French · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Travel stories
Récits de voyage
Tell the story of a trip that went wrong, react with surprise, and imagine a different past with si j'avais su.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Tell the story of a trip with all the past tenses
- React to a story with surprise
- Imagine a different past with si + plus-que-parfait
Listen
Back in Montpellier, Baptiste tells his friend Nora about his holiday in Corsica. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Nora
Salut, Baptiste. Alors, la Corse, c'était comment ?
Hi, Baptiste. So, how was Corsica?
Baptiste
Magnifique… Mais le voyage, quelle histoire !
Beautiful… But the journey, what a story!
Nora
Ah bon ? Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?
Really? What happened?
Baptiste
D'abord, notre ferry a été annulé à cause d'une tempête. Et on avait réservé trois mois avant.
First, our ferry was cancelled because of a storm. And we had booked three months before.
Nora
Ce n'est pas vrai ! Qu'est-ce que vous avez fait ?
No way! What did you do?
Baptiste
On a dormi à l'hôtel à Marseille, et on est partis le lendemain. Mais en arrivant à Bastia, je me suis rendu compte que j'avais oublié mon portefeuille sur le bateau.
We slept in a hotel in Marseille and left the next day. But when we got to Bastia, I realised I had left my wallet on the boat.
Nora
Sans blague ? Tu l'as retrouvé ?
You're kidding! Did you get it back?
Baptiste
Oui, heureusement. Quelqu'un l'avait rapporté à l'accueil. Il ne manquait rien.
Yes, luckily. Someone had handed it in at the information desk. Nothing was missing.
Nora
Incroyable. Et après, tout s'est bien passé ?
Incredible. And after that, did everything go well?
Baptiste
Oui, la semaine était parfaite. Si j'avais su, je serais resté plus longtemps.
Yes, the week was perfect. If I'd known, I would have stayed longer.
Nora
Et le retour ?
And the journey back?
Baptiste
Sans problème. Mais la prochaine fois, je prends l'avion. Si on l'avait pris à l'aller, on n'aurait pas perdu une journée.
No problem. But next time I'm flying. If we'd flown on the way there, we wouldn't have lost a day.
Understand
Reacting to a story
When someone tells you a story, show that you're listening and react. To ask for more, say (What happened?) or (And then?). (luckily) and (unfortunately) help the storyteller mark the good and bad moments.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Really? | |
| No way! | |
| You're kidding? Seriously? | |
| Incredible! | |
| What a story! |
The past tenses in a travel story
A travel story uses the three past tenses from chapter 1 together. The passé composé tells the events: . The imparfait describes: . The plus-que-parfait goes back further: .
The gérondif says when something happened: (when we arrived in Bastia). In a story, means “the next day” and “the day before”: and are only for tomorrow and yesterday from today.
- Il y avait une tempête, donc le ferry a été annulé.There was a storm, so the ferry was cancelled.
- En arrivant à l'hôtel, j'ai vu que j'avais oublié ma valise.When I arrived at the hotel, I saw that I had forgotten my suitcase.
If I had known: si + plus-que-parfait
To imagine a different past, use + plus-que-parfait, then the (would have done): (If I'd known, I would have stayed longer).
The conditionnel passé is or in the conditional + the past participle: , . The same verbs take as in the passé composé, with the same agreement. … (if I'd known…) is also a common expression on its own.
| + plus-que-parfait | Conditionnel passé |
|---|---|
More in the grammar: Reported speech: il a dit que… · The conditional: je voudrais, si j'avais… · The passive: être + past participle · The plus-que-parfait: had done · The present participle and the gérondif: ayant, en faisant
New words
- magnifiquebeautiful, wonderful
- quelle histoire !what a story!
- annulerto cancel
- la tempêtestorm
- ce n'est pas vrai !no way! I don't believe it!
- le lendemainthe next day
- se rendre compteto realise · …
- le portefeuillewallet
- sans blague ?you're kidding? seriously? · informal
- heureusementluckily, fortunately
- l'accueilreception, information desk · masculine
- il ne manquait riennothing was missing · : to be missing
- plus longtempslonger · : a long time
- perdreto lose · past participle:
Practise
1.Your friend tells you her flight was cancelled. How do you react?
2.Complete with the plus-que-parfait of .
I realised I had left my wallet on the boat.
3.Complete with the conditionnel passé of .
If I'd known, I would have stayed longer.
4.“If we had flown, we wouldn't have lost a day.” Which sentence is correct?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Our ferry was cancelled yesterday.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?
What happened?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.