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La surprise fonctionnera pour peu que nous trouvions le bon prétexte.

La surprise fonctionnera pour peu que nous trouvions le bon prétexte.
The surprise will work provided that we find the right pretext.
From Lesson 427:Minimal condition conjunction (pour peu que)·French

Questions & Answers about La surprise fonctionnera pour peu que nous trouvions le bon prétexte.

Why is trouvions in the subjunctive in this sentence?
It follows the phrase pour peu que, which is a conjunction expressing a minimal condition. In French, conjunctions that set a condition or hypothesis (meaning the action isn't guaranteed to actually happen) almost always require the subjunctive mood.
Does pour peu que mean the exact same thing as à condition que?
They are very similar, but pour peu que specifically emphasizes a minimal condition. It translates closer to "if only" or "provided we just." In this sentence, it highlights that finding the right pretext is the bare minimum requirement for the surprise to be successful.
trouvions looks exactly like the imperfect tense. How can I tell it is the subjunctive?
For regular -er verbs like trouver, the nous and vous forms of the present subjunctive are identical to their imperfect tense forms. You know it is the subjunctive here purely because the grammatical trigger pour peu que forces it to be.
Why does le bon prétexte translate to "the right pretext" instead of "the good pretext"?
When placed before a noun, bon frequently means "right," "correct," or "appropriate" for a specific situation. Just like le bon numéro means the right number, le bon prétexte means the right excuse to make the surprise work.

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