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Le passé composé avec avoir et être
Le passé composé avec avoir et être
Définition:
Définition:
The passé composé is used to refer to an event in the past that has a clear beginning and end.
Forms:
Forms:
L’auxiliaire/auxiliary verb:
The name passé composé reminds us that this tense is composed of two elements: the present tense of an auxiliary verb (either avoir or être), followed by a past participle (participe passé).
L’auxiliare: Avoir ou Être?
L’auxiliare: Avoir ou Être?
Avoir: 99% of verbs take avoir. So generally when you are writing or speaking in the past, you can ask yourself, “Why not avoir?”
Compare the conjugation of “aller” below, with the verb “visiter.”
Être: Most verbs conjugated with être are related to movement (coming, going, up, down, being born, dying). There are not many, so you can plan to memorize them.
Tip: Try this to remember verbs conjugated with être
DR & MRS P. VANDERTRAMP
Accord/Agreement:
Accord/Agreement:
All verbs that take être agree in gender (feminine/masculine) and number (singular/plural) with the subject. “Agree” means to change to fit the gender and number of the subject.
Review the conjugation of “être” with “aller” below.
Uses:
Uses:
The passé composé is used in several situations/contexts when talking about the past.
An action with a clear beginning and end.
A series of actions, all completed in the past.
An action in the past repeated a specific number of times.
A change in a state of being. An interruption.
Compare to: I was hungry: J’avais faim.
This describes a state of being, and so the imparfait is used.
Compare to: I was leaving when I got your text. Je partais quand j’ai reçu ton texto.
The state of being is “I was leaving,” and “I got a text” interrupted that state.
How you translate it into English depends on the context.
What happened? The dog ate my sandwich!
What did the dog do? The dog has eaten my sandwich!
Did the dog eat your sandwich? Yes, it did eat my sandwich!
La négation
La négation
Negation of the passé composé is formed by placing ne ... pas around the auxiliary (avoir or être, depending on the verb).
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