French conjugation explanation

Inferring the subject from the context

<p>When a verb uses the <strong style="font-style: italic;">être</strong> auxiliary verb, the <strong>past participle</strong> in its compound forms <strong>has to agree in gender and number with the subject</strong> in most cases (

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/missing_agreement_for_etre_form" target="_blank">click here for more info</a>

). When the sentence doesn't contain any clues regarding the gender and number of the subject, there can be multiple correct answers. However, the sentence sometimes contains subtle context clues that determine the only acceptable past participle agreement:</p>

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<p>When the same subject has another <span class="green_emphasis">past participle</span> form that requires agreement, they have to have the same gender and number:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Si vous étiez <span class="green_emphasis">restée</span> ici, vous vous seriez beaucoup <span class="green_emphasis">amusée</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">If you had stayed here, you would have had a great time.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject [you/vous] is <strong>feminine singular</strong>.)</div>

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<li>

<p>When there is an <span class="brown_emphasis">adjective</span> describing the same subject, they have to have the same gender and number:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">On dirait que vous êtes <span class="green_emphasis">venues</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">préparées</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It looks like you came prepared.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject [you/vous] is <strong>feminine plural</strong>.)</div>

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<li>

<p>When there is a <strong>past participle</strong> in the sentence whose <span class="red_emphasis">preceding direct object</span> (

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/french_preceding_direct_object_agreement" target="_blank">more info</a>

) is the same as the subject of the other <span class="green_emphasis">past participle</span>, they have to have the same gender and number:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Si tu ne <span class="red_emphasis">m'</span>avais pas <strong>aidé</strong>, je me serais <span class="green_emphasis">noyé</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">If you hadn't helped me, I would have drowned.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject [I/je] is <strong>masculine singular</strong>.)</div>

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<p>The <strong>name(s)</strong> of the subject can provide context clues as well:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Thomas et moi</strong> sommes <span class="green_emphasis">allés</span> à une fête la nuit dernière. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Thomas and I went to a party last night.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject is a group with at least one masculine member, so the past participle should be <strong>masculine plural</strong>.)</div>

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