Passé Composé French Irregular Verbs Worksheet 8 - Free Printable

You’ve uploaded an image containing a French grammar exercise titled “Le point composé irrégulier”, which focuses on irregular compound past tense (passé composé) verbs — specifically, verbs that use être as their auxiliary verb instead of avoir, and whose past participles must agree in gender and number with the subject.

The task is to fill in the blanks with the correct past participle form of the given infinitive verb, making sure it agrees with the subject when required (i.e., when the auxiliary is être).

---

🔑 Key Rule:

- Verbs that use être as auxiliary in passé composé are typically intransitive movement or state-change verbs (like *aller, venir, partir, arriver, naître, mourir, devenir, rester, monter, descendre, entrer, sortir, retourner, tomber, passer*, etc.).
- For these verbs, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- Verbs using avoir usually do not require agreement — unless the direct object comes before the verb (which isn’t the case here).

---

Let’s go through each sentence one by one and explain:

---

✔ 1. Nous _______ en retard ce matin. (être)

→ sommes arrivés / arrivées

- “Être en retard” = to be late → but the verb needed here is arriver (to arrive), since you *arrive* late.
- Subject: Nous → plural
- If “nous” is mixed or masculine → arrivés
- If “nous” is all feminine → arrivées
- Since no gender is specified, default to arrivés (masculine plural)

✔ Answer: sommes arrivés

---

✔ 2. Ils _______ les photos de mon voyage. (voir)

→ ont vus

Wait — this is tricky!

- “Voir” uses avoir as auxiliary → so normally no agreement.
- BUT — if the direct object comes BEFORE the verb, then agreement is required.
- Here: “les photos” is the direct object → and it comes after the verb → so NO AGREEMENT needed.
- So: ont vu (not *vus*)

⚠️ Common mistake! Many students think “les photos” triggers agreement — but it doesn’t because it’s after the verb.

✔ Answer: ont vu

---

✔ 3. J’_______ un thé avec mes dessins. (boire)

→ ai bu

- “Boire” → auxiliary = avoir
- No direct object before verb → no agreement
- Past participle = bu

✔ Answer: ai bu

---

✔ 4. Tu _______ assister au match de foot. (oublier)

→ as oublié

- “Oublier” → auxiliary = avoir
- No agreement needed

✔ Answer: as oublié

---

✔ 5. Nous _______ les oeufs dans le réfrigérateur. (mettre)

→ avons mis

- “Mettre” → auxiliary = avoir
- Past participle = mis (always same form, no agreement even if object precedes — exception!)

✔ Answer: avons mis

---

✔ 6. Elle _______ une promenade dans le parc. (faire)

→ a fait

- “Faire” → auxiliary = avoir
- No agreement

✔ Answer: a fait

---

✔ 7. Vous _______ faire la vaisselle. (devoir)

→ avez dû

- “Devoir” → auxiliary = avoir
- Past participle = dû → agreement only if object precedes → not here

✔ Answer: avez dû

---

✔ 8. Ils _______ leur petit vélo. (casser)

→ ont cassé

- “Casser” → auxiliary = avoir
- No agreement

✔ Answer: ont cassé

---

✔ 9. On _______ acheter des cerises pour faire une tarte. (vouloir)

→ a voulu

- “Vouloir” → auxiliary = avoir
- No agreement

✔ Answer: a voulu

---

✔ 10. Nous _______ le rebut du four. (prendre)

→ avons pris

- “Prendre” → auxiliary = avoir
- Past participle = pris (no agreement)

✔ Answer: avons pris

---

✔ 11. J’_______ un pique-nique samedi dernier. (faire)

→ ai fait

- Same as #6

✔ Answer: ai fait

---

✔ 12. Elles _______ de faire le travail. (grommener)

→ ont grommelé

- “Grommeler” → auxiliary = avoir
- No agreement

✔ Answer: ont grommelé

---

✔ 13. Nous _______ beaucoup de devoirs mardi soir. (faire)

→ avons fait

✔ Answer: avons fait

---

✔ 14. Vous _______ du jus d’orange au petit déjeuner. (boire)

→ avez bu

✔ Answer: avez bu

---

✔ 15. Ils _______ en train de faire le ménage. (être)

→ étaient

Wait — this is NOT passé composé! It’s imparfait of “être”.

But the title says “Le point composé irrégulier” — so maybe it’s a trick? Or typo?

Actually, looking at the context, this might be a mistake — because “être en train de…” is usually in imparfait for ongoing action in past.

But if we force it into passé composé, it would be:

→ sont été — which is grammatically incorrect and never used.

So likely, this should be imparfait: étaient

But since the exercise is about passé composé, perhaps it’s testing awareness that “être” can’t be used like this in passé composé.

Alternatively, maybe the verb is “faire”? But it says (être).

This is ambiguous.

However, in many textbooks, this structure appears in imparfait — so I’ll assume it's a trick question or error.

But let’s check the answer expected:

If we ignore the tense mismatch and try to force passé composé:

✘ “sont été” — wrong

✔ Best answer: étaient (imparfait) — but that breaks the theme.

Alternatively, maybe the verb is “être” meaning “they were in the process of...” — still requires imparfait.

➡️ I think this is an error in the exercise. But since it’s labeled “(être)”, and we must use passé composé, perhaps the intended answer is:

sont venus? No — doesn't fit.

Actually, re-reading: “Ils ___ en train de faire le ménage.” — this is always “étaient” in imparfait.

So I’ll mark this as:

✔ Answer: étaient — even though it’s not passé composé. Maybe the exercise includes some imparfait by mistake.

*(Note to teacher: This sentence doesn’t belong in a passé composé exercise.)*

---

✔ 16. Suzanne _______ préparer le repas. (devoir)

→ a dû

✔ Answer: a dû

---

✔ 17. Vous _______ les courses dimanche matin. (faire)

→ avez fait

✔ Answer: avez fait

---

✔ 18. Tu _______ faire une omelette aux champignons. (pouvoir)

→ as pu

✔ Answer: as pu

---

✔ 19. J’_______ la leçon. (comprendre)

→ ai compris

✔ Answer: ai compris

---

✔ 20. Pierre _______ les assiettes sur la table. (mettre)

→ a mis

✔ Answer: a mis

---

## 📝 Final Answers:

1. sommes arrivés
2. ont vu
3. ai bu
4. as oublié
5. avons mis
6. a fait
7. avez dû
8. ont cassé
9. a voulu
10. avons pris
11. ai fait
12. ont grommelé
13. avons fait
14. avez bu
15. étaient *(Note: Implied imparfait — not passé composé)*
16. a dû
17. avez fait
18. as pu
19. ai compris
20. a mis

---

## 💡 Summary Tips:

- Remember the DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs (or similar mnemonic) for verbs using être.
- Agreement with être verbs: match subject’s gender/number.
- With avoir, only agree if direct object precedes the verb.
- Watch out for irregular past participles: *vu, bu, pris, mis, fait, dû, pu, su, etc.*

Let me know if you want a printable version or flashcards for these verbs! 😊