Past unreal conditions — practise and choose the right form

Past unreal conditions: progressive explanation, topic-specific examples, guided exercises and a corrected assessment.

Duration: 25 minPrerequisites: hypothese-irrelle-passe-repererPass mark: 80%

1. Objective

By the end, you can manipulate Past unreal condition with si without mechanically copying a model.

2. Discover

Compare the examples in pairs. Change one element and check what must stay stable for Past unreal condition with si.

3. Understand

To imagine a past different from what really happened, use “si + pluperfect” for the condition and the past conditional for the result: “Si j’avais su, je serais venu.”

Si j’avais pris un parapluie, je ne me serais pas mouillé.Si elle avait vu le message, elle aurait répondu.Si nous avions su, nous aurions choisi un autre train.Si tu étais venu, tu aurais rencontré Léa.S’ils avaient écouté, ils auraient compris.Si vous étiez partis à huit heures, vous seriez arrivés à temps.

Watch out

First identify the relation between the ideas: cause, consequence, contrast, condition, time… Choose the connector from the meaning, not the other way around.

4. Guided practice

5. Independent practice

6. Write / speak

Transform two Past unreal condition with si examples by changing the subject, place or time without breaking the structure.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

To manipulate Past unreal condition with si, do not focus on an isolated word: check the complete structure.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can modify a sentence with Past unreal condition with si without breaking its structure.