REVISIONS


Les questions


There are several ways to ask questions in French.

1. Use your voice.
The easiest way is by changing the intonation of your voice, raising the pitch near the end. (You also do this in English.)

e.g.: I’m eating some candies.
You’re eating some candies?
Je mange des bonbons.
Tu manges des bonbons?

2. Put est-ce que at the beginning of your sentence.

Another way is by using est-ce que at the beginning of your question.

e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Est-ce que tu manges des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?

Elle mange des bonbons. = She is eating some candies.
Est-ce qu’elle mange des bonbons? = Is she eating some candies?

Notice that que forms a contraction when it precedes a words starting with vowel.

3. Switch the verb and subject pronoun.

The third way to ask a question in French is by using inversion, or switching the verb and the subject.

e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Manges-tu des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?
Parlez-vous français? = Do you speak French?

When you use inversion with il or elle, you must add “t” between your verb and the subject pronoun if the verb does not already end in “t”.

e.g.: Le bébé, est-il beau? = Is the baby beautiful?
Joël, mange-t-il des bonbons? = Is Joel eating candies?
Isaac, regarde-t-il la television? = Is Isaac watching television?

Exercice:
Ask the following question three ways. Are you eating cake (du gateau) ?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________




BC0010F: Intermediate French – Alan Gwilherm Yann Le Bras / (Material used © Norma Allen 2009)