ASKING QUESTIONS /L'INTERROGATION

 

YES/NO QUESTIONS

1. Est-ce que: Add Est-ce que at the beginning of a statement to make it into a yes/no question: Est-ce que tu as bien dorm/7 (Did you sleep well?) Est-ce qu'elle nevientpas? (is she not coming?)

2. inversion: invert the subject with the conjugated verband connect them with a hyphen to transform anystatement into a question: As-tu bien dormi?

   1. Any object pronouns stay attached to the conjugated verb, L'avez-vous vu?(Did you see it?)

   2. Negative questions keep the ne...pasaround the inverted verb: Ne vient-elle pas?

   3. when a third person singular verb ends in a vowel, insert -t-between it and the subject: A-t-elle parlé?(Did she speak?)

   4. when the subject is a noun rather than a pronoun,construct the inversion with the appropriate pronoun; the noun begins the question: Danieiie a-t-elle parlé?(Did Danielle speak?)

   5. With je: inversion is used only with verbs like être, avoir, alter, faire,etc. The inverted form of Je peux(I can; I may) is always Puis-je?

3. N'est-ce pas:Tack on to the end of the sentence toask doesn't it? isn't it? isn't that so? don't you think? Il est adorabie, n'est-ce pas?(He's adorable, don't youthink?)

Siis used instead of ouito contradict a negative yes/no question or statement. Tu ne le vois pas? Si, je le vois.(You don't see it? Yes, I do.)

 

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

1. Interrogative adverbs: when, where, why, how, how much, how many

   1. Adverbs: comment(how); où(where); pourquoi(why); quand(when); combien(how much, how many)

   2. TWO possible constructions:

      1. Interrogative adverb + inverted phrase. Combien de fois Guy a-t-ii ri?(How many times didGuy laugh?)

      2. Interrogative adverb + est-ce que+ phrase. Combien d'enfants est-ce que vous avez?

2. Interrogative adjectives: which?

   1. The adjectives: quel(m), quelle(f), quels(m. pi.), quelles(f. pl.) are used to ask which? or what?: La temme s'approche. Quelle temme?(The woman is approaching, which woman?) Quel est le meilleur restaurant?

3. Interrogative pronouns: who, what, which one?

Meaning		Subject		Direct Object		Object of a prep.
who, whom(for persons)		qui est-ce qui, qui Qui est-ce est là? Qui est là?		qui est-ce que qui Qui est-ce qu'il aime? Qui aime-t-il?		qui De qui parles -tu?
what(for things)		qu'est-ce qui Qu'est-ce qui se passe?		qu'est-ce que, que Qu'est-ce qu'elle fait? Que fait-elle?		Quoi Avec quoi I'as-tu fait?
which one which ones		lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles Lequel esf ie mieux? Laquelle regardes-fu? Sur/esque/s?

The forms of lequelcontract with à and deas described in the Relative Pronouns section.