About This Resource
This interactive quiz helps students practice the past participles of French verbs that use “etre” as their auxiliary verb in the passe compose. These are commonly known as the “Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp” or “House of Etre” verbs.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Recall the past participle for each of the 17 “etre” verbs
- Distinguish between regular and irregular past participle formations
- Apply correct spelling including accented characters (accents optional for answers)
- Build automaticity through randomized practice
The “Etre” Verbs (Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp)
| Infinitive | Past Participle | English |
|---|---|---|
| Aller | alle | to go |
| Arriver | arrive | to arrive |
| Descendre | descendu | to go down |
| Devenir | devenu | to become |
| Entrer | entre | to enter |
| Monter | monte | to go up |
| Mourir | mort | to die |
| Naitre | ne | to be born |
| Partir | parti | to leave |
| Passer | passe | to pass by |
| Rentrer | rentre | to return home |
| Rester | reste | to stay |
| Retourner | retourne | to return |
| Revenir | revenu | to come back |
| Sortir | sorti | to go out |
| Tomber | tombe | to fall |
| Venir | venu | to come |
How to Use
The quiz above is interactive - start practicing right away! Features include:
- Questions appear in random order each time
- Type the past participle for each verb shown
- Accents are optional (e.g., “alle” is accepted for “alle”)
- Click “Check” or press Enter to verify your answer
- Immediate feedback shows correct answers
- Track your score as you progress
- Reset to try again with a new random order
Teaching Tips
This resource works great for:
- Warm-up activities - Quick practice at the start of class
- Independent practice - Students work at their own pace
- Assessment prep - Review before passe compose tests
- Homework - Assign for at-home memorization practice
- Differentiation - Students can repeat until mastery
Why These Verbs Matter
In French, most verbs use “avoir” as the auxiliary in compound tenses like the passe compose. However, these 17 verbs (plus reflexive verbs) use “etre” instead. For example:
- Je suis alle (I went) - NOT “J’ai alle”
- Elle est arrivee (She arrived) - NOT “Elle a arrive”
Note: When using “etre” as the auxiliary, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject!
Memory Tip: Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp
The mnemonic “Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp” helps remember these verbs:
- Devenir, Revenir
- Monter, Rester, Sortir
- Venir, Aller, Naitre, Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer, Tomber, Retourner, Arriver, Mourir, Partir
(Plus: Passer when meaning “to pass by”)
