Breakdown of Ils redoutent que le tireur ne fuie.
ils
they (masculine/mixed)
que
that (introducing a clause)
fuir
to flee
ne
expletive 'ne' (no negative meaning)
redouter
to dread
le tireur
the shooter
Questions & Answers about Ils redoutent que le tireur ne fuie.
Why is there a ne before fuie if the English translation isn't negative?
This is the ne explétif (expletive ne). It doesn't make the sentence negative. In formal French, it is often added to a subordinate clause following verbs of fear, like redouter (to dread) or craindre (to fear). It simply highlights the negative possibility of the action.
Is it grammatically incorrect to leave out the ne and just say que le tireur fuie?
No, it is perfectly correct without it! The ne explétif is optional and mostly used in formal writing or elevated speech. In everyday spoken French, you will usually hear this sentence without the ne.
Why is the verb fuir conjugated in the subjunctive mood (fuie)?
The main verb redouter (to dread) expresses a strong emotion and a fear of a future event. Verbs expressing emotions, fears, or desires always trigger the subjunctive in the que clause that follows them.
Fuie looks a bit unusual. How is the subjunctive of fuir formed?
You form the subjunctive of fuir by taking the third-person plural of the present indicative (ils fuient), dropping the -ent, and adding the regular subjunctive endings. For le tireur (he), the ending is -e, giving us fuie.
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