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10.3 © and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc If the result clause is the timeless, automatic effect of a general cause or condition introduced by si, use the present tense in both clauses. Si clause: present tense Main clause: present tense Si je suis malade, If I am ill, je reste chez moi. I stay at home. Si clauses
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10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-1
Si clauses
—Si on compte l’ancienne population . . . et les nouveaux venus, plus de dix mille personnes doivent leur bonheur à Elzéard Bouffier.
D’après Jean Giono, L’Homme qui plantait des arbres, © Éditions Gallimard
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-2
• Si (If) clauses express a condition or event upon which another event depends. The si clause is the subordinate clause, and the result clause is the main clause.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-3
• If the result clause is the timeless, automatic effect of a general cause or condition introduced by si, use the present tense in both clauses.
Si clause: present tense Main clause: present tense
Si je suis malade, If I am ill,
je reste chez moi. I stay at home.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-4
• To talk about possible future events, use the present tense in the si clause to say that if something occurs, something else will result. Use the futur proche, futur simple, or imperative in the main clause.
Si clause: present tense Main clause
Si l’ouragan arrive ce soir, If the hurricane arrives tonight,
S’il continue à pleuvoir,If it keeps raining,
S’il y a des déchets par terre, If there is trash on the ground,
FUTUR PROCHE
FUTUR SIMPLE
IMPERATIVE
on va rester chez nous demain.we’re going to stay home tomorrow.
il y aura des inondations.there will be floods.
jetez-les dans la poubelle. throw it in the garbage.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-5
ATTENTION!
If the word following si is il or ils, make the contraction s’il or s’ils.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-6
• A si clause can speculate on what would happen if a condition or event were to occur. For such contrary-to-fact statements, use a verb in the imparfait in the si clause and a verb in the conditionnel in the main clause.
Si clause: imparfait Main clause: conditionnel
Si on donnait à manger aux animaux du zoo, If we fed the zoo animals,
on mettrait leur vie en danger.we would put their lives in danger.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-7
• Si clauses with the imparfait are often used without a main clause to make a suggestion or to express a wish or regret. The main clause may also be omitted in English in these types of expressions.
Suggestion Si on allait au zoo demain?What if we went to the zoo tomorrow?
Expression of wish or regret
Si j’étais plus grand, plus beau, plus riche!If only I were taller, more handsome, richer!
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-8
• To make a statement about something that occurred in the past and could have happened differently, use the plus-que-parfait in the si clause and the conditionnel passé in the main clause.
Si clause: plus-que-parfait Main clause: conditionnel passé
Si nous avions fait du camping, If we had gone camping,
Si vous étiez arrivés dix minutes plus tôt,If you had arrived ten minutes earlier,
nous aurions économisé de l’argent.we would have saved money.
vous n’auriez pas manqué les bandesannonces.you would not have missed the previews.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-9
Si vous étiez passés par la pâtisserie,If you had stopped by the pastry shop,
on aurait eu des croissants pour le petit-déjeuner.we would have had croissants for breakfast.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-10
ATTENTION!
The order of the subordinate and main clauses can vary in any si construction.
Si on allait au zoo, on pourrait voir les tigres. If we went to the zoo, we could see the tigers.
Restez à la maison si l’ouragan passe demain. Stay at home if the hurricane comes tomorrow.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-11
• When si does not mean if, use the tense called for by the meaning of the sentence.
Ils ne savent pas si les singes aiment vraiment les bananes.They do not know whether monkeys really like bananas.
Mais si, je t’ai dit que ce produit était nuisible à l’environnement.But I did tell you that product was harmful to the environment.
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-12
Summary of si clauses
Subordinate clause Main clause
Possible future events
si + present futur proche
futur simple
imperative
Contrary-to-fact events
si + imparfait
si + plus-que-parfait
conditionnel
conditionnel passé
Si clauses
10.3
© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 10.3-13
Si les villages étaient moins dispersés, le narrateur ne serait pas obligé de marcher autant.
Si clauses
