Perfect Tense KS3 French - BBC Bitesize

Introduction to Perfect Tense

• Perfect tense is used to talk about past actions in French.
• Comprised of two parts: the verb avoir (to have) and the past participle.
  • Example: J'ai mangé un sandwich (I have eaten a sandwich).

Forming the Perfect Tense

Using Avoir

• Use the correct form of avoir according to the subject (e.g., j'ai, tu as).
• Add the past participle of the verb.
  • For -er verbs: remove -er and add -é.
    • Example: jouer (to play) becomes joué.
  • For -ir verbs: remove -ir and add -i.
    • Example: finir (to finish) becomes fini.
  • For -re verbs: remove -re and add -u.
    • Example: vendre (to sell) becomes vendu.

Irregular Past Participles

• Some verbs have irregular past participles:
  • avoir (to have) - eu
  • être (to be) - été
  • faire (to do) - fait
  • boire (to drink) - bu
  • prendre (to take) - pris

Using Être

• Certain verbs use être instead of avoir and require agreement in gender and number.
• Common être verbs:
  • aller (to go) - Example: Je suis allé au supermarché (I went to the supermarket).
  • arriver (to arrive) - Example: Tu es arrivé(e) quand? (When did you arrive?).
  • sortir (to go out) - Example: Elle est sortie de la maison (She left the house).

Usage of Passé Composé

• Used to describe actions completed in the past.
• Often used with time phrases:
  • hier - yesterday
  • lundi dernier - last Monday
  • le mois dernier - last month

Additional Resources

• How to use the infinitive in French
• Gender and articles in French
• Adjectives in French
• How to use the verb to be in French

Quiz

• Test your knowledge with a short quiz on the perfect tense in French.

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