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Write a French hypothetical paragraph with si and the conditional

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Imagine one free afternoon, then build connected results with si + imparfait and the conditional. Includes a B1 writing task, model and four checks.

In short

Give the paragraph one condition with si + imparfait, then develop related results in the conditional. The condition can carry across several sentences: Si j’avais plus de temps, j’étudierais davantage. Je pourrais aussi…

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A woman enjoys a peaceful free afternoon reading a plain unlettered book in a French garden armchair, a cup and simple phone turned face down nearby.
The free afternoon gives si j’avais plus de temps a setting. Illustration: Atelier
Study first: one condition, several connected results
PurposeFrenchHow it connects
Set the conditionSi j’avais un après-midi libre…An imagined change to the current timetable.
Give a first resultje travaillerais mon français.The main use of the extra time.
Add another resultJe pourrais aussi parler avec une amie.Another activity inside the same condition.
Add a limitJe garderais une heure pour me reposer.A practical limit within the imagined plan.

Build the conditional with the future stem and the imparfait endings: parler- + -ais gives je parlerais. Keep the r in the stem. Compare je parlais (“I used to speak”) with je parlerais (“I would speak”).

Useful forms for this task
InfinitiveCondition with jeResult with jeResult with nous
avoirsi j’avaisj’auraisnous aurions
êtresi j’étaisje seraisnous serions
pouvoirsi je pouvaisje pourraisnous pourrions
fairesi je faisaisje feraisnous ferions
B1 · Guided writing · an imagined changeNot an official exam paper

Vous imaginez avoir un après-midi libre chaque semaine. Expliquez ce que vous feriez, pourquoi ces activités vous plairaient et comment vous organiseriez ce temps. Commencez par une condition avec si.

(80 mots minimum)

Imagine having one free afternoon every week. Explain what you would do, why you would enjoy these activities and how you would organise the time. Begin with a condition using si.

Your answer

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Read a model answer

Si j’avais un après-midi libre chaque semaine, je le consacrerais à mon français. D’abord, je lirais pendant une demi-heure pour découvrir de nouvelles expressions. Ensuite, j’appellerais une amie francophone. Nous parlerions de notre semaine et je lui poserais des questions sur les phrases difficiles. Je garderais aussi un moment pour me reposer, parce que je serais moins concentré après plusieurs heures de travail. Le soir, je noterais trois expressions à réutiliser. Ce petit rendez-vous régulier me donnerait envie de continuer.

Review your draft

Before you finish

A self-review aid, not an exam mark. Ticks are not saved.

How do you write a hypothetical situation in French?

The model’s concentré describes a male narrator; a female narrator writes concentrée. The results stay conditional because they all depend on the extra free afternoon. A new sentence can continue that frame even when you leave out the si clause.

Question 1No account needed
Complete the condition in this present hypothesis.Si j’___ plus de temps, je lirais davantage.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

avais. In this hypothetical pattern, the condition uses si plus the imparfait: si j’avais.

Question 2No account needed
Choose the conditional result with nous.Si nous étions libres, nous ___ parler plus longtemps.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

pourrions. The conditional has the future stem pourr- plus the ending -ions.

Question 3No account needed
Complete the purpose phrase.Je lirais pour ___ de nouvelles expressions.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

apprendre. After pour, this purpose phrase takes an infinitive: pour apprendre.

Question 4No account needed
Which sentence keeps the same imagined frame?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je garderais une heure pour me reposer.. The conditional garderais continues the results of the imagined free afternoon.

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