Questions (EGU units 49-50)

Usual structure = (QW) – AUX – S – V – (ADJUNCTS)

How long have you been working in this company?

Ex. 49.3

What are auxiliary verbs? (see also unit 51A)

• Be (present and past continuous – “going to” future – passive voice)

• Have (have got – present perfect simple and continuous – past perfect
simple and continuous – passive voice)
• Do/does/did (present and past simple)
• Will (future simple)
• Would (conditional)
• Modals (can, may, should…)
➔ Ex. 51.1

Question words “who” and “what”

Subject Object
auxiliary auxiliary
Who saw you at the party last night? Who did you see at the party last
night?
➔ Ex. 49.2

Place of prepositions related to the question word

End of interrogative sentence

Where do you come from?

What are you talking about?
Note: To whom are you talking? = formal
 Indirect questions

• Question as a subclause
Do you know what time he arrives?
Main clause (P1) subclause (P2)
• Reported question
She asked me why I was angry.
Main clause (P1) Subclause (P2)
➔ Ex. 50.2

Some uses of auxiliary verbs (EGU unit 51)

• To express interest or surprise = “really”
- James is getting married. – Is he?!
➔ Ex. 51.2

• So = aussi - I like books. - So do I.

Neither / Nor = non plus - I didn’t sleep well. – Neither / Nor did I.
➔ Ex. 51.3

Questions tags (EGU unit 52)

= « n’est-ce pas ? »

Positive sentence Negative tag You’ll come with us, won’t you?
Negative Positive tag She isn’t working, is she?
sentence

Note:
- Rising intonation = real question
- Descending intonation = listener’s agreement expected
Ex. 52.1-2
Translation exercise
1) Qui as-tu invité ? Et qui t’a déjà appelé pour confirmer ?
2) Qu’est-ce qui t’a dérangé dans ses paroles ? Qu’a t’-il dit pour te fâcher ?

3) De quoi la réussite dépend-elle ?

4) Je me demande pourquoi elle est partie si tôt.

5) Il m’a demandé quand je pourrai lui remettre mes conclusions.

6) Nous n’avons pas de voiture et nos parents non plus.

7) – Mon fils a réussi son permis de conduire. – Oh vraiment ! Félicitations à lui.

8) - J’ai faim ! - Moi aussi !

9) Tu as déjà rencontré mon nouveau copain, n’est-ce pas ?

10) Kate n’habite plus à Bristol, n’est-ce pas ?