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How do I know when to use etre as an auxilliary verb in the perfect tense?

There are a list of set verbs which always take the verb etre as their auxilliary in the perfect tense which you will need to learn. To help you remember them you can use the mnemonic MR V DREAMPANTSMourirRe...
EK
Answered by Ellen K. • French tutor
4255 Views

How can I prepare for French listening exams?

Listening exams are one of the most difficult components of the French GCSE, but also one of the most important as they test both your understanding and vocabulary. Many students often find it difficult to p...
JM
Answered by Jill M. • French tutor
21374 Views

What's the difference between imperfect and perfect?

Perfect (avoir/être + past particle) is used to describe a single, completed action in the past. For example, I ate a sandwich = J'ai mangé un sandwich. The action happened once, and it's finished. Compare t...
LB
Answered by Louise B. • French tutor
3298 Views

When do you use imparfait instead of passé composé to describe past events?

While the passé composé is used to refer to specific past events of interest, the imparfait can loosely be thought of as describing “background information” such as: - States of being and habitual actions: “...
AS
Answered by Alexander S. • French tutor
3438 Views

How do I form the passé composé with the auxiliary verb être?

In French the majority of verbs use avoir in the perfect tense e.g. je joue becomes j'ai joué (with 'ai' being avoir conjugated into the first person 'je' or I). However some verbs take être instead, these a...
EB
Answered by Emma B. • French tutor
4036 Views