Grammar: Adverbs - Interrogative

Grammar: Adverbs - Interrogative

Section: Understanding Interrogative Adverbs
 Interrogative adverbs are used to ask questions about specific types of
information, such as location, manner, reason, or quantity.
 The key interrogative adverbs in French
are: où (where), pourquoi (why), comment (how), quand (when),
and combien (how many/how much).
 Combien is typically used when the question is about quantity or price.
For instance, “Combien coûte ce livre?” translates to “How much does
this book cost?”
Section: Positioning of Interrogative Adverbs
 Generally, interrogative adverbs are placed at the beginning of the
question. For instance, “Où est la bibliothèque ?” (Where is the library?)
 However, in informal spoken French, it is not uncommon to place the
interrogative adverb at the end of the sentence with a rising intonation to
signify the question. For example, “Tu vas où ?” (Where are you going?)
Section: Usage with Prepositions
 When used with prepositions, some interrogative adverbs can form
compound interrogative phrases, e.g. à quoi (what for), de quoi (about
what/what about), avec qui (with whom), chez qui (at whose place), and
so on.
 It’s important to be aware that whenever a question is asked using a
preposition, the preposition should never be placed at the end of the
sentence. For instance, “Avec qui vas-tu à la fête?” (Who are you going to
the party with?)
Section: Forming Complex Questions
 Complexity can be added to questions by incorporating interrogative
pronouns along with interrogative adverbs. An example is “Pourquoi est-
ce que tu travailles ?” (Why are you working?). In this case, “est-ce que”
constructs the question, and “pourquoi” specifies the information sought.
 When an interrogative adverb is used with inversion, the verb is placed
before the subject, for example: “Pourquoi travailles-tu ?” (Why do you
work?).