French Tenses

Auxiliary verbs

Avoir and être

Past Participle

• Used in the passé composé

• Regular ER verbs = é

• Regular IR verbs = i

• Regular RE verbs = u

When is the passé composé used?

• Used for a precise action that occurred in the past

• Precise start and end

• For a series of actions

• Something that happened a specific number of times

Passé composé rules

• Auxiliary verb + the past participle of the main verb

• Avoir doesn’t need an agreement unless a direct object precedes the verb

• Reflexive verbs have an agreement unless followed by a body part

• Reciprocal verbs only have an agreement when the reciprocal pronoun is a direct object

Reflexive pronoun Je

Me (m’)

Reflexive pronoun Tu

Te (t’)

Reflexive pronoun Il/elle

Se (s’)

Reflexive pronoun Nous

Nous

Reflexive pronoun Vous

Vous

Reflexive pronouns Ils/elles

Se (s’)

Dr Mrs Vandertramp (PC)

Uses être instead of Avoir

When is imparfait used?

To describe things in the past that happened ongoing

Imparfait rules

• Nous form is used

• Then imperfect ending is added -ais, -ai, -ait, -ions, iez-, -aient

When is the subjunctif used?

Feelings, wishes, judgements, and opinions that aren’t definite

Subjunctif rules

• Present tense 3rd person plural (ils conjugation)

• Then drop the -ent

• Add the subjunctive ending -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent

Futur rules

• Start with the present tense of aller

• Then the infinitive form of the verb goes after

• Add the ending -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Irregulier futur for Aller

Ir-

Irregulier futur for Avoir

Aur-

Irregulier futur for Être

Ser-

Irregulier futur for Faire

Fer-

Irregulier futur for Pouvoir

Pourr-

Irregulier futur for Savoir

Saur-

Irregulier futur for Venir

Viendr- (also for devenir, revenir, etc)

Irregulier futur for Voir

Verr-

Irregulier futur for Falloir

Faudr-

When is the impératif used?

• To give orders, make requests or give advice to one or more people

• Similar to let’s + infinitive in english

Impératif rules

• Only exists in tu, nous and vous

• Conjugated the same way as the present tense, but the subject pronouns are ommited

• Regular -er verbs end with an e, while all other verbs end with -s

• When imperative is directly followed by a stressed pronoun they are connected by a hyphen

• In a negative the reflexive pronoun is unstressed

• Ex: Ne nous levons pas!

Stressed pronouns

Moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles

Irregular impératif Aller

Va, avons, allows

Irregular impératif Avoir

Aie, ayons, ayez

Irregular impératif Être

Sois, soyons, soyez

Irregular impératif Savoir

Sache, sachons, sachez

Irregular impératif Vouloir

Veuille, veuillons, veuillez