Bonjour Cécile. A few weeks ago I said I’d find an example of a run on sentence. In this lesson, I had one: Je ne peux pas parler maintenant, je suis en train de travailler. In English, we’d separate the two independent clauses with a semi-colon or a period, not a comma. I’m asking if it’s standard in French to use a comma to separate two clauses? Merci pour votre réponse !
Look at the sentences:
Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs
She is doing her homework
Je suis en train de prendre ma douche
I'm having my shower
Nous sommes en train de décorer la chambre du bébé en ce moment-même.
We are decorating the baby's room right now.
In French, there is no equivalent tense for the English Continuous Present (I'm doing) .
Le Présent (e.g. "Je vais") is used for both the Present tense ("I go...") and the Present Continuous ("I'm going...")
However, when you really want to emphasise the progression of the action, you can use the expression "être en train de" + infinitive (literally 'to be in the process of')
Also see Être en train de : expressing ongoing actions in the past
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Elles sont en train de jouer, mais il commence à pleuvoir
They are playing, but it starts raining
Je suis en train de prendre ma douche
I'm having my shower
Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs
She is doing her homework
Nous sommes en train de décorer la chambre du bébé en ce moment-même.
We are decorating the baby's room right now.
Q&A Forum 6 questions, 7 answers
Thanks for getting back to me on this Liz!
In French, to my knowledge, you would only use a comma as the two clauses have a strong link. Here are some examples where you would use a semi-colon ( point-virgule) in French):
La planète se réchauffe; les glaciers reculent d’années en années.
L’objet de la guerre, c’est la victoire; celui de la victoire, la conquête; celui de la conquête, la conservation. (quote from Montesquieu - source- Le Petit Grevisse)
Hope this helps but I am not a ponctuation expert!
Liz asked:View original
Run on sentence
Bonjour Cécile. A few weeks ago I said I’d find an example of a run on sentence. In this lesson, I had one: Je ne peux pas parler maintenant, je suis en train de travailler. In English, we’d separate the two independent clauses with a semi-colon or a period, not a comma. I’m asking if it’s standard in French to use a comma to separate two clauses? Merci pour votre réponse !
Don't have an account yet? Join today
The use of present doesn't already express the action is happening in the action?
For example, if I say "Elle faire ses devoirs" instead of "Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs", what is the difference? Thank you
Asked 6 months ago
ChrisCorrect answer
Elle fait ses devoirs. -- She does her homework. This is a general statement in the present tense. Even though it is in present tense, it has a bit of a "timeless" quality. If you want to express that she is right at it, that very moment, in her room, doing her homework, in English you would use the continuous form: "She is doing her homework." In French there is no continuous form. So if you want to stress that something is happening as you speak, you can use "être en train".
Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs. -- She is doing her homework (right now, as we speak). She is in the process of doing her homework.
Paola asked:View original
The use of present doesn't already express the action is happening in the action?
For example, if I say "Elle faire ses devoirs" instead of "Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs", what is the difference? Thank you
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Is this expression being overused in Kwiziq
This expression keeps coming up in these quiz questions. Usually it is in a choose-one-from-list situation where it is indeed the best choice. But isn't it misleading since many of these cases would normally be adequately translated using Le Present since the emphasis on the continuous nature of the action is not required?
Asked 1 year ago
David asked:View original
Is this expression being overused in Kwiziq
This expression keeps coming up in these quiz questions. Usually it is in a choose-one-from-list situation where it is indeed the best choice. But isn't it misleading since many of these cases would normally be adequately translated using Le Present since the emphasis on the continuous nature of the action is not required?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Present continuous action
Bonjour, team.
"Anne est en train d'aller à Paris." In addition to, "Anne is going to Paris", would a more precise translation be, "Anne is on her way to Paris"? Would the second translation be correct?
Asked 1 year ago
ChrisCorrect answer
Translating between languages isn't an exact science and requires knowledge of the context.
From your question I glean that you have understood what the phrase "être en train de...." expresses. Which English translation you choose is now a matter of context and taste. But, to put it succinctly, "Anne is on her way to Paris" is within the bounds of the French original sentence.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Bonjour Lewis !
Actually no: the sentence "Anne est en train d'aller à Paris." doesn't literally mean this.
Of course, as Chris stated, you can always take liberties as a translator, and indeed, even in English, "Anne is going to Paris" and "Anne is on her way to Paris" mean roughly the same thing, but they are still two different sentences :)
In French, the equivalent would be "Anne est en train d'aller à Paris" vs "Anne est en route pour Paris".
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Lewis asked:View original
Present continuous action
Bonjour, team.
"Anne est en train d'aller à Paris." In addition to, "Anne is going to Paris", would a more precise translation be, "Anne is on her way to Paris"? Would the second translation be correct?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Bonjour Milton,
Oui, c'est correct.
The lesson example is explained thusly:
However, when you really want to emphasise the progression of the action, you can use the expression "être en train de" + infinitive (literally 'to be in the process of')
J'espère que ceci au-dessus vous aide.
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Difference between action going on right now and a more general state of affairs?
For instance, if I say in English "I'm studying French," I could mean "Oh, I'm actually reading my French lessons right now" or "I'm taking a course in French, but not right at this exact second." Can you use the 'être en train de" construction for the second sense, or does that not work in French?
Asked 2 years ago
RonCorrect answer
This is a very good question. "être en train de" is a construction meant to state what you are doing at this point in time, i.e. Je suis en train de répondre à votre question, as I type this. The construction for the phrase: "I'm taking a course in French" Je prends un cours de Français or Je suis un cours d'anglais à la fac (this uses the verb suivre).
I hope this helps.
I hope this helps.
Lauren asked:View original
Difference between action going on right now and a more general state of affairs?
For instance, if I say in English "I'm studying French," I could mean "Oh, I'm actually reading my French lessons right now" or "I'm taking a course in French, but not right at this exact second." Can you use the 'être en train de" construction for the second sense, or does that not work in French?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
