Future tense in subordinate clauses
In French, when the main clause of a sentence contains a verb in the future tense, the verb in the subordinate clause is often also conjugated in the future tense. This is different from English, where we typically use the present tense in the subordinate clause even when referring to future events. This grammatical rule is part of the French sequence of tenses (la concordance des temps).
Key Points
Future in Both Clauses: When the main verb is in the future tense, the verb in the subordinate clause is also typically in the future tense, especially after certain conjunctions like “quand” (when), “lorsque” (when), and “pendant que” (while).
Examples:
- Quand tu arriveras, je serai déjà parti. (When you arrive, I will have already left.)
- Tu parleras français quand tu seras en France. (You will speak French when you are in France.)
- Pendant que nous finirons de manger, il vous montrera ses tableaux. (While we finish eating, he will show you his paintings.)
Exceptions and Variations
Present Tense: The present tense can be used in the subordinate clause for general truths or with “si” (if) clauses. Example: J’irai te chercher si tu m’appelles. (I will pick you up if you call me.)
Future Perfect (Futur Antérieur): For actions that will be completed before the main action, the future perfect is used in the subordinate clause. Example: Victor reviendra quand il aura terminé son livre. (Victor will come back when he has finished his book.)
Conditional Present: For hypothetical future situations, the conditional present may be used in the subordinate clause. Example: Je prendrai mon manteau au cas où il ferait froid. (I will take my coat in case it is cold.)
Vocabulaire
| mots | explications |
|---|---|
| avoir lieu | to take place - La cérémonie a eu lieu dans la salle des fêtes. The ceremony took place in the village hall. |
| lieu | (= endroit) place - lieu de naissance place of birth en premier lieu in the first place <br/ > en dernier lieu lastly avoir lieu de faire to have grounds for doing, to have good reason for doing au lieu de instead of (plural) premises - vider les lieux, quitter les lieux to leave the premises; to vacate the premises (d’accident, crime) scene - sur les lieux on the scene |
| sans doute | without a doubt, probably |
| douter | to doubt - douter de to have doubts about, to have one’s doubts about; to be doubtful of |
| politique | ADJ. political / noun politics, policy, politician |
| faire cause commune avec quelqu’un | to make common cause with somebody |
| tenir | to hold, to keep - Tu peux tenir la lampe, s’il te plaît ? Can you hold the torch, please? - tenir à quelqu’un to be attached to somebody - tenir de quelqu’un to take after somebody - Tiens, voilà un stylo. Here’s a pen. |
| se tenir | to stand se tenir droit to stand up straight - Tiens-toi droit ! Stand up straight! |
| venir | to come venir de to come from |
| se libérer | to find time - J’essaierai de me libérer cet après-midi. I’ll try to find time this afternoon. - Romain ne pourra pas se libérer. Romain won’t be able to get away. |
| fameux | famous, (repas) first-rate, widely discussed |
| rendre | to give back, to take back rendre quelqu’un célèbre to make somebody famous |
| se rendre | to surrender, to give oneself up se rendre compte de quelque chose to realize something se rendre malade to make oneself ill |
| s’abstenir | (Politics) (de voter) to abstain, (d’une activité quelconque) to refrain |
| compatriote | compatriot, fellow countryman, fellow countrywoman |
| pendant | during - Ça s’est passé pendant l’été. It happened during the summer. |
| promettre | to promise |
| résoudre | to solve |
| devoir | verb. must, MASC. noun duty - C’est mon devoir de vous le dire. It’s my duty to tell you. - les devoirs homework |
| la vérité | truth dire la vérité to tell the truth |
| adversaire | opponent |
| accompagner | to accompany - Tu m’accompagnes ? Are you coming with me? |
| intégrité | integrity |
| jurer | to swear - Je jure que c’est vrai ! I swear it’s true! |
| ne … que | only - Il n’y a que deux pommes. (There are only two apples.) - Vous n’aurez qu’un choix à faire : voter pour moi. You will have only one choice to make: vote for me. |
| aussi … que | as … as - Elle est aussi jolie que sa sœur. She’s as pretty as her sister. |
| l’Homme | mankind |
| les droits humains | human rights les droits de la personne |