soit…soit + choice between two verbs

Anne D.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

soit…soit + choice between two verbs

A post further down says "soit..soit is used when followed by anything other than a verb". I’ve just done a quiz elsewhere where the answer they wanted was "Soit tu mets du déodorant, soit je te quitte"! Is this a usage that exists but isn’t good French? If so, what’s a better way to express it? I can’t imagine "soit que" is very common and "que" + subjunctive verb seems to be a yes/no situation (eg que tu le mettes ou pas) rather than offering two alternative verbs.

Thank you.

Asked 1 year ago
CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour Anne,

Thank you for your comment! You are correct that "soit... soit... " can be followed by a verb. So we've amended the lesson accordingly and added more complex examples to explain the different ways to use this expression.

You can use "que..." with "soit... soit..." - Attention: "que" is not linked with "soit"

Il faut soit que tu utilises du déodorant, soit que tu te douches plus souvent ! = You must either use deodorant, or shower more often!

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée et merci de votre contribution!

soit…soit + choice between two verbs

A post further down says "soit..soit is used when followed by anything other than a verb". I’ve just done a quiz elsewhere where the answer they wanted was "Soit tu mets du déodorant, soit je te quitte"! Is this a usage that exists but isn’t good French? If so, what’s a better way to express it? I can’t imagine "soit que" is very common and "que" + subjunctive verb seems to be a yes/no situation (eg que tu le mettes ou pas) rather than offering two alternative verbs.

Thank you.

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