Breakdown of L'expert doute que le faussaire ait la meilleure technique.
avoir
to have
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
la
her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)
la technique
the technique
Questions & Answers about L'expert doute que le faussaire ait la meilleure technique.
Why do we use the subjunctive ait here instead of the indicative a?
The verb phrase douter que (to doubt that) expresses uncertainty or disbelief. In French, expressing doubt triggers the subjunctive mood for the following verb. Therefore, we use ait (the subjunctive of avoir) rather than the indicative a.
How would the grammar change if we used se douter que (to suspect that) instead?
The reflexive verb se douter que means 'to suspect that' or 'to have a hunch that'. Even though it looks like douter, it actually expresses a strong belief that something is true. Because it states a probability rather than a doubt, it takes the indicative mood. The sentence would become: L'expert se doute que le faussaire a la meilleure technique.
Why is it la meilleure technique instead of la mieux technique?