', 'pour conclure', 'en somme', 'finalement', 'en définitive', 'donc', 'par conséquent', 'ainsi'.

  23. Which two past tenses form the backbone of storytelling in French, and what does each do?

    Passé composé narrates completed, sequential main events ('foreground'). Imparfait describes background: settings, ongoing states, habits, and descriptions. Example: 'Il pleuvait (imparfait) quand elle est arrivée (passé composé).'

  24. When is the plus-que-parfait used in narration?

    To describe an action that happened BEFORE another past action ('a past within the past'). Formed with imparfait of avoir/être + past participle. Example: 'Il avait déjà mangé quand je suis arrivé.'

  25. What role does the passé simple play in storytelling, and where is it found?

    It is the literary/written equivalent of the passé composé for narrating completed main events in novels, fairy tales, and formal writing. Example: 'Il entra, vit le roi et parla.' Rare in spoken French.

  26. Which time connectors structure a spoken/written story in chronological order?

    'il Ă©tait une fois', 'd'abord', 'puis', 'ensuite', 'alors', 'soudain', 'tout Ă  coup', 'enfin', 'Ă  la fin'.

  27. What is the 'liaison', and why is it crucial for listening comprehension of native French?

    Liaison is pronouncing a normally silent final consonant when the next word begins with a vowel sound (e.g. 'les_amis' = /lezami/). It blends words, so learners must recognize it to segment native speech.

  28. What is 'enchaînement' and how does it differ from liaison, affecting listening?

    Enchaînement links an already-pronounced final consonant to the following vowel-initial word ('une amie' → /y-na-mi/), shifting syllable boundaries. Unlike liaison, no silent consonant is 'reactivated'; both make native speech sound continuous.

  29. List common features of informal spoken French that make native listening content harder than textbook audio.

    Dropped 'ne' in negation ('je sais pas'), elided/dropped vowels ('j'suis', 'y a'), fast contractions ('t'as' for 'tu as', 'chais pas'), 'on' replacing 'nous', and filler words ('ben', 'quoi', 'euh').

French Advanced Grammar and Conversation FAQ

What is in the French Advanced Grammar and Conversation syllabus?

French Advanced Grammar and Conversation is split into 3 chapters: Subjunctive Mood, Advanced Sentence Structures and Fluency in Conversation. Together they contain 9 topics.

How many chapters are in French Advanced Grammar and Conversation?

3 chapters, containing 9 topics. The largest chapter is Subjunctive Mood, with 3 topics.

Are there flashcards for French Advanced Grammar and Conversation?

Yes — a 49-card Advanced Grammar and Conversation deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.