Hypothesizing with conditional and future
Hypothesizing is something we do all the time in considering both the future and the past. When
hypothesizing, we usually use “if / then” statements as in:
“If I study, then I will speak French well.”
“I will speak French well if I study.”
It is important to note that in English it doesn’t matter which clause comes first. The “then” clause
doesn’t necessarily always contain the word “then,” but the word “if” is always present in the “if”
clause. The verb conjugation stays the same, regardless of which clause comes first. This pattern is
the same in French.
When you use “if / then” phrases in French, certain tenses have to be used together. There are two
possible tense combinations. The tense that you use in the “if” clause will determine the tense you use
in the “then” clause, and vice versa. The important thing is that you always make sure the verbs in the
“if / then” clauses match up correctly.
If the verb of the “if” clause is conjugated in the imparfait, the verb of the “then” clause must be
conjugated in the conditionnel.
Si on se concentrait plus sur la grammaire, il y aurait moins de fautes.
(If we concentrated more on grammar, there would be fewer errors.)
J’irais voir un concert ce weekend si j’avais assez d’argent.
(I would go see a concert this weekend if I had enough money.)
Notice that it doesn’t matter whether the “if” clause or the “then” clause comes first. In either case the
verb of the “if” clause is conjugated in the imparfait while the verb of the “then” clause is conjugated in
the conditionnel.
If the verb of the “if” clause is conjugated in the present tense, then the verb of the “then” clause must
be conjugated in the futur simple.
S’il y a un examen cette semaine, nous étudierons beaucoup.
(If there is a test this week, we will study a lot.)
Je parlerai à mes instructeurs si j’ai des questions.
(I will talk to my instructors if I have questions.)
It still doesn’t matter whether the “if” clause or the “then” clause comes first. In either case the verb of
the “if” clause is conjugated in the present tense while the verb of the “then” clause is conjugated in
the futur simple.
It may seem like there is a lot to think about to make hypothetical statements, but the more you use
this pattern, the better you will get. Soon you won’t have to think about it anymore – it will come
naturally to you.
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