Past unreal conditions — use it independently in context

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

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

1. Objective

By the end, you can use Past unreal condition with si in your own natural sentence.

2. Discover

Imagine a real situation where you would need Past unreal condition with si. Study the examples, then prepare your own sentence.

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 gardé le reçu, j’aurais pu échanger l’article.Si elle avait réservé en ligne, elle aurait payé moins cher.Si nous avions pris le métro, nous serions arrivés plus tôt.Si tu avais relu ton mail, tu aurais vu l’erreur.S’ils avaient demandé, ils auraient obtenu une réponse.Si vous aviez suivi le plan, vous auriez trouvé l’entrée.

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

Write three personal sentences with Past unreal condition with si that could genuinely be used in a conversation or message.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

When you produce Past unreal condition with si, reread the sentence as if you were saying it to someone. Meaning and form should both sound natural.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can use Past unreal condition with si in a sentence of my own.