Asking Questions

Asking Questions

Question Words
1. Où?
  1. Where?
2. Quand?
  1. When?
3. A quelle heure?
  1. When?
4. Comment?
  1. How?
5. Combien?
  1. How many?
  2. How much?
6. Combien de temps?
  1. How long?
7. Pourquoi?
  1. Why?
Spoken/Informal
1. The most common method of asking questions in informal french is to use a statement either with rising intonation or with a question word added.
2. Eg. "Tu vas trouver un emploi à Brighton?"
  1. "Are you going to get a job in Brighton?"
3. Eg. L'avion part à quelle heure?
  1. "What time does the plane leave?"
4. This form of question can only be used in spoken French, or in informal written French, such as a letter to a close friend.
Formal
1. Inverting the verb and the subject
  1. Eg. "Pourriez-vous m'écrire une lettre de recommendation pour un employeur éventuel?"
    1. "Could you write me a letter of recommendation for a potential employer?"
  2. Eg. "Quelle matières a-t-il étudiées à l'université?
    1. "What subjects did he study at university?"
    2. There is an addition of "-t-" to bridge the gap between two vowels to aid pronunciation.
  3. Eg. "Pourquoi Pierre veut-il aller en Grande-Bretagne?"
    1. "Why does Pierre want to go to Britain?"
    2. If the subject of the verb is a noun, the appropriate pronoun is used with the verb.
2. Using "est-ce que?" to avoid the inversion
  1. "Que vas-tu faire" = "Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire?"
    1. "What do you want to do?"
  2. "Comment espère-t-il gagner sa vie?" = "Comment est-ce qu'il espère gagner sa vie?"
    1. "How do you hope to make a living?"
Translating 'what' in questions
1. Direct questions
  1. Qu'est-ce qui
    1. Eg. "Qu'est-ce qui intéresse Pierre comme emploi?"
      1. "What interests Pierre in the job line?"
  2. Qu'est-ce que
    1. Eg. "Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire après le bac?"
      1. "What are you going to do after A-levels?"
2. With a preposition
  1. En quoi
    1. Eg. "En quoi puis-je vous aider?"
      1. "In what way can I help you?"
  2. À quoi
    1. Eg. "À quoi servent les études supérieures?"
      1. "What is the use of higher education?"
  3. De quoi
    1. Eg. "De quoi parlez-vous?"
      1. "What are you talking about?"
3. With a noun
  1. "What" becomes and adjective
    1. Quel
    2. Quelle
    3. Quels
    4. Quelles
  2. Eg. "Quel emploi as-tu choisi?"
    1. "What job have you chosen?"

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