Agreement of Past Participles in Compound Tenses |
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I. Non-Pronominal Verbs |
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A. |
Verbs whose auxiliary is avoir-- No agreement, unless Direct Object precedes the verb. And then, agreement with preceding Direct Object |
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1. Elle a acheté une robe. (no agreement) |
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2. Elle l'a achetée (la robe -- agreement with preceding Direct Object) |
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B. |
Verbs whose auxiliary is être -- Always agreement with Subject. |
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3. Elles sont descendues à neuf heures. |
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II. Pronominal Verbs (Note: All pronominal verbs take être as auxiliary.) |
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A. |
Verbs that are always, only pronominal (not many *) -- Agreement is made with Subject (i.e. the same rule of agreement as with non-pronominal verbs taking être as auxiliary). |
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4. Elles se sont souvenues. |
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* Some of the verbs that are always, only pronominal: se souvenir, se repentir, s'enfuir, s'abstenir, s'agenouiller, s'écrier, s'efforcer, s'évanouir, se révolter. |
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B. |
Verbs that are pronominal, but that may be used also as non-pronominal verbs (the majority of pronominals) -- No agreement, unless Direct Object precedes the verb, and then, agreement with preceding Direct Object. This rule is the same, then, as with non-pronominal verbs taking avoir as auxiliary. Note: The preceding Direct Object will occur as a Reflexive Pronoun for pronominal verbs. |
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5. Elles se sont lavées. (se is the preceding D.O.; agreement made with D.O. |
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6. Elles se sont lavé les mains. (D.O. = les mains & D.O. does not precede verb -- No agreement. Se functions as an Indirect Object, indicating whose hands. |
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7. Nous nous sommes arrêtés. |
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8. Nous nous sommes parlé. |
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Note that the verbs in the four examples (5.-8.) can be used non-pronominally, and then take avoir as auxiliary: |
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For 5. and 6. : Elles ont lavé la voiture. |
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For 7. : Il avait arrêté le voleur. |
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For 8. : Tu auras parlé au président. |
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