Question 1

Why is it qui soit instead of qui est?

Accepted Answer

The phrase la seule (the only) acts as an absolute. When you use an absolute or a superlative (like "the best" or "the worst") to express a subjective opinion, it triggers the subjunctive in the following clause. Since deciding if an audition is "convincing" is a matter of opinion, we use the subjunctive soit.

Question 2

Would it be grammatically wrong to say qui est?

Accepted Answer

It wouldn't be strictly wrong, but it changes the nuance. You can use the indicative (est) after la seule if you are stating a hard, objective fact (for example, "It's the only audition that was recorded today"). Because being "convincing" is subjective, the subjunctive soit is expected here.

Question 3

Why use qui instead of que in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

qui is used because it acts as the subject of the verb soit (it is the thing doing the action of "being convincing"). If the relative pronoun were the object of the verb (for example, "The only audition that I saw"), you would use que (la seule audition que j'aie vue).

Question 4

Why does convaincante end with an -e?

Accepted Answer

In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. convaincante describes audition, which is a feminine noun (as you can tell from la seule), so it takes the feminine singular -e ending.

C'est la seule audition qui soit vraiment convaincante.

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