Chapitre Six
Using the passé composé with COD pronouns
Exercice 6.22
Using the passé composé with COD pronouns
Word order is important when we are incorporating pronouns into our French sentences. Let’s revisit les compléments d’objet direct so that we can make more complex sentences as we talk about the past.
Les compléments d’objet direct (COD)
CODs replace direct objects and generally answer the questions “who?” or “what?”
Direct Object Pronouns
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st person | me
me |
nous
us |
| 2nd person | te
you |
vous
you |
| 3rd person | le/l’
him, it la/l’ her, it |
les
them |
CODs come before the conjugated auxiliary verb. Notice the word order in the following examples, paying attention to how to negate a phrase with a COD. Also note the participe passé must agree in gender and number when the direct object comes before the verb, as the COD does in the following examples.
Modèles :
Les fleurs ? Je les ai achetées.
La nourriture ? Il l’a mangée.
Les jouets ? Je ne les ai pas achetés.
La pizza ? Il ne l’a pas mangée.
Le café ? Nous ne l’avons pas bu.
CODs are only used with verbs that do NOT take a preposition or that do not have to do with quantities or numbers! Any verbs that always take a preposition, such as téléphoner à, will require an indirect object pronoun. Expressions with quantity require the adverbial pronoun en.
Exercice 6.22
The flowers? I bought them.
The food? He ate it.
The milk? She drank it.
The toys? I didn't buy them.
The pizza? He didn't eat it.
The coffee? We didn't drink it.
