1. Forming questions with inversion

2. L’interrogation avec inversion. In conversational French, questions are usually formed with est-ce que, or by adding the expression n’est-ce pas (isn’t so) to the end of a sentence. Ex: Est-ce que tu as un crayon mine? Do you have a pencil? Il fait froid, n’est-ce pas? It’s cold, isn’t? However, when the subject of the sentence is a pronoun, French speakers often use inversion, especially in written French, that is, they invert or reverse the order of the subject pronoun and the verb. REGULAR ORDER: Vous parlez français. INVERSION : Parlez-vous anglais? SUBJECTVERBVERBSUBJECT Continued...

3. L’interrogation avec inversion The pairs of questions below ask the same thing. Compare the position of the subject pronouns. Inversion Est-ce que tu parles anglais?Parles-tu anglais? Do you speak English? Est-ce que vous habitez ici?Habitez-vous ici? Do you live here? Où est-ce que nous dînons?Où dînons-nous? Where are we having dinner? Où est-ce qu’il est?Où est-il? Where is he? Continued...

4. L’interrogation avec inversion Inverted questions are formed according to the patterns: VERB / SUBJECT PRONOUN …? In inversion, the verb and the subject pronoun are connected by a hyphen. YES/NO QUESTION Voyagez-voussouvent? INTERROGATIVE EXPRESSION + VERB / SUBJECT PRONOUN …? INFORMATION QUESTION Avec quitravaillez-vous demain? Continued...

5. L’interrogation avec inversion Observation: In inversion, liaison is required before il/elle and ils/elles. If a verb in the singular ends on a vowel letter, the letter “t” is inserted after the verb so that liaison can occur: Ex: Où travaille-t-il?Où travaille-t-elle? Where does she/he work? Avec qui dîne-t-il?Avec qui dîne-t-elle? With whom does she/he eat?