Practice Makes Perfect

6·12

EXERCICE

Translate the following sentences into French.

1.  I threw out my old phone because I did not want it anymore.

2.  But I cannot find my new cell phone anywhere.

3.  These days I do not remember anything anymore.

4.  Well, I cannot call anyone else tonight.

5.  I will never again forget to put it back into my purse.

i-x_1-284_Heminway.indd   128

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·7·

Interrogative sentences

An interrogative sentence serves to ask a question. We use interrogative sentences 

for different purposes: to obtain information, and to elicit confirmation or denial 

about something or someone.

Tu peux répondre, n’est-ce pas? 

You can answer, can’t you?  

  

(confirmation or denial)

Ginette n’est pas là? 

Is Ginette not there? 

  

(confirmation or denial)

Quelle heure est-il? 

What time is it? (information)

Où allons-nous? 

Where are we going? (information)

To communicate effectively, you often must be able to ask precise questions 

in order to get the information you seek; furthermore you must understand a 

variety of questions in order to give others the information they seek from you. 

Consider the following sentence and the many questions that can be asked about 

it. Note the word order and the different question words used.

Chaque jour les fleurs devenaient  

Each day, the flowers grew more and 

de plus en plus belles grâce à 

  more beautiful thanks to the diligent 

l’attention diligente que papa 

  care Dad gave them. 

leur accordait. 

   

Est-ce que les fleurs devenaient de 

Did the flowers grow more and 

plus en plus belles? 

  more beautiful?

Les fleurs devenaient de plus en 

The flowers became more and more 

plus belles, n’est-ce pas? 

   beautiful, did they not?

Quand est-ce que les fleurs  

When did the flowers grow more and 

devenaient de plus en plus belles?    more beautiful?

Qu’est-ce qui devenait de plus en 

What grew more and more beautiful?  

plus beau? 

Pourquoi est-ce que les fleurs  

Why did the flowers grow more and 

devenaient de plus en plus belles?    more beautiful?

Grâce à qui est-ce que les fleurs  

Thanks to whom did the flowers grow 

devenaient de plus en plus belles?    more and more beautiful?