My goal is to help students develop reflexes & instinct, not learn complex rules that takes time to assimilate and stall the conversation.

 

On this, I wanted to add something for Patrick (and others in the same situation), if you struggle with some words, try synonyms! For example "il s'y prend mal" (he doesn't do it the right way) could be "il travaille mal" or "ce n'est pas la bone façon de faire". And as for "il s'en prend aux plus jeunes" (he pick on the young ones) you could say "il n'est pas gentil avec les jeunes". PROBLEM BYPASSED :-)

err..I think the point is that you should not and need not unnecessarily overcomplicate language and make learning more difficult than it has to be. When there's a simpler word, use it.  When there's a more straightforward syntax, use it. 

Not doing so is like taking the stairs (backwards with one leg) when there's an elevator.

I think simplicity is most definitely advisable for the 99.99% of us who aren't Oxford scholars...!

 

 

 

 

I said it doesn't exist but perhaps I should have said English subjonctive is not French subjonctive, they only share a name, but I could be wrong: English is not my field of expertise.

French subjonctive is often used in situation where in English you don't conjugate the verb at all. For example. "J'aimerais QUE TU VIENNES avec moi" is "I would like you TO COME with me" or "Il faut QUE J'ACHÈTE une pomme" is "I need TO BUY an apple" or "Je veux QUE TU TÉLÉPHONES à Marc" is "I want you TO PHONE Marc".

I've been struggling with verb tenses in French for so long .. this was really helpful .. Thank you so much for this article <3  

Thanks for the good reference on where I need to refocus my verb tense studying.