A clear question is built from a purpose: what do you actually want to find out? In IGCSE French you ask questions in role plays, conversations and written tasks, so you need at least one form you can build without thinking.
It follows negatives in present-time expression.
What are the three question forms?
| Form | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Intonation | Tu habites à Ipoh ? | Easy to say, informal |
| Est-ce que | Est-ce que tu habites à Ipoh ? | Safe and clear, speech and writing |
| Inversion | Habites-tu à Ipoh ? | More formal, careful writing |
Est-ce que shortens before a vowel: Est-ce qu’elle habite à Ipoh ? Choose the one you can produce correctly under pressure, and use it consistently.
Which question word gives you the answer you need?
| You want to know | Question word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Place | où | Où est la gare ? |
| Time | quand, à quelle heure | À quelle heure est-ce que le train part ? |
| Reason | pourquoi | Pourquoi est-ce que tu es en retard ? |
| Price, quantity | combien | Combien coûte un billet ? |
| Person | qui | Qui joue avec toi ? |
| Choice | quel, quelle | Quelle heure est-il ? |
Put the question word first, then use est-ce que or inversion.
Worked example
You are at a station in a role play. Ask when the train to Lyon leaves, where the platform is and how much a ticket costs.
- Time: the purpose is time, so use à quelle heure. À quelle heure est-ce que le train pour Lyon part ?
- Place: the purpose is place, so use où. Où est le quai ?
- Price: the purpose is price, so use combien. Combien coûte un billet pour Lyon ?
Each question carries one question word and one clear purpose. The listener knows at once what information you need.
The mistake to watch for
Mistaken: Où est-ce que tu habites-tu ?
The learner used est-ce que and inversion together, so the question is marked twice.
Correction: Use one form only: Où est-ce que tu habites ? or Où habites-tu ?
A related slip is dropping the hyphen or the -t- in inversion, as in “Parlez vous anglais ?” or “A il un frère ?”. Write Parlez-vous anglais ? and A-t-il un frère ?
Check yourself
1. Rewrite with inversion: Vous parlez anglais.
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Reverse subject and verb, and add a hyphen: Parlez-vous anglais ?
2. Use est-ce que to ask where she lives: Elle habite à Kuala Lumpur.
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Est-ce que shortens before elle: Où est-ce qu’elle habite ?
3. Complete with the right question word: ___ coûte ce livre ?
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You are asking about price, so the word is combien: Combien coûte ce livre ?
Where this leads next
You can now handle verbs, negatives and questions. Put them together in the integrated practice set, then move on to past and future meaning.
Questions come alive in conversation, and a teacher can respond to what you say as it happens. This is central to online one-to-one French tuition.