Gap-fill
Pendant que in French: a kitchen story with gaps
Practise pendant que for overlapping actions in a short kitchen story. Compare pendant plus a noun, see four picture cards and complete eight gaps.
- A2
- 8 gaps
- Translation included
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In short
Pendant que means “while”: it connects actions that overlap in time. Give each action a subject and verb: Je cuisine pendant que tu lis. Use pendant alone before a noun phrase: pendant le dîner.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pendant + noun | Pendant le repas, nous discutons. | During the meal, we chat. |
| pendant que + clause | Nous discutons pendant que Paul cuisine. | We chat while Paul cooks. |
| Elision before elle | Je lis pendant qu’elle travaille. | I read while she works. |
The two activities can have different lengths. Reading may begin before the cooking or continue after it. In a past scene, the imperfect often describes the ongoing activities. A short event during one of them can use the perfect tense: Pendant que je lisais, le téléphone a sonné.
Four things in the kitchen
Find:
How do you use pendant que in French?
Use the hint beside each gap. Some gaps need a connector; others need a verb in the imperfect. The people and the timing are given in the story. Keep both halves of each sentence complete.
Un dîner à deux
Hier soir, Lina et Paul préparaient le dîner. Lina (couper · imparfait) les légumes pendant que Paul (mettre · imparfait) la table. La soupe chauffait dans une casserole. (while) Lina remuait la soupe, Paul cherchait les assiettes.
Paul essuyait une assiette avec un torchon pendant (complete the connector) Lina goûtait la soupe avec une cuillère. Elle trouvait la soupe un peu fade. Pendant qu’elle (ajouter · imparfait) du sel, Paul a ouvert la fenêtre. Il faisait très chaud dans la cuisine.
Lina (parler · imparfait) de sa journée pendant que Paul écoutait. Puis ils se sont assis. (during) le dîner, ils ont discuté de leurs vacances. Après le repas, Lina rangeait la cuisine pendant (que + il) lavait les assiettes. À neuf heures, tout était propre.
Read it in English
Yesterday evening, Lina and Paul were preparing dinner. Lina was cutting the vegetables while Paul was setting the table. The soup was heating in a saucepan. While Lina stirred the soup, Paul looked for the plates.
Paul was drying a plate with a tea towel while Lina tasted the soup with a spoon. She found the soup a little bland. While she added salt, Paul opened the window. It was very hot in the kitchen.
Lina was talking about her day while Paul listened. Then they sat down. During dinner, they discussed their holidays. After the meal, Lina was tidying the kitchen while he washed the plates. By nine, everything was clean.