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All 14 Flashcards — Passé composé
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Question
le passé composé
Answer
the compound past — the everyday tense for completed actions (auxiliary + past participle)
Question
manger → j'…
Answer
j'ai mangé (I ate / I have eaten — avoir + participle -é)
Question
finir → tu…
Answer
tu as fini (you finished — avoir + participle -i)
Question
vendre → il / elle…
Answer
il a vendu / elle a vendu (he/she sold — avoir + participle -u)
Question
aller → je…
Answer
je suis allé(e) (I went — être + agreement)
Question
aller → elle / elles
Answer
elle est allée / elles sont allées (she/they-f went — être, feminine agreement)
Question
How do you form a regular past participle?
Answer
-er → -é (parlé), -ir → -i (fini), -re → -u (vendu).
Question
Which auxiliary do MOST verbs take?
Answer
avoir (j'ai mangé, tu as fini, il a vendu). With avoir the participle does NOT agree with the subject.
Question
Which verbs take ÊTRE?
Answer
The DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs (movement / change of state: aller, venir, arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, monter, descendre, naître, mourir, etc.) and ALL reflexive verbs.
Question
être past-participle agreement
Answer
With être the participle agrees with the subject: +e (fem.), +s (plural), +es (fem. plural) — elle est allée, ils sont allés, elles sont parties.
Question
When do you use the passé composé?
Answer
For completed past actions: a single finished event, a sequence of events, or an action at a specific time (hier, tout à coup).
Question
faire / prendre / voir → past participle
Answer
Irregulars: faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu (also être → été, avoir → eu).
Question
Spot the error: «Elle a allée au cinéma.»
Answer
Wrong auxiliary: «aller» takes être, so it must be «Elle est allée au cinéma.»
Question
Spot the error: «Hier, je mangé une pizza.»
Answer
Missing auxiliary: needs «j'ai mangé» — the passé composé always has an auxiliary (avoir/être) before the participle.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Passé composé
Topic 3.2 hub
Past tenses
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French B exam skills
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