The perfect tense 2 (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
The perfect tense 2
Understanding verbs that take être
While most French verbs form the perfect tense using avoir as the auxiliary verb, there's an important group of verbs that use être instead. These verbs are primarily related to movement and changes of state, making them quite logical once you understand the pattern.
The perfect tense with être follows this structure: conjugated form of être + past participle
Critical Concept: Unlike verbs that use avoir, when using être in the perfect tense, the past participle must agree with the subject, behaving like an adjective.
Verbs that take être
There are 14 main verbs that use être in the perfect tense. These verbs often come in pairs of opposites, which makes them easier to remember:
Movement verbs
- aller (to go) / venir (to come)
- arriver (to arrive) / partir (to leave/depart)
- entrer (to enter) / sortir (to go out)
- monter (to go up) / descendre (to go down)
- rester (to stay) / tomber (to fall)
- rentrer (to return) / revenir (to come back)
Life events
- naître (to be born) / mourir (to die)
Memory Aid: These verbs come in logical pairs of opposites (go/come, enter/exit, up/down), which makes them easier to memorise as a set.
Don't Forget: All reflexive verbs also use être in the perfect tense, so the participle must agree with the subject.
Formation and agreement rules
When using être in the perfect tense, the past participle behaves like an adjective and must agree with the subject performing the action. This means:
- Masculine singular: no change (allé)
- Feminine singular: add -e (allée)
- Masculine plural: add -s (allés)
- Feminine plural: add -es (allées)
Worked Example: Agreement Patterns
Step 1: Identify the subject's gender and number
- Je (male speaker) = masculine singular
- Elle = feminine singular
- Nous (mixed group) = masculine plural
- Ils = masculine plural
Step 2: Apply the agreement rule
- Je suis allé (masculine) / Je suis allée (feminine)
- Elle est arrivée (feminine singular + e)
- Nous sommes monté(e)s (plural + s)
- Ils sont partis (masculine plural + s)
Key vocabulary table
| French | English | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| aller | to go | allé(e)(s) |
| venir | to come | venu(e)(s) |
| arriver | to arrive | arrivé(e)(s) |
| partir | to leave | parti(e)(s) |
| entrer | to enter | entré(e)(s) |
| sortir | to go out | sorti(e)(s) |
| monter | to go up | monté(e)(s) |
| descendre | to go down | descendu(e)(s) |
| rester | to stay | resté(e)(s) |
| tomber | to fall | tombé(e)(s) |
| naître | to be born | né(e)(s) |
| mourir | to die | mort(e)(s) |
| rentrer | to return | rentré(e)(s) |
| revenir | to come back | revenu(e)(s) |
Example sentences
Understanding the difference between present and perfect tense usage is essential for mastering these verbs.
Worked Example: Present vs Perfect Tense
Present tense for comparison:
- Je vais au cinéma - I go to the cinema
- Elle arrive à huit heures - She arrives at eight o'clock
Perfect tense examples:
- Je suis allé(e) au cinéma - I went to the cinema
- Elle est arrivée à huit heures - She arrived at eight o'clock
- Nous sommes descendu(e)s en ville - We went down to town
- Ils sont partis en vacances - They left on holiday
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Memory Strategy: Use the mnemonic "MRS VAN DER TRAMP" - the first letters spell out the 14 verbs that take être:
- Monter, Rester, Sortir
- Venir, Aller, Naître
- Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer
- Tomber, Revenir, Arriver, Mourir, Partir
Key points to remember when using these verbs:
- Agreement matters: Always check if the past participle needs to agree with the subject
- Time expressions: The perfect tense is often used with specific time references in the past
- Useful phrase: "Il y a + time period + perfect tense" means "...ago" (Il y a deux jours, je suis allé(e) chez ma tante - Two days ago I went to my aunt's)
Advanced usage
Advanced Tip: When you want to emphasise that you've just completed an action, you can use "Je viens de" (I have just) followed by an infinitive. However, when talking about a specific time in the past, the perfect tense is more appropriate.
For higher-level work, remember that starting sentences with time expressions referring to the past often signals the use of the perfect tense.
Translation practice
Worked Example: Translation Practice
French to English:
- Samedi dernier, je suis parti(e) tôt.
- Nous sommes resté(e)s une heure, puis nous sommes rentré(e)s.
English to French: 3. Last night, I went to play football. 4. The other team didn't come.
Answers:
- Last Saturday, I left early.
- We stayed for an hour, then we returned home.
- Hier soir, je suis allé(e) jouer au football.
- L'autre équipe n'est pas venue.
Key Points to Remember:
- 14 specific verbs use être instead of avoir in the perfect tense
- These verbs are mainly about movement and life events
- Past participles must agree with the subject when using être
- All reflexive verbs also take être
- The mnemonic "MRS VAN DER TRAMP" helps you remember the key verbs
- Use the perfect tense when talking about specific completed actions in the past