The interrogative sentences in French
Exercises
- Fill in the blank exercise about the simple conversion in French Score -/-
- Fill in the blank exercise about the complex inversion in French Score -/-
- Fill in the blank exercise about the interrogative of compound tenses in French Score -/-
- Fill in the blank exercise about the partial interrogation in French Score -/-
Lesson Outline
HideWhat is an interrogative phrase in French ?
The interrogative sentence (French: la phrase interrogative) is used to ask a question. It ends with a question mark (?)
The French grammar uses two types of interrogatives.
- The total interrogation
- The partial interrogation
How to form an interrogative sentence in French ?
We can construct an interrogative sentence and ask a question in several different ways. To mark the query:
- est-ce que ? (did/do ?)
- qui ? (who ?)
- pourquoi ? (why ?)
- quand (when ?)
- où ? (where ?)
- comment ? (how ?)
- quel/quelle ? (Which ?)
- à qui ? (whom ?)
- à quoi (what ?)
| Questions | Examples | Translate |
|---|---|---|
| Est ce que | Est ce que tu as fait tes devoirs ? | (Did you do your homework ?) |
| Qui | Qui as fait ça ? | (Who did this ?) |
| Pourquoi | Pourquoi tu es partie sans moi ? | (Why did you leave without me ?) |
| Quand | Quand viendras-tu ? | (When will you come back ?) |
| Où | Où vas tu ? | (Where are you going ?) |
| Comment | Comment tu as réussi à monter ? | (How did you climb ?) |
| Quel | Quel foulard tu veux ? | (Which scarf do you want ?) |
| à qui | A qui appartient ce livre ? | (To whom belongs this book ?) |
| à quoi | A quoi tu t'attendais ? | (What did you expect ? ) |
1) The total interrogation in French
The total interrogation (French: l'interrogation totale) covers the entire content of the sentence and calls for a "yes" or "no" answer. It is then equivalent to the affirmative or negative resumption of the question asked.
The subject is placed after the verb in the inversion of the subject reserved especially reserved in written. In oral speech, only the intonation makes it possible to distinguish the interrogation from the affirmation. Therefore the question looks like a normal phrase.
Examples:
| Interrogation | Examples | Translations |
|---|---|---|
| Intonation | Tu as fais ce que je t'ai dit ? | (Did you do what I told you ?) |
| Inversion | As-tu fait ce que je t'ai dit ? | (Did you do what I told you ?) |
The inversion can be two types:
- Simple inversion
- Complex inversion
The simple conversion
In this inversion, the subject is simply placed immediately after the verb. In the total interrogation, this inversion applies to personal pronouns or to the demonstrative pronoun "ce".
Examples:
- Es-tu parti ? (Did you leave ?)
- As-tu réussi ton permis ? (Have you succeeded your driver license ?)
- Est-ce ton nouvel ami ? (Is it your new friend ?)
When you reverse the interrogative, make sure to add an hyphen between the verb and the pronouns.
The inversion with pronouns should always rhyme with a t. Some conjugated verbs do not have it so you write an additional t to make the sentence correct
- Ont-ils fait leurs devoirs ? (Did they do their homework)
- Parle-t-elle chinois ? (Can she speak chinese ?)
- Est-elle végétarienne ? (Is she vegetarian)
- Mange-t-elle de la viande ? (Does she eat meat ?)
The complex inversion
When the subject is a nominal group or a pronoun other than personal or demonstrative, it remains placed before the verb but is taken again after the verb by a personal pronoun subject of the 3rd person who agrees with him.
Examples:
- Le voleur s'en sortira-t-il ? (Will the robber get out of this ?)
- Matthieu a-t-il son diplôme de management ? (Matthew, does he have his management diploma ?)
- Selena était-elle avec vous ? (Was Selena with you ?)
"Est-ce-que" allows you to maintain the subject before the verb, to avoid the inversion.
2) The partial interrogation in French
The partial interrogation (French: l'interrogation partielle) relates to a part of the sentence (on one of its constituents). One of the constituents of the interrogative sentence is presented as being unknown or unidentified and it is therefore on this constituent that the request for information made by means of an interrogative term carries:
The partial interrogation is expressed by interrogatives pronouns, determinants or interrogative adverbs, which can be associated with the inversion of the subject or reinforced by "est ce que".
Examples
- Où iriez-vous manger demain ? (Where will you go to eat tomorrow ?)
- Quelle heure est-il ? (What time is it ?)
- Qui est cette personne ? (Who is this person ?)
- Comment va-t-il ? (How is he doing ?)
Quel agrees in gender and number with the noun.
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
French, English & Dutch - All levels
I teach: Dutch, English, French
Hi! My name is Bart, I am 31 years old, live in Amsterdam and I'm an advanced English/French/Dutch speaker and teacher. Having lived in... several countries I know what it's like to learn a foreign language and how challenging this can be. During our lessons I will explain how to deal your language difficulties and simplify them for you.I offer teaching for:ENGLISH:- Levels/exams A1,A2,B1,B2,C1- English for high school and students - To improve your English for other reasons (ex: English family, to be more comfortable making conversation, practical/social English) FRENCH:- Levels/exams A1,A2,B1,B2,C1- French for high school and students - To improve your French for other reasons (ex: French family, to be more comfortable making conversation, practical/social French) DUTCH:- A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 levels/exams (including 'INBURGERINGSCURSUS')- Dutch for high school and students- Improving Dutch for OTHER REASONS(Dutch family, just to make conversation, to develop practical/sociallanguage skills etc.)How I teach:1 - Your level and objective(s)At the start we will discuss your level and objectives. This way I can efficiently give you the help that you need. 2 - Open communicationI have an open way of teaching in which I encourage students to keep telling me what their difficulties are or where they would like to improve. In my experience this saves a lot of time and also makes the lessons more fun.3 - Simplify instead of complicateI am good at listening and understanding why students are having difficulties with certain issues. This way I can simplify the issue and teach you Dutch in an easy and understandable way.4 - InvolvedI am involved with my students' objectives and am constantly looking for the best and most efficient way to make progress. I am a positive and optimistic person and this is also how I teach. I focus on how to do it right instead of wasting too much time on why something is wrong. I also prefer to simplify rather than to complicate issues. This creates a pleasant learning atmosphere and makes our lessons more productive and fun.At the same time I am also quite competitive. Once you share your goal(s) or expectations with me I will make sure that we do what it takes to achieve and hopefully exceed them.The reason why I like teaching so much is because I enjoy showing people what they are capable of and to help them achieve their goals. At the same time I am becoming a better teacher after every lesson so, in fact, you are also teaching me :) Read more
Professionnal French courses with a French native and certified teacher
I teach: French
Hello,Are you looking to learn or improve your French in a Fun and relaxed atmosphere?Look no further !My name is Anissa and I'm a French... native and certified teacher.Focusing on each student's individual level, interests, and goals, my online classes are effective to achieve impressive learning results in a shorter period of time. The courses will be based on your personal needs and during the class you will receive direct explanations, correction and feedback in order to instantly improve your language skills.Whether you want to learn French for your own pleasure or preparing for an exam, an upcoming interview or a presentation at work, I will be happy to assist you in reaching your goals.My online classes are available at any time! Choose a subject from my curriculum or request your own topic, date, time and start master your French!I look forward to meeting you,Anissa, your French (and nice) teacher :)*Please note that I'm not offering a free trial anymore* Read more
German lessons and learning materials included
I teach: German, English, French
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to... strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier! Read more
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
