Certain conjunctions require theuse of the future tense in French when the future is implied (the event hasn’t happened yet).

Here is an example:Here is an example:

Il sera content quand il finira.

= “He will be happy when he

finishes.”

In English we use the presenttense after the conjunction; in French, however, the future is used because the event hasn’t happened yet…it’s in the future!

I will eat as soon as I arrive home.= Je mangerai dès que j’arriverai à la maison.

Here are (what I call) the “purple-card” conjunctions which may be used this way:

quand/ lorsque = whendès que/ aussitôt que = as soon astandis que/ pendant que = whiletant que = as long as

Dès que mon amie arrivera, jedanserai avec elle.

Il mettra la table pendant que

vous ferez la cuisine.

Note the following use of the Note the following use of the imperative imperative in the mainin the main clause…clause…the future is still implied after the future is still implied after “when”.“when”.

Quand vous sortirez, éteignez les lumières.= When you go out, turn off the lights.

Téléphone-moi lorsque tu aurasle temps.

Note, however, that other tensesmay also be used with these con-junctions if the future is not implied.

Quand tu étudies, tu réussis. =When you study, you succeed.(a general statement)

Aussitôt que j’ai mangé, je suis parti.= As soon as I ate, I left.

(passé composé)

Just remember: If the future isimplied after the “purple-card”conjunctions, use the future.

Otherwise, use whatever tense isneeded to correctly translate thesentence.