“Si elle aurait” (French Grammar)

The phrase “si elle aurait” is a common mistake in French grammar. It translates to “if she would have”, but this construction is incorrect in French. To understand why this is the case, we need to look into the rules governing conditional sentences in French and how they differ from other languages.

In French, conditional sentences often involve a “si” (if) clause followed by a result clause. The correct construction in French requires the use of the imperfect tense in the “si” clause and the conditional tense in the result clause. For instance:

• Incorrect: Si elle aurait su, elle serait venue. (If she would have known, she would have come.)
• Correct: Si elle avait su, elle serait venue. (If she had known, she would have come.)

The key error in the incorrect sentence lies in the use of the conditional tense (“aurait”) in the “si” clause. French grammar dictates that the “si” clause should use the past perfect tense (“avait su”) instead.

 

Why It Is Spelled As It Is

The confusion often arises because, in English, we use “would have” in both clauses of a conditional sentence. However, in French, this construction does not follow the same pattern. The rule is quite strict: the “si” clause must never contain a conditional tense verb. Instead, it uses either the present tense, imperfect tense, or past perfect tense, depending on the context.

 

Examples of Correct Sentences

To further illustrate, here are examples of correct sentences using “si” clauses:

1. Present Tense in “Si” Clause:
   • Si elle a le temps, elle viendra. (If she has time, she will come.)
2. Imperfect Tense in “Si” Clause:
   • Si elle avait le temps, elle viendrait. (If she had the time, she would come.)
3. Past Perfect Tense in “Si” Clause:
   • Si elle avait eu le temps, elle serait venue. (If she had had the time, she would have come.)

In each case, the verb in the “si” clause correctly follows the rules of French grammar, avoiding the use of the conditional tense directly after “si.”

 

Avoiding Common Mistakes

To avoid the common mistake of using “si elle aurait”, one should remember these guidelines:

• Never use the conditional tense in the “si” clause.
• Use the imperfect tense for hypothetical situations in the present or future.
• Use the past perfect tense for hypothetical situations in the past.

Understanding these rules helps in forming grammatically correct conditional sentences in French, ensuring clarity and precision in communication.

 

10 exercises with “si elle aurait”

Here are 10 exercises involving the sentence “si elle aurait” to practice correcting it:

 

Exercise 1:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait fini ses devoirs, elle sortirait.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 2:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait compris la leçon, elle réussirait l'examen.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 3:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait reçu le message, elle aurait répondu.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 4:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait vu le film, elle pourrait en parler.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 5:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait acheté le billet, elle pourrait aller au concert.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 6:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait pris le train, elle serait déjà arrivée.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 7:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait rencontré le directeur, elle aurait posé sa question.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 8:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait fait les courses, elle aurait préparé le dîner.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 9:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait suivi les instructions, elle aurait évité l'erreur.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Exercise 10:

Incorrect: Si elle aurait téléphoné plus tôt, elle aurait eu une réponse.

Correct: _______________________________________________________

 

Answers

Exercise 1:

Correct: Si elle avait fini ses devoirs, elle sortirait.

 

Exercise 2:

Correct: Si elle avait compris la leçon, elle réussirait l'examen.

 

Exercise 3:

Correct: Si elle avait reçu le message, elle aurait répondu.

 

Exercise 4:

Correct: Si elle avait vu le film, elle pourrait en parler.

 

Exercise 5:

Correct: Si elle avait acheté le billet, elle pourrait aller au concert.

 

Exercise 6:

Correct: Si elle avait pris le train, elle serait déjà arrivée.

 

Exercise 7:

Correct: Si elle avait rencontré le directeur, elle aurait posé sa question.

 

Exercise 8:

Correct: Si elle avait fait les courses, elle aurait préparé le dîner.

 

Exercise 9:

Correct: Si elle avait suivi les instructions, elle aurait évité l'erreur.

 

Exercise 10:

Correct: Si elle avait téléphoné plus tôt, elle aurait eu une réponse.