Les emplois du présent

Remember There are three English translations of the French present tense: –Tu poses beaucoup de questions. You ask a lot of questions. You are asking a lot of questions. You do ask a lot of questions.

Present tense can… Indicate generalities & habitual actions with no reference to time: –Et la mode, cest limage éternelle de la France. Be used to give commands (limpératif): –Du calme! Tu rentres chez toi et tu lattends. Describe imminent actions: –L émission commence dans trois minutes!

Aller conjugated in present tense + infinitive Called le futur proche, describes the immediate future: –Yasmine et moi, on va se promener un peu.

Present tense + depuis + time expression Cela/Ça fait + time expression + present tense verb Use to describe actions or states of being that began in the past & are still continuing at the present time: –Bruno travaille à Canal 7 depuis quelques années. Bruno has been working at Channel 7 for a few years (and he is still working there). –Cela/Ça fait longtemps quil parle du divorce. Hes been talking about the divorce for a long time (and still is).

venir de + infinitive Describes actions that have just taken place: –Ta femme vient dappeler. Your wife just called.