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Imparfait vs. conditionnel

LESSON FOCUS

Objectifs de la leçon

1. to understand the difference between the imparfait (imperfect) and the conditionnel (conditional) and when to use them.

Niveau

B1 - niveau seuil (intermediate)

Rappel : imparfait

The imparfait is a past tense. The closest translation for it is the Imperfect or Past progressive or continuous.

It is used to describe an action which used to happen (habit) or was happening and carried on over a period of time (ongoing action):

• Je jouais au tennis tous les mercredis.
  I used to play tennis every Wednesday.

It is used to describe an action that was going on when an event suddenly happened:

• Je regardais la télévision lorsque quelqu'un a frappé à la porte.
  I was watching TV when someone knocked on the door.

It is used in landscape, weather descriptions, etc.:

• Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient.
  It was sunny and the birds were singing.

It is used to describe memories, feelings:

• Quand j'étais enfant, je rêvais de devenir chanteur.
  When I was a child, I used to dream of becoming a singer.

Rappel : conditionnel

The conditionnel is a tense which describes an action that may happen if another action takes place:

• Je sortirais s’il faisait beau.
  

I would go out if the weather was nice.

Note:

• In French there isn’t such a thing as the modal verbs ‘would’ ‘could’ or ‘should’, so it is necessary to use the correct endings for the conditional.
• When you use a conditional tense with a clause introduced by si (if), remember to use the imperfect after si.

Imparfait vs conditionnel

Why compare these two tenses? Well, it is because the endings of the imperfect and conditional are exactly the same.

• je …-ais
• tu … -ais
• il, elle, on … -ait
• nous …. -ions
• vous …. -iez
• ils, elles …. -aient

Différence ?

How to distinguish between these two tenses? The sound varies. You will hear R for the conditional, because the stem used in the conditional is the same one as in the future tense.

Example with a Group 1 verb:

• je marchais (imperfect) - I used to walk
• je marcherai (future) - I will walk
• je marcherais (conditional) - I would walk

Example with a Group 2 verb:

• ils finissaient (imperfect) - they were finishing
• ils finiront (future) - they will finish
• ils finiraient (conditional) - they would finish

Examples with Group 3 verbs:

• vous étiez (imperfect) - you were
• vous serez (future) - you will be
• vous seriez (conditional) - you would be
  
  
• je faisais (imperfect) - I was doing
  
• je ferai (future) - I will do
• je ferais (conditional) - I would do
  
  
  
• nous avions (imperfect) - we had
  
• nous aurons (future) - we will have
• nous aurions (conditional) - we would have
  
  
• nous envoyions (imperfect) - we used to send
• nous enverrons (future) - we will send
• nous enverrions (conditional) - we would send
  
  
• nous vendions (imp) -we were selling
• nous vendrons (future) - we will sell
• nous vendrions (conditional) - we would sell

Exemples

I would buy a house if I had the money.
J’achèterais une maison si j’avais l’argent.

Tom would go to France if his friends came with him.
Tom irait en France si ses amis venaient avec lui.

Tom and I would come with you if we had the time.
Tom et moi viendrions avec vous si nous avions le temps.