The Conditional Tense Le conditionnel
The Conditional Tense is used to ask for something or to ask for a favour. It is more polite than the Present Tense. EG. Je voudrais = I would like It is also used to say what would happen if a certain condition were met, e.g. “if I had enough money I would tour the world.” We form The Conditional Tense by adding the Imperfect endings to the Future stem.
So The Conditional Tense is basically formed in exactly the same way as The Future Tense but uses the same endings as The Imperfect Tense.
-ER VERBS jouer – to play je jouerais (I) tu jouerais (you) il/elle/on jouerait (he/she/we/one) nous jouerions (we) vous joueriez (you) ils/elles joueraient (they)
Make up some sentences using the following common regular – er verbs: téléphonerTo telephone écouterTo listen to parlerTo speak donnerTo give marcherTo walk trouverTo find resterTo stay/remain travaillerTo work
-RE VERBS répondre – to answer/reply je répondrais (I) tu répondrais (you) il/elle/on répondrait (he/she/we/one) nous répondrions (we) vous répondriez(you) ils/elles répondraient (they)
Make up some sentences using the following common regular – re verbs: répondreTo answer/reply vendreTo sell attendreTo wait fondreTo melt comprendreTo understand apprendreTo learn direTo say/tell mettreTo put(on)
-IR VERBS finir – to finish je finirai s(I) tu finirais (you) il/elle/on finirait (he/she/we/one) nous finirions (we) vous finiriez (you) ils/elles finiraient (they)
Make up some sentences using the following common regular – ir verbs: finirTo finish choisirTo choose punirTo punish vomirTo be sick sortirTo go out dormirTo sleep ouvrirTo open partirTo leave
Some verbs are irregular when they form the future/conditional stem, but the endings are always the same. Here is a list of the most common irregular verbs:
AcheterJ’achèteraisI would buy AllerJ’iraisI would go AvoirJ’auraisI would have CourirJe courraisI would run DevoirJe devraisI would have to EnvoyerJ’enverraisI would send ÊtreJe seraiI would be
FaireJe feraisI would do/make PouvoirJe pourraisI would be able to RecevoirJe recevraisI would receive SavoirJe sauraisI would know VenirJe viendraisI would come VoirJe verraisI would see VouloirJe voudraisI would want
EXERCISES Fill the gap with the correct form of the conditional tense. 1)Je _____ avec ma soeur(parler) 2)Il _____ la voiture(laver) 3)Ils _____ de la musique(écouter) 4)Elle _____ avec son copain(danser) 5)Tu _____ à ta mère(téléphoner) 6)Vous _____ à la question(répondre) 7)On _____ des glaces ici(vendre) 8)Elles _____ leurs devoirs(finir) 9)Je ______ la bonne direction(choisir) 10)Il _____ dans le jardin(vomir)
ANSWERS 1)Je parlerais avec ma soeur(parler) 2)Il laverait la voiture(laver) 3)Ils écouteraient de la musique(écouter) 4)Elle danserait avec son copain(danser) 5)Tu téléphonerais à ta mère(téléphoner) 6)Vous répondriez à la question(répondre) 7)On vendrait des glaces ici(vendre) 8)Elles finiraient leurs devoirs(finir) 9)Je choisirais la bonne direction(choisir) 10)Il vomirait dans le jardin(vomir)