Breakdown of J'ai compris sa déception, mais j'ai exigé qu'il intervienne.
je
I
il
he
mais
but
avoir
to have
comprendre
to understand
son
his/her/its (son, sa, ses)
que
that (introducing a clause)
exiger
to require
intervenir
to intervene
la déception
the disappointment
Questions & Answers about J'ai compris sa déception, mais j'ai exigé qu'il intervienne.
Why use the present subjunctive (intervienne) when the main verb (j'ai exigé) is in a past tense?
In modern French, the present subjunctive is almost always used even when the main clause is in a past tense like the passé composé. The traditional sequence of tenses would call for the imperfect subjunctive (qu'il intervînt), but that tense is virtually obsolete in everyday language and is now reserved for formal literature.
Is exiger que always followed by the subjunctive?
Yes. Exiger means to demand or require. Verbs expressing will, orders, or strong desires are classic triggers for the subjunctive because they describe an action that is demanded to happen, rather than stating an established fact.
How do you form the subjunctive for intervenir, and why does it have a double N here?
It follows the exact same conjugation pattern as the verb venir. To form the present subjunctive for singular pronouns (je, tu, il/elle), you take the ils form of the present indicative (ils interviennent) and drop the -ent. This leaves the stem intervienn-, to which you add the regular subjunctive ending -e.
A quick refresher: why is it sa déception if the English translation says 'his' disappointment?
In French, possessive adjectives agree in gender with the noun being possessed, not the person who owns it. Because déception is a feminine noun, it requires the feminine adjective sa, regardless of whether the disappointment belongs to a man or a woman.
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