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être en train de

HigherHigher tier onlyAQA

Revise être en train de for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Higher tier exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Être en train de plus an infinitive expresses being in the middle of doing something.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

This is a Higher tier only topic, so there's no Foundation paper — only the Higher worksheet and mark scheme below.

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WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Être en train de emphasises that an action is happening right now, filling the gap left by French having no continuous tense. This is a Higher-only topic.

Je suis en train de manger means I am in the middle of eating. The structure is être, then en train de, then an infinitive. The de is part of the fixed phrase and cannot be dropped.

It is used only for emphasis. The ordinary present already covers I am eating — je mange is perfectly correct. Être en train de is reserved for stressing that the action is in progress at this moment, often when interrupted. In the imperfect it becomes j'étais en train de manger, meaning I was in the middle of eating.

Revision notes

The structure

Être, then en train de, then an infinitive.

Je suis en train de manger. Il est en train de travailler. Nous sommes en train de partir. Only être changes for the subject; en train de is fixed.

Used for emphasis only

The ordinary present already covers the English continuous.

Je mange means I eat, I am eating and I do eat. Être en train de is used only when you want to stress that the action is in progress right now, not as a routine translation of -ing.

In the imperfect

J'étais en train de manger — I was in the middle of eating.

This is common when describing an interrupted action, and works alongside the perfect for the interruption: j'étais en train de manger quand il est arrivé.

Key points

  • Être en train de stresses an action in progress.
  • The structure is être plus en train de plus infinitive.
  • The de cannot be dropped.
  • Only être changes for the subject.
  • It is used for emphasis only.
  • The imperfect means was in the middle of.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: I am in the middle of eating. [2 marks]

Working

Je suis en train de mangeruse être with en train de
Manger follows de in the infinitiveexplain the structure

Example 2

Explain why je mange is usually enough for I am eating. [2 marks]

Working

The French present tense already covers the English continuous formstate the reason
so être en train de is reserved for emphasising an action in progressexplain when it is needed

Example 3

Translate: he was in the middle of working. [2 marks]

Working

Il était en train de travailleruse the imperfect of être
The imperfect gives the meaning was in the middle ofexplain the tense

Common mistakes

  • Using it for every English -ing form.

    The ordinary present usually suffices.

  • Dropping the de.

    En train de is a fixed phrase.

  • Changing en train de for the subject.

    Only être changes.

  • Putting the following verb in a tense.

    It stays in the infinitive.

Exam tips

  • Use it only for genuine emphasis.
  • Keep en train de fixed.
  • Change only être for the subject.
  • Remember this is a Higher-only topic.

Key terms

Être en train de
A structure stressing an action in progress.
Continuous form
The English -ing tense, which French lacks.
Emphasis
The reason for using this structure.
Interrupted action
A common context for the imperfect version.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.