Lesson 9 : Interrogative phrases, conjugation of the third group and how to speak about the weather

 

In the grammar part of lesson 9 we’ll see the interrogative phrases and how to convert a declarative sentence into an interrogative one. Then you’ll know everything about the question : who, when and where. We’ll continue to learn a new type of third group verbs and we’ll finish by speaking about the weather. Are you ready?

 

Première partie : grammaire/First part : Grammar

How we convert a declarative sentence into an interrogative sentence?

Only 3 methodes:

 1. By using Est-ce-que…

Which is very commonly used.

Tu participes à cette fête. You take part in this party.

Est-ce que tu participes à cette fête ? Do you take part in this party ?

Paul aime la musique. Paul is fond of painting.

Est-ce que Paul aime la musique? Is Paul fond of painting?

 

2. By reverting the subject and the verb

Tu participes à cette fête

Participes–tu à cette fête ? Do you take part in this party?

Be carful: a dash must be included between the verb and the subject and notice that in French there is a space between the last word and the question mark

Paul aime la musique.

Paul aime-t-il la peinture ?

Be careful: You can’t say : “Aime Paul la peinture ?”  Replace the firstname by the corresponding pronoun by keeping the firstname at the beginning of the phrase.

3. By changing your voice tone

The last one is the easier! Just add a question mark and change your voice tone. The hardest thing is to find the right French tone…No problem with text!

Tu participes à cette fête.

Tu participes à cette fête ?

Paul aime la musique.

Paul aime la musique ?

 

Now, let see how to ask all the questions to want … It’s very easy because it’s just like in English !

Interrogative word + Verb + Subject + …

Who : Qui

Qui est cette femme ? Who is that woman?

Why : Pourquoi

Pourquoi aimes–tu marcher ? Why do you like walking?

Where : où

Où vas tu chaque samedi ? Where do you go every saturday?

When : Quand

Quand es–tu allé chez le dentiste pour la dernière fois ? When did you go to the dentist for the last time?

 

Seconde partie : Conjugaison /Second part : conjugation

 

Let’s continue with another type of third group verb : The “ouvrir” forme. Yhe infinitive is on “IR” like a verb of the second group but it’s present conjugation is like the first group verb… I know even for French people, that’s not funny at all.

Ouvrir (to open)

J’ouvre

Tu ouvres

Il, elle, on ouvre

Nous ouvrons

Vous ouvrez

Ils, elles ouvrent

Other verbs like OUVRIR :

Offrir to offer

Souffrir to suffer

Couvrir to cover

Découvrir to discover

 Entrouvrir to open a little

 Rouvrir to open again

 

Troisième partie : vocabulaire/Third part: vocabulary

What’s the weather like?

The best to have something to say in any kind of situation. In France, speaking about the weather is the subject number one!