de optional?

Question

Are "antes de que" and "antes que" fully interchangeable? Does one sound better than the other or is used more in one or another situation? (It could help to say this explicitly.)

Also, you run through the various past/present/future possibilities of "después de que" noting where the subjunctive or indicative is used. You don't give as many cases for "antes de que". Is it correct to infer that regardless of whether we are referring to a past, present or future event, "antes de que" must always be followed by the subjunctive. (Might help to say so explicitly if this is the case.)

I still don't get email notifications when new answers are posted.

Answer

Hola R,"antes de que" and "antes que" are interchangeable. We are using "/" between the two to make clear it can be one or the other: Antes de que/antes que .....It is also explicit in the lesson that "antes (de) que" can only use the subjunctive, not the indicative; while "después (de) que" can use both. I have though included an extra sentence showing how antes de que can also refer to past events.I will pass the issue about the email notifications to my colleague. Un saludoInma