Le passLe passé composéé composéThe Perfect TenseThe Perfect Tense

Talking about events in the Talking about events in the pastpast

Talking about events in the pastTalking about events in the past

In English, we have many ways of talking In English, we have many ways of talking about events in the pastabout events in the past

I playedI played

I have playedI have played

I did playI did play

In French, we can translate all three of the In French, we can translate all three of the phrases using the same sentence!phrases using the same sentence!

French is easy!!French is easy!!

Le passLe passé composéé composé

The Perfect Tense in French is made in The Perfect Tense in French is made in three simple stepsthree simple steps

1.1. Find the verb (doing word) you needFind the verb (doing word) you need

2.2. Change the way the verb is writtenChange the way the verb is written

3.3. Add a part of the verb avoir (to have) Add a part of the verb avoir (to have) with its subject pronoun (I/You/He/She)with its subject pronoun (I/You/He/She)

Step 1 – Find the verb you are Step 1 – Find the verb you are looking forlooking for

In order to find the verb we are looking for we In order to find the verb we are looking for we must use a…must use a………DICTIONARYDICTIONARYe.g. To make the sentence ‘I have played’, we e.g. To make the sentence ‘I have played’, we will look up ‘play’ in the dictionary.will look up ‘play’ in the dictionary.We will find the word we are looking for next to We will find the word we are looking for next to the letters vi or vtthe letters vi or vtThe word we find is…The word we find is… jouerjouerThis is called the INFINITIVEThis is called the INFINITIVE

Step 1 - PracticeStep 1 - Practice

Look up the following words in a French-Look up the following words in a French-English dictionary and write down their English dictionary and write down their infinitive forms.infinitive forms.

Remember you will find the infinitive form Remember you will find the infinitive form next to the letters vi or vtnext to the letters vi or vt

1. speak1. speak 2. eat2. eat 3. visit3. visit

4. hate4. hate 5. swim5. swim 6. do6. do

Step 1 – Practice answersStep 1 – Practice answers

speakspeakeateatvisitvisithatehateswimswimdodo

parlerparlermangermangervisitervisiterddétesterétesternagernagerfairefaireYou are now ready You are now ready for step 2for step 2

Step 2 – Changing the infinitiveStep 2 – Changing the infinitive

Most infinitives end –er (jouer/parler)Most infinitives end –er (jouer/parler)

In order to make the verb suitable for the In order to make the verb suitable for the perfect tense, we must change this endingperfect tense, we must change this ending

For –er verbs we must…For –er verbs we must…

1.1. Take off the Take off the –er–er e.g. joue.g. jou

2.2. Add an éAdd an é e.g. joue.g. jouéé

You have just changed the You have just changed the infinitiveinfinitive into a… into a…

……PAST PARTICIPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

Step 2 – PractiseStep 2 – PractiseChange the infinitive forms from step 1 into past Change the infinitive forms from step 1 into past

participlesparticiples

parlerparler

mangermanger

visitervisiter

ddétesterétester

nagernager

parlparléé

mangmangéé

visitvisitéé

ddétestéétesté

nagénagé

Step 2 - continuedStep 2 - continued

To summarise:To summarise:infinitives ending –er become -infinitives ending –er become -ééinfinitives ending –ir replace the –ir with –i infinitives ending –ir replace the –ir with –i infinitives ending –re replace the –re with –uinfinitives ending –re replace the –re with –uHowever there are some exceptions that need to be However there are some exceptions that need to be learnt!learnt!Some common exceptionsSome common exceptions

faire (to do) – faitfaire (to do) – fait boire (to drink) – bu boire (to drink) – bu avoir (to have) – eu avoir (to have) – eu voir (to see) – vu voir (to see) – vu

You are now ready for step 3!You are now ready for step 3!

Step 3 – add a part of avoirStep 3 – add a part of avoirTo complete a sentence in the past you must add a part To complete a sentence in the past you must add a part of the verb avoir-to haveof the verb avoir-to have

This should by now be familiar to you!!This should by now be familiar to you!!

I have

You (familiar) have

He/she/it has

We have

You (formal/plural) have

They have

J’ai

Tu as

Il/Elle a

Nous avons

Vous avez

Ils/Elles ont

Step 3 - PracticeStep 3 - Practice

Complete the sentences belowComplete the sentences below

J’ un chatJ’ un chat

Tu un stylo?Tu un stylo?

Il une soeurIl une soeur

Nous un chienNous un chien

Vous n’ pas de devoirsVous n’ pas de devoirs

Elles une gommeElles une gomme

Step 3 – Practice answersStep 3 – Practice answers

Complete the sentences belowComplete the sentences below

J’ J’ aiai un chat un chat

Tu Tu asas un stylo? un stylo?

Il Il aa une soeur une soeur

Nous Nous avonsavons un chien un chien

Vous n’ Vous n’ avezavez pas de devoirs pas de devoirs

Elles Elles ontont une gomme une gomme

Step 3 - continuedStep 3 - continued

We are now ready to make sentences in the We are now ready to make sentences in the perfect tenseperfect tense

If we want to translate ‘I have played’ into If we want to translate ‘I have played’ into French:French:

1.1. Find the infinitiveFind the infinitive jouerjouer

2.2. Change it into a past participleChange it into a past participle joujouéé

3.3. Add avoirAdd avoir j’ai jouj’ai jouéé

Remember, this phrase means Remember, this phrase means I have playedI have played, ,

I playedI played and and I did play!!!I did play!!!

The Perfect tense - practiceThe Perfect tense - practice

From what you have learnt, can you From what you have learnt, can you translate the following sentences?translate the following sentences?

1.1. I spoke FrenchI spoke French2.2. You ( a friend) have eaten a sandwichYou ( a friend) have eaten a sandwich3.3. I visited the castleI visited the castle4.4. We hated the cake (le gWe hated the cake (le gâteau)âteau)5.5. He has swumHe has swum6.6. They (women) didThey (women) did

AnswersAnswers

1.1. J’ai parlJ’ai parlé françaisé français

2.2. Tu as mangTu as mangé un sandwiché un sandwich

3.3. J’ai visitJ’ai visité le châteaué le château

4.4. Nous avons dNous avons détesté le gâteauétesté le gâteau

5.5. Il a nagIl a nagéé

6.6. Elles ont faitElles ont fait

Perfect Tense - checklistPerfect Tense - checklist

Have you found the correct infinitive?Have you found the correct infinitive?Have you changed the infinitive into a past Have you changed the infinitive into a past participle?participle?Have you added the correct part of avoir?Have you added the correct part of avoir?Are there 2 verbs in your French Are there 2 verbs in your French translation (i.e. a past participle and a part translation (i.e. a past participle and a part of avoir)? of avoir)? If you have answered yes then you can If you have answered yes then you can make the Perfect Tense – Congratulationsmake the Perfect Tense – Congratulations