Interrogative Clauses
Simple interrogatives (questions which can be answered by yes or no)
can be formed in a number of ways:
A. By intonation:
-
Il y a quelqu'un? Is anyone there?
-
Vous n'avez rien à déclarer? You have
nothing to declare?
B. By adding n'est-ce pas? to the sentence:
-
C'est l'heure de partir, n'est-ce pas? It's time
to go, isn't it?
-
Il voudrait nous accompagner, n'est-ce pas? He'd
like to come with us, wouldn't he?
C. By using est-ce que at the beginning of the sentence:
-
Est-ce que tu as téléphoné? Did
you call?)
-
Est-ce qu'ils ont fini de faire ce bruit? Have they
finished making that noise?
D. By inverting the subject pronoun and verb:
-
Veux-tu sortir ce soir? Do you want to go out tonight?
-
Vous levez-vous avec le soleil? Do you get up with
the sun?
Notes:
Nouns are not inverted. When a full noun is used as a subject, a subject
pronoun must be added to the inversion:
-
Xavier et Jacqueline ont-ils réussi à l'examen?
Did Xavier and Jacqueline pass the test?
-
Les professeurs ont-ils participé à la manifestation?
Did the professors participate in the demonstration?
In compound tenses only the auxiliary is inverted:
-
Avez-vous compris le sens de ce mot? Did you understand
the meaning of this word?
When the verb ends in a vowel, -t- is added for phonetic reasons:
-
Habite-t-il en ville ou à la campagne? Does
he live in town or in the country?
-
Va-t-elle l'acheter ou pas? Is she going to buy it
or not?
In inversion other pronouns (such as reflexive or direct object pronouns)
remain unchanged:
-
Vous rendez-vous compte des conséquences? Are
you aware of the consequences?
-
Ne me croyez-vous pas? Don't you believe me?
See also: Interrogative
adverbs, Interrogative
pronouns.
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