Gap-fill
What was happening? French imparfait and en train de
Complete a French scene with actions already in progress. Compare je travaillais and j’étais en train de travailler, then check the background–event contrast.
- A2
- 6 gaps
- Translation included
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In short
A simple imparfait can express “was doing”: je travaillais means “I was working”. To stress being in the middle of the activity, use j’étais en train de travailler: être is conjugated and travailler stays an infinitive.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Léa préparait sa présentation.Léa was preparing her presentation.
Focus: An activity already under way at the past reference point.
Léa était en train de préparer sa présentation.Léa was in the middle of preparing her presentation.
Focus: Explicit emphasis on the activity in progress.
Léa a commencé sa présentation à neuf heures.Léa began her presentation at nine.
Focus: The beginning of the presentation, presented as an event.
An exact time works with either viewpoint. À neuf heures, Léa préparait sa présentation places nine o’clock inside the preparation. À neuf heures, elle a commencé sa présentation reports its start. The clock time alone does not choose the tense.
| Subject | être in the imparfait | Rest of the expression |
|---|---|---|
| je | j’étais | en train de travailler |
| elle | elle était | en train de répondre |
| nous | nous étions | en train de discuter |
| vous | vous étiez | en train d’écrire |
Before a vowel, de becomes d’: en train d’écrire. Use the infinitive after it. The simpler j’écrivais also means “I was writing”. A state has its own ordinary expression: j’étais calme, j’avais faim. Keep en train de for an activity whose progress you want to emphasise.
How do you say what was happening in French?
The arrival below is a completed event. Fill every gap with the imparfait of the verb in the hint. Keep préparer as it is: it belongs after en train de.
Avant la réunion
À neuf heures, Léa (préparer) sa présentation. Hugo (répondre) aux messages pendant que nous (discuter) du programme. Nous (avoir) encore quelques questions.
Quand Salomé est arrivée, Léa (être) en train de préparer son introduction. Salomé a salué tout le monde. Nous (travailler) encore quand la réunion a commencé.
Read it in English
At nine, Léa was preparing her presentation. Hugo was replying to messages while we were discussing the programme. We still had a few questions.
When Salomé arrived, Léa was in the middle of preparing her introduction. Salomé greeted everyone. We were still working when the meeting began.