Le passé composé

(the perfect tense)

The perfect tense – Le passécomposé

• In French you use the perfect tense (le passé composé) to say what you have done in the past.

• The passé composé is usually formed by using the present tense of

• avoir and the

• past participle of the verb, just as in English

Par exemple:

• J’ai joué =• I have played• Nous avons gagné =• We have won• Elle a dormi =• She has slept • Tu as répondu =• You have replied

Auxiliary verb

• J’ ai• Tu as• Il a• Elle a• Nous avons• Vous avez• Ils ont• Elles ont

Past participles

• To form the past participle of –er verbs, take the -er off the infinitive and replace it with

• -é• Regular –ir verbs form the past participles by

taking off the• final –r• Regular • -re verbs take off the final –re and replace it with• u

Irregular past participles

• Avoir =• Eu• Boire =• Bu• Lire =• Lu• Voir =• vu

• Venir = • Venu• Dire =• Dit• Écrire = • Écrit• Faire =• fait

• Prendre =• Pris• Apprendre =• Appris• Comprendre =• Compris• Mettre =• mis

Part 2 Next

• In the perfect tense most verbs take the auxiliary verb

• Avoir

• But some take

• Être

• To help you learn which verbs take être you can memorise the mnemonic

• MR DAMP’S TAVERN

MR DAMPS TAVERN

• Mourir• Retourner• Descendre• Aller• Monter• Partir• Sortir

• Tomber• Arriver• Venir• Entrer• Rester• Naitre

Agreement

• Notice that with verbs that take être as the auxiliary verb, the past

• participle agrees with the subject (the person or thing doing the action). If the subject is feminine you must add an extra

• -e and if the subject is plural you must add an extra

• -s. If it is plural and feminine you must add• -es!