Breakdown of Il est improbable que l'astéroïde détruise la planète.
être
to be
il
it (impersonal subject)
que
that (introducing a clause)
la planète
the planet
détruire
to destroy
l'astéroïde
the asteroid (m)
improbable
improbable
Questions & Answers about Il est improbable que l'astéroïde détruise la planète.
Why does this sentence use the subjunctive détruise instead of the indicative?
The phrase il est improbable que expresses doubt or improbability, which triggers the subjunctive mood. If the sentence were affirmative about probability, like il est probable que, you would use the indicative because it expresses a likely reality rather than a doubt.
The English translation says 'will destroy', so why aren't we using a future tense in French?
How is the subjunctive détruise formed here?
It comes from the verb détruire (to destroy). To form the present subjunctive, you take the ils form of the present indicative (ils détruisent), drop the -ent, and add the subjunctive endings. For l'astéroïde (a third-person singular subject), the ending is -e, giving us détruise.
Could I say c'est improbable que instead of il est improbable que?
Yes, in spoken or informal French, c'est improbable que is very common. However, il est improbable que is the standard, formal way to introduce this impersonal expression where 'it' doesn't refer to a specific object but to the general situation.
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