This study tries to establish a baseline for the teaching of the French subjunctive in the United States and to encourage further scholarship by summarizing past activities. Distinctive subjunctive structures were extracted from 18 French newspapers and magazines and 15 recorded, non-directed interviews with native informants, thus providing stimuli used in eliciting subjunctive constructions from 60 additional informants. These responded individually to each stimulus in recorded interviews which, when analyzed, resulted in (1) a ranked list of the most consistently used stimuli to subjunctive usage, (2) a list of traditional categories with their most frequent stimuli, (3) observations about the stability of specific structures as they pertain to teaching needs and theories previously established. Conclusions were that the subjunctive is much alive in spoken French and that it should be presented gradually. Familiar forms should be stressed initially, then the most stable uses, then uses involving fine nuances. A basis for the choice of whether and when to present specific structures as well as the type and order of drills to be used are provided in this study. A bibliography of over 100 items and appendixes containing samples of some materials studied are included. (Author)