Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A. Conditional Sentences
A. Conditional Sentences
Real conditions
A condition that describes what is possible or likely in the present or past is called a “real”
condition:
In the examples below, note that either clause may begin the sentence, but in the si clause,
the subject must be followed by the present or the passé composé. Note that si elides
with il or ils to become s'il and s'ils, respectively, but does not elide with elle (si elle)
or elles (si elles). Si followed by the present:
Contrary-to-fact conditions
Once again, either clause may begin the sentence, but in the si clause, the subject must be
followed by the imperfect or the plus‐que‐parfait.
Si j'étais riche, je m'achèterais un château. (If I were rich, I'd buy myself a castle.)
Je t'enverrais de l'argent, si tu en avais besoin. (I would send you money, if you
needed some.)
S'il avait eu le temps, il t'aurait aidé. (If he had had the time, he would have helped
you.)
J'aurais fait un gâteau, si j'avais su que tu venais. (I would have baked a cake, if I had
known you were coming.)
Savez‐vous si elle travaillera demain? (Do you know if she will work tomorrow?)
Je ne savais pas s'il le ferait. (I didn't know whether he would do it.)
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