Question 1

Why does the French sentence use the present subjunctive ait when the English translation uses the future tense (will have)?

Accepted Answer

The phrase il est improbable que expresses strong doubt or improbability, which forces the following verb into the subjunctive mood. In French, the present subjunctive is frequently used to refer to future events following these doubt-based triggers, whereas English simply uses the future tense.

Question 2

If I changed the sentence to start with Il est probable que, would I still use the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

No, you would use the indicative, and this is a crucial contrast! Because il est probable que expresses a factual likelihood rather than a doubt, it takes the indicative. You would say Il est probable que le séisme aura des conséquences graves, switching to the future indicative aura.

Question 3

Is ait the imperfect tense or the subjunctive of avoir?

Accepted Answer

ait is the third-person singular present subjunctive of avoir. It is easy for learners to confuse this with the imperfect form, which is avait. Remember that avoir has a highly irregular subjunctive conjugation (que j'aie, que tu aies, qu'il ait, etc.).

Question 4

Why is it des conséquences graves instead of de conséquences graves? Doesn't des change to de when there is an adjective?

Accepted Answer

The article des only changes to de when a plural adjective is placed directly before the noun. Because the descriptive adjective graves is placed after the noun conséquences here, the standard plural indefinite article des remains. If you were using an adjective that comes before the noun, such as terribles, it would become de terribles conséquences.

Il est improbable que le séisme ait des conséquences graves.

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