there would be a demonstration on campus if the university closed all the bars

[**flower**]

if i wanted to say 'there would be a demonstration on campus if the university closed all the bars'
would it be
'il y serait une manifestation sur le campus si l'université fermait toutes les barres'
or is it 'il y avait?' i am very confused!

 

[Nil-the-Frogg]

"il y aurait une manifestation sur le campus si l'université fermait toutes les barres" (mais ne serait-ce pas plutôt "tous les bars"? ).

 

[Jocaste]

No, you'd better say : "il y aurait" <---- conditionnel

 

[sebowski]

Il y aurait... "avoir" in the sens = a demonstration would take place at the university...

 

[**flower**]

merci beaucoup! i meant aurait but wrote avait. i think i need a break from revision..

 

[Ha_na]

I confirm what has been said: il y aurait. French language uses verb "avoir" VS your verb "be" in this sentence.

 

[**flower**]

ah i see! thank you. is there a rule for when french uses 'avoir' in place of the english 'be' ? or is it just a case of learning when and when not to use it?

 

[Jocaste]

ah i see! thank you. is there a rule for when french uses 'avoir' in place of the english 'be' ? or is it just a case of learning when and when not to use it?

This expression "there is / there are" is always translated with "il y a".
You've to deal with the tense of the verb actually :
there is : il y a
there was : il y avait
there would be : il y aurait
...
Not very hard
Hope it helps

 

[**flower**]

oh yeh, of course! yes that helps thank you - sometimes i really need to have things explained to me as if i am a child.

 

[Nil-the-Frogg]

oh yeh, of course! yes that helps thank you - sometimes i really need to have things explained to me as if i am a child.

Nothing to do with the topic, but I thought it was "as if I were a child"