Il est ici depuis un mois. He has been here for a month.
Il a parlé pendant une heure. He talked for an hour (but has
stopped).
Voici une heure que je vous I have been waiting for you an
attends. hour.
Elle travaillait depuis une heure. She had been working for an hour.
Aussitôt qu'il arrivera, je le As soon as he comes, I'll tell him.
lui dirai.
À peine mon frère fut-il parti... Hardly had my brother gone...
A. 1. He has been in business for two years. 2. How long[1] had
you been waiting for me? 3. It was more than a year that he had
been busy[2] with that affair. 4. It has been a long time that
he has been here. 5. He could hardly finish the service. 6. The
curate saw him take the money, therefore he went straight to him
and accused him of theft. 7. "You have stolen," he said to him.
8. As soon as[3] I have finished, I shall go and speak to him. 9.
I shall stop in Paris for two weeks. 10. I had been there a long
time, when he arrived. 11. As soon as[4] I arrive, I shall tell
him to start on his way. 12. At the end of a certain time, they
gave up the project. 13. In vain did he look for the merchant.
14. Perhaps he will do that for me. 15. Scarcely had he entered,
when he saw the lady that he had been looking for[5] so[6] long.
16. When he pays me, I will tell you (it). 17. How long has he
owed you the money? 18. I am looking for a man who knows[7] the
road to Constantinople. 19. I stopped so[8] he could[7] talk
to me. 20. The merchant fell ill, so[8] he could[9] not go to
Constantinople. 21. I am going to pass the winter there, without[10]
anybody's[11] knowing[7] it. 22. War is the worst thing that
can[7] happen.
[Footnotes 1: Depuis quand. 2: s'occuper. 3: aussitôt que. 4: dès
que. 5: chercher. 6: si. 7: _subjunctive, why?_ 8: de sorte que.
9: _indicative, why?_ 10: sans que. 11: personne.]
B. Word Study. In the following anecdote, substitute equivalents
for expressions in italics: