Imperfect tense and the use of "tiges"

Question

Why is l'imparfait used here instead of le passé composé?

« Si le problème se révélait être plus grave... »

Also, is it correct to say "des tiges métalliques" here?

« ...avec des barres métalliques. »

Céline Pickard · Accepted Answer

Bonjour Didot,
Maarten is correct as to why L'Imparfait is used in "Si le problème se révélait être plus grave":
Using "si" + L'Imparfait in hypothetical sentences with Le Conditionnel Présent
As for "metal rods", you're correct should be "tiges métalliques". However, we made a mistake and have changed it to "bars" (as the work mentioned is a big structural project).
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Maarten Kamp · Answer

Didot

“ If the problem turned out to be more serious, what kind of repairs would be necessary? “

the sentence is being posed as a hypothetitical conditional phrase, so the ‘ si ‘ clause needs to be in the imparfait

Using "si" + L'Imparfait in hypothetical sentences with Le Conditionnel Présent

https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/si-clauses-second-conditional/

I think ‘ tiges métalliques ‘ should be accepted for ‘ metallic rods ‘, unless there is some very specific technical reason otherwise for using ‘ barres ‘ ( my wife translated this as ‘ tiges ‘ when asked ).

( not sure the link will work unless you are in, or ‘VPN’ to France as I did )

https://www.leroymerlin.fr/search?q=Tige

Finally, unrelated to your question, the last sentence of the English script as written sounds clunky to me :

“ I will prepare a detailed quote as soon as I'll have checked everything on the roof and the external walls. “

In English I would definitely never say or write ‘ .. as soon as I will (I’ll ) have checked “

Using the same basic phrasing, it would simply be “ … as soon as I have checked “

Unless there are regional differences in English that I am unaware of, this sentence should be changed, notwithstanding the French translation sought.

Frank Cooke · Answer

I agree with Maarten with regard to the tense used in the last sentence.  While the use of the future perfect is grammatically correct, i.e. ...as soon as I will have checked ..., what you commonly here is the present perfect, i.e. ...as soon as I have (I've) checked....  Perhaps the more grammatically correct future perfect was inserted to give the native English speakers a heads-up that French would require a future tense as Maarten pointed out.  BTW, I am an American.

Alan Graham · Answer

Perhaps there is a regional difference then, because I (British) would have said the future perfect is incorrect, and assumed it was just a transference error from French.

Maarten Kamp · Answer

Alan,

that must be the case, because although there are still other ways of expressing this, ‘ I will do something as soon as (when/once/after) I have done something else ‘ is quite standard usage in Australia.

However, ‘ I will do something as soon as I will have done something else ‘ is not, at least in my part of the country.