Breakdown of Il est possible que cet investissement soit mauvais.
être
to be
ce
this (before a noun)
mauvais
bad
possible
possible
il
it (impersonal subject)
que
that (introducing a clause)
l'investissement
the investment (m)
Questions & Answers about Il est possible que cet investissement soit mauvais.
Why do we use soit (the subjunctive) here instead of est?
The phrase il est possible que expresses possibility and uncertainty. In French, expressions of doubt and mere possibility trigger the subjunctive mood. That is why we use soit (the subjunctive of être) rather than the indicative est.
Would we still use the subjunctive if the sentence used probable instead of possible?
Surprisingly, no! Even though they seem similar, French treats them differently. Il est possible que leaves room for doubt and takes the subjunctive. Il est probable que leans toward certainty, so it usually takes the indicative (est).
Why is it cet investissement instead of ce investissement?
Investissement is a masculine singular noun, which usually takes the demonstrative adjective ce (meaning this or that). However, because investissement starts with a vowel sound, ce changes to cet to make pronunciation flow more smoothly.
Is soit a regular subjunctive verb form?
No, soit is the subjunctive form of être (to be) for the il/elle/on form, and it is completely irregular. Most subjunctive verbs are built from a predictable stem, but être is a major exception that you just have to memorize.
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