Le pass compos the perfect tense The perfect

Le passé composé (the perfect tense)

The perfect tense – Le passé composé • 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’ Tu Il Elle Nous Vous Ils Elles ai as a a avons avez 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

• 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!