Imperfect, Future and Conditional Tense

Question 1

When is the imperfect used?

Answer 1

• For actions in the past which are not complete/interrupted (I was walking)
• For things which used to be (She was working in London)
• Sometimes before conditional (If I was bigger, I would play rugby)

Question 2

How do you form the imperfect tense?

Answer 2

• For the stem, use the nous form of the verb but remove the ending
• Add the following endings:
  Je - ais
  Tu - ais
  Il/elle/on - ait
  nous - ions
  vous - iez
  ils/elles/ - aient
• Pronouns remain as normal
• E.g. Je regardais (I was watching)

Question 3

How do you say I was (imperfect tense)?

Answer 3

J’étais

This is the only irregular in the imperfect tense, with it’s stem being ét rather than the nous form

Question 4

How do you form the near future?

Answer 4

• Use the appropriate form of aller with the pronoun
• Add the infinitive of the verb
• E.g. Je vais regarder (I will watch)

Question 5

How do you form the future simple?

Answer 5

• For the stem, use the infinitive of the verb
• Add the following endings:
  Je - ai
  Tu - as
  Il/elle/on - a
  nous - ons
  vous - ez
  ils/elles/ - ont
• Pronouns remain as normal
• E.g. Je regarderai (I will watch)

The endings are basically the same as avoir (apart from ons and ez instead of avons and avez)

Question 6

How do you say ‘I will go’ in future simple?

Answer 6

J’irai

Question 7

How do you say ‘I will have’ in future simple?

Answer 7

J’aurai

Question 8

How do you say ‘I will be’ in future simple?

Answer 8

Je serai

Question 9

How do you say ‘I will do’ in future simple?

Answer 9

Je ferai

Question 10

How do you say ‘I will have to’ in future simple?

Answer 10

Je devrai

Question 11

How do you say ‘I will be able to’ in future simple?

Answer 11

Je pourrai

Question 12

How do you say ‘I will know (how to)’ in future simple?

Answer 12

Je saurai

Question 13

How do you say ‘I will come’ in future simple?

Answer 13

Je viendrai

Question 14

How do you say ‘I will see’ in future simple?

Answer 14

Je verrai

Question 15

How do you say ‘I will want’ in future simple?

Answer 15

Je voudrai

Question 16

How do you say ‘It will rain’ in future simple?

Answer 16

Il pleuvra

Question 17

How do you say ‘I will receive’ in future simple?

Answer 17

Je recevrai

Question 18

How do you form the conditional tense?

Answer 18

• Same as future simple (so stem is infinitive), except using imperfect endings
• Je - ais
• Tu - ais
• Il/elle - ait
• Nous - ions
• Vous - iez
• Ils/elles - aient
• e.g. Je regarderais = I would watch

All of the irregulars for future simple are also irregular in conditional, but the ending still changes. E.g. J’irais = I would go

Question 19

How do you say ‘If I was bigger, I would play Rugby’

Answer 19

Si J’étais plus grand, je jouerais au rugby

• It is usually formed with the imperfect then conditional
• However, you could also form it with present and then future. For example: If I go to London, I will buy lots of clothes

Question 20

When do you use the imperfect conditional?

Answer 20

• To say ‘I would have done something’

Question 21

How do you form the imperfect conditional?

Answer 21

• Conditional of avoir or être (depending on verb)
• Past participle of verb

Question 22

• I would have played football
• I would have eaten a croissant
• You would have gone to the cinema

Translate

Answer 22

• J’aurais joué au foot
• J’aurais mangé un croissant
• Tu serais allé au cinéma

Question 23

How do you say ‘I had arrived when she returned home’

Answer 23

J’étais arrivé quand elle est rentrée chez elle

• This is the pluperfect, where you use the imperfect of etre or avoir then the past participle
• It is used for two past actions, one after the other, with the pluperfect being used on the one furthest in the past