French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Work in depth
Réunions et négociations
Negotiate with a client, set conditions with à condition que and à moins que, talk about deadlines with the futur antérieur, and ask for feedback.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Negotiate and set conditions with à condition que and à moins que
- Say what will have been done with the futur antérieur
- Say what should, must or might be true with devoir and pouvoir
- Ask for and give feedback politely
Listen
In Strasbourg, Nadia Haddad, sales manager at a printing firm, meets Bertrand Klein from the tourist office to discuss an order for brochures. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Nadia
Bonjour, monsieur Klein. Vous avez eu le temps de lire notre devis ?
Hello, Mr Klein. Have you had time to read our quote?
Bertrand
Oui, merci. Il est très clair, mais je dois vous dire que le prix est un peu élevé pour nous.
Yes, thank you. It's very clear, but I have to tell you that the price is a bit high for us.
Nadia
Je comprends. Nous pourrions baisser le prix de dix pour cent, à condition que vous commandiez vingt mille brochures au lieu de dix mille.
I understand. We could lower the price by ten per cent, on condition that you order twenty thousand brochures instead of ten thousand.
Bertrand
Vingt mille ? C'est beaucoup… Je veux bien, à condition de recevoir dix mille brochures en octobre, et les dix mille autres en janvier.
Twenty thousand? That's a lot… All right, on condition that we get ten thousand brochures in October and the other ten thousand in January.
Nadia
Ça devrait être possible, à moins que l'atelier ait déjà trop de travail. Je vais leur demander.
That should be possible, unless the workshop already has too much work. I'll ask them.
Bertrand
Pour nous, le délai est très important : il nous les faut absolument avant le 25 octobre.
For us, the deadline is very important: we absolutely need them before 25 October.
Nadia
Si vous acceptez le devis cette semaine, nous aurons imprimé les dix mille premières d'ici le 20.
If you accept the quote this week, we'll have printed the first ten thousand by the 20th.
Bertrand
Parfait. Ah, et je voulais vous dire : l'année dernière, on a beaucoup apprécié votre travail. Les brochures étaient magnifiques.
Perfect. Oh, and I wanted to tell you: last year we really appreciated your work. The brochures were beautiful.
Nadia
Merci, ça fait plaisir. Est-ce qu'il y a quelque chose que nous pourrions améliorer ?
Thank you, that's nice to hear. Is there anything we could improve?
Bertrand
Franchement, une seule chose : la livraison a eu deux jours de retard. Le livreur a dû se tromper d'adresse.
To be honest, just one thing: the delivery was two days late. The driver must have gone to the wrong address.
Nadia
Je m'en souviens, et je m'en excuse encore. Cette fois, je m'occuperai moi-même de la livraison. Je vous enverrai le nouveau devis dès que j'aurai parlé à l'atelier.
I remember, and I apologise again. This time I'll take care of the delivery myself. I'll send you the new quote as soon as I've spoken to the workshop.
Bertrand
Très bien. Il se peut que je sois en congé la semaine prochaine : envoyez-le aussi à Mme Weber, qui travaille avec moi.
Very good. I may be on leave next week, so please send it to Ms Weber as well; she works with me.
Understand
Setting conditions: à condition que, à moins que
In a negotiation you often agree on a condition. Use (on condition that, provided that) + subjunctive: When the subject is the same, use + infinitive: …
(unless) and (as long as) also take the subjunctive. In formal writing you'll often see an extra after , with no negative meaning: . You don't have to use it yourself.
| Word | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| subjunctive | … | |
| infinitive | … | |
| subjunctive | … | |
| subjunctive |
The futur antérieur: will have done
The (future perfect) says that something will be finished before a moment in the future: (By the 20th, we will have printed the brochures). + a date means “by”.
It is or in the futur simple + the past participle. After , (as soon as), (when) and (once), French uses it where English uses the present perfect: (…as soon as I've spoken to the workshop).
| Subject | (with ) | (with ) |
|---|---|---|
| (j') | je serai parti(e) | |
| tu seras parti(e) | ||
| / / | ||
| nous serons parti(e)s | ||
| vous serez parti(e)(s) | ||
| / |
Should, must, might: devoir and pouvoir
doesn't only mean “must”. In the conditional it says what should happen: . In the present and the passé composé it can also say what you suppose is true: (He must be in a meeting), (The driver must have made a mistake).
To say that something might happen, use + subjunctive, or in the conditional: (I may be on leave).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| He must be in a meeting. | |
| That should be possible. | |
| He must have made a mistake. | |
| He may be late. | |
| There could be a problem. |
More in the grammar: Bien que, à condition que, à moins que: conjunctions and the subjunctive · The futur antérieur: will have done
New words
- le devisquote, estimate (for a job)
- élevé / élevéehigh (a price, a number)
- baisserto lower; to go down · : to lower the price by ten per cent
- commanderto order (goods, a meal) · : the order
- au lieu deinstead of
- l'atelierworkshop · masculine
- le délaideadline, time allowed · a delay is
- imprimerto print
- d'iciby (a date), between now and · : by the 20th
- apprécierto appreciate, to like
- la livraisondelivery · : to deliver; : delivery driver
- se tromperto make a mistake · : to go to the wrong address
- s'occuper deto take care of, to deal with · : I'll deal with it
- en congéon leave, off work
Practise
1.“We could lower the price, on condition that you order more.” Which ending is correct?
2.Complete with the futur antérieur of .
By the 20th, we will have printed the brochures.
3.Complete with the futur antérieur of .
I'll send you the quote as soon as I've spoken to the workshop.
4. What does it mean?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I may be on leave.
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
Nous pourrions baisser le prix, à condition que vous commandiez plus.
We could lower the price, on condition that you order more.
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.