#195 Reporting Progress on Document Preparation｜French Business Phrases

In business settings, communication about preparing documents and tracking progress occurs frequently.

To confirm and share the status of your materials smoothly, you need to use accurate and polite French expressions.

In this section, I will explain useful French phrases that you can use when discussing the preparation of documents, along with key grammatical points.

Dialogue

B

Où en êtes-vous avec la préparation de la présentation ?
（Where are you with the preparation of the presentation?）

A

J’ai déjà finalisé les diapositives principales, mais il me reste à vérifier les données.
（I have already finalized the main slides, but I still need to check the data.）

B

D’accord. Pensez-vous pouvoir tout terminer d’ici demain ?
（I see. Do you think you will be able to finish everything by tomorrow?）

A

Oui, cela devrait être prêt dans l’après-midi.
（Yes, it should be ready in the afternoon.）

B

Très bien. Pourriez-vous me les envoyer pour relecture avant la réunion ?
（Very well. Could you send them to me for review before the meeting?）

A

Bien sûr, je vous les transmettrai dès qu’elles seront prêtes.
（Of course. I will send them to you as soon as they are ready.）

1. Asking About Progress

When discussing document progress, you usually begin by confirming the current stage of the work.

The expression “Où en êtes-vous ?” means “What stage are you at?” and is formed with the structure: “être + en + noun”

This literally means “to be in the stage of something.” By adding “avec + noun,” you specify what project or task the progress refers to.

You can use this structure whenever you need to ask about progress politely in a business context.

2. Explaining Completed and Remaining Work

When you report progress, I recommend clearly separating what has already been completed from what still remains to be done.

This uses the passé composé structure: “avoir (present) + déjà + past participle”

It expresses a completed action. The adverb “déjà” usually appears between the auxiliary verb and the past participle.

Next, you can explain what still remains:

The structure: “Il me reste à + infinitive” means “there remains for me to…” or “I still have to…”. It clearly indicates unfinished tasks.

3. Confirming the Expected Completion Time

To keep work on schedule, it is important that you confirm when the documents are expected to be completed.

This polite structure combines:

This phrasing respectfully asks about feasibility.

The expression “d’ici + deadline” means “by” or “no later than.”

It is important to note the nuance difference between:

In business contexts, I recommend using “d’ici” to indicate deadlines.

4. Indicating When the Work Will Be Ready

When you are asked about completion time, you can respond as follows:

The pronoun “cela” refers broadly to the document or preparation as a whole.

The verb “devrait” (conditional of “devoir”) expresses expectation or probability rather than obligation. It conveys a cautious, professional tone such as “it should be ready” or “it is expected to be ready.”

5. Sharing the Documents

After the documents are completed, they are typically shared for review.

“Pourriez-vous” is the conditional form of “pouvoir” and is commonly used in business situations because it sounds polite and non-demanding.

The phrase: “pour + noun” expresses purpose, and “relecture” means “review” or “proofreading.”

Here, “transmettrai” is the simple future of “transmettre,” which is often used in professional contexts when referring to sharing documents or information.

Depending on the situation, you may choose among several verbs:

Summary