Past unreal conditions — identify and understand

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

Duration: 25 minPrerequisites: conditionnel-passe-produirePass mark: 80%

1. Objective

By the end, you can spot Past unreal condition with si in a sentence and explain the clue you used.

2. Discover

Read the examples before looking for a rule. What keeps coming back when the sentence uses 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 su, je serais venu.Si elle avait étudié, elle aurait réussi.Si nous étions partis plus tôt, nous aurions évité les embouteillages.Si tu m’avais appelé, je t’aurais répondu.S’ils avaient réservé, ils auraient eu une table.Si vous aviez vérifié l’adresse, vous ne vous seriez pas perdus.

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

Choose two Past unreal condition with si examples and say aloud what lets you recognise the pattern.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

First identify the meaning you want, then the form used for Past unreal condition with si. The answer must work in the whole sentence.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can recognise Past unreal condition with si in a new sentence.