Language/French/Grammar/Agreement-of-the-past-participle-having-the-auxiliary-"être"-in-compound-tenses
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Agreement of the past participle with the subject of intransitive verbs having auxiliary “être” in compound tenses
[modified]
Agreement with the subject
In the case of the following verbs:
- aller (to go),
- mourir (to die),
- monter (to go up),
- sortir (to go out),
- naître (to be born),
- tomber (to fall), etc.
The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number at compound tenses:
- Les Dupont étaient allés à Angers.
The Duponts had gone to Angers.
- Marie est sortie.
Marie went out.
- Ils sont tombés.
They fell over.
- Jean et Pauline sont montés au 5ème étage.
Jean and Pauline went up to the 5th floor.
No agreement with the subject
Note: Certain intransitive verbs which have the auxiliary "être" in compound tenses can also be used in a transitive manner. They then have the auxiliary "avoir" at compound tenses and there is no agreement between the subject and the past participle:
- Jean et Pauline ont monté les valises au 5ème étage.
Jean-Paul and Janine took the cases up to the 5th floor.