When do you use "être" and when "avoir" to form the past perfect in French?

The general rule is that "être" is used as the auxiliary verb in the past tense for verbs of movement and which are intransitive, i.e. cannot be followed by an object without a preposition: "je suis allé en Grande-Bretagne", "nous sommes tombés de l'arbre", "elle est sortie de la maison". Remember that the past participle must be accorded to the subject in these constructions: "nous sommes tombés", "elle est sortie". All other verbs take "avoir", even verbs of movement: "j'ai mangé une pomme", "ils ont grimpé la montagne", "vous avez parlé de la France".Be careful about reflexive verbs, which always require "être" in the past tense: "je me suis lavé", "nous nous sommes amusés", "il s'est moqué".

MA
Answered by Michael A. French tutor

1437 Views

See similar French A Level tutors

Related French A Level answers

All answers ▸

How can I get a high mark in an unprepared discursive essay?


How do you structure an essay in French?


Do I need to quote directly from literature in culture essays?


Quels sont les défis en ce qui concerne une société diverse? (An example of a typical question in a French A-Level Oral exam)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences