Participe passé avec infinitif sous-entendu

In French, we often agree the past participle with the direct object if it comes before the verb. For example, if you talk about "the flowers you bought," the word achetées gets an e and an s. But sometimes, the action does not stop at the first verb. Imagine you say, "I did all the chores I could." In your head, you mean "I did all the chores I could DO." That second verb "do" is the ghost. Because the verb pouvoir (to be able to) is actually linked to the hidden verb faire (to do), it stays neutral. It does not care about the "chores." It only cares about its hidden partner. This happens most often with three main verbs: vouloir (wanted), pouvoir (could), and devoir (had to). It also happens with verbs like permettre (allowed) or penser (thought). If there is a hidden "to do," "to go," or "to say" at the end, keep it simple. No agreement needed! It is like a grammar traffic light that stays yellow. You do not have to stop and change anything. Just keep driving!

1. 1Setting this up is easier than making a crêpe. Just follow these three steps:
2. 2Identify the past participle. This is usually voulu, pu, or dû.
3. 3Look at the context. Ask yourself: "Is there a missing action at the end?"
4. 4Keep the participle in its basic form. This means it always ends in u or i (singular masculine).
5. 5For example, with vouloir, the participle is voulu. Even if you are talking about les pommes (the apples), you write: J'ai mangé les pommes que j'ai voulu. You do not write voulues. Why? Because you really mean que j'ai voulu manger. The hidden manger saves you from the extra letters. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so you are already ahead of the game!

Use this rule whenever you are talking about limits, desires, or obligations. It is very common in daily life. Imagine you are at a job interview. You want to sound professional. You say, "I finished all the tasks I was supposed to." In French, this is: J'ai fini toutes les tâches que j'ai dû. You do not agree with tâches because you mean dû faire. Use it when ordering food too! "I took the drinks I wanted" becomes J'ai pris les boissons que j'ai voulu. It feels modern and smooth. It shows you understand the deep logic of the sentence. It is perfect for talking about travel too. "We visited the cities we were permitted to [visit]." The focus is on the permission, not just the cities. Use it whenever you feel like there is a "to [verb]" whispering at the end of your sentence.

Do not use this rule if the verb is the final action of the sentence. If there is no hidden infinitive, you must follow the regular agreement rules. This can be tricky! Think of the verb permis (allowed). If you say, "The photos that are allowed," you write Les photos qui sont permises. There is no hidden verb here. The photos are simply allowed. But if you say, "The photos I was allowed [to take]," then it is Les photos que j'ai pu. The difference is the hidden action. If you can't add "to do something" at the end and make sense, then you should probably agree the verb. It is like checking if you have your keys before you lock the door. If the action is complete and self-contained, use the standard agreement rules you already know.

The biggest mistake is being "too good" at grammar. Many learners want to agree everything! They see a feminine plural object like les leçons and they immediately want to write voulues. Resist the urge! Remember the ghost verb. Another mistake is forgetting which verbs use this rule. Focus on the "Big Three": vouloir, pouvoir, and devoir. If you try to apply this to every verb, you might get into trouble. Also, watch out for the little word que. It usually sets the stage for this rule. If you see que followed by a modal verb (like could or should), slow down. Think about that hidden infinitive. It is like a grammar speed bump. If you go too fast, you will add an s that doesn't belong there!

Compare these two sentences. Sentence A: J'ai lu les lettres que tu as écrites (I read the letters you wrote). Here, écrites agrees with lettres. There is no hidden verb. Sentence B: J'ai lu les lettres que tu as pu (I read the letters you could [read]). Here, pu stays the same. The difference is the "could." In Sentence A, the action is writing. In Sentence B, the action is the "ability" to read. The modal verbs (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir) act like shields. They protect the participle from changing. Regular verbs like écrire, manger, or voir do not have this shield. They must change to match the object. Think of modal verbs as the bodyguards of the grammar world. They keep things from getting complicated.