Abstract Condensation of anilines with ethyl 4, 4, 4-trifluoroacetoacetate (7) to afford the corresponding 4, 4, 4-trifluoro-3-oxobutaneanilides (10), precursors to 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2- quinolinones (11), can be favored and the competing condensation to produce the ethyl 4, 4, 4-trifluoro-3-(phenylimino) butanoate, the precursor to 2-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinones, avoided if water is occasionally added to the reaction mixture while ethanol is ...