Question 1

Why does this sentence mix the present conditional (ferait) with the plus-que-parfait (avait rencontré)?

Accepted Answer

This is a mixed conditional that connects a past event to a present situation. The si clause uses the plus-que-parfait (avait rencontré) to describe a hypothetical past condition, while the main clause uses the present conditional (ferait) to show the hypothetical present result.

Question 2

Why is the phrase d'art and not de l'art?

Accepted Answer

After negative expressions like ne... plus (no longer) or ne... pas (not), partitive articles (like du, de la, or de l') change to simply de or d'. Because the artist is making zero art in this hypothetical situation, faire de l'art becomes ne ferait plus d'art.

Question 3

Why does si become s' before il?

Accepted Answer

The word si (if) drops its i and becomes s' only before the pronouns il and ils. It never changes before other vowels, so you would always write si elle or si on.

Question 4

Could we reverse the order of the two halves of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, conditional sentences can easily be flipped. You can say S'il n'avait pas rencontré ce photographe, cet artiste ne ferait plus d'art. Just remember to add a comma when the si clause comes first.

Cet artiste ne ferait plus d'art s'il n'avait pas rencontré ce photographe.

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