Ch 30 · Lesson 18French · Chapter 30 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
Quand tu auras fini: which future?
Same moment, ( , -); over first, antérieur ( , on ). leans one way, the other.
The short version
: over first, then the rest
, .
Why?Hide
If the first action must be over before the second starts, use the antérieur: , on . If both happen at one moment, the is enough: , -. and lean towards the antérieur.
Which future: same moment, or over first
Once the clause takes a future, choose which one. Ask whether the first action must be over before the second starts.
tu arriveras + appelle-moi (one moment)
tu auras fini (over first)
on partira (then)
Timeline from past to future, with now marked.
| Choice | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| same moment | , -. | When you arrive, call me. |
| over first | , . | When you have finished, we will leave. |
| sad as she goes | , . | When she leaves, I will be sad. |
| sad afterwards | , . | When she has gone, I will be sad. |
English gives a clue: a present perfect (when you have finished) usually means the futur antérieur. Translate the , not the tense.
Words that lean one way
Some conjunctions push towards one future by their meaning; takes whichever the sense needs.
| Conjunction | Leans to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| over first | , . | |
| over first | vendu , ... | |
| over first | , . | |
| same moment | , . |
The glosses: As soon as you have finished, we will leave. Once we have sold the house... After you have finished, tidy everything away. As long as you are here, I will be happy.
takes the antérieur mainly in the negative, where it means until: , . - You are not going out until you have finished.
When the whole sentence is in the past
The rule is really about putting the tense where the event is, so in a past story the clause takes the past the story needs:
, .- When he arrived, he called., Lyon.- When I was ten, we lived in Lyon.
Under a past reporting verb, the future in the clause becomes a conditional, as every future does in reported speech:
| Speech | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| direct | , . | When I arrive, I will call. |
| reported | , . | He said that when he arrived, he would call. |
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| | (if) takes the present |
| | takes |
| | : agree with the subject |
Do not overcorrect a habit: , . is right, and a future there changes the meaning.
Going further: Quand takes a future and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
8-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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