Le passé Le passé composécomposé

(the ‘perfect’ tense)(the ‘perfect’ tense)

What’s it all about ?What’s it all about ?

The ‘perfect’ tense is used in French to talk about completed actions which have

happened in the past.

I have eaten (I ate) – j’ai mangéI have eaten (I ate) – j’ai mangé

I have swum (I swam) – j’ai nagéI have swum (I swam) – j’ai nagé

How is it formed ?How is it formed ?Just like in English, French uses the verb Just like in English, French uses the verb

AVOIR,AVOIR, - ‘to have’ - to form the ‘perfect’ tense. - ‘to have’ - to form the ‘perfect’ tense.

This is called the This is called the AUXILIARY AUXILIARY verb, and comes verb, and comes between the between the PRONOUNPRONOUN and the and the MAIN VERBMAIN VERB..

I have eaten

PRONOUN PRONOUN AUXILIARY AUXILIARY MAIN VERBMAIN VERB

J’ ai mangé

So….So….

(je) j’

tu

il

elle

nous

vous

ils

elles

(I)

(you)

(he)

(she)

(we)

(you)

(they)

(they)

PRONOUNPRONOUN AUXILIARY MAIN VERBAUXILIARY MAIN VERB

aiai

asas

aa

aa

avonsavons

avezavez

ontont

ontont

mangé

mangé

mangé

mangé

mangé

mangé

mangé

mangé

(have) (eaten)

Main Verb Endings…Main Verb Endings…The The MAIN VERBMAIN VERB ending changes depending ending changes depending

whether it ends in whether it ends in ‘ER’, ‘IR’‘ER’, ‘IR’ or or ‘RE’‘RE’..

mangmangerer ( ( -er, add é-er, add é ) ) mangmangéé

finfinirir ( ( -ir, add i-ir, add i ) ) fin finii

vendvendrere ( ( -re, add u-re, add u ) ) vendvenduu

…and that’s about it…

… … except …except …Some Some MAIN VERBSMAIN VERBS are irregular in the past tense and are irregular in the past tense and

don’t follow the don’t follow the MAIN VERBMAIN VERB rules. rules.

Here are some common examples:Here are some common examples:

lire lire (to read)(to read) = = lulu -- j’j’aiai lu lu (I read)(I read)

être être (to be)(to be) = = étéété -- j’j’aiai été été (I was)(I was)

faire faire (to do)(to do) = = faitfait -- tu tu asas fait fait (you did)(you did)

écrire écrire (to write)(to write) = = écrit écrit -- tu tu as as écritécrit (you wrote)(you wrote)

prendre prendre (to take)(to take) = = prispris -- il il aa pris pris (he took)(he took)

boire boire (to drink)(to drink) = = bubu -- il il aa bu bu (he drank)(he drank)

...and that ...and that really is all really is all

there is to it.there is to it.

……well, well, almost.almost.

With être – to beWith être – to beJust as in English, some verbs in French use Just as in English, some verbs in French use

the verb the verb ÊÊTRETRE – ‘to be’ – as the – ‘to be’ – as the AUXILIARY AUXILIARY to form the ‘perfect’ tense.to form the ‘perfect’ tense.

I I waswas born born

Je Je suis suis néné

PRONOUN PRONOUN AUXILIARY AUXILIARY MAIN VERBMAIN VERB

So….So….

je

tu

il

elle

nous

vous

ils

elles

(I)

(you)

(he)

(she)

(we)

(you)

(they)

(they)

PRONOUNPRONOUN AUXILIARY MAIN VERBAUXILIARY MAIN VERB

suissuis

eses

estest

estest

sommessommes

êtesêtes

sontsont

sontsont

né (e)

né (e)

né

née

né (e) s

né (e) (s)

nés

nées

(was) (born)

TASMANTASMANFortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky Fortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky

few’ – use être as their few’ – use être as their AUXILIARYAUXILIARY verb. verb.

These can be remembered with These can be remembered with the mnemonic the mnemonic

TASMANTASMANSome of these unlucky few begin with the letters

T, A, S, M, A and N. The rest are the opposite in meaning.

T

A

S

M

A

N

o p p o s i t e

tombertomber

alleraller

sortirsortir

montermonter

arriverarriver

naitrenaitre

resterrester

venirvenir

entrerentrer

descendredescendre

partirpartir

mourirmourir

-

-

-

-

-

-

tombé

allé

sorti

monté

arrivé

né

resté

venu

entré

descendu

parti

mort

je suis tombé

je suis allé

je suis sorti

je suis monté

tu es arrivé

tu es né

tu es resté

il est venu

il est entré

il estdescendu

il est parti

elle est morte

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(I fell)

(I went)

(I went out)

(I climbed)(you arrived)

(you were born)

(he stayed)

(he came)

(he entered)

(he went down)

(he left)

(she is dead)

MR VANS TRAMPEDMR VANS TRAMPEDFortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky Fortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky

thirteen’ – use être as their thirteen’ – use être as their AUXILIARYAUXILIARY verb. verb.

These can be remembered with These can be remembered with the mnemonic the mnemonic

MR VANS TRAMPEDMR VANS TRAMPED

M

R

V

A

N

S

T

R

A

M

P

E

D

mourirmourir

resterrester

venirvenir

arriverarriver

naîtrenaître

sortirsortir

tombertomber

retournerretourner

alleraller

montermonter

partirpartir

entrerentrer

descendredescendre

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

mort

resté

venu

arrivé

né

sorti

tombé

retourné

allé

monté

parti

entré

descendu

je suis mort

je suis resté

je suis venu

je suis arrivé

tu es né

tu es sorti

tu es tombé

tu es retourné

il est allé

il est monté

il est parti

il est entré

elle est descendue

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(I was dead)

(I stayed)

(I came)

(I arrived)

(you were born)

(you went out)

(you fell)

(you returned)

(he went)

(he climbed)

(he left)

(he entered)

(she descended)

AgreementAgreementThese ‘These ‘êtreêtre’ verbs have to ‘’ verbs have to ‘agreeagree’ with their ’ with their

respective respective PRONOUN.PRONOUN.Add an Add an ‘e’‘e’ if the person or subject spoken about is if the person or subject spoken about is feminine.feminine.

Add an Add an ‘s’‘s’ if the subject is if the subject is plural.plural.

Add an Add an ‘e’‘e’ and an and an ‘s’‘s’ if the subject is if the subject is feminine and plural.feminine and plural.

Stéphanie: ‘Je suis alléStéphanie: ‘Je suis alléee au parc.’ au parc.’

Elle est alléElle est alléee au parc. au parc.

Elles sont alléElles sont alléeses au parc. au parc.

……And finally…And finally…All All REFLEXIVE VERBSREFLEXIVE VERBS also use also use êtreêtre as their as their

AUXILIARY AUXILIARY verb in the ‘perfect tense.’verb in the ‘perfect tense.’

se laver – je me suis lavé (I washed myself)

se lever – je me suis levé ( I got myself up)

Il s’est lavé (he washed himself)

Elle s’est levée (she got herself up)And a few verbs related to the And a few verbs related to the ‘unlucky thirteen’‘unlucky thirteen’ use use êtreêtre..

Rentrer – Rentrer – rentrérentré – to go back in – to go back in

Revenir – Revenir – revenurevenu – to come back – to come back

Devenir – Devenir – devenudevenu – to become – to become

Retourner – Retourner – retournretournéé – to return– to return

Now give these a go !Now give these a go !Change these phrases into the passChange these phrases into the passé compos composé..

1) Je monte du thé.

2) Je descends des cendres.

3) Nous achetons des cereales.

4) Tu tombes.

5) Vous allez tout de suite.

6) Elles arrivent tot.

7) Je prends une omelette.

8) Nous nous lavons le matin.

……Bravo !!Bravo !!

1) Je suis monté(e) du thé.

2) Je suis descendu(e) des …

3) Nous avons acheté des …

4) Tu es tombé(e)

5) Vous êtes allés tout de suite.

6) Elles sont arrivées tot.

7) J’ ai pris une omelette.

8) Nous nous sommes lavé(e)s le matin.

So try these too !So try these too !Translate these phrases into French (using the p/c).Translate these phrases into French (using the p/c).

1) I drank

2) We ate.

3) I got up.

4) She died.

5) You were ill.

6) I left at 6 o’clock.

7) She went out.

8) They swam.

……Well done !!Well done !!

1) J’ ai bu.

2) Nous avons mangé.

3) Je me suis levé(e).

4) Elle est morte.

5) Tu as été malade.

6) Je suis parti(e)

7) Elle est sortie.

8) Elles ont nagé / elles ont fait de la natation / elles se sont baignées.

And that And that really is really is

it…easy!!it…easy!!

MR VANS TRAMPEDMR VANS TRAMPEDFortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky Fortunately only a handful of verbs – an ‘unlucky

thirteen’ – use être as their thirteen’ – use être as their AUXILIARYAUXILIARY verb. verb.

These can be remembered with These can be remembered with the mnemonic the mnemonic

MR VANS TRAMPEDMR VANS TRAMPED