Passé Composé Notes
Answer these questions:
1. I go to school.
a. What is the subject in this sentence?
b. What is the verb in this sentence?
c. What verb tense is used in this sentence?
2. I went to school.
a. What is the subject in this sentence?
b. What is the verb in this sentence?
c. What verb tense is used in this sentence?
Follow these steps to put verbs into the past tenses:
In passé compose you have two verbs – a helping verb (avoir or etre)
and the verb that is being put into passé compose. Use steps 1-5 to
help you conjugate verbs into passé compose.
STEP 1 - Determine which helping verb is used - AVOIR or ETRE:
If the verb is on this list it IS CONJUGATED WITH ETRE
(These are all verbs of a certain kind of movement). Use the
mnemonic device below to remember these verbs:
Devenir
Revenir
&
Monter
Rester
Sortir
Passer
Venir
Aller
Naître
Descendre
Entrer
Rentrer
Tomber
Retourner
Arriver
Mourir
Partir
Conjugate with etre !
A. Robinson – May 2007 - 1
If it isn’t on this list (10 000+ verbs) it is conjugated with AVOIR!
Example: I went to school.. What verb are you looking for
on this list in english? _________________ in French? _________.
Is it on this list? _______ What helping verb is it conjugated
with? _______
STEP 2 - Find the subject (who’s talking?) of the helping verb verb:
je
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Example: I went to school.. What subject are you using in
this sentence? ______
STEP 3 - Conjugate AVOIR or ETRE with the subject and put it in
front of the verb.
ETRE
AVOIR
Je suis
J’ai
Tu ____
only use for
Tu ____
Il/elle ______
Dr. & Mrs. P
Il/elle ______
Nous ______
Vandertramp verbs
Vous ______
Nous ______
Ils/elles _________
Vous ______
Ils/elles _________
What subject and helping verb are you using? ______________
A. Robinson – May 2007 - 2
STEP 4 - Change the verb’s ending by taking OFF the ending and
adding the new ending:
Regular “ER” verbs usually change their ending to “é” –
remember to use the accent. (example: parler changes to
parlé).
Regular “RE” verbs usually change their ending to “u”
(example: battre changes to battu).
Regular “IR” verbs usually change their ending to “I” (example:
sortir changes to sorti).
What kind of verb is aller? _____ What does the ending change
to? ______ Now Write out the whole sentence.
____________________________________________
(I went to school)
STEP 5 (ONLY WITH Dr. & Mrs. P Vandertramp verbs!) Ensure that it
agrees in gender and in number if it’s conjugated with etre.
If the verb is conjugated with the helping verb “etre”, and the “je” is a
female, or the subject is elle or elles, you must add an “e” at the end
of the verb.
o Example : Je suis allée à l’école.
If the verb is plural (nous, vous, ils/elles) and is conjugated with the
helping verb “etre”, you must add an “s” at the end of the verb.
o Example: nous sommes allés à l’école.
o Example : vous étés allés à l’école.
o Example : ils sont allés à l’école.
If there is a feminine subject (elles) and it’s plural, add the “e”, and
then the “s”
o Example : Elles sont allées à l’école.
Do you have to change the sentence above? ______ Explain
why or why not? __________________________ Make the changes
to the sentence above.
A. Robinson – May 2007 - 3
Passé Compose Activities
Activity #1 – Write down the helping verb that each of these will use to be
put into the passé compose.
1. aller
___________________
2. parler
___________________
3. telephoner ___________________
4. regarder ___________________
5. jouer
___________________
6. danser
___________________
7. rester
___________________
8. aimer
___________________
9. adorer
___________________
10.
passer
___________________
Activity #2 - Use steps -5 to put the following verbs into the passé
compose.
11.
je + sortir
___________________
12.
il + marquer
___________________
13.
Vous + battre
___________________
14.
tu + aller
___________________
15.
nous + perdre
___________________
16.
Elles + gagner
___________________
17.
Elles + passer
___________________
18.
je + finir
___________________
19.
elle + jouer
___________________
20.
vous + téléphoner
___________________
A. Robinson – May 2007 - 4