le passé simple in French
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The passé simple (English: Literary past tense) is utilized in rather literary contexts. It's mainly used to speak about a completed action in the past which has no relation to the present tense.
It expresses a completed action of the past, most often a brief action
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.Formation of the passé simple
- 2.Regular forms of the passé simple
- 2.1.Examples
- 3.Irregular forms of the passé simple
- 3.1.Passe simple of avoir and être
- 3.2.Passe simple of 3rd group verbs
- 4.Exercises
- 4.1.Drag and drop exercise about the past simple
- 4.2.Fill in the blank exercise about the litterary past tense
Formation of the passé simple
The forms of the passé simple can be formed with the following endings:
| verbs ending in -er (1st group) | ai -as -a -âmes -âtes -èrent |
|---|---|
| verbs ending in -ir (2nd group) | -is -is -it -îmes -îtes -irent |
| irregular verbs (3rd group) | -is -is -it -îmes -îtes -irent -us -us -ut -ûmes -ûtes - urent -ins, -ins, -int, înmes, întes, înrent |
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Regular forms of the passé simple
The passé simple for regular forms are the same for all verbs groups. They are composed of the stem of the verbs in which you add the endings:
- -ai -as -a -âmes -âtes -èrent for the 1st group verbs
- -is -is -it -îmes -îtes -irent for the 2nd group verbs
Examples
1st group Aimer (to like) | 2nd group Finir (to finish) |
|---|---|
| J'aimai | Je finis |
| Tu aimas | Tu finis |
| Il/elle/ on aima | Il/elle/on finit |
| Nous aimâmes | Nous finîmes |
| Vous aimâtes | Vous finîtes |
| Ils aimèrent | Ils/elles finirent |
Irregular forms of the passé simple
They are many verbs that make the litterary past tense irregular: the auxiliary verbs 'être' and 'avoir' and verbs of the 3rd group. They differ from the remaining irregular verbs by their stem
Passe simple of avoir and être
| Avoir (to have) | Être (to be) |
|---|---|
| J'eus | Je fus |
| Tu eus | Tu fus |
| Il/elle/ on eut | il/elle/on fut |
| Nous eûmes | Nous fûmes |
| Vous eûtes | Vous fûtes |
| Ils/elles eurent | Ils/elles furent |
You use the passe simple avoir or être to conjugate the Past anterior
Passe simple of 3rd group verbs
The litterary past tense has three types of endings for the irregular verbs:
- For the irregular verbs ending in -re: -is -is -it -îmes -îtes -irent
- For the irregular verbs ending in -oir: -us -us -ut -ûmes -ûtes - urent
- For the irregular verbs ending in -ir: -ins, -ins, -int, înmes, întes, înrent
| Prendre (to take) | Croire (to believe) | Venir (to come) |
|---|---|---|
| Je pris | Je crus | Je vins |
| Tu pris | Tu crus | Tu vins |
| Il/elle/on prit | Il/elle/on crut | Il/elle/on vint |
| Nous prîmes | Nous crûmes | Nous vînmes |
| Vous prîtes | Vous crûtes | Vous vîntes |
| Ils prirent | Ils/elles crurent | Ils/elles vinrent |
Exercises
- Drag and drop exercise about the past simple
- Fill in the blank exercise about the litterary past tense
Drag and drop exercise about the past simple
Fill in the blank exercise about the litterary past tense
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the passé simple of the indicated verb in bold. Do not forget the umlet for plural pronouns.
Bonne chance !
Example: Elle attendit sa mère. (attendre)
1. Christophe Colomb le Nouveau Monde. (découvrir)
(Christophe Colomb discovered the New World)
2. Tu la salle. (embellir)
(You enlighted the room)
3. Tu tes amies. (défendre)
(You defended your friends)
4. J' les acteurs. (applaudir)
(I applauded the actors)
5. Je tout de suite. (partir)
(I left as soon as possible)
6. Nous le fil. (perdre)
(We lost contact)
7. Nous la lecture. (finir)
(We finished the reading)
8. Ils à l'examen. (réussir)
(They suceeded to the exam)
9. Vous des fleurs. (vendre)
(You sold flowers)
10. Elles aux questions. (répondre)
(They answered to the question)
Exercises
- Drag and drop exercise about the past simple
- Fill in the blank exercise about the litterary past tense
Drag and drop exercise about the past simple
Fill in the blank exercise about the litterary past tense
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the passé simple of the indicated verb in bold. Do not forget the umlet for plural pronouns.
Bonne chance !
Example: Elle attendit sa mère. (attendre)
1. Christophe Colomb le Nouveau Monde. (découvrir)
(Christophe Colomb discovered the New World)
2. Tu la salle. (embellir)
(You enlighted the room)
3. Tu tes amies. (défendre)
(You defended your friends)
4. J' les acteurs. (applaudir)
(I applauded the actors)
5. Je tout de suite. (partir)
(I left as soon as possible)
6. Nous le fil. (perdre)
(We lost contact)
7. Nous la lecture. (finir)
(We finished the reading)
8. Ils à l'examen. (réussir)
(They suceeded to the exam)
9. Vous des fleurs. (vendre)
(You sold flowers)
10. Elles aux questions. (répondre)
(They answered to the question)
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Our main focus will be on speaking. At each lesson we will work on pronunciation, learn to ask questions and give detailed answers, playing out various role-plays. After every lesson, you will be assigned written and/or audio homework. You will get detailed feedback on every unclear point.
In my lessons, I use e-textbooks (not included in lessons’ price), and my materials (included in lessons’ price).
I won't promise that you will speak Russian in 5 lessons or 1 week, but I promise that you will practice a lot and there will be no unclear points left behind.
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I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
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Hi and welcome !
Preparation for exams, desire or need to learn and improve your level.
Real lessons or discussion experiences, for all levels and all ages.
Total customization according to your needs, your desires, and of course your level. We will talk about this in our first lesson together.
So let's prepare together your exams, your job interview, your next vacation, or maybe to speak the language of the chosen one of your heart...
We will work on short texts, videos, or just sounds to improve your comprehension, then it will be your turn to produce orally and in writing, and of course by both speaking.
Together, we will therefore do written and oral exercises, to improve your vocabulary, your grammar and your conjugation, and your accent.
I invite you to watch my subtitled presentation video, in English, then in French. (2 min in total)
Don't wait any longer to book your trial lesson !
Who am I ?
I am a former parliamentary assistant to French deputies, and communication teacher.
But I wanted to change my life, I am now a scuba diving instructor, currently in Bali, Indonesia.
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I am used to teach and a lover of the French language.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
F. .
We are an Italian family residing in France for 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the children two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with the choice. Nous sommes une famille italienne résidant en France depuis janvier, nous avons deux enfants de 10 ans qui viennent de commencer la CM1. Nous avons demandé à Natalia de leur donner deux leçons par semaine pour accélérer leur apprentissage. Nous sommes super contents de Natalia. We are an Italian family living in France since 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the kids two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with this choice.
Fabrizio's children are learning French very fast, I have the impression that these lessons online have been helpful for them and I am sure they will master the language easily. They are very interested in learning.
Hello!
My name is Ivan. I am a Russian tutor with 16 years of teaching experience. The levels I teach are A1~B2. Individual learners and groups are welcomed!
Our main focus will be on speaking. At each lesson we will work on pronunciation, learn to ask questions and give detailed answers, playing out various role-plays. After every lesson, you will be assigned written and/or audio homework. You will get detailed feedback on every unclear point.
In my lessons, I use e-textbooks (not included in lessons’ price), and my materials (included in lessons’ price).
I won't promise that you will speak Russian in 5 lessons or 1 week, but I promise that you will practice a lot and there will be no unclear points left behind.
Don’t be afraid to take the first step!
Remember: “The devil is not so black as he is painted”!
See you soon in our first lesson!
G. P.
The professor's preparation is impeccable. Perfect to go from basic to advanced level. He organizes the lessons with PDFs and documents customized by him according to the student. Friendly and experienced, perfect for all ages.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Ivan O.
Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
M. C.
Natalia is wonderful! I can't recommend her enough! She is thoughtful, considerate, patient, and flexible! I always look forward to her lessons and I have learned a lot in a short time. I can't wait to see how fluent I can become with her as my teacher!
Marissa is a very nice and motivated student. It is very pleasant to talk with her and to teach her. I hope to be able to accompany her throughout the whole process for the presentation of her exam, which she will undoubtedly pass with a good result.
Hi and welcome !
Preparation for exams, desire or need to learn and improve your level.
Real lessons or discussion experiences, for all levels and all ages.
Total customization according to your needs, your desires, and of course your level. We will talk about this in our first lesson together.
So let's prepare together your exams, your job interview, your next vacation, or maybe to speak the language of the chosen one of your heart...
We will work on short texts, videos, or just sounds to improve your comprehension, then it will be your turn to produce orally and in writing, and of course by both speaking.
Together, we will therefore do written and oral exercises, to improve your vocabulary, your grammar and your conjugation, and your accent.
I invite you to watch my subtitled presentation video, in English, then in French. (2 min in total)
Don't wait any longer to book your trial lesson !
Who am I ?
I am a former parliamentary assistant to French deputies, and communication teacher.
But I wanted to change my life, I am now a scuba diving instructor, currently in Bali, Indonesia.
Pedagogue, patient and organized for a deserved result considering your efforts.
I am used to teach and a lover of the French language.
See you soon for your first lesson together, that's your job !
Z. M.
Cédric has been an excellent teacher for our first couple of lessons. He is thoroughly trying to assess my level to make sure that we get the most out of our lessons. I am excited to continue my learning with him!
Cédric H.