Espérer et le subjonctif

S. B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Espérer et le subjonctif

It thought that that espérer was followed by the future tense when stated affirmatively, and was followed by the subjunctive tense when espérer when stated as a question or in the negative.  Yet, in the writing practice, the following is presented as the correct way to use espérer:

Espérons que cela se rafraichisse dans les jours qui viennent

Why when that is an affirmative statement?  Why isn't this correct?: "Espérons que cela se rafraichira"

Asked 4 years ago
Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

One other point - it's considered more acceptable to use the subjunctive after an imperative, as in this example. According to Grevisse's Le Bon Usage:

[The subjunctive]  peut être plus facilement toléré après l’impératif espérons, qui traduit davantage une invitation à espérer.

 

Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

This has been asked before, although I'm not sure the discussion came to a definitive conclusion:

https://french.kwiziq.com/questions/view/use-of-the-subjunctive-with-esperer

I think the answer may be that actually people do use the subjunctive with affirmative statements. As it says in the page linked below: 

There is a tendency in informal speech for speakers to in fact use the subjunctive with espérer. ... The use of espérer with the indicative is largely an 'artificial' prescriptive convention.

http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/grammar/subjunctive_when_difficulties.shtml

S. B. asked:View original

Espérer et le subjonctif

It thought that that espérer was followed by the future tense when stated affirmatively, and was followed by the subjunctive tense when espérer when stated as a question or in the negative.  Yet, in the writing practice, the following is presented as the correct way to use espérer:

Espérons que cela se rafraichisse dans les jours qui viennent

Why when that is an affirmative statement?  Why isn't this correct?: "Espérons que cela se rafraichira"

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