puis/depuis – exercises

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Exercises

Choose the correct option: puis or depuis.

  1. Sarah s’habilla en vitesse, elle enfila ses chaussures avant de dévaler l’escalier en trombe.[Sarah got dressed quickly, then she put on her shoes before hurrying down the stairs.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.
  2. Madame Dubois habite dans le quartier vingt ans.[Madame Dubois has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years.]|Depuis is a preposition similar to for and since; it expresses the duration of an action that began in the past and continues up to the moment of speaking.
  3. Florianne n’est pas allée chez le coiffeur plusieurs années.[Florianne hadn’t been to the hairdresser’s for several years.]|Depuis is a preposition similar to for and since; it expresses the duration of an action that began in the past and continues up to the moment of speaking.
  4. Le ministre lut attentivement le document, il le signa.[The minister read the document carefully, then he signed it.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.
  5. Le chat prit son élan, il sauta sur le mur du jardin.[The cat took a run-up then jumped onto the garden wall.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.

Complete the sentences with puis or depuis.

  1. Le vent se leva,   la pluie se mit à tomber.[The wind picked up, then the rain started to fall.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.
  2. J’ai l’impression de ne pas être partie en vacances   une éternité ![I feel like I haven’t been on holiday for ages!]|Depuis is a preposition similar to for and since; it expresses the duration of an action that began in the past and continues up to the moment of speaking.
  3.   quand habitez-vous dans cette maison ?[How long have you been living in this house?]|Depuis is a preposition similar to for and since; it expresses the duration of an action that began in the past and continues up to the moment of speaking.
  4. Pour aller au travail, Joséphine doit prendre le métro,   le bus.[To get to work, Joséphine has to take the metro, then the bus.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.
  5. Les lumières se sont éteintes,   le spectacle a commencé.[The likes went out, then the show began.]|Puis is an adverb similar to then: it introduces a new action and shows the order of events in a narrative.