You now have a past (passé composé and imparfait), a present and a future. To tell a real story, or to plan a week, you also need words that anchor each sentence in time and connect one event to the next. Hier (yesterday) tells the listener to expect a past tense; demain (tomorrow) signals a future. Words like d'abord (first) and ensuite (next) turn a list of sentences into a story that flows. Finally, si clauses (if clauses) let you link a condition to its result: S'il fait beau demain, nous irons au parc (If it's nice tomorrow, we'll go to the park). Paying attention to these words is also the fastest way to choose the right tense on a test: find the time marker first, then pick the tense that goes with it.
Markers that point to the past, the present and the future
| Past | Present | Future |
|---|---|---|
| hier (yesterday), hier soir (last night) | aujourd'hui (today) | demain (tomorrow), demain matin (tomorrow morning) |
| avant-hier (the day before yesterday) | maintenant (now) | après-demain (the day after tomorrow) |
| la semaine passée or la semaine dernière (last week) | en ce moment (right now) | la semaine prochaine (next week) |
| l'année passée or l'année dernière (last year) | cette semaine (this week) | l'année prochaine (next year) |
| il y a + time: il y a trois jours (three days ago) | ce soir (tonight, this evening) | dans + time: dans trois jours (in three days) |
Sequencing: putting events in order
| French | English | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| d'abord | first, first of all | the opening event |
| ensuite | next, then | the middle |
| puis | then | the middle (a good way to avoid repeating ensuite) |
| après / plus tard | afterwards / later | the middle |
| enfin / finalement | finally, at last | the last event |
- D'abord, je me suis levée à sept heures. (First, I got up at seven.)
- Ensuite, j'ai pris une douche. (Next, I took a shower.)
- Puis j'ai mangé un bol de céréales. (Then I ate a bowl of cereal.)
- Enfin, je suis partie pour l'école à huit heures. (Finally, I left for school at eight.)
Si clauses: if this happens, then that will happen
A si clause states a condition, and the other half of the sentence (the main clause) states the result. When the condition is real and likely, French follows a fixed pattern: si + présent, then futur simple in the result. Si tu étudies, tu réussiras (If you study, you will succeed). English works exactly the same way: if you study (present), you will succeed (future). The two halves can swap places with no change in tense: Tu réussiras si tu étudies. The result can also be in the futur proche (Si tu viens, on va s'amuser) or be a command (Si tu as faim, mange une pomme). The one thing you must never do is put the future right after si when it introduces a condition: si tu viendras is wrong.
| Si + présent (condition) | Futur simple (result) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Si tu étudies, | tu réussiras. | If you study, you'll succeed. |
| S'il pleut demain, | nous resterons à la maison. | If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home. |
| Si elle a le temps, | elle viendra à la fête. | If she has time, she'll come to the party. |
| Si vous êtes disponibles samedi, | vous pourrez travailler. | If you're available on Saturday, you'll be able to work. |
| Si j'économise mon argent, | j'achèterai un vélo. | If I save my money, I'll buy a bike. |
Translation: Monday, October 14. Two weeks ago, I started my first part-time job: I'm a cashier at the grocery store in my neighbourhood. Last Saturday, I worked from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. First, I put away the fruit and vegetables. Next, I served customers at the cash, then I cleaned the store. Finally, I went home. I was very tired! The next day, I rested. Today, I'm happy: I got my first pay. Tomorrow, I'm going to work again. In two months, I'll have enough money for a new phone. If it's nice next Saturday, I'll go to the park with my friends. Follow the markers: past markers bring the passé composé (j'ai commencé, j'ai travaillé) and one imparfait for a feeling (j'étais fatiguée); aujourd'hui brings the présent; demain brings the futur proche; dans deux mois brings the futur simple; and s'il fait beau (présent) is followed by j'irai (futur).