The similarities between the future and the conditional
Future tense -
(for most verbs we simply add the endings to the infinitive which is of course the name of the verb and Kevin, we usually identify the infinitive because in either – ER IR or RE
For the RE we knock ooff the E
Je mangerai _ I will eat
Je finirai _ I will finish
Je vendrai _ I will sell – please note that the E from the infinitive is gone.
The above is for regulars – (HERE’S the science bit) for the regulars we refer to the infinitive with or in the case of RE verbs without the E, as a STEM.
FOR the irregulars the petals (endings) remain the same but you simply have to LEARN the stems.
FUTURE tense endings – ai – as – a- a- ons- ez- ont- ont
There is ONE other tense that CREEPS up sometimes. That’s the ol’ conditional. It is the would could should tense. In English we shove in a would could should before the verb in French we simply change the future endings.
EVERTHING ABOUT THE FORMATION OF THE CONDITIONAL IS THE SAME AS THE FUTURE TENSE WITH ONE EXCEPTION THE ENDINGS (PETALS) ARE DIFFERENT.
WEIRDLY, IT SHARES THE ENDINGS OF THE IMPERFECT (WHICH AS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW, IS A PAST TENSE)
The million euro-dollar question – how do we make the conditional –
Usually when you are asked to put something in the conditional it is about yourself – something you yourself would do –
Simply make thefuture tense – (it will be as above ending in ai – as ai –refers to je ) and as the conditional endings are ais ais ait – you simply need to add an ‘s’ to the first person (yourself ) in the future.
Je mangerai – I will eat
Je mangeraiS – I would eat
J’irai – I will go
J’irais – I would go
Je finirai – I will finish
Je finirais – I would finish
FUTURE CONDITIONAL
Ai ais
As ais
A ait
A ait
Ons ions
Ez iez
Ont aient
Ont aient
Something we would do --- you simply add an extra ‘I’ into the proceedings.
Nous mangerons I will eat
Nous mangerions I would eat