We write a professional email, hesitate for a second on the ending, and end up writing “cela vous conviendrai” without the final -t. This mistake is common, even in administrative exchanges. The correct spelling is, however, unambiguous: we write “cela vous conviendrait” with a -t, because the subject is “cela” (third person), not “je”.
The Académie française points out that this confusion between the ending “-ais/-ait” of the conditional and “-ai” of the future in the first person is among the most common mistakes in professional emails. Understanding the mechanism allows one to stop hesitating.
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Ending in -ait or -ai: the trap of conjugating the verb convenir
The problem arises from a phonetic similarity. In spoken language, “conviendrai” (future, first person) and “conviendrait” (conditional, third person) are pronounced almost the same way in many French-speaking regions. In writing, the difference is grammatical and non-negotiable.
When hesitating between cela vous conviendrait or conviendrai, the quickest method is to identify the subject of the verb. If the subject is “cela,” “cette date,” or “ce créneau,” we are in the third person. The present conditional ending for the third person singular is always -ait.
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“Je conviendrai” exists, but only in the simple future, first person: “Je conviendrai d’un rendez-vous avec le client demain.” The context changes radically. In the polite formula “cela vous conviendrait,” the “je” does not appear anywhere.
Present conditional of convenir: the endings to remember
The verb convenir is conjugated like venir in the present conditional. We find the root “conviend-” followed by the standard endings of the conditional.
| Person | Present Conditional | Simple Future |
|---|---|---|
| Je | conviendrais | conviendrai |
| Tu | conviendrais | conviendras |
| Il/elle/cela | conviendrait | conviendra |
| Nous | conviendrions | conviendrons |
| Vous | conviendriez | conviendrez |
| Ils/elles | conviendraient | conviendront |
It is noticeable that the endings of the conditional always contain a -s or a -t (except “nous” and “vous,” which take -ions and -iez). Those of the simple future in the first person end at -ai, without a final consonant. It is this consonant that makes all the difference in writing.
A quick substitution test
To verify that we are indeed in the conditional and not in the future, we can mentally replace “cela” with “nous.” If the sentence works with “nous conviendrions,” we are in the conditional. If it works with “nous conviendrons,” we are in the future. In “cela vous conviendrait?”, the substitution gives “nous conviendrions,” confirming the conditional.
Writing a professional email: “conviendrait-il” or “est-ce que cela conviendrait”
In a professional context, we encounter two competing phrases: “Est-ce que cela vous conviendrait?” and “Cela vous conviendrait-il?”. Reference grammars, notably Le Bon Usage by Grevisse and Goosse, specify that the inverted form is more formal, but the form with “est-ce que” is correct and accepted in professional writing.
The choice depends on the register one aims for. An email to a client or a superior gains elegance with inversion. An exchange between colleagues perfectly tolerates “est-ce que”.
Three common formulations in emails
- “Cela vous conviendrait-il?” – formal register, suitable for formal letters and exchanges with external contacts.
- “Est-ce que cela vous conviendrait?” – common register, perfectly acceptable in the majority of professional emails.
- “Cette date vous conviendrait-elle?” – a variant that specifies the subject of the proposal and avoids the pronoun “cela,” which is sometimes considered vague.
In all three cases, the ending remains -ait, because the subject remains in the third person.
Convenir in the subjunctive: another source of frequent errors
Sometimes we write “pour que cela vous convienne” in an email, and the ending changes again. The present subjunctive of convenir in the third person gives “convienne,” with a double -n. Nothing to do with the conditional.
Confusion arises when we mix structures. “Je souhaiterais que cela vous convienne” (subjunctive after “souhaiter que”) is correct. “Je souhaiterais que cela vous conviendrait” is a mistake: after “que” introducing a wish, we use the subjunctive, not the conditional.
Some guidelines to distinguish the cases:
- After “si” + imperfect, we use the conditional: “Si cela vous convenait, nous pourrions avancer.”
- After “que” expressing a wish or necessity, we use the subjunctive: “Il faudrait que cela vous convienne.”
- In a polite question without “si” or “que,” we remain in the conditional: “Cela vous conviendrait-il?”
The basic rule remains the same: identify the subject and the syntactic construction before choosing the ending. Mentally replacing with a more familiar third group verb (“prendre”: “cela vous prendrait” vs “je prendrai”) helps to decide when doubt persists.
The next time we type “cela vous conviendrai” in an email, it is enough to check who is performing the action. If it is “cela,” the -t is required. Eliminating this mistake with a single grammatical reflex takes less time than rereading the entire message.