A2 · Elementary Chapter 9

Movement and Agreement in the Past

5 Total Rules
53 examples
6 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the 'House of Movement' and reflexive actions to tell your life story with French precision.

  • Identify which verbs use 'être' instead of 'avoir' in the past.
  • Apply gender and number agreements to past participles.
  • Conjugate reflexive verbs like 'se lever' in the past tense.
Move through the past with perfect harmony and agreement.

What You'll Learn

Hey French learner! You've already built a fantastic foundation in French, and now it's time to take your past tense skills to the next level. This chapter is all about mastering how to talk about movement and

actions you did to yourself
in the past—topics that are super common and essential for sounding natural! What you'll learn: You'll dive deep into using the verb être (to be) in the past tense (Passé Composé). We’ll specifically focus on the famous DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs – those verbs of movement like *aller* (to go), *venir* (to come), *monter* (to go up), *descendre* (to go down), and many more. Plus, you’ll learn how to handle all those reflexive verbs, like *se laver* (to wash oneself) or *se préparer* (to get ready). The coolest part? You’ll discover how the past participle of these verbs has to change its spelling, just like an adjective, to perfectly match the gender and number of the subject (think adding -e, -s, or -es!). This creates a beautiful harmony in your sentences. Why it matters: Imagine you're chatting with a French friend and want to share your weekend adventures:
I went to the market
or
They came to visit us.
Or perhaps you need to describe your morning:
I woke up and got dressed.
These are the moments where these specific rules come into play, making your French sound smooth and authentic. What you'll be able to do: By the end of this chapter, you’ll confidently recount past events involving movement and personal actions. You’ll be able to describe where you went, what you did to yourself, and easily share stories that truly reflect real-life situations. Get ready to add some serious fluency to your French!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: List and use the 17 'DR MRS VANDERTRAMP' verbs in the past tense.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Correctly add -e, -s, or -es to past participles based on the subject's gender and number.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Describe a full morning routine in the past using reflexive verbs.

Chapter Guide

Overview

Welcome, French grammar A2 learners! You’ve already mastered the basics of talking about the past with the Passé Composé, but now it’s time to unlock some of its most crucial and common applications. This chapter dives deep into how French expresses movement and personal actions in the past, a skill that will dramatically enhance your ability to tell stories and describe your day. We’re focusing on verbs that use être (to be) as their auxiliary verb, rather than avoir (to have), which you might be more familiar with.
Mastering these rules is essential for achieving a natural flow in your French conversations. Imagine wanting to share your weekend plans or recount a trip – you’ll inevitably use verbs like *aller* (to go) or *venir* (to come). Similarly, describing your morning routine involves reflexive verbs like *se lever* (to get up) or *se préparer* (to get ready). The key challenge, and the most rewarding part, is learning how the past participle of these verbs must agree in gender and number with the subject, just like an adjective. This past participle agreement is a hallmark of correct French past tense usage with *être*.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll not only understand the mechanics of these structures but also be able to apply them confidently. You’ll be able to describe personal experiences, movements, and routines with accuracy, making your French A2 communication much more sophisticated and authentic. Get ready to transform your storytelling in French!

How This Grammar Works

This chapter focuses on two main categories of verbs that use être as their auxiliary verb in the Passé Composé: verbs of movement and reflexive verbs. This is a fundamental concept for French past tense with être.
First, let's talk about the verbs of movement, often playfully called the "House of Être" or "DR MRS VANDERTRAMP" verbs. These are verbs like descendre (to go down), rester (to stay), monter (to go up), venir (to come), aller (to go), naître (to be born), devenir (to become), entrer (to enter), revenir (to come back), sortir (to go out), tomber (to fall), rentrer (to return), arriver (to arrive), mourir (to die), and partir (to leave). For example:
* Je suis allé(e) au marché. (I went to the market.)
* Elles sont venues nous voir. (They came to see us.)
Second, all reflexive verbs also use être in the Passé Composé. Reflexive verbs are those where the action is performed by the subject *on* the subject itself, indicated by a reflexive pronoun like me, te, se, nous, vous. For example, se laver (to wash oneself), se brosser (to brush oneself), se lever (to get up).
* Je me suis lavé(e). (I washed myself.)
* Ils se sont préparés rapidement. (They got ready quickly.)
The critical rule for both types is the French past participle agreement with être. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb. This means adding an -e for feminine subjects, an -s for plural subjects, and -es for feminine plural subjects.
* Il est parti. (He left.)
* Elle est partie. (She left.)
* Ils sont partis. (They left.)
* Elles sont parties. (They [feminine] left.)
This past participle agreement rule applies to all verbs conjugated with être, whether they are verbs of movement or reflexive verbs. Mastering this will make your A2 French grammar shine!

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Elle est allé au cinéma.*
✓ Correct: *Elle est allée au cinéma.*
*Explanation:* The subject *elle* (she) is feminine singular, so the past participle *allé* must agree by adding an -e. Remember the past participle agreement with être!
  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Nous nous sommes préparé pour la fête.*
✓ Correct: *Nous nous sommes préparés pour la fête.* (If 'nous' is masculine plural) OR *Nous nous sommes préparées pour la fête.* (If 'nous' is feminine plural)
*Explanation:* When using reflexive verbs in the past, the past participle must agree with the subject. Here, *nous* (we) is plural, so *préparé* needs an -s (or -es if all feminine).
  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Ils ont venu hier.*
✓ Correct: *Ils sont venus hier.*
*Explanation:* The verb *venir* (to come) is a "DR MRS VANDERTRAMP" verb of movement, meaning it uses être as its auxiliary verb in the Passé Composé, not *avoir*. Also, the past participle *venu* needs to agree with the plural subject *ils* by adding an -s.

Real Conversations

A

A

Bonjour Marie, comment s'est passé ton week-end ? (Hello Marie, how was your weekend?)
B

B

Oh, c'était super ! Je suis allée à la montagne avec des amis. Nous nous sommes bien amusés. (Oh, it was great! I went to the mountains with friends. We had a lot of fun.)
A

A

Est-ce que tes parents sont rentrés de vacances ? (Did your parents come back from vacation?)
B

B

Oui, ils sont rentrés hier soir. Ils se sont couchés tôt parce qu'ils étaient fatigués. (Yes, they came back last night. They went to bed early because they were tired.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Why do some French verbs use *être* and others *avoir* in the Passé Composé?

Verbs that use être in the Passé Composé are primarily verbs of movement (like *aller*, *venir*) and all reflexive verbs (like *se laver*). Most other verbs use *avoir*. This distinction is key to French grammar A2.

Q

Does past participle agreement always happen with *être*?

Yes, the French past participle agreement with être is mandatory. The past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the verb when *être* is the auxiliary.

Q

What are some common "DR MRS VANDERTRAMP" verbs I should memorize for Passé Composé avec être?

Essential verbs include aller (to go), venir (to come), monter (to go up), descendre (to go down), partir (to leave), arriver (to arrive), naître (to be born), and mourir (to die).

Cultural Context

In everyday French, correctly using être for movement and reflexive verbs, along with the proper past participle agreement, is a strong indicator of fluency. Native speakers use these structures constantly to describe daily routines, travel, and personal experiences. While some regional accents might slightly vary the pronunciation of certain past participles, the written agreement rules are universal. Mastering this makes your French sound genuinely natural and precise.

Key Examples (8)

1

Je suis allé au cinéma hier soir.

I went to the cinema last night.

Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)
2

Elle est arrivée en retard à la réunion Zoom.

She arrived late to the Zoom meeting.

Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)
3

Je suis allé au cinéma avec des amis.

I went to the cinema with some friends.

French Past Tense with Être: The 'House of Movement' (Passé Composé)
4

Elle est arrivée en retard au rendez-vous Zoom.

She arrived late to the Zoom meeting.

French Past Tense with Être: The 'House of Movement' (Passé Composé)
5

Elle est allée au bureau ce matin.

She went to the office this morning.

French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)
6

Mes sœurs sont déjà revenues de vacances.

My sisters have already returned from vacation.

French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)
7

L'actrice est allée à Cannes.

The actress went to Cannes.

Past Participle Agreement with Être (Agreement Rule)
8

Mes parents sont arrivés hier soir.

My parents arrived last night.

Past Participle Agreement with Être (Agreement Rule)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Memorize the list

Use the Vandertramp mnemonic to memorize the verbs.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)
💡

The 'E' Rule

Always check the subject. If it's feminine, add an 'e'. If it's plural, add an 's'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Tense with Être: The 'House of Movement' (Passé Composé)
💡

Check the subject

Always look at who is doing the action before writing the participle.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)
💡

Check the subject

Always look at the subject before writing the participle.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Participle Agreement with Être (Agreement Rule)

Key Vocabulary (7)

aller to go arriver to arrive se réveiller to wake up se dépêcher to hurry hier yesterday ensuite then / next devenir to become

Real-World Preview

hotel

Checking into a Hotel

coffee

Recounting a Busy Morning

Review Summary

  • Subject + être (present) + Past Participle
  • Participle + (e) + (s)

Common Mistakes

Aller is a verb of movement and must use 'être' as the helper, not 'avoir'.

Wrong: J'ai allé au marché.
Correct: Je suis_allé au marché.

With 'être', the past participle must agree with the subject. Since 'Elle' is feminine, you must add an 'e'.

Wrong: Elle est tombé.
Correct: Elle est tombée.

Reflexive verbs in the past always use 'être' and the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se...) comes before the auxiliary.

Wrong: Je ai me lavé.
Correct: Je me suis lavé.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked a huge part of the French language! Being able to use 'être' in the past makes your French sound much more sophisticated and accurate. Keep practicing those agreements!

Write 5 sentences about your morning routine today.

Record a voice memo explaining where you went on your last vacation.

Continue to: Setting the Scene and Telling Stories

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank.

Elle est ___ (partir).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: partie
Feminine singular subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je me suis lavé
Correct auxiliary and pronoun placement.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reflexive Verbs in the Past: I washed myself (Passé Composé)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ils est allé au parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ils sont allés
Ils requires 'sont' and 'allés'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Tense with Être: The 'House of Movement' (Passé Composé)

Choose the correct form.

Ils sont ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: allés
Masculine plural subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle est allé.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle est allée
Needs feminine agreement.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Past Participle Agreement with Être (e/s/es)

Correct the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle s'est lavé.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est lavée
Feminine agreement needed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reflexive Verbs in the Past: I washed myself (Passé Composé)

Choose the correct participle.

Elles sont ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: parties
Elles is feminine plural.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Il a allé au parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il est allé au parc.
Aller uses être.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'être'.

Elle ___ allée au cinéma.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: est
Elle takes 'est'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense with 'to be' (Passé Composé avec être)

Fill in the correct form.

Elle est ___ (partir).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: partie
Feminine subject requires -e.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Participle Agreement with Être (Agreement Rule)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Verbs of motion and state use 'être', while most other verbs use 'avoir'.
Only if the subject is feminine.
It's a movement verb. Historical grammar dictates this.
No, only about 14-17 specific movement/state verbs.
Because the subject is feminine. It's like an adjective.
No, only those that use 'être' as an auxiliary.
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Setting the Scene and Telling Stories
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