The Question of "Mettre" Accord
The French verb "mettre" presents a potential stumbling block in terms of agreement when used in the reflexive form. Should the past participle "mis" agree with the subject pronoun "elle" or remain invariable?
Understanding Reflexive Verbs
A reflexive verb is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun ("me, te, se, nous, vous, or se") placed between the subject and the verb. Commonly used reflexive verbs include "s’absenter" (to be absent), "s’accroupir" (to crouch), "se marrer" (to laugh), and "se méfier" (to be wary).
Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs
The conjugation of reflexive verbs depends on the position of the direct object (COD) in the sentence. When used with the auxiliary "être," the past participle agrees with the subject. For example, "elle est partie" (she left) and "elles sont arrivées" (they arrived).
Agreement Rules for Reflexive Verbs with a COD
However, when reflexive verbs are constructed with a direct object, the agreement rules become more complex. If the COD is placed after the verb, there is no agreement. Examples include "Elle s’est fixé des objectifs ambitieux" (She set herself ambitious goals) and "ils se sont acheté une nouvelle voiture" (they bought themselves a new car).
"Se mettre en tête": Determining the COD
In the expression "se mettre en tête," the pronoun "se" represents the subject ("elle" in the given example). The question is: where is the direct object (COD)?
In the sentence "se mettre une idée en tête" ("to put an idea in one’s head"), "une idée" is the COD, and it follows the verb. This means that "mis" remains invariable because the COD is placed after the verb.
Similarly, in the sentence "Elle s’est mis en tête de réussir" (She made up her mind to succeed), the phrase "en tête de réussir" functions as the COD. As it is placed after the verb, there is no agreement here either. The past participle remains invariable.
Exceptions to the Rule
However, there is an exception if the COD is a noun that can be placed either before or after the past participle. For example, in "Ces idées qu’ils se sont mises en tête" (Those ideas they put in their heads), agreement is required.
Conclusion
In summary, when "mettre" is used reflexively with a COD placed after the verb, the past participle "mis" remains invariable. However, if the COD is a noun that can be placed either before or after the past participle, agreement applies.
