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What is the capital of Tunisia?

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What is the capital of Tunisia?

Using a/ aille after quoi que ce soit

  • “aille” is the subjonctif present of the verb “aller” (to go)
  • “a” is the indicatif present of auxilliary “avoir” that is combine to verb “surprendre” (surpris here, past participle) that is indicatif passé composé.

The correct phrase is (with subjonctif passé of verb surprendre):

Y avait-il quoi que ce soit dans le rapport qui vous ait surpris ?

The right way to write this sentence

  • Y avait-il quoi que ce soit dans le rapport qui vous ait surpris ?

That is, the subjonctive is necessary.

However, “quoi que ce soit” is not needed for the subjunctive to be necessary; here the subjunctive results from an eventuality being considered; in other words, the subjonctive is used because that there should be something surprising in the report is only an eventuality.

  • Y avait-il quelque chose dans le rapport qui vous ait surpris ?

  • N’y avait-il rien dans le rapport qui vous ait surpris ?

Here is another example;

  • (LBU § 377 c) S’il te demandait de faire QUOI QUE CE SOIT qui fût contraire aux lois du commerce,
    […], promets-moi de ne rien signer sans me consulte.

In this exemple the same principle is true; you can replace the pronoun with a noun and the subjunctive is still necessary; this is therefore not a necessity due to the pronoun;

S’il te demandait de faire une chose qui fût contraire aux lois du commerce,
[…], promets-moi de ne rien signer sans me consulter.

The following reference will be useful in understanding the use of this pronoun;

Emplois syntaxiques de « quoi que ce soit »

It can be found in it that the subjunctive is not necessary after it; here is an example from this reference;

  • Il a mangé quoi que ce soit que sa mère lui a donné.

 

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What is the capital of Tunisia?