THE PERFECT TENSE To be able to use verbs in the perfect tense with avoir

Past Tense in English When we talk about something we’ve done or something that has happened, we use a past tense: – I played tennis on Saturday. – We watched a film. – He has eaten the biscuits. – They have finished their homework.

Past Tense in English We can talk about the past using the present tense of the verb to have and the past participle of the verb. For example: – He has eaten the biscuits. – They have finished their homework. We can also say: – He ate the biscuits. – They finished their homework.

Perfect Tense in French The perfect tense in French is also formed using the present tense of avoir (to have) and the past participle of the verb: – Il a mangé les biscuits. The French sentence is the equivalent of both: – He has eaten the biscuits. – He ate the biscuits.

Forming the Perfect Tense To form the perfect tense, you need to know two things: – The present tense of avoir – How to form the past participle of a verb

Present tense of avoir J’aiI have Tu asYou (singular) have Il/Elle aHe/She has Nous avonsWe have Vous avezYou (plural) have Ils/Elles ontThey have Avoir is called an auxiliary (helpful) verb because it “helps” form the perfect tense.

Test yourself! You have already learnt the pattern of the verb avoir in Year 7. Let’s revise it!

J’ a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

J’ a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Nous a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Nous a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Il a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Il a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Elles a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Elles a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Tu a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Tu a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Vous a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Vous a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Mon copain a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Mon copain a. ai b. as c. amon copain = d. avonsmy friend = e. avezil (he) f. ont

Mes parents a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Mes parents a. ai b. as c. ames parents = d. avonsmy parents = e. avezils (they) f. ont

Alain et toi a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Alain et toi a. ai b. as c. aAlain et toi = d. avonsAlain and you = e. avezvous (you, pl) f. ont

Ma cousine et moi a. ai b. as c. a d. avons e. avez f. ont

Ma cousine et moi a. ai b. as c. a ma cousine et moi = d. avons my cousin and me = e. avez nous (we) f. ont

How to form the past participle English past participles often end in –ed: played, danced, watched… In French, verbs form their past participles in different ways: – jouer  joué – finir  fini – attendre  attendu

How to form the past participle For –er verbs, take off –er and add –é For –ir verbs, take off –ir and add –i For –re verbs, take off –re and add –u

Parler Which is the correct past participle? a. parler b. parli c. parlé d. parle

Parler Which is the correct past participle? a. parler b. parli c. parlé d. parle For –er verbs, take off –er and add –é

Manger Which is the correct past participle? a. manges b. mangé c. manger d. mangu

Manger Which is the correct past participle? a. manges b. mangé c. manger d. mangu For –er verbs, take off –er and add –é

Dormir Which is the correct past participle? a. dormi b. dormis c. dormé d. dormer

Dormir Which is the correct past participle? a. dormi b. dormis c. dormé d. dormer

Vendre Which is the correct past participle? a. vendi b. vendre c. vendé d. vendu

Vendre Which is the correct past participle? a. vendi b. vendre c. vendé d. vendu

Danser Which is the correct past participle? a. dansé b. danser c. danse d. dansent

Danser Which is the correct past participle? a. dansé b. danser c. danse d. dansent For –er verbs, take off –er and add –é

Perdre Which is the correct past participle? a. perde b. perdi c. perdé d. perdu

Perdre Which is the correct past participle? a. perde b. perdi c. perdé d. perdu

Choisir Which is the correct past participle? a. choisi b. choisis c. choisu d. choisé

Choisir Which is the correct past participle? a. choisi b. choisis c. choisu d. choisé

Répondre Which is the correct past participle? a. répondre b. répondu c. répondi d. répondé

Répondre Which is the correct past participle? a. répondre b. répondu c. répondi d. répondé

Visiter Which is the correct past participle? a. visiter b. visites c. visité d. visitu

Visiter Which is the correct past participle? a. visiter b. visites c. visité d. visitu For –er verbs, take off –er and add –é

Inviter Which is the correct past participle? a. invité b. invite c. inviter d. invitez

Summary To form the perfect tense, you put together – The correct part of avoir in the present tense and – The past participle of the verb you are using

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? J’ai mangé une pizza. I have eaten/I ate a pizza.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? J’ai mangé une pizza. I have eaten/I ate a pizza.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Il a attendu le bus. He has waited/He waited for the bus.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Il a attendu le bus. He has waited/He waited for the bus.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Tu as fini tes devoirs? You have finished/Did you finish your homework?

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? As-tu fini tes devoirs? Have you finished/Did you finish your homework?

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Il a préparé le dîner. He has prepared/He prepared dinner.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Il a préparé le dîner. He has prepared/He prepared dinner.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Nous avons dansé. We have danced/We danced.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Nous avons dansé. We have danced/We danced.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Vous avez skié en Suisse. You have skied/You skied in Switzerland.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Vous avez skié en Suisse. You have skied/You skied in Switzerland.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Elles ont joué au football. They have played/They played football.

Examples Can you spot the two components in this sentence? Elles ont joué au football. They have played/They played football.

Test yourself! Je (chanter) au karaoké. a. J’ai chanté b. J’as chanté c. J’avoir chanté d. J’a chanté

Test yourself! Je (chanter) au karaoké. a. J’ai chanté b. J’as chanté c. J’avoir chanté d. J’a chanté

Test yourself! Tu (promener) le chien. a. Tu as promener b. Tu as promene c. Tu as promenu d. Tu as promené

Test yourself! Tu (promener) le chien. a. Tu as promener b. Tu as promene c. Tu as promenu d. Tu as promené

Test yourself! Il (dormir) à l’hôtel. a. Il a dormé b. Il a dormi c. Il a dormu d. Il a dormir

Test yourself! Il (dormir) à l’hôtel. a. Il a dormé b. Il a dormi c. Il a dormu d. Il a dormir

Test yourself! Nous (surfer) à la neige. a. Nous avez surfé b. Nous avoir surfé c. Nous ont surfé d. Nous avons surfé

Test yourself! Nous (surfer) à la neige. a. Nous avez surfé b. Nous avoir surfé c. Nous ont surfé d. Nous avons surfé

Test yourself! Vous (réviser) pour le test de géographie. a. Vous avez réviser b. Vous avez révise c. Vous avez révisé d. Vous avez révisu

Test yourself! Vous (réviser) pour le test de géographie. a. Vous avez réviser b. Vous avez révise c. Vous avez révisé d. Vous avez révisu

Test yourself! Elles (réussir) les examens. a. Elles avez réussi b. Elles avons réussi c. Elles ont réussi d. Elles avoir réussi

Test yourself! Elles (réussir) les examens. a. Elles avez réussi b. Elles avons réussi c. Elles ont réussi d. Elles avoir réussi