Gap-fill
Depuis que: a French gap-fill about a new routine
Use depuis que to say what has changed since an event. Complete a short workplace story and compare a routine continuing now with a past viewpoint.
- B1
- 8 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
Depuis que means “since” followed by a subject and verb: Depuis qu’elle est arrivée, elle travaille avec nous. For a routine continuing now, French often uses the present where English uses “has been”.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
| Viewpoint | Starting point | Continuing situation |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Depuis que le cours a commencé, | je pose plus de questions. |
| A past moment | Depuis que le cours avait commencé, | je posais plus de questions. |
| A noun instead of a clause | Depuis le début du cours, | je pose plus de questions. |
In the first row, the course began earlier and the habit continues now. In the second, the narrator looks back from a past moment. Avait commencé places the start further back; posais describes the habit at that time. After depuis que, use an indicative tense that fits the viewpoint.
Complete Nora’s account. The first two paragraphs describe her work now. The last paragraph looks back at an earlier job. Each hint gives the infinitive and the tense to enter; include the auxiliary when the tense has two words.
Depuis le changement d’équipe
Depuis que Nora (changer, passé composé) d’équipe, elle (participer, présent) davantage aux réunions. Elle pose des questions et propose ses idées. Depuis qu’elle (connaître, présent) mieux ses collègues, les échanges sont plus faciles.
Son équipe a aussi de nouveaux horaires. Depuis que nous (avoir, présent) ces horaires, dit Nora, nous (commencer, présent) plus tôt et nous terminons à seize heures. Depuis que Paul (arriver, passé composé), nous partageons mieux les tâches. Il prend le temps de tout expliquer.
Nora compare cette organisation à son ancien poste. À cette époque, depuis qu’elle (rejoindre, plus-que-parfait) le service, elle (travailler, imparfait) souvent seule. Elle échangeait peu avec les autres. Aujourd’hui, elle préfère discuter des difficultés dès le début de la journée.
Read it in English
Since Nora changed teams, she has been contributing more to meetings. She asks questions and puts forward her ideas. Since getting to know her colleagues better, she has found discussions easier.
Her team also has new working hours. Since we have had these hours, Nora says, we have been starting earlier and finishing at four. Since Paul arrived, we have been sharing tasks better. He takes time to explain everything.
Nora compares this arrangement with her previous job. Back then, since she had joined the department, she had often been working alone. She had little contact with the others. Today, she prefers discussing difficulties at the start of the day.
Since an event, or as soon as it happens?
depuis quesince
Focus: A situation across the period starting with an event.
Depuis que je travaille ici, je parle français tous les jours.
Since I started working here, I have been speaking French every day.
dès queas soon as
Focus: An action tied to the moment another event happens.
Dès que la réunion se termine, je rentre.
As soon as the meeting ends, I go home.