Perfect tense (passé composé)

    AQA
    GCSE

    The passé composé functions as the primary narrative tense for completed actions in modern standard French, displacing the passé simple in oral and informal written registers. Mastery requires the correct selection of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être), accurate formation of the past participle (regular and irregular), and the rigorous application of agreement rules, particularly regarding preceding direct objects and reflexive pronouns.

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    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for the correct conjugation of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) relative to the subject.
    • Credit the accurate formation of past participles, particularly irregulars (e.g., pris, bu, fait, eu).
    • Ensure agreement of the past participle with the subject for verbs taking être (e.g., elle est allée).
    • In extended writing, reward the use of complex structures such as the perfect infinitive (après avoir fini) or negative frames (je n'ai pas vu).

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You selected the correct auxiliary, but missed the agreement on the past participle for this feminine subject."
    • "Good use of an irregular participle. Ensure the negative 'ne... pas' surrounds only the auxiliary verb."
    • "You have used 'avoir' for a verb of motion; review the MRS VANDERTRAMP list to correct this to 'être'."
    • "To access higher marks, vary your sentence openers and include a time phrase to contextualise the action."

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for the correct conjugation of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) relative to the subject.
    • Credit the accurate formation of past participles, particularly irregulars (e.g., pris, bu, fait, eu).
    • Ensure agreement of the past participle with the subject for verbs taking être (e.g., elle est allée).
    • In extended writing, reward the use of complex structures such as the perfect infinitive (après avoir fini) or negative frames (je n'ai pas vu).

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In Translation tasks, identify the tense immediately; English 'I went' must be translated as 'Je suis allé(e)', not a literal word-for-word substitution.
    • 💡For the 90-word and 150-word writing tasks, tick off 'MRS VANDERTRAMP' verbs to ensure you use être where required.
    • 💡In Listening, listen for the 'ai', 'as', 'a' sounds to distinguish between present (je parle) and perfect (j'ai parlé).
    • 💡Always include a time marker (e.g., hier, l'année dernière) to reinforce the timeframe for the examiner.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Omission of the auxiliary verb (e.g., writing 'je mangé' instead of 'j'ai mangé').
    • Incorrect auxiliary selection for verbs of motion/state (e.g., using avoir for aller or venir).
    • Placement of negative particles around the participle rather than the auxiliary (e.g., 'j'ai ne pas mangé').

    Study Guide Available

    Comprehensive revision notes & examples

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Écrivez
    Décrivez
    Traduisez
    Mentionnez
    Expliquez
    Racontez

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