PRESENT TENSE PERFECT TENSE

ER verbs
This is used to describe a completed action in the past
To form a regular er verb, e.g. jouer:to play
e.g. I played football yesterday I have been to France three times
1. Remove the er to make the stem. Jouer Jou__
2. Add the correct ending: The perfect tense is made up of 2 parts: auxiliary + past participle
Je jou__e e.g. Hier, il a jou au foot. Yesterday, he played football.
Tu jou__es Je suis all(e) en France trois fois. I went three times in France.
Il/elle/on jou__e
Nous jou__ons VERBS THAT TAKE AVOIR AS THE AUXILIARY
Vous jou__ez
Ils/elles jou__ent Subject Avoir Past participle
j ai ER verbs IR verbs RE verbs
IR verbs tu as - remove ER - remove IR - remove RE
To form a regular ir verb, e.g. finir:to finish il/elle/on a - add - add I - add U
1. Remove the ir to make the stem. Finir Fin__ nous avons e.g. jouer e.g. finir e.g. rpondre
2. Add the correct ending: vous avez jou fini rpondu
Je fin__is ils/elles ont
Tu fin__is
Il / elle / on fin__it
Nous fin__issons Irregular past participles
Vous fin__issez Some verbs dont follow the usual pattern for forming the past participle.
Ils / elles fin__issent Often, if a verb is irregular in one tense then itll probably be irregular in
other tenses as well - check the dictionary if youre not sure.
-RE verbs
Here are some common irregular past participles that take avoir:
To form a regular -re verb, e.g. rpondre:to answer
Infinitive Past participle Infinitive Past participle
1. Remove the re. Rpondre Rpond__
Avoir eu Lire lu
2. Add the correct ending:
Boire bu Pouvoir pu
Je rpond__s
Devoir d Prendre pris
Tu rpond__s
Dire dit Recevoir reu
Il / elle / on rpond___
tre t Voir vu
Nous rpond__ons
Faire fait Vouloir voulu
Vous rpond__ez
Ils / elles rpond__ent VERBS THAT TAKE TRE AS THE AUXILIARY
Reflexive/ Pronominal verbs Reflexive/ Pronominal verbs
Reflexive verbs are those that have se in front of the Reflexive verbs all use TRE to form the perfect tense.
infinitive. They tell you about something is being e.g. je me lave (I wash myself) je me suis lav (I washed myself)
done to/with someone.
MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs
e.g. We argue with each other Nous nous disputons
I washed myself Je me lave
A few verbs use TRE instead of avoir when forming the perfect tense.
Tips for remembering which ones they are:
The endings of most reflexive verbs are regular they * Theyre all to do with movement (e.g. to go, to leave, to return)
follow the patterns above for ER, IR & RE verbs. * If you put them together, the first letters spell out MRS VANDERTRAMP
The only extra bit is that the se changes depending
who youre talking about. Monter = to climb
Rentrer = to come back
se laver to wash oneself Sortir = to go out
Je me lave Subject tre Past participle
Tu te laves Venir (p.p venu) = to come je suis Apart from
Il/elle/on se lave tu es venir, natre &
Arriver = to arrive
Nous nous lavons
Natre (p.p. n) = to be born il/elle/on est mourir, these
Vous vous lavez
Ils/elles se lavent Descendre = to go down nous sommes verbs follow the
Entrer = to enter vous tes regular pattern
Irregular verbs Retourner = to return ils/elles sont for forming past
The following verbs are irregular in the present tense Tomber = to fall participles.
check the middle section of the dictionary to find Rester = to stay
out how to conjugate them. Aller = to go
Mourir (p.p. mort) = to die
English Infinitive Partir = to leave
To be tre il est nous sommes
To be able to/can Pouvoir il peut ils peuvent
To buy Acheter il achte nous achetons Past participle agreement
To do/make Faire il fait vous faites Verbs that use TRE have one extra thing to think about - the past
To drink Boire il boit nous buvons participle has to agree with the person youre talking about!
To eat Manger tu manges nous mangeons
To go Aller il va nous allons one male no change he went out = il est sorti
To go out Sortir je sors nous sortons one female add E she went out = elle est sortiE
To have to/must Devoir je dois vous devez group of males
To leave Partir je pars ils partent
or mixed group add S they went out = ils sont sortiS
To say Dire tu dis vous dites
To see Voir il voit nous voyons group of females add ES they went out = elles sont sortiES
To sleep Dormir je dors nous dormons
Dont forget the agreement with reflexive verbs & MRS
To take Prendre il prend ils prennent
To want Vouloir je veux ils veulent
VANDERTRAMP verbs!