Hello and welcome to Wednesday’s Words with English with Languissimo® which will help you improve your vocabulary so that you can communicate better in English.

My name is Vanessa. I’m the founder and CEO of Languissimo®.

Today, I will cover the difference between “before”, before + verb + ing” and “before + subject and a verb”.

-          “Before” means “avant”. It is followed by a noun in the singular or in the plural. Examples: “Before the meeting” (avant la réunion). “Before the election” (avant les élections).

-          “Before + verb + ing” means “avant de/d’+ infinitive”. In that case, one person carries out both actions.

Examples: “We will eat before leaving” (nous mangerons avant de partir). The same people will eat and leave. “They will make a list before buying groceries” (Elles feront une liste avant de faire l’épicerie). The same people will make a list and buy groceries.

-          “Before + subject + verb” means “avant que/qu’+ subject + verb in the subjonctive”. In that case, two people carry out the actions. For that reason, there are two different subjects.

Examples: “You will leave before I arrive” (Tu partiras avant que j’arrive). Two people are carrying out two different actions so there are two different subjects: “you” and “I”. “They will order dinner before their kids come home” (Ils commanderont le souper avant que leurs enfants rentrent à la maison). Two people are carrying out two different actions so there are two different subjects: “they” and “their kids”.

Some Practice Questions

-          What were you doing before listening to this podcast?

-          What will you do before dinner?

-          Are you preparing yourself financially before the stock market crashes?

Ta da! That’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed this podcast. Subscribe to English with Languissimo®, practice, take care and have a great Wednesday! Big hugs 😊