1. Forming questions & Using “est-ce-que”
Question Words
Forming questions
&
Using “est-ce-que”

2. French Question Words:
Quand …. ?
Pourquoi Où
Comment
Que / quoi
Qui
Avec qui
À quelle heure
When … ?
Why
Where
How
What
Who
With whom
At what time

3. First … Different ways to make a question:
Statement: Tu joues aux cartes.
To make it a question…
Tu joues aux cartes ?
Tu joues aux cartes,
n’est-ce pas ?
(...right?)
Est-ce que tu joues aux cartes ?
(“Is it that”…)
Joues-tu aux cartes ?

4. Focus on “est-ce que”:
“Est-ce que” can be tacked on at the beginning of a sentence to indicate a question is coming.
“Est-ce que tu joues au basket?”
“est-ce que” can also be inserted into the sentence after a question word.
“Quand est-ce que tu joues au basket?”

5. How would you make this statement a question with “est-ce que”?
Vous jouez au tennis.
Est-ce que vous jouez
au tennis ?

6. Est-ce que – YES/NO questions
“Est-ce que” by itself simply turns a statement
into a question.
Questions that begin with “Est-ce que…” will have
“YES / NO” answers.
“Est-ce qu’il joue au tennis ?”
Oui, il joue ...
Non, il ne joue pas …

7. “Est-ce que” has no real meaning
Est-ce que does not carry any true meaning, and is not translated.
Literally, est-ce que = “is it that.”
(In English, we often include the word “do” or “does” with
questions– which doesn’t necessarily carry any additional
meaning either, except to make it a question)
Est-ce que tu joues au tennis?
(“Is it that” you play tennis?)
( Do you play tennis?)

8. Remember…. It’s the QUESTION FORMAT that you want to translate – not the words used in either language to make it a question.
To translate: Do you play tennis?
Would you translate the word “DO” ?
“Do you…” makes it a question in English ….
What would make it a question in French?

9. “Est-ce que” – with question words (“quand, comment, pourquoi,” etc…)
Question words ask for MORE INFORMATION than just “est-ce que” alone. (Need more than a Y/N answer)
Question words are followed by “est-ce que,” when the subject comes first in the rest of the sentence.
(When the verb comes first in the rest of the sentence – inversion – you don’t need “est-ce que.”)

10. Examples: Quand est-ce que tu joues au foot?
When do (“is it that”) you play soccer?
Pourquoi est-ce que tu aimes faire de la photo?
Why do you like to do photography?
Comment est-ce que tu fais du surf?
How do you surf?

11. C’est à vous! – Translate the changing sentences.
Elle danse !
À quelle heure
Comment
Pourquoi
Avec qui
Quand Où
est-ce qu’ elle danse ?
Est-ce qu’elle danse ?

12. “Qui” (Who) – does not need “est-ce que” (when it’s the subject):
Qui joue de la guitare?
Who plays guitar?

13. You don’t need “est-ce que” when the verb directly follows the question word:
Où va Paul?
Where is Paul going?
(“Where goes Paul?”)
WITH ÊTRE:
Où est mon portable?
Where is my cell phone?

14. Another way to ask a question without est-ce que – Put the question word at the end:
Paul va où ?
“Paul is going where?”
(When the question word is at the end,
your voice goes up at the end.)

15. Contractions with “que”
Que changes to qu’ before a vowel.
Example:
Est-ce que tu fais du sport ?
 Est-ce qu’ il fait du sport ?

16. The question word “What”
“What(?)” is expressed in several different ways:
Que fait Paul ? (What is Paul doing/making?)
*Qu’est-ce que Paul fait ? (What is Paul doing/making?)
Paul fait quoi ? (Paul doing/making what?)
Il fait le gâteau avec quoi ? (He’s making the cake with what?)
( *Qu’est-ce qui plaît à Paul ? - What is pleasing to Paul ? )

17. The question word “Who”
“Who” doesn’t change:
Qui aime Paul ? (Who likes Paul?)
Paul aime qui ? (Whom does Paul like?)
Paul sort avec qui ? (Paul is going out with whom?)