GRAMMAR

⭐ The Focus of This Lesson Is the Three Forms of the Yes-No Question in French.

Est-ce que tu as le billet de train ?

"Do you have your train ticket?"

Among the available public transportation options for travel in France, the train provides several advantages.

The French railway network, administrated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer ("National Society of the Train Network"), which we shorten to SNCF, can take you almost anywhere in France, from main cities (with the TGV or Corail trains) to small villages (with the TER regional trains), while allowing you to admire the French landscape. TER trains offer travel over short distances to destinations within a region. During the high tourism season, TER trains temporarily offer special itineraries for tourists to go visit sites of interest.

The other advantage to French train travel is it allows you to avoid wasting time. Taking a night train to cross France, for example, will allow you to not lose any time visiting your destination. The same is also true as trains arrive in the city center, avoiding extra transportation time you'd otherwise spend traveling from an airport to your hotel, for example.

In the dialogue, Sarah is getting ready to leave to take the TGV train to return to her home city, Toulouse. Rob assists her in preparing for her departure by checking whether she has her train ticket ready. However, he needs to repeat his question three times as she is in the bathroom and cannot hear him. To verify the information, Rob uses first the question Est-ce que tu as le billet de train? ("Do you have the train ticket?")

⭐ Asking a Yes-No Question in French

In case of doubt, if you want to check information, or if you want to ask a yes-no question in French, you will use une question fermée, meaning "a closed question," also referred to as "the total interrogation," as the speaker asks a question about the whole sentence versus only part of it or the situation (for example, a question with qui ("who") only asks about the subject of the verb).

We call it une question fermée because the response is limited to either an affirmative or negative response with oui ("yes") or bien sûr ("of course"), for example.

To form a yes-no question in French, three word order sequences are available: the yes-no question with Est-ce que, the rising intonation yes-no question, and the yes-no question with the inversion of the subject pronoun.

1. Yes-No Question With Est-ce que

To form a yes-no question using est-ce que, use the following structure:

 Est-ce que + subject + verb + complement ?

For Example:

1. Est-ce que tu as le billet de train?

"Do you have the train ticket?"

2. Est-ce que Rob pose une question ?

"Does Rob ask a question?"

3. Est-ce que Sarah est dans la salle de bain ?

"Is she in the bathroom?"

4. Est-ce que les trains arrivent à l'heure ?

"Do the trains arrive on time?"

5. Est-ce que le TGV dessert la ville de Toulouse ?

"Does the TGV offer service to the city of Toulouse?"

2. Yes-No Question with the Rising Intonation

As Sarah didn't hear Rob, he repeats the question a second time with Tu as le billet de train ? ("Do you have your train ticket?")

This question formulation is also a yes-no question (question fermée), which is part of the total interrogation in the French language.

To form this question, use the following structure:

subject + verb + complement ?

🔷 Note

As you can observe, the sequence of words in the yes-no question with the rising intonation is identical to an affirmative statement. To differentiate between the two when speaking, make sure to raise your intonation when pronouncing the question.

For Example:

1. Tu as le billet de train ?

"Do you have the train ticket?"

2. Rob pose une question ?

"Does Rob ask a question?"

3. Sarah est dans la salle de bain ?

"Is she in the bathroom?"

4. Les trains arrivent à l'heure ?

"Do the trains arrive on time?"

5. Le TGV dessert la ville de Toulouse ?

"Does the TGV offer service to the city of Toulouse?"

3. Yes-No Question With the Subject Pronoun Inversion

In the dialogue, Sarah is still not responding. Therefore, Rob asks her a third and final time the same question with As-tu le billet de train ? ("Do you have your train ticket?")

This yes-no question is called the subject pronoun inversion yes-no question, or in French, la question avec l'inversion du pronom sujet.

To form this question, use the following structure:

verb + dash + personal pronoun + complement ?  

For Example:

1. As-tu le billet de train ?

"Do you have the train ticket?"

2. Pose-t-il une question ?

"Does he ask a question?"

3. Est-elle dans la salle de bain ?

"Is she in the bathroom?"

4. Arrivent-ils à l'heure ?

"Do they arrive on time?"

5. Dessert-il la ville de Toulouse ?

"Does it offer service to the city of Toulouse?"

⭐ Language Focus: Particularities of the Yes-No Question With the Subject Pronoun Inversion

Mandatory Use of the Personal Pronoun

In the yes-no question with the subject pronoun inversion, the subject has to be a personal pronoun. The noun or the first name it refers to have to be added before the verb:

For Example:

1. INCORRECT: Est Sarah dans la salle de bain ? "Is Sarah in the bathroom?"
2. CORRECT:    Sarah est-elle dans la salle de bain? "Is Sarah in the bathroom?"

⭐ Use of the Phonetic -t

When using the subject-pronoun inversion question with a pronoun of the third person singular, and the verb ends in a vowel, we must place the letter -t followed by a hyphen directly after the hyphen already contained in the word order presented above. We do this to facilitate the pronunciation and avoid two consecutive vowel sounds.

To form this question, use the following structure:

verb ending with a vowel+ hyphen + t + hyphen + third person singular pronoun + complement ?

1. Achète-t-elle un billet de train ?

"Does she buy a train ticket?"

2. Regarde-t-il le paysage ?

"Does he watch the landscape?"

3. Arrive-t-elle à l'heure ?

"Does she arrive on time?"

➖ Cultural Insights ➖

Taking the Train in France

The train may very well be the most relaxing means of transport in France. Long-distance trains offer freedom from the chore of driving and paying for gas and freeways. Taking the train is also quieter, less tiring, and more comfortable than going by car or airplane, especially if you take the TGV.

The TGV travels at speeds as high as three hundred kilometers per hour and shortens travel times within France. TGV reservations are required, but you can make them at the last minute. On board, you will experience exceptional service, including meals served at your seat, bar service, nursery service, family spaces, and more.

SNCF offers a variety of services, including hotel ticket delivery, hotel pickup and delivery of baggage, luggage assistance at stations, baggage checking, and reserved meals on the TGV.

Train fares vary according to comfort level, trip dates, and age. There are two classes of travel: first and second. Travel by TGV is not always more expensive than by regular trains, depending on departure date and time and fare options. There are many advantageous fare options for foreigners, including cheap fares for regional tourist trains or passes to travel in Europe with the Europass, Inter-Rail, and Eurodomino. From Paris, you can take a Eurostar train through the channel tunnel to London or the Thalys train to Brussels.

Before boarding a train in France, you must punch your own ticket using a ticket punching machine (composteur), located near the entrance to the platform area. You must punch and use your tickets on the same day. If you do not use them on the same day or if you fail to punch them, you may receive a fine.

Www.frenchpod101.com