Déscendre and monter..

StevenC1Kwiziq community member

Déscendre and monter..

 I just can’t get to grips with these two in the passé composé with Avoir and être… I struggle to get the difference between the examples in the lesson and then struggle even more in the quizzes! Is there a trick to understanding the difference between the two versions? Thank you 
Asked 5 years ago
TomC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Steven

In general terms monter/descendre is transitive (takes a direct object) and is thus conjugated with aller in the compound tenses when the past participle is is followed by a determiner (+noun) or where the direct object or object pronoun precedes the participle. Determiners are words such as definite and indefinite articles, demonstrative pronouns, possesive pronouns , numbers etc. which precede nouns.

J'ai monté l'escalier - I went up the stairs

Il a démonté sa souris d'ordinateur - he took his computer mouse to pieces

Elle a descendu dix livres de la étagère - she took down10 books from the shelf

Ils les ont descendues - They brought them down (eg suitcases)

La montagne que j'ai montée est belle

Monter/descentre  is intransitive (takes an indirect object) and is thus conjugated with être in the compound tenses when the past participle is is followed by a preposition or by nothing, or where the indirect object pronoun precedes the participle.

Le prix de pain est monté - The price of bread has increased

Elle est montée dans sa chambre - She went up to bedroom

Ils y sont descendus - They went down there (eg ravine)Elles en sont descendues - They disembarked (eg from a taxi).Bottom line:followed by a determiner + noun or preceded by a direct object: conjugate with avoirfollowed by a preposition or preceded by an indirect object: conjugate with être
I hope this has helped and not confused you further!
TomC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Sorry about the formatting at the end.
CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Tom,

Thank you for your excellent answer. The only thing I would like to correct is the example in your intransitive section of the price of bread going up -

It would be:

Le prix du pain a monté. = The price of bread has risen.

It is an odd one but it is the same when you talk about the level of a river rising:

La Garonne a encore monté cette nuit. =The Garonne river's level rose again last night.

Les prix ont monté considérablement cette année. = Prices have risen sharply this year.

Hope this helps!

Déscendre and monter..

 I just can’t get to grips with these two in the passé composé with Avoir and être… I struggle to get the difference between the examples in the lesson and then struggle even more in the quizzes! Is there a trick to understanding the difference between the two versions? Thank you 

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