MockoSection C of TEF Lexique et Structure tests your command of French syntax through gap-fill sentences. A large number of these items focus on reflexive verbs in the passé composé, which is exactly where many candidates lose marks. The challenge is not just knowing the past participle, but knowing whether to make it agree with the subject, and why. This lesson explains the agreement rule clearly and shows you how to apply it quickly under exam conditions.
What you’ll learn
- Understand why reflexive verbs use "être" as the auxiliary in the passé composé
- Apply past participle agreement with the subject in standard reflexive constructions
- Recognise when agreement does NOT apply because the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object
- Identify the correct past participle form from four similar-looking options
Why reflexive verbs use être
In the passé composé, most verbs use "avoir" as their auxiliary. Reflexive verbs (verbes pronominaux) always use "être". That means the auxiliary is conjugated with "être" and the past participle typically agrees in gender and number with the subject. This is the foundation of every question in this section.
Marie s'est levée tôt ce matin.
"Marie got up early this morning." Subject is feminine singular, so "levée" takes an extra -e.
Les enfants se sont endormis rapidement.
"The children fell asleep quickly." Subject is masculine plural, so "endormis" takes -s.
The agreement rule in detail
The standard rule is: with a reflexive verb in the passé composé, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. This works because the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) is treated as a direct object that precedes the verb, triggering agreement.
- 1Identify the subject of the sentence and note its gender and number.
- 2Check the reflexive pronoun: is it acting as a direct object? If yes, agreement applies.
- 3Choose the past participle form that matches the subject gender and number.
- 4On the exam, the four options are typically: the base form, the -e form, the -s form, and the -es form. Pick the one that fits.
Elles se sont _______ dans la salle de conférence. (retrouver)
"They met up in the conference room." Subject: "elles" (feminine plural). The correct form is "retrouvées" (retrouver → retrouvé + -es for feminine plural).
The exception: indirect object reflexive pronouns
This is where many candidates lose marks. When the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object (i.e., the verb already has a direct object expressed separately), there is NO agreement with the subject. The past participle stays in its base masculine singular form.
No agreement when the reflexive pronoun is indirect
- Elle s'est lavé les mains (NOT lavée). "Les mains" is the direct object; "se" is indirect, so no agreement.
- Ils se sont parlé (NOT parlés). "Parler" takes an indirect object (parler à quelqu'un), so "se" is indirect.
- Elles se sont écrit des lettres (NOT écrites). "Des lettres" is the direct object; "se" is indirect.
- Quick test: can you find a direct object elsewhere in the sentence? If yes, the reflexive pronoun is indirect, and the past participle stays unchanged.
Elle s'est habillée rapidement. / Elle s'est acheté une robe.
"She dressed quickly" (agreement: "habillée" because "se" is the direct object) vs. "She bought herself a dress" (no agreement: "acheté" because "une robe" is the direct object; "se" is indirect).
Recognising the four option types
On the exam, the four options for a reflexive passé composé item are almost always the four agreement forms of the same past participle. Knowing which form to pick requires you to (1) identify the subject's gender and number, and (2) decide whether agreement applies at all.
- Option A: base form (masculine singular) e.g. "levé"
- Option B: feminine singular e.g. "levée"
- Option C: masculine plural e.g. "levés"
- Option D: feminine plural e.g. "levées"
Les deux sœurs se sont _______ à la même heure. (réveiller)
"The two sisters woke up at the same time." Subject: "les deux sœurs" (feminine plural). The correct form is "réveillées" (réveiller → réveillé + -es). "Réveillé", "réveillée", and "réveillés" are all wrong.
High-frequency reflexive verbs to know
These reflexive verbs come up again and again in the TEF. Know their past participles and whether they typically trigger agreement.
- s'appeler → appelé(e)(s): always agrees (se souvenir que "appeler" double the "l" in some forms)
- se lever → levé(e)(s): always agrees
- s'asseoir → assis(e)(s): agrees (irregular past participle)
- se rendre compte (de) → rendu compte: NO agreement ("compte" is the direct object)
- se demander → demandé(e)(s): agrees
- se souvenir (de) → souvenu(e)(s): agrees
- se mettre à → mis(e)(s): agrees
- s'habiller → habillé(e)(s): agrees
A note on "se rendre compte"
- "Ils se sont rendu compte de leur erreur." No agreement here, even though the subject is plural.
- "Compte" is the direct object in this fixed phrase, making "se" an indirect object.
- This is one of the most commonly tested exceptions on the TEF.
How to practise this
Practice routine for reflexive agreement
- Write 10 sentences using reflexive verbs in the passé composé, varying the subject (il, elle, ils, elles, je, nous).
- For each one, ask yourself: "Is the reflexive pronoun the direct object?" If yes, agree. If not, leave the participle unchanged.
- Make a two-column table: column 1 = verbs where "se" is always the direct object (agree); column 2 = verbs where "se" is indirect (no agree). Add to it as you practise.
- On the day, read the sentence for the subject first. Then decide on agreement before looking at the options.
Key takeaways
- Reflexive verbs always use "être" in the passé composé.
- The past participle agrees with the subject when the reflexive pronoun is the direct object.
- When a direct object appears elsewhere in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun is indirect: no agreement.
- "Se rendre compte" is the most common no-agreement exception on the TEF.
- Identify the subject gender and number first, then decide if agreement applies.
