Question forms

AQA

GCSE

Candidates must demonstrate mastery of the three primary mechanisms for interrogative formation in French: intonation, the locution 'est-ce que', and syntactic inversion. Analysis must distinguish between register-appropriate usage, specifically the restriction of inversion to 'registre soutenu' and the prevalence of intonation in 'registre familier'. Proficiency includes manipulation of complex inversion with noun subjects and correct placement of interrogative adverbs within the sentence structure.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award marks for correct word order in inversion, specifically placing the verb before the subject pronoun joined by a hyphen
Credit the accurate use of the euphonic 't' in third-person singular inversions (e.g., 'a-t-il')
Reward the correct selection of interrogative pronouns (qui, que, quoi, lequel) based on their grammatical function
Assess the ability to form questions in compound tenses, ensuring the auxiliary verb is inverted rather than the participle

Example Examiner Feedback

Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

"You have used intonation correctly, but to access higher marks, attempt inversion in formal writing"
"Check your use of the euphonic 't'—it is required here between the vowel-ending verb and the vowel-starting pronoun"
"Your question word order is English-influenced; remember that the object pronoun must precede the verb in French"
"Excellent use of 'depuis quand'; ensure the verb following it is in the present tense as the action is ongoing"

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award marks for correct word order in inversion, specifically placing the verb before the subject pronoun joined by a hyphen
Credit the accurate use of the euphonic 't' in third-person singular inversions (e.g., 'a-t-il')
Reward the correct selection of interrogative pronouns (qui, que, quoi, lequel) based on their grammatical function
Assess the ability to form questions in compound tenses, ensuring the auxiliary verb is inverted rather than the participle

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡In the Speaking Role-play, use 'Est-ce que' or intonation to minimize grammatical risk while ensuring communication
💡For the 150-word writing task, demonstrate range by using inversion at least once to signal grammatical complexity
💡When translating questions into French, identify the tense first; inversion in the perfect tense requires careful placement of the past participle
💡Memorize 'depuis quand' (since when) and 'pourquoi' (why) constructions, as these often require specific answering structures

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Omitting the hyphen in inversion (writing 'a t il' instead of 'a-t-il')
Incorrectly using 'qu'est-ce que' in written work where 'ce que' or simple inversion is stylistically required
Failing to invert the auxiliary verb in the perfect tense (e.g., 'As-tu mangé?' vs 'Tu as mangé?') in formal contexts
Misplacing the negative particles 'ne... pas' when forming negative questions

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Écrivez

Décrivez

Mentionnez

Traduisez

Répondez

Posez

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