French Impersonal Expressions
Impersonal expressions are those which do not have a specific subject. In grammatical terms, "impersonal" does not mean cold, but rather invariable by grammatical person. There are a few things you need to know about French impersonal expressions:
1. With que - When using il est or c'est + adjective followed by que, the verb in the subordinate clause may need to be in the indicative or subjunctive, depending on the meaning of the impersonal expression:
Il est probable que David le fait / C'est probable que David le fait.
It's probable that David is doing it.
Il est possible que David le fasse / C'est possible que David le fasse.
It's possible that David is doing it.
2. Without que - In expressions with il est or c'est + adjective followed by a preposition and infinitive, the choice of preposition depends on the type of subject:
a) When the impersonal subject is a dummy subject, you need the preposition de, and there are two possible constructions:
impersonal expression + de + intransitive infinitive
Il est difficile de parler / C'est difficile de parler.
It's hard to speak. (Speaking is hard)
or
impersonal expression + de + transitive infinitive + direct object
Il est important de dire la vérité / C'est important de dire la vérité.
It's important to tell the truth.
b) When the impersonal subject is a real subject and the infinitive is used intransitively as a passive infinitive, you must use the preposition à:
Il est bon à savoir / C'est bon à savoir.
That's good to know.
Il est difficile à faire / C'est difficile à faire.
That's hard to do.
Go on to page 2 for a list of the most common French impersonal expressions.
- The French impersonal subject is either il or ce, whereas the English impersonal subject is "it."
- All of the French impersonal expressions can begin with il est or c'est with no difference in meaning; however, c'est is less formal than il est. Therefore, c'est is more common in spoken French, while il est is more common in written French. (Note: this applies to il est and c'estonly in impersonal expressions; in other constructions, there is a difference: c'est vs il est)
1. With que - When using il est or c'est + adjective followed by que, the verb in the subordinate clause may need to be in the indicative or subjunctive, depending on the meaning of the impersonal expression:
Il est probable que David le fait / C'est probable que David le fait.
It's probable that David is doing it.
Il est possible que David le fasse / C'est possible que David le fasse.
It's possible that David is doing it.
2. Without que - In expressions with il est or c'est + adjective followed by a preposition and infinitive, the choice of preposition depends on the type of subject:
a) When the impersonal subject is a dummy subject, you need the preposition de, and there are two possible constructions:
impersonal expression + de + intransitive infinitive
Il est difficile de parler / C'est difficile de parler.
It's hard to speak. (Speaking is hard)
or
impersonal expression + de + transitive infinitive + direct object
Il est important de dire la vérité / C'est important de dire la vérité.
It's important to tell the truth.
b) When the impersonal subject is a real subject and the infinitive is used intransitively as a passive infinitive, you must use the preposition à:
Il est bon à savoir / C'est bon à savoir.
That's good to know.
Il est difficile à faire / C'est difficile à faire.
That's hard to do.
Go on to page 2 for a list of the most common French impersonal expressions.
