Future Tense with Quand and Si

Transcription

1 Future Tense with Quand and Si This article will look at using quand with the future tense. This is very different to the way we use when to describe the future in English. We will also look at the future with si. This is very similar to the English, so it should be very easy to learn. Some example questions and answers with this grammar will be shown. I. Quand Quand is the French word for when. It can be used as a question (e.g. Quand est-ce que tu vas arriver? When are you going to arrive? ) or as part of a sentence (e.g. Je sors quand il arrive I go out when he arrives ). The complications come when you are talking about the future, because this is grammatically different to English. We would say, for example, When I finish my exams, I will have a big party. In French, this would change to Quand je finirai mes examens, j aurai une grande fête. The general rule is : English Quand + Present = Future meaning French Quand + Future = Future meaning 1

2 Below are a few more example sentences for you to look at and compare. English I will go to the shopping centre when I receive my salary. I will learn to drive when I am 17. We will eat pizza when we get home. What will you do when you finish school? They will go to the airport when Henry arrives. Will you help me when I m studying? What will you do when you win the competition? French J irai au centre commercial quand je recevrai mon salaire. J apprendrai à conduire quand j aurai 17 ans. Nous mangerons de la pizza quand nous rentrons chez nous. Qu est-ce que tu feras quand tu finiras l école? Ils iront à l aéroport quand Henry arrivera. Est-ce que tu m aideras quand j étudierai? Qu est-ce que tu feras quand tu gagneras la compétition? II. Si Si means if in English. It is very common in sentences with conditionals and is followed by the present tense. The examples below show it in different tenses. English I will be really happy if you come with me. If you listen to the teacher, you will understand the exercise. He wants to know if the students have understood. You should take your umbrella if it rains. If you are kind, your mother will buy you French Je serai vraiment content si tu viens avec moi. Si tu écoutes le professeur, tu comprendras l exercice. Il veut savoir si les étudiants ont compris. Tu devrais prendre ton parapluie s il pleut. Si tu es sympa, ta mère t achètera des 2

3 some sweets. If I work hard, I will pass my exams. If I wanted to become a lawyer, I wouldn t study art. bonbons. Si je travaille dur, je réussirai aux examens. Si je voulais devenir avocat, je n étudierais pas le dessin. III. Example Questions Qu est-ce que tu vas faire après les examens? (What are you going to do after the exams?) - Je dois recevoir mes résultats avant d aller en vacances. Alors, si je réussis aux examens, j irai en Espagne avec ma famille. En revanche, si mes résultats ne sont pas ce que je veux, j étudierai beaucoup pour passer les examens encore une fois. Je me sentirai beaucoup mieux quand la prochaine année scolaire commencera. I have to receive my results before going on holiday. Therefore, if I pass the exams, I will go to Spain with my family. However, if my results aren t what I want, I will study a lot to sit the exams again. I will feel much better when the next school year starts. Qu est-ce que tu voudrais faire dans l avenir? (What would you like to do in the future?) - Quand je serai adulte, j habiterai avec mon mari dans un appartement de luxe en ville. J aimerais vivre confortablement avec lui. Si nous avions de l argent, nous irions aux pays différents pendant les vacances. Si je pouvais, je ferais le tour du monde avant d avoir des enfants. When I m an adult, I will live with my husband in a luxury flat in town. I would like to live comfortably with him. If we had money, we would go to different countries during the holidays. If I could, I would travel around the world before having children. 3

4 Multiple Choice Questions 1. What is special about the use of quand with future meanings in French? a) There is nothing special about it. b) Quand with future meanings takes the same grammatical structure as when with future meanings in English. c) Quand with future meanings takes a different grammatical structure to the English equivalent. d) Quand with future meanings takes the present tense in French. 2. What is the general rule of using quand with a future meaning in French? a) Quand with the present tense gives a future meaning. b) Quand with the future tense gives a future meaning. c) Quand with the conditional tense gives a future meaning. d) Quand with the perfect tense gives a future meaning. 3. What does this sentence mean: J apprendrai à conduire quand j aurai dix-sept ans? a) I learnt to drive when I was seventeen. b) I will learn to drive when I am sixteen. c) I will learn to drive when I am seventeen. d) I will learn to drive in seventeen years. 4. Which of the following is correct? a) Ou est-ce que tu vas aller quand tu as une voiture? b) Je mangerai du poisson quand nous irions au restaurant. c) Nous ont fait de la planche à voile quand il fait beau. d) Nous ferons les courses quand les magasins sont ouverts. 4

5 5. Which of the following is incorrect? a) Qu est-ce que tu feras quand tu aurais du temps libre? b) Quand j aurai ma voiture, je voyagerai en Espagne. c) Qu est-ce que nous ferons quand nous irons en vacances? d) J achèterai un roman quand j irai à la librairie ce weekend. 6. What does si mean? a) If b) But c) Not d) Yes 7. In what type of sentence is si commonly found? a) In imperative sentences (order form). b) In sentences with on. c) In questions. d) In conditional sentences. 8. What does this mean? : Qu est-ce que tu feras si tu ne réussis pas aux examens? a) What would you do if you passed your exams? b) What will you do when you pass your exams? c) What will you do if you don t pass your exams? d) What would you do if you didn t pass your exams? 9. Which of the following is correct? a) S il ne pleuvait pas, on va aller aux magasins. b) S il pleuvra, on n ira pas aux magasins. c) S il ne pleut pas, on va aller aux magasins. d) All of the above. 5

6 10. Which of the following is NOT correct? a) Si tu veux, tu peux jouer du foot avec moi. b) Si tu voudras, tu peux jouer du foot avec moi. c) Si tu travailles dur, tu auras du temps libre ce week-end. d) All of the above. Answers: 1. C 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. D 8. C 9. C 10. B 6