THE PERFECT TENSE IS USED TO EXPRESS THE

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.

THIS IS THE PERFECT TENSE IN ENGLISH HE HAS DONE SUBJECT AUXILIARY VERB PAST PARTICIPLE TO FORM THE PERFECT TENSE IN FRENCH, WE NEED AN AUXILIARY VERB AND A PAST PARTICIPLE, JUST AS IN ENGLISH.

THERE ARE TWO VERBS THAT ARE USED AS AUXILIARY VERBS…… AVOIR (TO HAVE) AND ÊTRE (TO BE) MOST VERBS USE “AVOIR” AS THE AUXILIARY VERB, BUT SOME USE “ÊTRE”, (WE’LL DEAL WITH THIS LATER) HERE ARE THE PARTS OF AVOIR

J’AI TU AS IL/ELLE A NOUS AVONS VOUS AVEZ ILS/ELLES ONT I HAVE YOU HAVE HE/SHE HAS WE HAVE YOU HAVE THEY HAVE

THE NEXT STEP IS TO FORM A PAST PARTICIPLE HERE’S HOW ………

TAKE AN INFINITIVE THIS IS CALLED A STEM JOUER FINIR VENDRE É I U REMOVE THE ENDING THESE ARE PAST PARTICIPLES ADD ENDINGS

VERB ENDS IN………………… -ER -IR -RE PAST PARTICIPLE ENDS IN ………… É I U 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 LEARNT HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT ONES

PAST MEANING INFINITIVE PARTICIPLE TO BE TO DO/MAKE TO KNOW TO HAVE TO TO BE ABLE TO TO SEE TO HAVE ÊTRE FAIRE SAVOIR DEVOIR POUVOIR AVOIR ÉTÉ FAIT SU DÛ PU VU 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. HERE THEY ARE……… Aller Venir Arriver Partir Rester Retourner Monter Descendre Entrer S ortir Naître Mourir Tomber

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

Aller Venir A Arriver Partir Retourner Rester Monter Descendre Entrer S ortir Naître Mourir Tomber

AARMEN REMEMBERING 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 LEFT LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT THEM AGAIN

TOMBER ALLER TO FALL TO GO ARRIVER TO ARRIVE RESTER TO STAY MONTER TO GO UP ENTRER TO GO IN NAÎTRE TO BE BORN AND “TOMBER” FALLS DOWN BETWEEN THE REST!! VENIR TO COME PARTIR TO LEAVE RETOURNER TO RETURN DESCENDRE TO GO DOWN SORTIR TO GO OUT MOURIR TO DIE

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

MONTER M VENIR V DESCENDRE D R RETOURNER PARTIR P R RESTER ALLER A ENTRER E ARRIVER A S SORTIR NAÎTRE N TOMBER T MOURIR M 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 ALLER PAST PARTICIPLE INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE ALLÉ VENIR VENU ARRIVER ARRIVÉ PARTIR PARTI RESTER RESTÉ RETOURNER RETOURNÉ MONTER MONTÉ DESCENDRE DESCENDU ENTRER ENTRÉ SORTIR SORTI NAÎTRE NÉ MOURIR MORT TOMBER TOMBÉ THESE ARE THE IRREGULAR ONES

JE SUIS TU ES IL/ELLE EST NOUS SOMMES VOUS ÊTES ILS/ELLES SONT I AM YOU ARE HE/SHE IS WE ARE YOU ARE THEY ARE

JE SUIS = I WENT ALLÉ

IL EST = HE LEFT PARTI

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 PETIT ILS SONT PETITS ELLE EST PETITE ELLES SONT PETITES THESE SAME AGREEMENTS ARE ALSO USED WHEN USING ÊTRE IN THE PERFECT TENSE

ELLE EST ALLÉE = SHE WENT

ILS SONT ARRIVÉS = THEY ARRIVED

ELLES SONT RESTÉES = THEY STAYED

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 SOMMES LEVÉS = WE GOT UP 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?