The problems are on the French Passé Simple worksheet. Try them on your own first, then compare with the answers below.
Quick answer: The passé simple is a literary past tense that narrates finished actions in novels, fairy tales and history books. This answer key corrects the 20 problems of the French 4 worksheet on passé simple, from find the infinitive to read the fisherman’s story: the final answer in bold, the rule behind it, and a model answer for each writing task.
Here is the answer key of the French 4 worksheet on passé simple. Try the worksheet first, then compare, and reread the lesson if a rule is unclear.
Level: French 4 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Mid) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Mid, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 4.1 Language Comparisons
Passé simple: the answers explained
Problem 1 Find the infinitive
The ending shows the family: -a is -er, -irent is -ir, -ut is u-stem, fut belongs to être.
1. parler · 2. finir · 3. vouloir · 4. être
Problem 2 Form the il/elle form
-er verbs take -a; -ir/-re take -it; boire has the u-stem.
1. regarda · 2. choisit · 3. entendit · 4. but
Problem 3 Read a book page
Both verbs end in -it or -a, third person singular.
sortit (sortir), appela (appeler)
Problem 4 Choose the passé simple
Option a is present, option b or c in the imparfait.
1. b (il tomba) · 2. c (ils arrivèrent) · 3. c (elle voulut)
Problem 5 Complete with -er and -ir verbs
Third person: -a / -èrent for -er verbs, -irent for applaudir.
1. monta, traversa · 2. applaudirent, crièrent
Problem 6 Spelling changes
Before a, keep the soft sound: g becomes ge, c becomes ç.
1. mangea · 2. commença · 3. plaça · 4. voyagea
Problem 7 Translate into English
Translate the passé simple with the English simple past.
1. She opened the door. · 2. They left at dawn.
Problem 8 Irregular verbs
These stems must be memorized.
fut · eut · fit · vint · vit · dit
Problem 9 Singular to plural
Use the plural endings (-rent) and change possessives when needed.
1. Ils firent un vœu. · 2. Elles vinrent seules. · 3. Ils eurent peur. · 4. Ils prirent leurs sacs.
Problem 10 Background and plot
The long situation takes the imparfait; the sudden event takes the passé simple.
1. pleuvait, arriva · 2. dormait, réveilla
Problem 11 From story to speech
Use avoir or être plus the past participle. Venir takes être.
1. Il a ouvert la fenêtre. · 2. Elle a été surprise. · 3. Ils ont vu un loup. · 4. Il est venu hier.
Problem 12 Correct the mistake
Each wrong form mixes endings from different families.
1. parla · 2. finirent · 3. voulut · 4. eut
Problem 13 Translate into French
Ne … rien surrounds the verb; devenir follows venir.
1. Il ne dit rien. · 2. Elle devint reine. · 3. Ils prirent le train.
Problem 14 Infinitives in a story
Sortit is -ir, poussa is -er, prit and fit are irregular.
sortir, pousser, prendre, faire
Problem 15 U-stem verbs
The u-stem endings are -us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, -urent.
1. dut · 2. voulûmes · 3. purent · 4. lus
Problem 16 Full conjugation
Venir has the stem vin- with the endings of the -ir family, and the circumflex in nous and vous.
je vins, tu vins, il vint, nous vînmes, vous vîntes, ils vinrent
Problem 17 Translate a paragraph
Sourire, mettre and sortir take -it forms.
That morning, Nadia opened the shutters and saw the snow. She smiled, put on her coat and went out.
Problem 18 Passé composé to passé simple
Replace each auxiliary and participle with one verb.
Clément arriva à Liège. Il prit un taxi. Il eut un peu peur.
Problem 19 Write a fairy-tale scene
Model answer: La nuit tombait. Le petit prince arriva près d’un pont et vit une lanterne. Il prit la lanterne et partit vers la montagne.
Check: third-person passé simple forms, one imparfait for the background, correct accents.
Model answer given
Problem 20 Read the fisherman’s story
The background verb is attendait. Fut is être, cassa is casser, dit is dire.
a. attendait, imparfait · b. être, casser, dire · c. He says nothing, smiles and goes back to the harbor.