FR: the best vacation you have ever been on

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FreddieFirebird

Senior Member
USA
English
I am a little stuck on this phrase. I want students to reflect on a past vacaction and write about it.

Pensez au meilleur voyage que vous avez déjà fait <-- my attempt
Pensez au meilleur voyage que vous ayez jamais fait. <--Google Translate

I am not sure why the subjunctive is being suggested, and if that is why "jamais" is being used.

Do they both work? Neither?
Thank you
 
    • O

    olivier68

    Senior Member
    French Paris France
    Both proposals are correct to me. "jamais" is used for the English "ever".
    For the use of subjunctive: well... French admits, in that context, both the subjunctive and indicative. Here, the
    subjunctive is used because you implicitly refer to ONE (the best one: superlative) event among ALL events that you already have experienced (or will/would experience). But, still, both solutions are acceptable:
    ---> c'est la plus belle ville que j'aie vue (up to now, but maybe I could see some others and maybe nicer)
    ---> c'est la plus belle ville que j'ai vue (up to now)

    You have a clear example by Musset in Lorenzaccio, III, 3 ("où j'aie pu cramponner").
     
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