French verbs are conjugated in the passé composé either with avoir or être as their auxiliary verbs.
When using être as an auxiliary verb, past participles need to agree with their subjects in number and gender.
When using avoir as an auxiliary verb, you usually don’t need to make agreement with the subject. However, there are specific times when avoir verbs require agreement.
If you want a very comprehensive passé composé quiz using both être and avoir as auxiliary verbs, with and without agreement, try out this one. This is not a beginner level quiz.
How much do you know about France and French culture? Have fun testing your knowledge en français with a free quiz .
The questions aren’t easy, so be ready for a challenge!
Fifty questions are included, covering the following themes:
la vie quotidienne – le cinéma – la mode – les chansons – la géographie – l’histoire – la gastronomie – la langue française – les arts – la littérature
We have to have a discussion about your birthday meal.
We had to have a discussion about your birthday meal.
DEVOIR DISCUTER DE Nous devonsdiscuter de ton repas d’anniversaire. DEVOIR PARLER DE Nous devons parler de ton repas d’anniversaire. AVOIR UNE DISCUSSION Nous devons avoir une discussion à propos de ton repas d’anniversaire.
When learning the French subjunctive, there are lists of verbs and expressions that are helpful when deciding if you need to use it or not. However, that’s not all you need to know about the subjunctive. Sometimes using it is situational, and it depends on how sure you are about the statement you’re making.
👉 Subjunctive: Assumptions / Judgements
👉 Indicative: Facts / Reality
The following adjectives require the subjunctive when you’re not absolutely sure that what you are saying is a fact.
👉 Subjunctive: C’est le dernier livre qu’il ait écrit.
👉 This is the last book that he wrote. (that I’m aware of)
👉 Indicative: C’est le dernier livre que j’ai lu.
👉 This is the last book that I read. (I know this for a fact)
Use the indicative when stating the first or last time something happened.
Superlatives
Superlatives work the same way as the adjectives listed above. Everything depends on whether something is known as a fact or if an assumption is being made.
👉 Subjunctive: Ce sont les enfants les plus bruyants que je connaisse.
👉 These are the noisiest children (that) I know. (Assumption – Maybe I have met noisier children at some point in my life)
👉 Indicative: Ce sont les enfants les plus bruyants que j’ai gardés cet été.
👉 These are the noisiest children that I have looked after this summer. (Fact – I looked after five, and these two are the noisiest)
