Ajoutez l'annexe pour que nous terminions le dossier.

Questions & Answers about Ajoutez l'annexe pour que nous terminions le dossier.

Why is terminions used here instead of the standard present tense terminons?
The conjunction pour que (so that) expresses a goal or purpose, which always triggers the subjunctive mood in French. Because of this, we must use the subjunctive form nous terminions.
Doesn't terminions mean "we used to finish" in the imperfect tense?
It can, but here it is the present subjunctive! For almost all French verbs, the nous and vous forms of the present subjunctive are completely identical to their imperfect forms. The trigger pour que is your clue that you are looking at the subjunctive here.
Could I just say pour terminer instead of pour que nous terminions?
Not in this sentence, because the subjects of the two actions are different. The person adding the appendix is "you" (Ajoutez), but the people finishing the file are "we" (nous). You can only use pour + infinitive when the subject is exactly the same for both halves of the sentence. Since the subjects change, you must use pour que + subjunctive.
What exactly does un dossier refer to in this context?
Un dossier is a very common word in French that means a physical folder, a digital file, or a case. In a professional or academic setting, it refers to the entire collection of documents related to a specific project, which is why adding an appendix (l'annexe) makes sense here.

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