[ Before ] beginning, you warn him that a mute e, or an s, placed at the end of a vowel, gives a long sound to that vowel, that ie is long in jolie, and i is short in joli; that ais is long in je serais, and ai is short in je serai.
Satisfied that he is well prepared, you start with your best voice:
"Je serais...."
The boy looks at you. Is he to write je serais or je serai?
To settle his undecided mind, you repeat:
"Je serais,"
and you may lay great emphasis on ais, bleating for thirty seconds like a sheep in distress.
He writes something down at last. You go and see the result of your efforts. He has written
"Je serai."
Drat the boy!