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Work experience and part-time jobs: depuis
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Talking about jobs means saying how long you have been doing something. French uses depuis with the present, and with the imperfect for had been.
Work words
un petit boulot (a part-time job), un stage (work experience), faire du bénévolat (to do voluntary work), gagner (to earn), le patron / la patronne (the boss), les clients (customers), Je gagne huit euros de l'heure. = I earn eight euros an hour.
Depuis + present
Present + depuis = have been doing (and still am).
Je travaille dans un magasin depuis six mois. = I have been working in a shop for six months.
Je fais du baby-sitting depuis un an.
Je travaille dans un magasin depuis six mois. = I have been working in a shop for six months.
Je fais du baby-sitting depuis un an.
Depuis + imperfect
Imperfect + depuis = had been doing (when something else happened).
Je travaillais depuis une heure quand le patron est arrivé. = I had been working for an hour when the boss arrived.
Je travaillais depuis une heure quand le patron est arrivé. = I had been working for an hour when the boss arrived.
Translate: I have been doing voluntary work for a year.
- Still doing it, so present: je fais.
- Voluntary work: du bénévolat.
- For a year: depuis un an.
Answer: Je fais du bénévolat depuis un an.
Present + depuis = have been doing. Imperfect + depuis = had been doing. un stage = work experience; un petit boulot = part-time job; le bénévolat = voluntary work.
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