Unité 3L’imparfait, le conditionnel, et le futur simple

L’ImparfaitThe Imperfect

Comment c’est formulé

nous form of present tense verbdrop –ons ending, creates imperfect stemadd the following endings:

-ais -ions-ais -iez-ait -aient

et les verbes irréguliers ?

Only one irregular verb in l’imparfait

Bien sûr, c’est être

nous sommes – no –ons ending

imperfect stem for être = ét-

Comment c’est utilisé

Use l’imparfait when you want to talk about past actions◦that took place over a period of time◦that happened habitually◦that happened over and over again◦to talk about feelings, weather, background

details◦that were interrupted by another past action

(the interrupter is in the passé composé)

La Duration

Quand j’étais petite … (l’enfance)Elle ne faisait rien pendant ses vacances.Nous habitions une petite maison.Ils apprenaient lentement.

L’Habitude

Chaque été, j’allais chez ma grand-mère à la Floride.

Pour le Noël, ma famille décorait le sapin après le Jour de l’Action de Grâce.

Après l’école, je passais par la maison de mes grands-parents.

La Répétition

Chaque semaine, on faisait les cours à Kroger.

Je réussissais à mes examens de français.Il pleuvait pendant huit jours.

Les Sentiments, Le Temps, Les Détails

Je me sentais très heureuse quand j’étais petite.

Il faisait très froid.Il était dix heures quand il est retourné

chez lui.

L’Intérruption

Je notais les devoirs quand ils ont téléphoné.

Elle jouais du piano quand son chat a sauté sur le clavier.

On faisait une pique-nique quand un étranger s’est présenté tout d’un coup.

Le passé composé vs. l’imparfait

le passé composé l’imparfait

past actions that◦ ended in the past◦ interrupted another

past action◦ narrate events in

informal writing and orally

past actions that◦ happened repeatedly

and/or habitually◦ were interrupted by

another past action◦ describe feelings,

weather, details

Le Conditionnel

Comment c’est formulé

Regular verbs:◦conditional stem is the infinitive form

Irregular verbs:◦see the following list

Endings:◦same as l’imparfait

-ais -ions-ais -iez-ait -aient

Les racines irréguliers

acheter > achèter- similar verbs: achever, amener, emmener, lever, promener

acquérir > acquerr- similar verbs: conquérir, s'enquérir

appeler > appeller- similar verbs: épeler, rappeler, renouveler

aller > ir-

avoir > aur-

devoir > devr-

envoyer > enverr-

essayer > essaier- similar verbs: balayer, effrayer, payer

essuyer > essuier- similar verbs: appuyer, ennuyer

être > ser-

faire > fer-

falloir > faudr-

jeter > jetter- similar verbs: feuilleter, hoqueter, projeter, rejeter

nettoyer > nettoier- similar verbs: employer, noyer, tutoyer

pleuvoir > pleuvr-

pouvoir > pourr-

savoir > saur-

tenir > tiendr- similar verbs: maintenir, obtenir, soutenir, more

valoir > vaudr-

venir > viendr- similar verbs: devenir, parvenir, revenir, more

voir > verr- similar verb: revoir

vouloir > voudr-

Comment c’est utilisé

Use le conditionnel to express hypothetical situations

Generally, this tense will be used in conjunction with l’imparfait to create an if/then phrase

Si j’avais un milliard de dollars (l’imparfait)◦This sentence sets up the hypothetical situation

j’achèterais un château en France. (le cond.)◦this sentence explains the result of the

hypothetical situation

Le futur simple

Comment c’est formulé

Le futur simple has only one part/verb◦Unlike the future tense in English, which is

made up of two parts I will go to Paris. will + go

The stems are the same as those used for le conditionnel

The endings are based on the present tense of avoir:

-ai -ons-as -ez-a -ont

Comment c’est utilisé

To express future actions◦Elle ira à Nice pour ses vacances d’été.

◦Nous aurons beaucoup d’argent.

◦Tu seras célèbre.

◦Je ferai mon mieux.

If/Thenen français

If-then clauses, also known as si clauses, conditionals, or conditional sentences, are sentences with one clause stating a condition or possibility, and a second clause naming a result which is dependent upon that condition.

There are different types of si clauses, but they all have two things in common:

1) The English result clause might be preceded by "then," but there is no equivalent word preceding the French result clause.

   Si tu conduis, je paierai.   If you drive, (then) I'll pay.

2) The clauses can be in either order, si clause followed by result clause, or result clause followed by si clause, just so long as the verb forms are paired correctly and si (if) is placed in front of the condition.

   Je paierai si tu conduis.   I'll pay if you drive.

Types of si clauses

Si clauses are divided into types based on the likeliness of what is stated in the result clause: what does, will, would, or would have happened if.... The first verb form listed for each type names the condition upon which depends the result, which is indicated by the second verb form.

First conditional: Likely / PotentielPresent or present perfect + present, future, or imperative 

Second conditional: Unlikely / Irréel du présentImperfect + conditional 

Third conditional: Impossible / Irréel du passéPluperfect + conditional perfect

These verb pairings are very specific: for example, in the second conditional, you can only use the imperfect in the si (if) clause and the conditional in the result clause. Memorizing these pairings is probably the most difficult part of si clauses

First Conditional

The first conditional refers to an if-then clause which names a likely situation and the result dependent upon it: something that happens or will happen if something else happens.

The first conditional is formed with the present tense or present perfect in the si clause, and one of three verb forms - present, future, or imperative - in the result clause.

Present + PresentThis construction is used for things that happen regularly. Note that the si in these sentences could probably be replaced by quand (when) with little or no difference in meaning.

S'il pleut, nous ne sortons pas. / Nous ne sortons pas s'il pleut.If it rains, we don't go out. / We don't go out if it rains.

Si je ne veux pas lire, je regarde la télé. / Je regarde la télé si je ne veux pas lire.If I don't want to read, I watch TV. / I watch TV if I don't want to read.

Present + Future

The present + future construction is used for events that are likely to occur. The present tense follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action will take place.

Si j'ai le temps, je le ferai. / Je le ferai si j'ai le temps..If I have time, I will do it. / I will do it if I have time.

Si tu étudies, tu réussiras à l'examen. / Tu réussiras à l'examen si tu étudies.If you study, you will pass the test. / You'll pass the test if you study.

Present + Imperative

This construction is used to give an order, assuming that the condition is met. The present tense follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action becomes a command.

Si tu peux, viens me voir. / Viens me voir si tu peux.If you can, come see me. / Come see me if you can.(If you can't, then don't worry about it.)

Si vous avez de l'argent, payez la facture. / Payez la facture si vous avez de l'argent.If you have money, pay the bill. / Pay the bill if you have money.(If you don't have any money, someone else will take care of it.)

Passé composé + Present, Future, or Imperative

Si clauses may also use the passé composé followed by the present, future, or imperative. These constructions are basically the same as above; the difference is that the condition is in the present perfect rather than the simple present.

Si tu as fini, tu peux partir. / Tu peux partir si tu as fini.If you have finished, you can leave.

Si tu n'as pas fini, tu me le diras. / Tu me le diras si tu n'as pas fini.If you haven't finished, [you will] tell me.

Si tu n'as pas fini, dis-le-moi. / Dis-le-moi si tu n'as pas fini.If you haven't finished, tell me.

Second Conditional

The second conditional expresses something that is contrary to present fact or unlikely to occur: something that would happen if something else happened.For the second conditional, use si + imperfect (stating the condition) + conditional (stating what would happen).

Si j'avais le temps, je le ferais. / Je le ferais si j'avais le temps.If I had time, I would do it. / I would do it if I had time.(Fact: I don't have time, but if I did [contrary to fact], I would do it.)

Si tu étudiais, tu réussirais à l'examen. / Tu réussirais à l'examen si tu étudiais.If you studied, you would pass the test. / You would pass the test if you studied.(Fact: You don't study, but if you did [unlikely to occur], you would pass the test.)

Si elle vous voyait, elle vous aiderait. / Elle vous aiderait si elle vous voyait.If she saw you, she would help you. / She would help you if she saw you.(Fact: She doesn't see you so she isn't helping you [but if you get her attention, she will].)

Third Conditional

The third conditional is a conditional sentence which expresses a hypothetical situation that is contrary to past fact: something that would have happened if something else had happened.To form the third conditional, use si + pluperfect (to explain what would have had to occur) +conditional perfect (what would have been possible).

Si j'avais eu le temps, je l'aurais fait. / Je l'aurais fait si j'avais eu le temps.If I had had time, I would have done it. / I would have done it if I had had time.(Fact: I didn't have time so I didn't do it.)

Si tu avais étudié, tu aurais réussi à l'examen. / Tu aurais réussi à l'examen si tu avais étudié.If you had studied, you would have passed the test. / You would have passed the test if you had studied.(Fact: You didn't study so you didn't pass the test.)

Si elle vous avait vu, elle vous aurait aidé. / Elle vous aurait aidé si elle vous avait vu.If she had seen you, she would have helped you. / She would have helped you if she had seen you.(Fact: She didn't see you so she didn't help you.)

Practice

Activité A

Pick 10 of the following prompts and create complete sentences:

Si je me lève tôt Si je parle trop vite Si je perds mon portefeuille Si je ne réussis pas à cet

examen Si je ne trouve pas mes clés Si je trouve une bague de

diamants Si je vois mon ex-copain Si je

voyage en Afrique Si nous regardons la télé Si nous travaillons ensemble Si on fais les devoirs tous les

jours

Si on mange trop Si on ne vote pas Si on tombe malade à l'école Si l'ordinateur ne marche pas Si tu es en retard Si tu ne sais pas nager Si tu trouves mon livre Si tu vois Jean-Marc Si un mobile commence à

sonner pendant la classe

Activité B

Pick five of the following situations and write complete sentences:

Si j'allais à la lune Si j'avais un souhait Si je n'avais qu'une semaine à

vivre Si j'étais le président Si j'étais riche Si j'étais toi Si je faisais mes devoirs tous les

jours Si je me cassais la jambe Si je me mariais Si je pouvais faire la

connaissance de n'importe qui dans le monde

Si je pouvais remonter dans le

temps Si je pouvais visiter n'importe

quel pays Si je trouvais un portefeuille

dans la rue Si je voyais un OVNI (objet

volant non identifié) S'il y avait des formes de vie

intelligente sur d'autres planètes

Si les chiens pouvaient parler Si mon meilleur ami me mentait Si notre professeur était en

retard Si nous étudiions ensemble Si nous savions le secret du

bonheur