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Quizzes > Foreign Languages

Dr Mrs Vandertramp Quiz: Practice etre verbs in the passe compose

Quick, free vandertramp verbs quiz to test your knowledge. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Karlo Riu San MiguelUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration on coral background, featuring cutout letters for French quiz dr and mrs vandertramp verbs challenge

This quiz helps you practice Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verbs in the passe compose with etre, choose the right auxiliary, and check agreement. For extra practice, take the etre and avoir quiz, review tricky forms with the irregular past participles french quiz, or compare tenses in the passe compose vs imparfait quiz.

Which of these verbs does not use être in the passé composé?
partir
descendre
chanter
arriver
In French, Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verbs use être in the passé composé. 'Chanter' is not on that list, so it uses the auxiliary avoir. For more details see .
What is the correct past participle of 'aller'?
alléé
allé
allés
allez
The past participle of 'aller' is 'allé'. It agrees in gender and number when conjugated with être. See for examples.
Which auxiliary verb is used with 'monter' when it's intransitive?
devoir
faire
avoir
être
When 'monter' is intransitive (i.e., no direct object), it uses the auxiliary être. Transitive uses avoir. More details at .
What does the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verb 'venir' mean in English?
to stay
to come
to go out
to fall
'Venir' means 'to come'. It's one of the twelve core verbs that use être in passé composé. You can learn more at .
How do you say 'They went up the stairs' in French using the correct auxiliary?
Ils ont monté l'escalier.
Ils sont monté l'escalier.
Ils ont montés l'escalier.
Ils sont montés l'escalier.
Because 'monter' is intransitive here (no direct object separate from itself), it uses être: 'Ils sont montés'. See usage at .
Which of these verbs is not part of the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp list?
entrer
devenir
dormir
naître
'Dormir' is not on the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp list; it uses avoir in compound tenses. The others are intransitive motion/state verbs and use être. See for the full list.
What is the past participle of 'mourir'?
mort
mouru
morte
mourir
The past participle of 'mourir' is 'mort'. It agrees for gender and number when used with être. More on irregular participles at .
Choose the correct form: 'Elle ___ (revenir) hier soir.'
a revenue
est revenu
a revenuee
est revenue
'Revenir' uses être. Because the subject is feminine, you add -e for the past participle: 'revenue'. See conjugation details at .
Which verb from the list uses avoir when it's used transitively?
aller
sortir
venir
venir
'Sortir' uses être intransitively ('elle est sortie') and avoir transitively ('elle a sorti la valise'). See the dual usage at .
Fill in the blank: 'Nous ___ (tomber) dans la rue.'
ont tombés
sommes tombés
avons tombé
sommes tombées
'Tomber' uses être. With a masculine or mixed group, it's 'tombés'. See agreement rules at .
Which sentence is correct for 'She was born in 1990'?
Elle est neé en 1990.
Elle a née en 1990.
Elle a né en 1990.
Elle est née en 1990.
'Naître' is an être verb and takes 'née' for feminine. You write 'Elle est née en 1990.' More on this at .
What is the past participle of 'rester'?
reste
restée
resté
resti
'Rester' forms its passé composé with être and the past participle 'resté'. It agrees in gender and number. Reference: .
Which verb means 'to return' in the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp list?
rentrer
revenir
retourner
arriver
'Retourner' means 'to return' or 'to go back'. 'Revenir' means 'to come back', and 'rentrer' means 'to re-enter' or 'to go home'. Details at .
In passé composé, what does 'nous sommes partis' mean?
We left.
We parted hair.
We have parted.
We divided.
The phrase 'nous sommes partis' is the passé composé of 'partir' and translates as 'we left'. See more usage at .
Which is the correct passé composé for 'ils partir pour Paris'?
ils ont partis pour Paris
ils sont partis pour Paris
ils sont parti pour Paris
ils ont parti pour Paris
'Partir' is an intransitive motion verb that uses être. The past participle must agree: 'partis'. See agreement rules at .
Which of these verbs from the list uses être when it's intransitive but avoir when transitive?
tomber
aller
arriver
passer
'Passer' uses être intransitively ('elle est passée') and avoir transitively ('elle a passé l'examen'). Learn more at .
How do you say 'He climbed down from the roof' in French?
Il a descendu du toit.
Il a descendé du toit.
Il est descendé du toit.
Il est descendu du toit.
'Descendre' is intransitive here and uses être: 'est descendu'. The past participle doesn't take extra accent. Reference: .
Which sentence correctly shows past participle agreement for 'tomber'?
La porte a tombée.
La porte est tombé.
Le porte est tombée.
La porte est tombée.
'Tomber' uses être and the past participle agrees with the feminine noun 'porte': 'tombée'. See agreement rules at .
What is the past participle of 'naître' and how does it agree in a feminine sentence?
née (adds -e for feminine)
née (adds -ée)
né (no change)
né (adds -e)
The past participle of 'naître' is 'né'. For feminine subjects you add -e, making 'née'. More on irregular participles at .
Which auxiliary is correct in this sentence: 'Elle ___ la valise' (to take out the suitcase)?
est sorti
a sorti
a sortie
est sortie
Here 'sortir' is transitive (direct object 'la valise'), so it uses avoir: 'a sorti'. See the distinction at .
Which sentence is ungrammatical due to the wrong auxiliary verb?
Nous sommes partis tôt.
Il est venu hier.
J'ai arrivé à l'école.
Je suis arrivé à l'école.
'Arriver' always uses être, so 'J'ai arrivé' is incorrect. The correct form is 'Je suis arrivé.' More at .
Which verb in the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp list requires agreement with the subject in both gender and number?
all of the above
descendre
rester
arriver
All Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verbs use être and their past participles agree in gender and number with the subject. See the complete list at .
How do you write 'They (feminine) returned home late' in French?
Elles sont rentrées tard.
Elles sont rentrée tard.
Elles ont rentré tard.
Elles ont rentrées tard.
'Rentrer' as in 'go back home' uses être and agrees with the feminine plural subject: 'rentrées'. For details, see .
Which Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verb can take either avoir or être with a change of meaning?
venir
mourir
passer
arriver
'Passer' uses être intransitively ('il est passé') and avoir transitively ('il a passé du temps'). The meaning shifts accordingly. More at .
What is the semantic difference when 'passer' uses avoir instead of être?
It depends on tense, not auxiliary.
With être it means 'to spend (time)' and with avoir 'to pass by'.
Both have the same meaning.
With avoir it means 'to spend (time)' and with être 'to pass by'.
When 'passer' takes avoir it means 'to spend (time)', e.g., 'j'ai passé deux heures'. With être it means 'to pass by', e.g., 'je suis passé par le parc'. See .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Dr & Mrs Vandertramp Verbs -

    Learn to recognize the full set of dr mrs vandertramp verbs and distinguish them from other French verbs.

  2. Conjugate with être in passé composé -

    Apply the correct auxiliary and agreement rules when forming the passé composé for each doctor and mrs vandertramp verb.

  3. Differentiate Auxiliary Usage -

    Analyze when to use être versus avoir by contrasting Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verbs with verbs that take the avoir auxiliary.

  4. Apply Knowledge in Quiz Contexts -

    Reinforce your understanding by accurately answering quiz questions that test dr and mrs vandertramp verbs in various scenarios.

  5. Interpret Instant Feedback -

    Use real-time feedback on each answer to pinpoint mistakes, strengthen weak areas, and build confidence in your conjugations.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Master the Dr & Mrs Vandertramp Acronym -

    The "Dr & Mrs Vandertramp" mnemonic stands for Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Retourner, Tomber, Rentrer, Arriver, Mourir, Partir. As noted by the French Ministry of Education, this handy phrase helps you recall the 16 verbs that form their passé composé with être. Try chanting "Dr & Mrs Vandertramp went to the past" to lock it into long-term memory.

  2. Use Être as the Auxiliary -

    Unlike most French verbs that use avoir, all dr mrs vandertramp verbs require être in the passé composé, per University of Cambridge French guides. For example, "je suis allé(e)" or "nous sommes venus" both use the conjugated form of être plus the past participle. Practicing conjugation charts from reputable sources like the University of Texas can reinforce this pattern.

  3. Agree Your Past Participle -

    When forming passé composé with être, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. According to Sorbonne University resources, you write "elle est partie" but "ils sont partis." Remember to add an extra "e" for feminine and an "s" for plural - this simple rule boosts accuracy instantly.

  4. Memorize Irregular Participles -

    Certain dr and mrs vandertramp verbs have irregular past participles you must learn separately, such as "venu" for venir, "né" for naître, and "mort" for mourir. The Académie Française publishes an official list - reviewing it regularly can save you from common mistakes. Flashcards with image cues (a baby for naître, for instance) make irregulars stick faster.

  5. Spot Dual-Auxiliary Verbs -

    Some verbs like monter, descendre, sortir, and rentrer can take either être or avoir depending on whether they're used transitively. For example, "elle a monté les valises" uses avoir, while "elle est montée" uses être. Consulting reliable grammar sites (e.g., CNRTL) and doing targeted drills helps you master these tricky cases.

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