There are two kinds of conjunctions. The conjunctions of coordination and the conjunctions of subordination. Conjunctions are invariable words or phrases that join two parts of speech, two clauses or even two sentences . Conjunctions can help form a relation between words, clauses or sentences such as opposition, addition, consequence, cause etc...
In this chapter, we will study the conjunctive phrases. These are phrases formed with conjunctions of subordination and which link two or more clauses. There are so many conjunctive phrases that it would be hard to study them all. That’s why we selected the most common ones to study in this chapter.
In today’s lesson we will study the following conjunctive phrases: sans que, si bien que, tandis que, tant que, and quoique.
For example:
Pas un jour ne passe sans que son père ne vienne l’embêter.
Not a day goes by that his father doesn’t annoy him.
Il a changé les clés de la maison sans que je le sache.
He changed the house keys without my knowing.
Ma mère est allée chercher mes enfants à l’école sans que je lui donne la permission de le faire.
My mother went to pick up my kids at schools without my permission.
Il a acheté des billets d’avion sans que je lui demande.
He bought plane tickets though I had not asked him to do so.
For example:
Il a plu si bien que les routes sont impraticables.
It has rained so much that the roads are impassable.
Sa compagnie a accumulé des dettes énormes si bien qu’elle va devoir bientôt déposer son bilan.
His company ran up so much debt that it will have to file for bankruptcy soon.
Il a commis des fautes impardonnables si bien que même ses parents l’ont renié.
He committed such unforgivable mistakes that even his parents disowned him.
Elle a travaillé dans cette boîte pendant des années si bien que tout le monde là-bas l’appelle par son prénom.
She worked in this company for so many years that everybody there calls her by her first name.
For example:
Nous sommes restés deux semaines dans cet hôtel tandis que mes parents y ont passé plus d’un mois.
We spent two weeks at that hotel whereas my parents spent more than a month there.
Tandis que ma mère faisait du porte à porte pour vendre ses tartes aux pommes, mon père passait ses journées à regarder la télé sur son canapé.
While my mother went door-to-door selling her apple pies, my father spent his days watching TV on the couch.
Tandis que les enfants faisaient leurs devoirs en silence dans le salon, leur maman comptait combien d’argent il lui restait pour la semaine.
While the children were busy doing their homework quietly in the living room, their mother was counting how much money she has left for the week.
J’ai toujours rêvé de visiter de nouvelles contrées tandis que mon frère, lui, a toujours détesté les voyages.
I always dreamt of visiting new places whereas my brother has always hated traveling.
For example:
Vous pouvez rester dans ma maison autant que vous voulez tant que vous ne faites pas de bruit.
You can stay in my house for as much time as you want as long as you keep it quiet.
Tant qu’il travaillera pour cette compagnie il sera toujours malheureux.
As long as he works for this company, he will always be miserable.
Tu pourras garder la voiture tant que tu voudras.
You can keep the car for as long as you want.
Tant qu’elle fréquentera ces filles, elle ne sera pas la bienvenue chez moi.
As long as she hangs around those girls, she is not welcomed at my house.
For example:
Quoiqu’il fasse assez chaud aujourd’hui, il porte un pull de laine et une veste en velours.
Even though it’s quite warm today, he is wearing a wool sweater and a velvet jacket.
Quoiqu’il se soit beaucoup affaibli ces derniers temps, ce vieil homme est resté très actif.
Even though he got weaker lately, this old man has stayed very active.
Il a toujours été disponible pour répondre à nos questions quoique son emploi du temps soit très chargé.
He has always been available to our questions even though he has a very busy schedule.
Je trouve son histoire crédible quoiqu’il dise rarement la vérité.
I believe his story even though he rarely says the truth.
In this chapter, we will study the conjunctive phrases. These are phrases formed with conjunctions of subordination and which link two or more clauses. There are so many conjunctive phrases that it would be hard to study them all. That’s why we selected the most common ones to study in this chapter.
In today’s lesson we will study the following conjunctive phrases: sans que, si bien que, tandis que, tant que, and quoique.
sans que
“sans que” means “without”. It is followed with a verb in the subjunctive mode. Unlike with “avant que” and “à moins que”, the adverb “ne” (le “ne” explétif) is not used before the subjunctive verb unless the verb of the main clause is negative.For example:
Pas un jour ne passe sans que son père ne vienne l’embêter.
Not a day goes by that his father doesn’t annoy him.
Il a changé les clés de la maison sans que je le sache.
He changed the house keys without my knowing.
Ma mère est allée chercher mes enfants à l’école sans que je lui donne la permission de le faire.
My mother went to pick up my kids at schools without my permission.
Il a acheté des billets d’avion sans que je lui demande.
He bought plane tickets though I had not asked him to do so.
si bien que
“si bien que” means “to the extent”, or “so much that” depending on the context. It introduces a consequence. It is followed with a verb in the indicative mode. “Si bien que” is also used in negative consequences.For example:
Il a plu si bien que les routes sont impraticables.
It has rained so much that the roads are impassable.
Sa compagnie a accumulé des dettes énormes si bien qu’elle va devoir bientôt déposer son bilan.
His company ran up so much debt that it will have to file for bankruptcy soon.
Il a commis des fautes impardonnables si bien que même ses parents l’ont renié.
He committed such unforgivable mistakes that even his parents disowned him.
Elle a travaillé dans cette boîte pendant des années si bien que tout le monde là-bas l’appelle par son prénom.
She worked in this company for so many years that everybody there calls her by her first name.
tandis que
“tandis que” means “while”, “whilst” or “whereas”. In some sentences it is used to express simultaneity. In others, it introduces opposition. It is followed with a verb in the indicative mode.For example:
Nous sommes restés deux semaines dans cet hôtel tandis que mes parents y ont passé plus d’un mois.
We spent two weeks at that hotel whereas my parents spent more than a month there.
Tandis que ma mère faisait du porte à porte pour vendre ses tartes aux pommes, mon père passait ses journées à regarder la télé sur son canapé.
While my mother went door-to-door selling her apple pies, my father spent his days watching TV on the couch.
Tandis que les enfants faisaient leurs devoirs en silence dans le salon, leur maman comptait combien d’argent il lui restait pour la semaine.
While the children were busy doing their homework quietly in the living room, their mother was counting how much money she has left for the week.
J’ai toujours rêvé de visiter de nouvelles contrées tandis que mon frère, lui, a toujours détesté les voyages.
I always dreamt of visiting new places whereas my brother has always hated traveling.
tant que
“tant que” means “as long as”. It can express a condition or a period of time. It is always followed with a verb in the indicative mode.For example:
Vous pouvez rester dans ma maison autant que vous voulez tant que vous ne faites pas de bruit.
You can stay in my house for as much time as you want as long as you keep it quiet.
Tant qu’il travaillera pour cette compagnie il sera toujours malheureux.
As long as he works for this company, he will always be miserable.
Tu pourras garder la voiture tant que tu voudras.
You can keep the car for as long as you want.
Tant qu’elle fréquentera ces filles, elle ne sera pas la bienvenue chez moi.
As long as she hangs around those girls, she is not welcomed at my house.
quoique
“quoique” means “though” or “although”. It expresses opposition or an objection made as an afterthought .It is usually followed with a verb in the subjunctive mode. Don’t confuse it with “quoi que” which means “whatever”.For example:
Quoiqu’il fasse assez chaud aujourd’hui, il porte un pull de laine et une veste en velours.
Even though it’s quite warm today, he is wearing a wool sweater and a velvet jacket.
Quoiqu’il se soit beaucoup affaibli ces derniers temps, ce vieil homme est resté très actif.
Even though he got weaker lately, this old man has stayed very active.
Il a toujours été disponible pour répondre à nos questions quoique son emploi du temps soit très chargé.
He has always been available to our questions even though he has a very busy schedule.
Je trouve son histoire crédible quoiqu’il dise rarement la vérité.
I believe his story even though he rarely says the truth.