Breakdown of L'investisseur doute que l'entreprise fasse des bénéfices.
des
some (plural indefinite)
l'entreprise
the company (f)
faire
to do, to make
que
that (introducing a clause)
Questions & Answers about L'investisseur doute que l'entreprise fasse des bénéfices.
Why is fasse used instead of the normal present tense fait?
The phrase doute que (doubts that) expresses doubt or uncertainty. In French, expressions of doubt require the verb that follows them to be in the subjunctive mood. fasse is the subjunctive form of the verb faire.
Is faire regular in the subjunctive? How do I form it?
No, faire is highly irregular in the subjunctive. Instead of taking a stem from the normal present tense like regular verbs do, it uses the completely irregular stem fass- for all subjects (for example: que je fasse, que nous fassions).
If the investor didn't doubt it (ne doute pas que), would we still use the subjunctive fasse?
The English translation says "a profit" (singular), but the French uses the plural des bénéfices. Why is that?