How do you form the passé composé?

The passé composé is formed by using the present tense form of avoir/être, followed by the past participle of a given verb.Most verbs take the use the verb avoir, however there are several verbs which use être. The acronym MRS VANDERTRAMP can be used to remember the verbs that take être, whilst every other verb takes avoir.To form the passé composé, take the present tense of avoir (or être if the verb is one of the irregular verbs) and then add the past participle of the verb. There are some irregular past participles, however most ER verbs become é, IR --> I, and RE -->u.With être, the past participles must take gender and plurality if necessary.

JD
Answered by Joshua D. French tutor

2095 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is the ' present subjunctive' tense and when should it be used?


What is the difference between the passé composé and the imparfait tenses?


When do we use the imperfect tense and how is it formed?


Write about your holidays; what your normally do; what you used to do; and what you will do next.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning