1. What is your main verb? What ‘helping’ verb does it take?
Perfect Tense Guide
What is your main verb?
What ‘helping’ verb does it take?
AVOIR
ÊTRE
Most verbs take avoir.
The ‘I’ form of avoir is………….
There are only a few verbs that take Être in the perfect tense. A list of these is on the next slide.
The ‘I’ form of être is…………….

2. There are three families of verbs
ER – eg Jouer = to………………
Remove the R from the verb infinitive and add an accent aigu (acute accent) on the final ‘E’.
RE – eg Perdre = to lose
Remove the RE from the verb infinitive and add a ‘U’
IR – eg Finir
= to finish
Remove the R from the verb infinitive.
The verb will end in an ‘I’
To form the past tense of the verb use the correct part of AVOIR or ÊTRE for the subject and……….
If the main verb uses ÊTRE to help it into the past tense you must add an extra …………… onto the end of the verb if the subject is feminine.
If the subject of the verb is plural, you add an ………………

3. Irregular verbs in the perfect tense
boire --> bu (drunk)
lire --> lu (read)
comprendre --> compris (understood)
mettre --> mis (put)
ouvrir --> ouvert (opened)
connaître --> connu (known)
pouvoir --> pu (been able to)
croire --> cru (believed)
prendre --> pris (taken)
devoir --> dû (had to)
savoir --> su (known)
dire --> dit (said)
voir --> vu (seen)
écrire --> écrit (written)
vouloir --> voulu (wanted)
être --> été (been)
faire --> fait (done)
* These are the only verbs you have been taught at the moment!

4. Verbs that take ÊTRE to help put them in the past tense
Monter --> monté (went up)
Descendre --> descendu (went down)
Entrer --> entré (entered)
Retourner --> retourné (returned)
Rester --> resté (stayed)
Sortir --> sorti (went out)
Tomber --> tombé (fell)
Rentrer --> rentré (went back in)
Venir --> venu (came)
Arriver --> arrivé (arrived)
Aller --> allé (went)
Mourir --> mort (died)
Naître --> né (was born)
Partir --> parti (left)
* These are the only verbs you have been taught at the moment!