When is the present subjunctive used?

The subjunctive is a mood rather than a tense and, unlike in English, is used frequently in the French language in both spoken and written forms. It is used: when expressing personal desire (e.g. je veux que vous sachez + subjunctive), for impersonal expressions of necessity (e.g. il faut que + subjunctive), when expressing emotion (e.g. j'ai peur que + subjunctive), for impersonal expressions of judgement (e.g. il est dommage que + subjunctive), to express doubt or disbelief (e.g. je ne crois pas que + subjunctive), impersonal expressions of impossibility (e.g. c'est impossible que + subjunctive) and with certain set phrases (e.g. bien que + subjunctive). Identification and use of the present subjunctive will help you gain additional marks in an exam (particularly in oral and written assessments), as it demonstrates a good knowledge of complex grammatical structures.