THE PERFECT TENSE IS USED TO EXPRESS THE PAST. IT IS TRANSLATED AS “DID” OR “HAS DONE” IN ENGLISH.

IN FRENCH THERE ARE TWO THINGS NEEDED TO FORM THE PERFECT TENSE. THIS IS SIMILAR TO HOW IT WORKS IN ENGLISH.

HE HAS

DONESUBJECT AUXILIARY

VERBPAST PARTICIPLE

TO FORM THE PERFECT TENSE IN FRENCH, WE NEED AN AUXILIARY VERB AND A PAST PARTICIPLE, JUST AS IN ENGLISH.

THIS IS THE PERFECT TENSE IN ENGLISH

THERE ARE TWO VERBS THAT ARE USED AS AUXILIARY VERBS……

ANDAVOIR ÊTREMOST VERBS USE “AVOIR” AS THE

AUXILIARY VERB, BUT SOME USE “ÊTRE”, (WE’LL DEAL WITH THIS LATER)

(TO HAVE)

(TO BE)

HERE ARE THE PARTS OF AVOIR

J’AITU AS

IL/ELLE ANOUS AVONSVOUS AVEZ

ILS/ELLES ONT

I HAVEYOU HAVE

HE/SHE HASWE HAVEYOU HAVETHEY HAVE

THE NEXT STEP IS TO FORM A PAST PARTICIPLE

HERE’S HOW ………

TAKE AN INFINITIVEJOUERFINIRVENDRE

REMOVE THE ENDING

ADD ENDINGS

THIS IS CALLED A STEM

ÉIU

THESE ARE PAST PARTICIPLES

PAST PARTICIPLE ENDS IN …………

VERB ENDS IN………………… -ER

-IR-RE

ÉIU

LEARN THESE ENDINGS!!!

NOW YOU HAVE A PAST PARTICIPLE IT IS COMBINED WITH A PART OF “AVOIR” TO FORM THE PERFECT TENSE

LET’S SEE HOW

J’AI JOUÉ

= I PLAYED / I HAVE PLAYED

IL A FINI

= HE FINISHED / HE HAS FINISHED

NOUS AVONS VENDU

= WE SOLD / WE HAVE SOLD

VOUS AVEZ VISITÉ

= YOU VISITED /YOU HAVE VISITED

THAT’S HOW TO DO THE PERFECT TENSE. HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME OTHER RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW…

NOT ALL VERBS FORM THEIR PAST PARTICIPLES WITH THE METHOD WE HAVE SEEN.

SOME VERBS HAVE “IRREGULAR” PAST PARTICIPLES AND NEED TO BE LEARNTHERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT ONES

MEANING INFINITIVEPAST

PARTICIPLETO BE ÊTRE ÉTÉ

TO KNOW

SAVOIR SUTO DO/MAKE

FAIRE FAIT

TO HAVE TO DEVOIR DÛTO BE ABLE TO POUVOI

RPU

TO SEE VOIR VUTO HAVE AVOIR EU

LEARN THESE PAST PARTICIPLES

REMEMBER EARLIER WE SAID THERE ARE TWO VERBS WHICH CAN BE USED AS AN AUXILIARY VERB………THERE ARE SOME VERBS WHICH USE “ÊTRE” INSTEAD OF “AVOIR”.

LET’S SEE HOW THIS WORKS……

THERE ARE 13 VERBS WHICH USE “ÊTRE” AS THE AUXILIARY VERB.HERE THEY

ARE………Aller

VenirA

RMEN

rriveresteronterntreraître

PartirRetournerD

SM

escendreortirourirTombe

r

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LEARN THESE VERBSFORTUNATELY THERE ARE WAYS TO HELP……

Aller

VenirA

RMEN

rriveresteronterntreraître

PartirRetournerD

SM

escendreortirourirTombe

r

AARMEN

AARMENREMEMBERING THIS ODD SPELLING OF THE

WORD “AMEN” IS ONE WAY OF HELPING TO REMEMBER THE “13 ÊTRE VERBS”. IT ALSO HELPS TO REMEMBER THE MEANINGS. DID YOU NOTICE HOW THE VERBS WERE ARRANGED IN TWO COLUMNS? THE MEANING OF THE VERB ON THE RIGHT IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE VERB ON THE LEFTLET’S HAVE A LOOK AT THEM AGAIN

ALLER VENIR

ARRIVERTO GO

TO ARRIVERESTERTO STAY

MONTERTO GO UPENTRER

TO GO INNAÎTRE

TO BE BORN

PARTIR

RETOURNER

DESCENDRE

SORTIR

MOURIR

TO COME

TO LEAVETO RETURN

TO GO DOWN

TO GO OUT

TO DIE

TOMBERTO FALL

AND “TOMBER” FALLS DOWN BETWEEN THE REST!!

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO HELP REMEMBER THE 13 ÊTRE VERBS. HERE IS ANOTHER POPULAR WAY………

MONTER

RESTER SORTIRVENIR ALLER NAÎTREDESCENDRE

ENTRER TOMBERRETOURNE

RARRIVER

MOURIRPARTIR

M R SV A ND E TR A MP

THE 13 VERBS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS THE “MRS. VAN DE TRAMP” VERBS

THESE 13 VERBS WORK IN THE SAME WAY AS HOW WE SAW PREVIOUSLY. FIRST YOU NEED TO MAKE THE PAST PARTICIPLE BUT THIS TIME IT IS COMBINED WITH PARTS OF “ÊTRE” INSTEAD OF “AVOIR”.ONLY THREE OF THE 13 VERBS HAVE AN IRREGULAR PAST PARTICIPLE. HERE THEY ALL ARE……

THE 13 “ÊTRE” VERBS AND THEIR PAST PARTICIPLES

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE

ALLER ALLÉ VENIR VENUARRIVERRESTERMONTERENTRERNAÎTRETOMBER

ARRIVÉRESTÉMONTÉENTRÉNÉTOMBÉ

PARTIR PARTIRETOURNER

RETOURNÉDESCENDRE

DESCENDUSORTIR SORTIMOURIR MORT

THESE ARE THE IRREGULAR ONES

JE SUISTU ES

IL/ELLE ESTNOUS SOMMESVOUS ÊTESILS/ELLES SONT

I AMYOU ARE

HE/SHE ISWE AREYOU ARETHEY ARE

ALLÉ

= I WENT

JE SUIS

PARTI

= HE LEFT

IL EST

THERE IS ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING THAT MUST BE DONE WHEN USING THE PERFECT TENSE WITH ÊTRE…… THE PAST PARTICIPLE MUST AGREE WITH THE SUBJECT.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??

LET’S SEE

YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE USE OF AGREEMENTS BEFORE. ADDING EXTRA LETTERS WHEN DESCRIBING SOMETHING FEMININE OR PLURAL. LIKE THIS………

IL EST PETITELLE EST PETITE

ILS SONT PETITSELLES SONT PETITES

THESE SAME AGREEMENTS ARE ALSO USED WHEN USING ÊTRE IN THE PERFECT TENSE

ALLÉE

= SHE WENT

ELLE EST

ARRIVÉS

= THEY ARRIVED

ILS SONT

RESTÉES

= THEY STAYED

ELLES SONT

ALSO ALL REFLEXIVE VERBS USE ÊTRE IN THE PERFECT TENSE. EG “SE LEVER” “SE REVEILLER” ETC.YOU FORM THE PERFECT TENSE IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY BUT YOU MUST INCLUDE THE CORRECT REFLEXIVE PRONOUN.HERE IS HOW TO DO IT……

JE ME SUIS LEVÉ = I GOT UP TU T’ES LEVÉ = YOU GOT UP IL S’EST LEVÉ = HE GOT UP ELLE S’EST LEVÉE = SHE GOT UP

NOUS NOUS SOMMES LEVÉS = WE GOT UP VOUS VOUS ÊTES LEVÉS = YOU GOT UP

ILS SE SONT LEVÉS = THEY GOT UP ELLES SE SONT LEVÉES = THEY GOT UP

AND THAT’S THE PERFECT TENSE IN FRENCH. IT MIGHT SEEM A LOT OF INFORMATION TO REMEMBER BUT EVERY TIME YOU GO TO FORM A VERB IN THIS TENSE THINK ABOUT THE KEY STEPS………

FORM THE PAST PARTICIPLE. IS IT REGULAR OR IRREGULAR?DOES THE VERB USE “AVOIR” OR “ÊTRE”?IF IT USES “ÊTRE” DOES THE PAST PARTICIPLE NEED TO AGREE?