By the end of this lesson you'll be able to describe your job or your studies, say how long you've been doing them, and explain how you got there.
What you've learned
This unit has been about work and studies. Skim this list, and go back to anything that feels shaky.
- Name jobs. You know the words and where people work, from the lesson on jobs and the workplace.
- Choose c'est or il est. You can see what the next word calls for, from the lesson on c'est and il est.
- Say what you know. You can pick the right verb, from the lesson on savoir and connaître.
- Say how long. You know the three time expressions, from the lesson on depuis, pendant and il y a.
- Say what's just happened. You know venir de and en train de, from the lesson on the recent past and actions in progress.
- Use the phone. You can get through and leave a message, from the lesson on phone calls and messages.
A few new words
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| les études | lay-zay-TEWD | studies |
| un stage | uhn STAHZH | an internship |
| un collègue / une collègue | uhn koh-LEG / ewn koh-LEG | a colleague (man / woman) |
| une entreprise | ew-nahn-truh-PREEZ | a company |
| le salaire | luh sah-LEHR | the salary |
A model: your working life
Here's a nurse called Fatima, describing her working life. Look at each time expression, and the tense that goes with it.
Je suis infirmière à l'hôpital de Nantes.
I'm a nurse at the hospital in Nantes.
Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans.
I've been working here for five years.
Il y a dix ans, j'ai commencé mes études.
Ten years ago, I started my studies.
J'ai étudié à Rennes pendant trois ans.
I studied in Rennes for three years.
Pendant mes études, j'ai fait un stage.
During my studies, I did an internship.
Avant, je travaillais dans une petite entreprise.
Before, I worked in a small company.
C'est un grand hôpital et mes collègues sont sympas.
It's a big hospital and my colleagues are nice.
Mon salaire n'est pas très bon, mais j'aime mon travail.
My salary isn't very good, but I like my job.
Je sais parler anglais et je connais bien Nantes.
I can speak English and I know Nantes well.
Je viens de finir mon travail, et je suis en train de rentrer.
I've just finished work, and I'm on my way home.
Notice Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans, in the present, because it's still true. J'ai étudié pendant trois ans is in the passé composé, because it's finished.
Your turn
Write a short paragraph about your job or studies, on paper or in a notes app. It can be true or invented. Aim for seven or eight sentences, and include:
- what you do, with je suis and no article
- where you work or study
- how long you've been doing it, with depuis
- something that lasted a certain time, with pendant
- when something began, with il y a
- a skill, with savoir, and a person or place, with connaître
- something you've just done, with venir de
Then write a short phone message, leaving your name and your number for someone who isn't available. Read your number in pairs.
Check your work
Go through your paragraph once for each question below.
- Is there no article after je suis before a plain job title?
- Did you use c'est with a small word and a noun, and il est or elle est otherwise?
- Is depuis with the present, and il y a with the passé composé?
- Did you use savoir for skills and facts, and connaître for people and places?
What's next
The next unit is about pronouns. It starts with the lesson on stressed pronouns, which helps you say things like "me too".