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Grammar
Interrogation
A simple rule: before a question, ask yourself what kind of information you are looking for.
I- If you want a simple YES or a NO answer, you can ask a question in 3 different ways. These 3 possibilities range from informal to very formal. Let's look at three ways to ask the questions: "Are you leaving?"
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Tu pars?
The sentence looks like a regular one. Just add a question mark and bring your voice up at the end of the sentence.
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Est-ce que tu pars?
Simply put "est-ce que" in front of the sentence, and add a question mark.
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Pars-tu?
Make a verb-subject inversion. Note that when the verb ends with a vowel you need to add a "t" to facilitate the pronunciation. Example: Parle-t-il français?Does he speak French?
And here are some possible answers to this question:
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Oui, je pars. (Yes, I'm leaving.)
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Non, je ne pars pas. (No, I'm not leaving.)
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Je ne sais pas. (I don't know.)
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Peut-être... (Perhaps... )
II- If you are asking for additional information -- why, when, at what time...-- here is how to build questions. The key here is to use the right interrogative word. Learn them right now: Pourquoi, Comment, A quelle heure, Où, Quand.
How it works
First possibility.Put the interrogative word first, then you have the choice of using "est-ce que" or not. A sentence with "est-ce que" will sound formal. A sentence without "est-ce que" indicates a more informal conversation.
Here are some very common interrogative words, followed by examples showing how you can use them:
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Pourquoi (Why)
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Comment (How)
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A quelle heure (At what time)
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Où (Where)
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Quand (When)
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Pourquoi (est-ce que) tu pars?
Parce que je suis fatigué(e). (Because I'm tired.)
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Comment (est-ce que) tu pars?
Je pars en bus. (I'm leaving by bus.)
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A quelle heure (est-ce que) tu pars?
Je pars à huit heures. (I'm leaving at 8 o'clock.)
Second possibility. Put the interrogative word first, then the inverted sentence. This sentence sounds formal. Note: EST-CE QUE is not necessary here:
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Pourquoi pars-tu?
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Comment pars-tu?
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A quelle heure pars-tu?
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Où pars-tu?
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Quand pars-tu?
III- Make a note of the following useful questions ( Remember: "Qu'est-ce que" means WHAT):
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Questions
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Possible Answers
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Qu'est-ce que c'est? (What is it?)
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C'est un ordinateur. (It is a computer.)
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Qu'est-ce que tu étudies? (What are you studying?)
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J'étudie l'histoire de l'art. (I study art history.)
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Qui est-ce? (Who is it?)
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C'est ma soeur. (It's my sister.)
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Qu'est-ce que tu fais? (What do you do?)
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Je suis consultant. (I am a consultant.)
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D'où êtes-vous? (Where are you from?)
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Je suis de New York. (I am from New York.)
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