Être vs avoir practice for French compound tenses
Choose être or avoir in twelve French exercises. Practice movement verbs, direct objects, reflexive verbs and participle agreement with clear explanations.
Compare the patterns
Choose the form that fits
Check the explanation
How to choose: Être vs avoir in compound tenses
Choose the auxiliary from the verb’s construction, then check participle agreement. The same verb can take a different auxiliary when its use changes.
Most verbs use avoir
J’ai lu, elle a travaillé, nous avons compris. Being a movement verb is not sufficient for être: marcher and courir normally use avoir.
Elles sont arrivées avant midi.
They arrived before noon; feminine plural agreement.
Try it in context
Elle ___ arrivée à midi.
Examples in context
Elles sont arrivées avant midi.
They arrived before noon; feminine plural agreement.
Elle a monté les valises.
She carried the suitcases upstairs; a direct object requires avoir here.
A common trap
Sortir, monter, descendre, rentrer, retourner and passer can change auxiliary with their construction. Elle est sortie means she went out; elle a sorti les clés means she took out the keys. Do not choose only from a memorized movement-verb list.
How should I practice?
Read the whole context before choosing. Check the explanation, then retry the questions you missed. Your result measures this short practice set, not your overall French level.
Notice the same patterns in French stories or practice forms in the verb trainer.
Further explanation: French grammar reference.