Back to Topic 3.3 — Future, conditional & mood

3.3.2French B SL14 flashcards

Conditional

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Card 1 of 143.3.2

3.3.2

Question

le conditionnel présent

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All 14 Flashcards — Conditional

Card 1definition

Question

le conditionnel présent

Answer

the conditional tense («would + verb»)

Card 2definition

Question

parler → je (conditionnel)

Answer

je parlerais (I would speak)

Card 3definition

Question

finir → je (conditionnel)

Answer

je finirais (I would finish)

Card 4definition

Question

prendre → je (conditionnel)

Answer

je prendrais (I would take) — drop the final -e of prendre

Card 5definition

Question

parler → nous (conditionnel)

Answer

nous parlerions (we would speak) — note the -ions ending

Card 6definition

Question

être → je (conditionnel)

Answer

je serais (I would be) — irregular stem ser-

Card 7definition

Question

avoir → je (conditionnel)

Answer

j'aurais (I would have) — irregular stem aur-

Card 8definition

Question

aller → je (conditionnel)

Answer

j'irais (I would go) — irregular stem ir-

Card 9definition

Question

pouvoir → je (conditionnel)

Answer

je pourrais (I could / would be able) — irregular stem pourr-

Card 10definition

Question

je voudrais

Answer

I would like (a polite, very common conditional phrase)

Card 11concept

Question

How do you form the conditional?

Answer

Take the futur stem (the whole infinitive for -er/-ir, drop final -e for -re) and add the imparfait endings -ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient.

Card 12concept

Question

Name three uses of the conditional.

Answer

Politeness («je voudrais», «pourriez-vous… ?»), the «si» hypothesis («Si j'avais le temps, je lirais»), and the future-in-the-past («il a dit qu'il viendrait»).

Card 13concept

Question

What tense follows «si» for an unreal condition?

Answer

The IMPARFAIT — «Si j'avais le temps, je lirais». The conditional goes in the result clause, NEVER inside «si».

Card 14concept

Question

What is the classic conditional error for anglophones?

Answer

Putting the conditional inside the «si» clause (*si je voudrais*) — wrong. «si» takes the imparfait; the conditional goes in the other clause.

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Topic 3.3 hub

Future, conditional & mood

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