Expressing the Idea of Moment in French

1. Before (Antériorité)

Structure: avant de + infinitive / avant que + subjunctive

Avant de partir, il a mangé.
(Before leaving, he ate.)

2. While/When (Simultanéité)

Structure: pendant que / lorsque / quand + verb

Il lisait pendant que je travaillais.
(He was reading while I was working.)

3. After (Postériorité)

Structure: après avoir/être + past participle

Après avoir mangé, il est sorti.
(After eating, he went out.)

Note: Use "avant que" with subjunctive mood. "Après avoir" for transitive verbs, "après être" for reflexive/intransitive verbs.

Exercises

1. Complete with the correct expression

Use: avant, après, pendant que, quand, dès que, au moment où

2. Transform the sentences

3. Translate into French

4. Practice: Write Your Own Paragraph

Write a short paragraph (4–6 sentences) using at least three different time expressions.