Top answers

Why do past participles that take 'avoir' sometimes agree with the noun?

The answer is the preceding direct object. Take the sentence the boy ate the apple . Here we have a subject (the boy), followed by the verb (ate) and then the object (the apple). So the sentence would be as ...
JH
Answered by Jessica H. • French tutor
4827 Views

When do I use the conditional perfect tense in a "si" clause?

The conditional perfect tense should be used in a "si" clause when there is no possibility for the event to happen. It must also be used with the pluperfect tense. For example: If I had known I wou...
DA
Answered by Daniel A. • French tutor
4229 Views

When should I use the passé simple?

The passé simple , or the 'past historic', is a very irregular past tense that is rarely used in spoken French. It indicates a highly literary style, and is therefore only heard in formal speeches, such as t...
RS
Answered by Rachael S. • French tutor
11958 Views

How do I know whether a word is masculine or feminine?

In French it is often essential to know what gender a particular word is in order to be able to construct a sentence effectively and without errors. However, it is not always immediately clear which words be...
MS
Answered by Marco S. • French tutor
88910 Views

How do I form the negative in French?

To form a negative phrase in French there are always two parts, called particles, which most go around the verb. For example, 'ne...pas': the 'ne' must come before the verb and the 'pas' must come after the ...
ER
Answered by Elinor R. • French tutor
4543 Views