Future and Conditional: "if" clauses

Click *HERE* for Future/Conditional Exercise

•Future endings resemble avoir. Add the endings to the infinitive.
(-re verbs drop the final -e before adding endings.)
(Click *HERE* and scroll down for a more complete review of endings for future and conditional.)

-ai

 -ons
-as -ez
-a -ont

•Conditional endings are the same as imparfait endings. Like future, add the endings to the infinitive.

-ais

 -ions
-ais -iez
-ait -aient

Use future tense when the action takes place in the future, and the conditional if conditions are imposed! [Duh!]

 

 
[Spirou, No. 2232, 22 Jan. 1981, p. 18B]

•"If" clauses function exactly as they do in English:

if +present, then + future

If have (pres.) an apple, I will eat (fut.) it.
Si j'ai une pomme, je la mangerai.

if + imparfait, then + conditional

if I had (past) an apple, I would eat (cond.) it.
The past tense in French will always be the imparfait in if-clauses.
Si j'avais une pomme, je la mangerais.

•The clauses may be reversed without changing tenses or meaning:

J'achèterais une voiture si j'avais assez d'argent.

or:

Si j'avais assez d'argent, j'achèterais une voiture.

Click *HERE* for Future/Conditional Exercise

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