The Conditional Flashcards
The Conditional
How is the conditional formed?
To form the conditional one takes the future stem of the verb and adds the endings of the imperfect tense:
- ais,
- ais,
- ait,
- ions
- iez,
- aient.
The Conditional
Which are the spelling changes in the conditional?
The same that occur in the simple future.
The Conditional
I would go (I would go away)
j’irais
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I would sit down.
je m’assiérais (or j’assoirais)
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I would have
j’aurais
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I would beat
j’battrais
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I would drink
je boirais
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I would drive
je conduirais
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I would know
je connaîtrais
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I would fear
je craindrais
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I would believe
je croirais
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I ought to, I should
je devrais
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I would say
je dirais
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I would sleep
je dormirais
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I would write
j’écrirais
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I would send
j’enverrais
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I would be
je serais
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I would do
je ferais
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it would be necessary
il faudrait
The Conditional
I would read
je lirais
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I would put
je mettrais
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I would die
je mourrais
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I would be born
je naîtrais
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I would open
j’ouvrirais
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I would please
je plairais
The Conditional
it would rain
il pleuvrait
The Conditional
Iwould be able, I could
je pourrais
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I would take
je prendrais
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I would receive
je recevrais
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I would laugh
je rirais
The Conditional
I would know
je saurais
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I would follow
je suivrais
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I would hold
je tiendrais
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I would be worth
je vaudrais
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I would come
je viendrais
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I would see
je voirais
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I would see
je verrais
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I would like
je voudrais
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there would be
il y aurait
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it would be better
il vaudrait mieux
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Which are the three irregular verbs that have a special meaning in the present conditional?
je voudrais (I would like) je devrais (I ought to, should) je pourrais (I could)
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When is the conditional used?
- Indicates (as in English) a possibility or eventuality
Ce serait un dommage. - That would be a shame. - Expresses (as in English) a subdued wish or desire (withe the verbs ‘‘aimer’’ and ‘‘vouloir’’)
J’aimerais avoir deux enfants. - Makes (as in English) a request more polite (with verbs as ‘‘vouloir’’, ‘‘pouvoir’’, ‘‘avoir’’, ‘‘savoir’’ and ‘‘connaître’’)
Je voudrais une tasse de café s’il vous plait. - Expresses a suggestion or an advice and, withe the verb ‘‘devoir’’, an obligation (English: should, ought to).
À votre place, je ne suivrais pas son conseil. - Is always used after the conjunction ‘‘au cas où’’ (in case). (Englishe uses the present tense)
Voilà mon numéro de téléphone, au cas où vous auriez besoin de moi. - As its name indicates, the present conditional is mainly used to describe what would happen under a certain condition. This condition (which is not fulfilled at the moment of the statement, but could be fulfilled in the future) is usually introduced be si=if. In such sentences, the verb in the si-clause is in the imperfect, and the verb in the main clause is in the present conditional. The si-clause can be either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
Si j’étais malade, j’irais chez le médecin. - Is used (as in English) in a subordinate clause after the conjunction ‘‘que’’ (that) and after ‘‘si’’ (whether) to express an action or situation that ocurred later in time than the verb in the main clause, if this verb is in a past tense. Here, the conditional indicates a future action in the past.
Je savais qu’il viendrait. - Is used as the conditional of the press to report alleged facts.
Il y a eu un tremblement de terre en Grèce hier soir. Il y aurait des milliers de victimes. - In formal French, the present conditional of ‘‘savoir’’ is the equivalent of ‘‘pouvoir’’ (can, be able to) when used in a negative sentence before an infinitive. ‘‘Pas’’ is omitted in these expressions.
Je ne saurais vous le dire.
Je ne saurais répondre à cette question.
The Conditional
What would I do without you?
Qu’est-ce que je ferais sans toi?
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How would I know it?
Comment est-ce que je le suarais?
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Could you close the window?
Pourriez-vous fermer la fenêtre?
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Could I ask you a question?
Est-ce que je pourrais vous poser une question?
The Conditional Would you (happen to) have the time?
Auriez-vous l’heure?
The Conditional Would you (happen to) know where Fabrot street is?
Sauriez-vous où se trouve la rue Fabrot?
The Conditional
Would you know a good bistro nearby?
Connaîtriez-vous un bon bistro près d’ici?
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You should read this novel.
Tu devrais lire ce roman.
The Conditional You should (ought to) think about it.
Vous devriez y réfléchir.
The Conditional
I would be happy if you came tonight.
Je serais content(e) si vous veniez ce soir.
The Conditional
What would you say if you were in my position?
Qu’est-ce que tu dirais si tu étais à ma place?
The Conditional
If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
Si je gagnais à la loterie, je ferais le tour du monde.
The Conditional
She said that she would call.
Elle a dit qu’elle téléphonerait.
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They asked me whether I would go the party.
Ils m’ont demandé si j’irais à la soirée.
The Conditional
would rather
aimer mieux (+infinitive)
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I’d rather go shopping than stay at home.
J’aimerais mieux faire des courses que rester à la maison.
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had better
faire mieux (+de+infinitive)
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You had better be quiet.
Tu ferais mieeux de te taire.
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They would go to church every Sunday.
Ils allaient à l’église tous les dimanches.
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Would you please close the door?
Voulez-vous (or: Voudriez-vous) fermer la porte?
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He wouldn’t tell me.
Il n’a pas voulu me le dire.
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Could you do me a favor?
Pourriez-vous me rendre un service?
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I wonder whether he could help us.
Je me demande s’il pourrait nous aider.
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I tried to sleep but I couldn’t
J’ai essayé de dormir, mais je n’ai pas pu.
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I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
Je ne pouvais pas (or: je n’ai pas pu) comprendre ce qu’il disait.
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How is the past conditional formed?
The past conditional is a compound tense formed by using the present conditional of ‘‘avoir’’ or ‘‘être’’ and the past participle of the verb. The past conditional follows the same rules as the passé composé as far as the agreement of the past participle is concerned.
The Conditional
Which are the three irregular verbs that have a special meaning in the past conditional?
j’aurais voulu - I would have liked
j’aurais dû - I should have
j’aurais pu - I could have
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I would have liked to be a nurse.
J’aurais voulu être infirmière.
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You should have known it.
Tu aurais dû le savoir.
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He could have done it.
Il aurait pu le faire.
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there would have been
il y aurait eu
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it would have been necessary
il y aurait fallu
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it would have been better
il aurait mieux valu
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When is the past conditional used?
- As in english, the past conditional expresses a possibility or eventuality in the past.
Tôt ou tard, les gens l’auraient su. (Sooner or later, people would have found it) - Is used after ‘‘au cas où’’
Au cas où vous auriez perdu votre montre, vous pourriez emprunter la mienne. - Frequently expresses a reproach or regret about an action that was not performed in the past (often with the verbs ‘‘devoir’’, ‘‘vouloir’’ and ‘‘pouvoir’’)
Il aurait dû s’excuser. - Describes what would have happened in the past under a certain condition. This condition (mentioned in a si (if) clause) was not met and can no longer be fulfilled. In such sentences, the verb in the si-clause is in the pluperfect, and the verb in the main clause is in the past conditional. the si-clause can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
Si tu étais parti plus tôt, tu n’aurais pas manqué l’avion. - Is used in a subordinate clause after the conjunction ‘‘que’’ (that) and after ‘‘si’’ (whether) to express an action or situation that ocurred later in time than the verb in the main clause, if this verb is in a past tense. Here, the conditional indicates a future action in the past.
J’étais sûr qu’il serait parti avant mon retour. - escribes a past action or situation the certainty of which has not been confirmed. Like the present conditional, it is widely used by the news media to report alleged facts.
Frédéric II aurait invité Voltaire au château de Sans-Souci avec le message codé.
The Conditional
She would have been happy if she had received an award.
Elle aurait été contente si elle avait reçu un prix.
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They believed that we would have been angry.
Ils ont cru que nous aurions été fâches.
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He was wandering whether he could have gone there.
Il se demandait s’il aurait pu y aller.
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We didn’t know whether we would have managed to do it.
Nous ne savions pas si nous serions arrivés à la faire.
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And Voltaire allegedly answered him…
Et Voltaire lui aurait répondu…
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Which are the three most common tense sequences in conditional sentences?
SI CLAUSE - MAIN CLAUSE
present tense + future tense
imperfect + present conditional
pluperfect + past conditional
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Which are possible tense sequences in conditional sentences with si-clause in present tense?
présent + présent
\+ futur
\+ futur proche
\+ futur antérieur
\+ impératifThe Conditional
Which are possible tense sequences in conditional sentences with si-clause in passé composé?
passé composé + présent
+ futur
+ futur proche
+ futur antérieur
+ impératif
+ imparfait
+ passé compsé
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Which are possible tense sequences in conditional sentences with si-clause in imparfait?
imparfait + conditionnel présent
+ conditionnel passé
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Which are possible tense sequences in conditional sentences with si-clause in plus-que-parfait?
plus-que-parfait + conditionnel passé
+ conditionnel présent
The Conditional
If I am tired I sit down.
Si je suis fatigué, je m’assieds.
The Conditional
If there is an earthquake, we will be afraid.
S’il y a un tremblement de terre, nous aurons peur.
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If it’s OK with you, we are going to leave in one hour.
Si vous êtes d’accord, nous allons partir dans une heure.
The Conditional
If you don’t start right away, you will not have finished on time.
Si tu ne commences pas tout de suit, tu n’auras pas fini à temps.
The Conditional
If you go to the bakery, buy a baguette.
Si tu vas à la boulangerie, achète une baguette.
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If my parents left on time, they are now in Paris.
Si mes parents sont partis à l’heure, ils sont maintenant à Paris.
The Conditional
If he took the plane, he will be in France tonight.
S’il a pris l’avion, il sera en France ce soir.
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If you did that, you are going to be in trouble.
Si tu a fait cela, tu vas avoir des ennuis.
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If he already started, he will be finished soon.
S’il a déjà commencé, il aura bientôt fini.
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If you arrived late, apologize.
Si vous êtes arrivé en retard, excusez-vous.
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If he didn’t say anything, he didn’t know what to say.
S’il n’a rien dit, il ne savait pas quoi dire.
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If he went to Italy, he surely had good weather.
S’il est allé en Italie, il a sûrement eu du beau temps.
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If it rained, I would stay at home.
S’il pleuvait, je resterais à la maison.
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If you had children, you would have acted like me.
Si vous aviez des enfants, vous auriez agi comme moi.
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If I had earned a lot of money, I would have gone to Hawaii.
Si j’avais gagné beaucoup d’argent, je serais allé à Hawaï.
The Conditional
If I had not seen the film, I would be sad.
Si je n’avais pas vu le film, je serais triste.
