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    French GCSE

    Passé composé

    What Passé composé means in French GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.

    Definitions of Passé composé

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    A past tense used to describe completed, specific actions that happened in the past.
    Pearson Edexcel · Holidays (study guide)
    The perfect tense, used to describe completed actions in the past.
    Pearson Edexcel · Daily life (study guide)

    Topics that use Passé composé

    Related terms

    Using Passé composé in the exam

    Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.

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