learning french tenses past tense
Post on 29-Nov-2014
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LEARNING FRENCH TENSES:
PAST TENSE
This learning guide is divided into differentparts with a quick recap after each topic.
1) WHAT IS THE PAST TENSE?
2) HOW TO FORM THE PAST TENSE AND PAST PARTICIPLE?
3) THE IRREGULAR
1. WHAT IS THE PAST TENSE?MEANING
PAST TENSE is used to talk about an action that took place and wasfully completed in the past.
It is also used to express something that was true in the past.
For other past events you generally use the imperfect/imperfaittense.
Example:I have answered the question.I answered the question.
Both are sample past tense form in English.
MEANING
PAST TENSE is used to talk about an action that took place and wasfully completed in the past.
It is also used to express something that was true in the past.
For other past events you generally use the imperfect/imperfaittense.
Example:I have answered the question.I answered the question.
Both are sample past tense form in English.
2. HOW TO FORM THE PAST TENSEAND PAS PARTICIPLE?
FRENCH
How to form the past tense:
How to for the past participle:
The present tense of the verb avoir or être + the pastparticiple
FRENCH
If the infinitive ends with an -er, replace the -er with -é. donner becomes donné, tomber becomes tombé
If the infinitive ends with an -ir, remove the r at the end. finir becomes fini, partir becomes parti
If the infinitive ends with a -re, replace the -re with –u.
attendre becomes attendu, descendre becomesdescendu
FRENCH
Examples in using avoir to form the past tense
PRONOUN +AVOIR +
PASTPARTICIPLE =
PAST TENSEFORMED
MEANING INENGLISH
j'ai donné j'ai donné I have given
Tu as donné tu as donné You have given
Il a donné il a donné He has given
Nous avons donné nou avonsdonné
We have given
FRENCH
Nous avons donné nou avonsdonné
We have given
Vous avez donné vous avez donné You have given
Ils ont donné ils ont donné They have given
FRENCH
Examples in using être to form the past tense
PRONOUN +ÊTRE +
PASTPARTICIPLE =
PAST TENSEFORMED
MEANING INENGLISH
je me suis habillé je me suishabillé
(I got dressed)
tu t'es habillé tu t'es habillé (you gotdressed)
il s'est habillé il s'est habillé (he got dressed)
FRENCH
il s'est habillé il s'est habillé (he got dressed)
elle s'est habillée elle s'esthabillée
(she gotdressed)
ils se sont habillés ils se sonthabillés
(they gotdressed)
QUICK
TIPS
Quick tips:
1. je is shortened to j’ when it comes before a word that starts witha vowel, most words that start with h and the French word y.
2. Avoir is being used more often than être.3. Two steps in forming the past participle for verbs that use être:
Step 1: Change the infinitiveIf the infinitive ends with an -er, replace the -er with -é.If the infinitive ends with an -ir, remove the r at the end.If the infinitive ends with a -re, replace the -re with -u.
Step 2: Add the correct endingsTo form a masculine plural past participle, you add -sTo form a feminine singular past participle, you add -eTo form a feminine plural past participle, you add -es
QUICK
TIPS
Quick tips:
1. je is shortened to j’ when it comes before a word that starts witha vowel, most words that start with h and the French word y.
2. Avoir is being used more often than être.3. Two steps in forming the past participle for verbs that use être:
Step 1: Change the infinitiveIf the infinitive ends with an -er, replace the -er with -é.If the infinitive ends with an -ir, remove the r at the end.If the infinitive ends with a -re, replace the -re with -u.
Step 2: Add the correct endingsTo form a masculine plural past participle, you add -sTo form a feminine singular past participle, you add -eTo form a feminine plural past participle, you add -es
3. THE IRREGULAR IRREGULAR
Here are the irregular past participle forms that you need to be familiar with.
VERB WHAT IT MEANS PAST PARTICIPLE
Avoir To have eu
Devoir To have to, must dû
Dire To say, to tell dit
Être To be été
Faire To do, to make fait
IRREGULAR
Faire To do, to make fait
Mettre To put mis
Pouvoir To be able to, can pu
Prendre To take pris
Savoir To know su
Tenir To hold tenu
Venir To come venu
Voir To see vu
Vouloir To want voulu
SUMMARY
Quick recap of this topic:
1. The past tense is used when you talk about an actionthat took place and was completed in the past.
2. To form the past tense, you use this formula: presenttense of the verb avoir or être + the past participle.
3. The past participle is obtained through using theindicative and changing the endings (-er verbs to -é, -ir verbs to -i, and -re verbs to -u)
4. Most of the verbs use avoir, but two groups (namelythe reflexive verbs and some verbs that mostly referto or involves bodily movement or some kind ofphysical activity) use être.
5. To form the past participle when using être, the pastparticiple has to agree with the subject of the verband changes its form for feminine and plural.
SUMMARY
Quick recap of this topic:
1. The past tense is used when you talk about an actionthat took place and was completed in the past.
2. To form the past tense, you use this formula: presenttense of the verb avoir or être + the past participle.
3. The past participle is obtained through using theindicative and changing the endings (-er verbs to -é, -ir verbs to -i, and -re verbs to -u)
4. Most of the verbs use avoir, but two groups (namelythe reflexive verbs and some verbs that mostly referto or involves bodily movement or some kind ofphysical activity) use être.
5. To form the past participle when using être, the pastparticiple has to agree with the subject of the verband changes its form for feminine and plural.
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