French grammar: emploi des structures impersonnelles

What this grammar point covers

Impersonal structures in French are sentences where the subject is not a specific person or thing. These often use 'il' (it) as a dummy subject, especially to talk about the weather, general facts, opinions, or necessity.

When to use it

Use impersonal structures in French to express general ideas, necessity, opinions, weather, or to indicate that something exists. They are common in formal and everyday speech.

Key forms

• 'Il faut' + infinitive (Il faut étudier.)
• 'Il est' + adjective + de/que' (Il est important de comprendre.)
• 'Il y a' (Il y a un problème.)
• 'Il semble que' (Il semble que tu aies raison.)

Examples

Tips

• Always use 'il' as the subject in these structures, even if it does not refer to a person or thing.
• Do not change 'il' to match gender or number.
• Be careful: 'il faut' is always followed by an infinitive or by 'que' plus the subjunctive.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some impersonal expressions require the subjunctive mood after 'que' (e.g., 'Il est possible que...').