Si-Constructions

Constructions with si express possible or hypothetical situations. These sentences follow a relatively inflexible pattern entailing a "si-clause" and a "result clause," and they can operate in the present, the past or the pluperfect:

The patterns are as follows:

1. si + present, followed by future, cf.:

Si tu me dis la vérité, je te croirai.
If you tell me the truth, I will believe you.
 
2. si + imperfect, followed by present conditional, cf.:

Si tu me disais la vérité, je te croirais.
If you told me the truth, I would believe you.
 
3. si + pluperfect, followed by past conditional, cf.:

Si tu m'avais dit la vérité, je t'aurais crue.
If you had told me the truth, I would have believed you.

• S'il avait travaillé plus dur, il aurait reçu une meilleure note.
• Il aurait reçu une meilleure note s'il avait travaillé plus dur.

• À ta place (= si j'étais à ta place), je ne serais pas resté! In your position, I wouldn't have stayed.
• Je ne pousserais pas ce bouton! I wouldn't push that button [if I were you]!

• Tu me dirais ça, je ne te croirais pas. If you told me that, I wouldn't believe you.
• Je le lui aurais dit, ça n'aurait rien changé. If I had told him, it wouldn't have changed anything.

See also:

• Future
• Imperfect
• Past conditional
• Pluperfect
• Present
• Present conditional