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Hello,

Do French future forms seem confusing to non -native  French speakers as English future forms  seem  confusing  to non-native English speakers?

For example;

 

I am going to visit my sister.

I am visiting my sister.

I will visit my sister.

I will be visitng my sister.

I am about to visit my sister.

Thanks

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Je vais rendre visite a ma soeur.

Je rends visite a ma soeur  (alt: Je suis en train de rendre visite a ma soeur.)

Je rendrais visite a ma soeur.

Je serais rendre visite a ma soeur.

Je suis sur la pointe de rendre visite a mon soeur.

I must admit that I am not too certain about the fourth sentence, though I think "I will visit" and "I will be visiting" are both expressed by "Je rendrais visite". 

Also, one "visits" a city or a country (visiter), but one "renders a visit" to a person (rendre visite a).

Je vais rendre visite a ma soeur.

Je rends visite a ma soeur  (alt: Je suis en train de rendre visite a ma soeur.)

Je rendrais rendrai visite a ma soeur.

Je serais rendre  rendrai visite a ma soeur.

Je suis sur la pointe  le point de rendre visite a mon soeur.

Thanks, George, for correcting my spelling and for clarifying that sentences 3 & 4 use the same French construction.

well there is also a construction "je serai en train de rendre visite a ma soeur" which puts more emphasis on the continuity involved in visiting , if you see what I am trying to say .(leaving ,arriving,having tea and scones etc. etc.)

In English they are used in different situations and mean different things and you can't use them interchangeably. Is it the same with French?

 

Thanks

Exactly . (tout a fait!)

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