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Verb tensesB2 · Upper intermediate

Past participle agreement with a preceding object

With avoir, the past participle normally does not agree with the subject. But it does agree in gender and number with a direct object that comes before the verb — whether that object is a pronoun (le, la, les), a que relative, or a fronted question with quel/combien.\n\nJ'ai vu la voiture (no agreement) → *La voiture que j'ai vue / Je l'ai vue*.\n\nIf the object comes after the verb, there is no agreement: *J'ai vuØ la voiture.*

Examples

FrenchEnglish
Les lettres que j'ai écrites.The letters that I wrote.
Cette photo ? Je l'ai prise hier.This photo? I took it yesterday.
Quelles villes as-tu visitées ?Which cities did you visit?

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