Le passé composé

The passé composé, as its name implies, is a composed past, that is it is made up of two verbs, a helping verb (which determines the subject and time) and a past participle (in English the past participle often ends in -ed).

Le participe passé (The past participle): For -er verbs, drop the -er and add -é mangermangé glisserglissé chanterchanté For -ir verbs, drop the -ir and add -i choisir obéir réussir choisi obéi réussi For -re verbs, drop the -re and add u vendre rendre attendre vendu rendu attendu

There are some verbs whose past participle is irregular. Here is a list of those that you should know. avoir boire connaître courir croire devoir eu bu connu couru cru dûdû to have to drink to know to run to believe should, ought to, must falloir lire plaire pleuvoir pouvoir recevoir fallu to be necessary luto read pluto please pluto rain puto be able to reçuto receive

There are some more verbs whose past participle is irregular. Here is a list of those that you should know. savoir taire tenir valoir vivre voir su tu tenu valu vécu vu to know to be quiet to hold to be worth to live to see vouloir rire suivre asseoir mettre prendre vouluto want rito laugh suivito follow assisto sit misto put, place pristo take

There are some more verbs whose past participle is irregular. Here is a list of those that you should know. conduir dire écrire craindre être faire conduit dit écrit craint été fait to drive to say, tell to write to fear to be to do, make ouvrir couvrir venir* revenir* devenir* naître* ouvertto open couvertto cover venuto come revenuto return devenuto become nénéto be born

There are some more verbs whose past participle is irregular. Here is a list of those that you should know. mourir*mortto die *These verbs use être as their helping verbs.

Most verbs will use avoir as their helping verb to form the passé composé. Jaiparlé Tuasparlé Ilaparlé Elleaparlé Onaparlé Nousavonsparlé Vousavezparlé Ilsontparlé Ellesontparlé

Remember, in the passé composé of avoir verbs there is no agreement of the past participle with the subject 1. However, there IS agreement if you use a direct object 2 pronoun (nous, vous, le, la, les). 1 Jai mangé toute la pizza. 2 Je lai mangée toute.

Some practice with avoir passé composé verbs: 1.(voir) Elle _______________ la fleur. 2.(voir) Elle l ________________. 3.(boire) Marie ________________ une limonade. 4.(boire) Marie l ________________. 5.(regarder) Mme. Ricard, vous _________________ les photos? 6.(regarder) Mme. Ricard les___________________? a vu a vue a bu avez regardé avez vues a bue

Some verbs use être instead of avoir. *You can remember these verbs by thinking of Dr. and Mrs. Vandertrampp. Each letter sands for one of these verbs. *Another way to remember these verbs is that many have to do with motion/movement. *Another idea is to lean them as opposite pairs.

Dr. & Mrs. Vandertrampp: Ddevenir R.revenir Mmonter Rrester S.sortir Vvenir Aaller Nnaître Ddescendre Eentrer Rretourner Ttomber Rrentrer Aarriver Mmourir Ppartir Ppasser

Remember, with être passé composé verbs the past participle must agree with the subject 1 EXCEPT if followed by a noun 2. 1 Marie est venue chez nous aujourdhui. 2 Marie sest lavé les mains.

Some practice with être passé composé verbs: 1.(naître) Elle _______________ à Paris. 2.(sortir) Les jeunes filles ________________ très tarde. 3.(se lever) Marie ________________ la main. 4.(venir) Tous les garçons, nous ________________ à huit heures. 5.(aller) Mme. Ricard, vous _________________ au théatre hier soir? 6.(se brosser) Je ___________________les dents. est née sont sorties sest levé sommes venus êtes allée me suis brossé