johnswords

[undone venture]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[mild plinth]

french only has one present tense, but is used for both the simple and continuous:

Je vais = I go /I am going

with past tense, if you want "was -ing", then you use the imperfect tense:

J'ai mangé = I have eaten/ate
Je mangeais = I was eating

However, there is a phrase you can use(en train de) which emphasises you are in the middle of doing something:

Je suis en train d'aller au restaurant -> I am going (in the middle of going) to the restaurant

[delicate frost]

You're missing être in « être en train de X » but yes that's correct. Just to add, you can use it in other forms as well (J'étais en train de manger quand un rat est venu dans le restaurant) but in general 90% of the time it's going to be présent (if present continuous) and imparfait (if past continuous); there are other continuous tenses in English but they're usually context-dependent.

[mild plinth]

Thank you guys.

Do you guys have a list of sentences to practice this on?

Its the resource I lack the most I think.

This and passe compose tense.

[delicate frost]

There's a few stuff you can find online though I can whip some up for you.

1. Je … (rester) … chez Jean pendant quelques jours.
   I stayed at Jean's place for several days.
2. Alain … (parler) … avec Lucille quand elle l'a embrassé.
   Alain was talking with Lucille when she kissed him.
3. Elle … (écrire) … quand Alain est rentré à la maison.
   She was in the middle of writing when Alain came home.
4. Est-ce que vous … (compter) … faire quelque chose de mauvais ?
   Are you planning on doing something bad?
5. Pourquoi est-ce que tu … (sortir) … la poubelle ? Elle n'était pas encore pleine !
   Why did you take out the rubbish? It wasn't full yet!
6. Combien de jours est-ce que tu … (passer) … chez Jean ?
   How many days did you spend at Jean's?
7. Il … (courir) … parce qu'il est en retard.
   He's running because he's late.
8. Je … (rentrer) … quand tu auras fini ton travail.
   I will be going home when you finish your work.

Bonus:
Qu'est-ce que tu … (faire) … à Bruxelles ? Tu sais qu'Élisabeth y … (habiter) … depuis des années.
What are you doing in Brussels? You know Elizabeth has been living here for years.