Karamö, le prof virtuelLeçon 4 sur 15
The three conditionals
Je sais former et employer les trois types de phrases conditionnelles (réelle, irréelle au présent, irréelle au passé) et choisir le bon temps après if.
- 1 h
- 6 exercices corrigés
- 1 schéma
- QCM de 5 questions
À la fin de la leçon, tu sauras :
- Former les conditionnels de type 1, 2 et 3
- Distinguer une condition possible, une hypothèse imaginaire et un regret sur le passé
- Utiliser unless, provided that, as long as et l'inversion
- Transformer une situation réelle en phrase conditionnelle
Avant de commencer : Le present simple, le past simple, le past perfect, le futur avec will, les participes passés.
1Je découvre
Pendant la révision du BAC, trois élèves de Nzérékoré discutent.
Sékou dit : « If I pass my BAC, I will study medicine. » Il a de bonnes notes : c'est un projet possible.
Aïssatou rêve : « If I had a lot of money, I would build a library in my village. » Elle n'a pas beaucoup d'argent : c'est une hypothèse imaginaire.
Alpha soupire : « If I had worked harder last year, I would have passed my exam. » L'examen de l'an dernier est terminé et il l'a raté : c'est un regret, on ne peut plus rien changer.
Les trois phrases commencent par if, mais les temps sont différents. Au BAC, il faut savoir choisir sans hésiter.
Comment construire les trois conditionnels anglais, et comment savoir lequel employer ?
2Je comprends
1. La structure d'une phrase conditionnelle
Une phrase conditionnelle a deux parties :
- la condition, introduite par if (if-clause) ;
- la conséquence (main clause, proposition principale).
L'ordre peut changer : If it rains, we will stay home. = We will stay home if it rains. Quand la condition vient en premier, on met une virgule.
Règle d'or : on ne met jamais will ni would directement après if (dans les trois types de base).
2. Type 0 : les vérités générales
If + present simple, present simple. La conséquence est toujours vraie.
If you heat water to 100 °C, it boils. If it doesn't rain, the rice doesn't grow.
On peut remplacer if par when (chaque fois que).
3. Type 1 : la condition réelle, possible dans le futur
If + present simple, will + base verbale.
If Sékou passes his BAC, he will study medicine.
La condition est réaliste : elle peut se produire.
Dans la principale, on peut aussi trouver un modal (can, may, must, should) ou un impératif : If you see Fanta, tell her to call me.
4. Type 2 : l'hypothèse irréelle ou peu probable, au présent ou au futur
If + past simple, would + base verbale.
If Aïssatou had a lot of money, she would build a library. (en réalité, elle n'en a pas)
Le past simple ne parle pas du passé : il marque l'irréel. Avec be, on écrit souvent were à toutes les personnes : If I were you, I would accept. (formule de conseil).
Could et might peuvent remplacer would : If we had a car, we could visit Labé more often.
5. Type 3 : l'irréel du passé, le regret
If + past perfect, would have + participe passé.
If Alpha had worked harder, he would have passed his exam. (en réalité, il n'a pas travaillé assez et il a échoué)
On parle d'une situation passée qui ne peut plus changer : regret, reproche, imagination d'un passé différent.
| Type | Condition (if…) | Conséquence | Sens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | present simple | present simple | vérité générale |
| 1 | present simple | will + base | possible, réel |
| 2 | past simple (were) | would + base | imaginaire au présent |
| 3 | past perfect | would have + p.p. | imaginaire au passé, regret |
- Il est possible que je réussisse.
- Je n'ai pas de voiture (aujourd'hui).
- Je n'ai pas révisé, j'ai échoué (hier).
- If I pass, I will celebrate. (type 1)
- If I had a car, I would drive to Kankan. (type 2)
- If I had revised, I would have passed. (type 3)
Méthode
Pour choisir le bon conditionnel :
- Je me demande si la situation est une vérité générale (type 0), un événement possible (type 1), une situation imaginaire au présent (type 2) ou un passé qu'on ne peut plus changer (type 3).
- Je repère les indices : un temps déjà donné dans la phrase, un marqueur (yesterday, last year → type 3), le sens réel ou imaginaire.
- Je conjugue la condition : present / past simple / past perfect, jamais will ou would après if.
- Je conjugue la conséquence : will / would / would have + participe passé.
- Je mets une virgule si la condition est en tête de phrase.
Exemple
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form.
a) If it (rain) tomorrow, the football match (be) cancelled.
b) If I (be) the Minister of Education, I (build) more schools.
c) If the driver (not / drive) so fast, the accident (not / happen).
a) « tomorrow » : événement possible → type 1 : If it rains tomorrow, the match will be cancelled.
b) Je ne suis pas ministre : imaginaire au présent → type 2 : If I were the Minister of Education, I would build more schools.
c) L'accident a eu lieu : passé irréel → type 3 : If the driver hadn't driven so fast, the accident wouldn't have happened.
Exemple
Rewrite as a conditional sentence.
« Mariama didn't take her umbrella, so she got wet. »
La situation est passée et réelle : elle n'a pas pris son parapluie, elle a été mouillée.
On imagine l'inverse du passé → type 3, avec les négations inversées : didn't take → had taken ; got wet → wouldn't have got wet.
Answer: If Mariama had taken her umbrella, she wouldn't have got wet.
6. Les autres mots de condition
- unless = if… not (à moins que) : Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus. = If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus. Attention : après unless, le verbe est affirmatif.
- provided (that), providing (that), as long as, on condition that = à condition que : You can borrow my bike as long as you bring it back tonight.
- in case = au cas où (précaution) : Take a raincoat in case it rains.
7. L'inversion (niveau soutenu)
Dans une langue écrite soignée, on peut supprimer if et inverser le sujet et l'auxiliaire :
Had I known, I would have come. = If I had known…
Were I rich, I would help my village. = If I were rich…
Should you need help, call me. = If you need help…
8. Les conditionnels mixtes (pour aller plus loin)
On peut mélanger : une condition passée avec une conséquence présente.
If I had studied medicine, I would be a doctor now. (if + past perfect, would + base)
3Je retiens
Je retiens
Type 0 : If + present, present → vérité générale (If you heat ice, it melts).
Type 1 : If + present, will + base → possible (If it rains, we will stay home).
Type 2 : If + past simple (were), would + base → imaginaire au présent (If I were rich, I would travel).
Type 3 : If + past perfect, would have + p.p. → irréel du passé, regret (If I had known, I would have come).
Jamais will ni would juste après if.
Unless = if not ; as long as / provided that = à condition que.
Virgule quand la proposition en if vient en premier.
4Erreurs fréquentes
- Mettre will après if : on écrit « If it rains, we will stay », pas « If it will rain, we will stay ».
- Mettre would dans les deux parties : « If I had money, I would buy a car », pas « If I would have money, I would buy a car ».
- Oublier have au type 3 : « I would have passed », pas « I would passed ».
- Ajouter une négation après unless : « Unless you work, you will fail », pas « Unless you don't work, you will fail ».
5Je m’exerce
1Exercice 1
Match each beginning with the correct ending.
a) If you mix blue and yellow, … b) If you study well, … c) If I were a bird, … d) If you had called me, …
(1) I would fly over the Fouta-Djallon. (2) I would have helped you. (3) you get green. (4) you will pass your exam.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) → (3) : type 0, vérité générale. b) → (4) : type 1. c) → (1) : type 2. d) → (2) : type 3.
2Exercice 2
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (type 1).
a) If Kadiatou (come) tomorrow, we (go) to the market together.
b) You (catch) malaria if you (not / sleep) under a mosquito net.
c) If the price of rice (go) up, many families (suffer).
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) If Kadiatou comes tomorrow, we will go to the market together.
b) You will catch malaria if you don't sleep under a mosquito net.
c) If the price of rice goes up, many families will suffer.
3Exercice 3
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (type 2 or type 3).
a) If I (have) a computer, I (do) my research more easily.
b) If Ousmane (listen) to the teacher yesterday, he (understand) the lesson.
c) If I (be) you, I (apologise) to her.
d) If they (leave) earlier, they (not / miss) the ferry.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) If I had a computer, I would do my research more easily. (type 2)
b) If Ousmane had listened to the teacher yesterday, he would have understood the lesson. (type 3)
c) If I were you, I would apologise to her. (type 2, conseil)
d) If they had left earlier, they wouldn't have missed the ferry. (type 3)
4Exercice 4
Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.
a) If you don't water the plants, they will die. (unless)
b) Hawa was ill, so she didn't go to school. (if)
c) I don't have a phone, so I can't call you. (if)
d) If I had known about the meeting, I would have come. (had)
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) Unless you water the plants, they will die.
b) If Hawa hadn't been ill, she would have gone to school.
c) If I had a phone, I could call you. (ou I would call you)
d) Had I known about the meeting, I would have come.
5Exercice 5
(BAC format) Complete this text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
*Last year, Ibrahima failed his BAC. He says: "If I (1. revise) regularly, I (2. pass). Now I have a new plan. If I (3. work) every evening, I (4. succeed) this year. My mother always tells me: if you (5. sow) nothing, you (6. harvest) nothing. And if I (7. be) the best of my class, I (8. can) get a scholarship."*
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
(1) had revised (2) would have passed (type 3 : regret sur l'an dernier) (3) work (4) will succeed (type 1 : plan possible) (5) sow (6) harvest (type 0 : vérité générale, proverbe) (7) am (8) can (type 1 : possible ; can remplace will be able to).
Remarque : pour (7) et (8), si Ibrahima pense que c'est peu probable, on accepte aussi were / could (type 2).
6Exercice 6
Write a paragraph of 6 to 8 lines beginning with: If I had been born in 1900 in a village of Upper Guinea, … Use at least three type 3 or type 2 conditionals.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
Example answer:
*If I had been born in 1900 in a village of Upper Guinea, my life would have been very different. I would have worked in the fields with my parents from a very young age. If there had been a school near my village, I would have learnt to read, but it would have been difficult. If I had lived at that time, I wouldn't have had a phone or electricity. Today, if I could meet my great-grandparents, I would ask them to tell me about their lives.*
Cherche d’abord seul, sur ton cahier, puis ouvre le corrigé pour comparer.
6Je vérifie
Choisis une réponse pour chaque question : la correction s’affiche aussitôt.
Crée ton compte élève gratuit pour cocher les leçons terminées, suivre ta progression et gagner des points au QCM.
