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The perfect tense with avoir
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The perfect tense (le passé composé) says what you did or have done. It is the main past tense you will use at GCSE.
How it is made
avoir (in the present) + past participle.
J'ai joué au foot. = I played football / I have played football.
J'ai joué au foot. = I played football / I have played football.
Regular past participles
Time phrases and negatives
Past time phrases: hier (yesterday), hier soir (last night), le week-end dernier (last weekend), samedi dernier (last Saturday), l'année dernière (last year), il y a deux jours (two days ago).
In the negative, ne ... pas goes around avoir: Je n'ai pas mangé. = I did not eat.
In the negative, ne ... pas goes around avoir: Je n'ai pas mangé. = I did not eat.
Translate: Last weekend I watched a film and my brother played tennis.
- Last weekend: le week-end dernier.
- I watched: j'ai regardé (avoir + regardé).
- my brother played: mon frère a joué.
Answer: Le week-end dernier, j'ai regardé un film et mon frère a joué au tennis.
Perfect tense = avoir + past participle. -er → -é, -ir → -i, -re → -u. Negative: je n'ai pas joué. Use past time phrases like hier and le week-end dernier.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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