Perfect Tense with 'Être' in French

This section explains Perfect Tense with 'Être' in French. The perfect tense (le passé composé) in French can also be formed using the auxiliary verb être instead of avoir. This is used with a specific set of verbs, often related to movement or change of state.

Structure:

Subject + être (in the present tense) + past participle of the verb

Example:

• Je suis allé(e) (I have gone)
• Elle est arrivée (She has arrived)

Conjugation of 'Être' (to be) in the Present Tense:

Examples of the Perfect Tense with 'Être':

• Je suis allé au cinéma. (I have gone to the cinema.)
• Elle est partie tôt. (She has left early.)
• Nous sommes arrivés en retard. (We have arrived late.)
• Ils sont venus à la fête. (They have come to the party.)
• Tu es tombé(e) de vélo. (You have fallen off your bike.)

Key Points:

• Être is used as the auxiliary verb for certain verbs, most of which indicate movement, change of state, or reflexive actions.
• The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject when using être. This means:
  • Add -e for a feminine subject.
  • Add -s for plural subjects.
  • Add -es for a plural feminine subject.

Example:

• Il est allé (He has gone) – no change for masculine singular.
• Elle est allée (She has gone) – add -e for feminine singular.
• Ils sont allés (They have gone) – add -s for masculine plural.
• Elles sont allées (They have gone) – add -es for feminine plural.

Foundation Tier Examples:

1. Je suis resté chez moi.
   (I have stayed at home.)
2. Tu es allé à l'école.
   (You have gone to school.)
3. Elle est arrivée en retard.
   (She has arrived late.)
4. Nous sommes partis tôt ce matin.
   (We have left early this morning.)

Higher Tier Examples:

1. Ils sont rentrés tard hier soir.
   (They came home late last night.)
2. Nous sommes montés au sommet de la montagne.
   (We went up to the top of the mountain.)
3. Elle est devenue médecin après ses études.
   (She became a doctor after her studies.)
4. Vous êtes allés en Italie l'été dernier.
   (You went to Italy last summer.)

Negative Form:

To form the negative in the perfect tense, place ne before the auxiliary verb être and pas after it.

Example:

• Je ne suis pas allé au parc. (I haven’t gone to the park.)
• Il n’est pas venu à la fête. (He hasn’t come to the party.)

Questions:

In questions, être comes before the subject pronoun.

Example:

• Es-tu allé à la plage ? (Have you gone to the beach?)
• Sont-ils arrivés à l’heure ? (Did they arrive on time?)

Verbs That Use 'Être' as the Auxiliary:

These verbs are usually related to movement, change, or state of being. Some of the most common ones are:

1. Verbs of Movement:
   • Aller (to go) – Je suis allé(e) (I have gone)
   • Venir (to come) – Elle est venue (She has come)
   • Arriver (to arrive) – Ils sont arrivés (They have arrived)
   • Partir (to leave) – Nous sommes partis (We have left)
2. Verbs of Change of State:
   • Naître (to be born) – Elle est née (She has been born)
   • Mourir (to die) – Il est mort (He has died)
   • Devenir (to become) – Je suis devenu(e) (I have become)
3. Reflexive Verbs (All reflexive verbs use être):
   • Se laver (to wash oneself) – Je me suis lavé(e) (I have washed myself)
   • Se lever (to get up) – Tu t’es levé(e) (You have got up)
   • S'habiller (to get dressed) – Elle s’est habillée (She has gotten dressed)

Important Notes:

• The past participle with être must agree with the subject in gender and number.
• Reflexive verbs always use être in the passé composé, even if they don’t express movement.
• Some verbs can also use avoir depending on whether they have a direct object.

Key Takeaways:

• Être is used as the auxiliary verb for a set of specific verbs, including verbs of movement, change of state, and reflexive verbs.
• The past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number.
• Practice with the most common verbs that use être, especially the reflexive ones.