Mr. Dream Pants – The Love Story That Will Transform Your French!
Do you find it hard to remember which French verbs take the auxiliary “être” in the Perfect tense? This fun mnemonic will help!
Have you ever had a teacher who made you fall in love with learning? Someone who truly swept you off your feet and made a subject come alive?
For me, that teacher was Mrs. Penn. I was a little bit scared of her, but she had a heart of gold. She gave up her lunchtimes to run a recorder club, inspiring my love of music. She encouraged us to write poetry, sparking my passion for words. And she was a stickler for spelling, giving us clever little “memory hooks” to help tricky words stick.
Here’s one I still use over 40 years later:
NECESSARY – Never Eat Cake, Eat Salad Sandwiches, And Remain Young.
I may not have followed the salad sandwich rule, but the mnemonic stuck!
I don’t know about you, but when I’m learning French I love a good hook!
The Past Tense Struggle
In French class, we had another problem… the verbs that take être in the passé composé.
Did you learn MRS VANDERTRAMP at school?
For me, it was a disaster—because I could never remember the mnemonic itself! It just didn’t click for me.
So when I started teaching French, I knew I had to find a better way. That’s when I introduced someone much more dashing…
💘 Mr. Vam Redd Pants.
My teenage students LOVED him.
But recently, my heart skipped a beat… because I met someone new!
Meet Mr VR Dream Pants – the new heartthrob of French grammar!
Are you ready to meet him?
M = monter
R = rester
V = venir (revenir / devenir)
R = retourner
D = descendre
R = rentrer
E = entrer
A = arriver
M = mourir
P = partir
A = aller
N = naître
T = tomber
S = sortir
Why Does Mr. VR Dream Pants Work?
Mnemonics are a fantastic way to make grammar stick, especially for tricky concepts like the passé composé. Many learners struggle with remembering which verbs take être, but a fun and memorable hook like Mr. VR Dream Pants makes it effortless.
How To Sound More French With Mnemonics
Mnemonics don’t just help with grammar; they can also help with pronunciation. By creating vivid, memorable images, you engage both your visual and auditory memory, making it easier to recall vocabulary, phrases, and tricky grammar rules.
As a French teacher, I love helping English speakers sound more French by focusing on pronunciation, vocabulary, and the culture of France. Using techniques like this, my students find learning French much more engaging and effective.
What Mnemonics Have Stolen Your Heart?
Do you use mnemonics to help you remember French? Have you found one that has truly stuck with you?
I’d love to hear about it!
Wishing you a very happy Saint-Valentin pour la semaine prochaine ! 💕
À bientôt !
Frannie
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