Le passé composé avec être — The Movement Verbs and All Reflexives

Part of The perfect tense with être and reflexive verbs · Section 1 of 4

IntroductionUnit: Time Markers and the Three Time FramesGCSE

This introduction covers Le passé composé avec être — The Movement Verbs and All Reflexives within The perfect tense with être and reflexive verbs for GCSE French. Revise The perfect tense with être and reflexive verbs in Time Markers and the Three Time Frames for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

🚶 Le passé composé avec être — The Movement Verbs and All Reflexives

A small but important group of verbs refuse to use avoir in the perfect tense — they insist on être instead. Most of them describe movement or a change of state: going, arriving, leaving, falling, being born, dying. Plus every reflexive verb (anything with se) uses être too. The trick is: with être, the past participle agrees with the subject — it works like an adjective.

Practice questions for The perfect tense with être and reflexive verbs

What is the correct formula for forming the perfect tense with être?

  • A. Subject + present tense of être + past participle (with agreement)
  • B. Subject + present tense of avoir + past participle (with agreement)
  • C. Subject + infinitive + past participle
  • D. Subject + past tense of être + past participle (no agreement)
1 markfoundation

The mnemonic MRS VAN DER TRAMP helps students remember verbs that use être. Which of the following verbs is NOT part of this group?

  • A. manger (to eat)
  • B. partir (to leave)
  • C. tomber (to fall)
  • D. arriver (to arrive)
1 markfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

venir (etre verb)
to come -- je suis venu(e). Past participle: venu (irregular).
partir (etre verb)
to leave -- je suis parti(e). Past participle: parti.

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Le passé composé avec être

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