PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
Also known as: French perfect tense · compound past · passé composé tense
The passé composé is the most common French past tense for completed actions and events. It is formed with the present tense of avoir or être plus a past participle. It often moves a story forward, especially when contrasted with the imparfait for background or repeated actions.
Most verbs use avoir, while Vandertramp movement verbs and all pronominal verbs use être. Agreement depends on the auxiliary: être agrees with the subject; avoir agrees only with a preceding direct object.
Passé composé errors are frequent in timed writing and speaking because candidates must choose the auxiliary, form the participle, and apply agreement while telling past events.
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