Learn Hardcore French: Paul travaille pour une entreprise internationale depuis deux ans. - Paul has been working for an international company for two years.

In French, when an action began in the past and is still ongoing, the present tense is used together with depuis. Here, Paul travaille means he started working two years ago and continues to work now.

What does depuis deux ans mean, and why is it used with the present tense instead of a past tense?

Depuis deux ans translates to "for two years". French uses this construction to indicate that the action started in the past and has not yet ended. Even though in English we might say "has been working", French simply uses the present tense with depuis for ongoing actions.

What is the role of the preposition pour in the phrase pour une entreprise internationale?

The preposition pour in this context means "for" and indicates that Paul is employed by or works on behalf of the company. Using pour emphasizes the employer-employee relationship, whereas a preposition like dans would focus more on being inside the premises or within the organization.

Why is the adjective internationale spelled with an -e at the end?

In French, adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. Since entreprise is a feminine noun, the adjective international takes the feminine form internationale.

Could this sentence be rephrased to express the same idea, and if so, how?

Yes, an alternative construction is: "Il y a deux ans, Paul a commencé à travailler pour une entreprise internationale." This sentence emphasizes the starting point of his employment by indicating that he began working two years ago.

Why doesn’t French use a compound tense like the English present perfect continuous (has been working) for ongoing actions?

Unlike English, French typically uses the present tense with time expressions like depuis to convey that an action started in the past and continues to the present. French grammar favors this construction over a compound tense for such situations.