Breakdown of Je suis surpris que le stagiaire ait été indiscret.
je
I
être
to be
avoir
to have
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
que
that (introducing a clause)
surpris
surprised
le stagiaire
the intern
indiscret
indiscreet
Questions & Answers about Je suis surpris que le stagiaire ait été indiscret.
Why is the past subjunctive (ait été) used here instead of the present subjunctive?
We use the past subjunctive to show that the action in the dependent clause happened before the feeling in the main clause. The speaker is surprised right now about something the intern did in the past.
How is ait été formed, and why does the verb être take avoir as its auxiliary?
The past subjunctive is a compound tense made of an auxiliary verb in the present subjunctive plus a past participle. Here, it combines ait (the present subjunctive of avoir) with été (the past participle of être). Remember that être itself always takes avoir as its auxiliary in compound tenses.
What triggers the subjunctive mood in this sentence?
The expression Je suis surpris que triggers it. In French, verbs and phrases expressing emotion or personal reaction (like surprise, joy, fear, or sadness) require the subjunctive in the following clause.
How would this sentence change if both the speaker and the intern were female?
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