1. THE PERFECT
TENSE

2. THE PERFECT TENSE IS USED TO EXPRESS THE PAST
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.

3. HE HAS DONE THIS IS THE PERFECT TENSE IN ENGLISH 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.

4. AVOIR ÊTRE HERE ARE THE PARTS OF AVOIR
THERE ARE TWO VERBS THAT ARE USED AS AUXILIARY VERBS……
AVOIR
ÊTRE
AND
(TO HAVE)
(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

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

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

7. JOU ER É FIN IR I VEND RE U TAKE AN INFINITIVE REMOVE THE ENDING1
TAKE AN INFINITIVE
JOU ER É
THIS IS CALLED A STEM
FIN IR I
VEND RE U 2
REMOVE THE ENDING
THESE ARE PAST PARTICIPLES 3
ADD ENDINGS

8. -ER É -IR I U -RE LEARN THESE ENDINGS!!! SO...
PAST PARTICIPLE ENDS IN …………
VERB ENDS IN…………………
-ER É
-IR I U
-RE
LEARN THESE ENDINGS!!!

9. NOW YOU HAVE A PAST PARTICIPLE IT IS COMBINED WITH A PART OF “AVOIR” TO FORM THE PERFECT TENSE
LET’S SEE HOW

10. PART OF
PAST
JOUÉ
J’AI
PARTICIPLE
AVOIR
= I PLAYED / I HAVE PLAYED

11. FINI IL A = HE FINISHED / HE HAS FINISHED PART OF PAST PARTICIPLE
AVOIR
= HE FINISHED /
HE HAS FINISHED

12. NOUS AVONS VENDU = WE SOLD / WE HAVE SOLD PART OF PAST PARTICIPLE
AVOIR
= WE SOLD / WE HAVE SOLD

13. VOUS AVEZ VISITÉ = YOU VISITED / YOU HAVE VISITED PART OF PAST
PARTICIPLE
AVOIR
= YOU VISITED /
YOU HAVE VISITED

14. THAT’S HOW TO DO THE PERFECT TENSE
THAT’S HOW TO DO THE PERFECT TENSE. HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME OTHER RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW…

15. 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

16. LEARN THESE PAST PARTICIPLES
MEANING
INFINITIVE
PARTICIPLE
TO BE
ÊTRE
ÉTÉ
TO DO/MAKE
FAIRE
FAIT
SAVOIR SU
TO KNOW
DEVOIR
TO HAVE TO DÛ
POUVOIR PU
TO BE ABLE TO
TO SEE
VOIR VU
TO HAVE
AVOIR EU
LEARN THESE PAST PARTICIPLES

17. 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……

18. A ller V enir A rriver P artir R ester R etourner M onter D escendre E
THERE ARE 13 VERBS WHICH USE “ÊTRE” AS THE AUXILIARY.
HERE THEY ARE……… A
ller V
enir A
rriver P
artir R
ester R
etourner M
onter D
escendre E
ntrer S
ortir N
aître M
ourir T
omber

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

20. A A ller V enir A A rriver P artir R R ester R etourner M M onter D1 A A
ller V
enir A A
rriver P
artir R R
ester R
etourner M M
onter D
escendre E E
ntrer S
ortir N N
aître M
ourir T
omber

21. 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

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

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

24. MONTER M
RESTER R
SORTIR S
ALLER A
NAÎTRE N
VENIR V
DESCENDRE D
ENTRER E
TOMBER T
RETOURNER R
ARRIVER A
MOURIR M
PARTIR P
THE 13 VERBS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS THE “MRS. VAN DE TRAMP” VERBS

25. THESE 13 VERBS WORK IN THE SAME WAY AS HOW WE SAW PREVIOUSLY
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……

26. THE 13 “ÊTRE” VERBS AND THEIR PAST PARTICIPLES
INFINITIVE
PAST PARTICIPLE
INFINITIVE
PAST PARTICIPLE
ALLER
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

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

28. PART OF
PAST
ALLÉ
JE SUIS
ÊTRE
PARTICIPLE
= I WENT

29. PART OF
PAST
PARTI
IL EST
ÊTRE
PARTICIPLE
= HE LEFT

30. 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

31. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE USE OF AGREEMENTS BEFORE
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

32. PART OF
PAST
ALLÉE
ELLE EST
ÊTRE
PARTICIPLE
= SHE WENT

33. PART OF
PAST
ARRIVÉS
ILS SONT
ÊTRE
PARTICIPLE
= THEY ARRIVED

34. PART OF
PAST
RESTÉES
ELLES SONT
ÊTRE
PARTICIPLE
= THEY STAYED

35. 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……

36. ELLE S’EST LEVÉE = SHE GOT UP
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 NOUS SOMMES LEVÉS = WE GOT UP
VOUS VOUS ÊTES LEVÉS = YOU GOT UP
ILS SE SONT LEVÉS = THEY GOT UP
ELLES SE SONT LEVÉES = THEY GOT UP

37. AND THAT’S THE PERFECT TENSE IN FRENCH
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………

38. FORM THE PAST PARTICIPLE. IS IT REGULAR OR IRREGULAR?1
DOES THE VERB USE “AVOIR” OR “ÊTRE”? 2
IF IT USES “ÊTRE” DOES THE PAST PARTICIPLE NEED TO AGREE? 3

39. FIN