Vandertramp Verbs

…a special list for the passé composé!

DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP(P)

This acronym stands for a list of verbs to help you remember which verbs use ETRE as their helping verb!

D

R

M

R

S

Devenir – to become – devenu

Revenir – to come back – revenu

Monter – to climb – monté

Rester – to stay – resté

Sortir – to go out – sorti

V

A

N

D

E

R

T

R

A

M

P

(P)

Venir – to come – venu

Aller – to go – allé

Naître – to be born - né

Descendre – to go down – descendu

Entrer – to go in – entré

Rentrer – to go home – rentré

Tomber – to fall (down) – tombé

Retourner – to return – retourné

Arriver – to arrive – arrivé

Mourir – to die – mort

Partir – to leave – parti

Passer – to go past, to pass -- passé

What do these verbs have in common?

They are verbs of movement The represent coming, going, rising, falling,

birth, & death They are intransitive… You can’t do them to

someone else without adding a preposition. I can’t go something, die someone, climb someone, or fall someone.

They need prepositions after them to add details of where or to/with whom

Mnemonic device

The ins and outs and ups and downs of life and death are here to stay!

Passé Composé Rules

1) As usual, Helping verb + past participle = P.C.2) Helping verb = être

3) The past participle of Vandertramps must agree with its subject in gender and number – tack on an extra -e or -s or both.

Je suis Nous sommesTu es Vous êtesIl est Ils sont

Mlle Bratz est née le 3 août.

Son frère Gary est né le 19 mars.

Les élèves sont nés en 1995.

Les jumelles Molly et Caroline sont nées en 1998.

Draw a house…

Door Stairs Second-floor window Leave space within and around it on your

page Can you draw arrows and figures to show

each drmrsvandertramp verb? Be creative!