When Do You Use 'avoir' Or 'être' For The Passé Composé? - MyTutor

Find a tutorHow it worksPricesResourcesFor schoolsBecome a tutor

+44 (0) 203 773 6024

Log inSign upAnswers>French>GCSE>ArticleWhen do you use 'avoir' or 'être' for the passé composé?

The passé composé is composed of two parts - the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in the present tense and the past participle of the verb you want to put into the past tense (for example, jouer> joué). The majority of verbs take avoir in the passé composé, however verbs that take être often express motion or change of place, state or condition, for example aller (to go), sortir (to go out), devenir (to become). However rester also takes être in the passé composé so does not follow this rule! As is often the case in French, you just have to learn the verbs and a classic way to do this is with the acronym DR & MRS VANDERTRAMPP: each letter represents a verb that takes être Devenir, Rentrer, Monter, Retourner, Venir, Arriver, Naitre, Descendre, Entrer, Revenir, Tomber, Rester, Aller, Mourrir, Partir, PasserAlso, don't forget that with être verbs the past participle needs to agree with the subject (you, if you're speaking in first person). For example, if you're a girl, you add an 'e': Je suis allée au parc, je suis partie de la maison. Or if you're talking about a group of people, you add an 's': ils sont allés au parc, ils sont partis de la maison.

RDAnswered by Rachel D. • French tutor

16573 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Need help with French?

One-to-one online tuition can be a great way to brush up on your French knowledge.

Have a Free Meeting with one of our hand picked tutors from the UK's top universities

Find a tutor

Download MyTutor's free revision handbook?

This handbook will help you plan your study time, beat procrastination, memorise the info and get your notes in order.

8 study hacks, 3 revision templates, 6 revision techniques, 10 exam and self-care tips.

Download handbook

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How to form the present tense? (regular)

Answered by Sean H.

Agree the adjectives in this sentence: Ma grand-mère a les cheveux gris et court.

Answered by Mollie L.

Qu'est ce qu'on peut faire chez nous pour protéger la planète?

Answered by Christian G.

How can I learn French vocabulary effectively?

Answered by Emily H.

We're here to help

Contact us+44 (0) 203 773 6020

Company Information

CareersBlogSubject answersBecome a tutorSchoolsSafeguarding policyFAQsUsing the Online Lesson SpaceTestimonials & pressSitemapTerms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyGender Pay Gap Reporting

Popular Requests

Maths tutorChemistry tutorPhysics tutorBiology tutorEnglish tutorGCSE tutorsA level tutorsIB tutorsPhysics & Maths tutorsChemistry & Maths tutorsGCSE Maths tutors

CLICK CEOP

Internet Safety

Payment Security

Cyber

Essentials

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

IXL

Comprehensive K-12 personalized learning

Rosetta Stone

Immersive learning for 25 languages

Wyzant

Trusted tutors for 300 subjects

Education.com

35,000 worksheets, games, and lesson plans

Vocabulary.com

Adaptive learning for English vocabulary

Emmersion

Fast and accurate language certification

Thesaurus.com

Essential reference for synonyms and antonyms

Dictionary.com

Comprehensive resource for word definitions and usage

SpanishDictionary.com

Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning resources

FrenchDictionary.com

French-English dictionary, translator, and learning

Ingles.com

Diccionario ingles-espanol, traductor y sitio de apremdizaje

ABCya

Fun educational games for kids

© 2026 by IXL Learning