Question Words (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
Question Words
Pay close attention to question words in the exam! These words are crucial because they indicate exactly what the question is asking.
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| 1. Qui ? | Who? |
| 2. Qui a ? | Who has? |
| 3. Qui est? | Who is? |
| 4. Qui est-ce qui? | Who? |
| 5. Où? | Where? |
| 6. Où va(s) ... ? | Where is ... going? |
| 7. Combien de? | How many? |
| 8. Quel? Quelle? Quels? Quelles? | Which? What? |
| 9. Quel est? / Quelle est? | Which is? |
| 10. Quels sont? Quelles sont? | Which are? |
| 11. Comment? | How? |
| 12. Pourquoi? | Why? |
| 13. Quand? | When? |
| 14. Est-ce que..? | Turns the next sentence into a question? |
| 15. Qu'est-ce que? | What? |
| 16. De quoi? | About what? |
| 17. D'où? | From where? |
| 18. Que? | What? |
| 19. Trouvez | Find |
| 20. Donnez | Give |
| 21. Mentionnez | Mention |
| 22. Complétez | Complete |
| 23. Expliquez | Explain |
| 24. Décris / Décrivez | Describe |
| 25. Au sujet de | On the topic of / about |
| 26. Genre | Genre / type |
| 27. Vrai | True |
| 28. Faux | False |
| 29. un synonyme | a synonym / another word for |
Misunderstanding a question word can lead to an incorrect answer, even if you know the material well. Practice recognising these words and their meanings to improve your comprehension and accuracy.
For example, "Pourquoi" asks for a reason, so your answer should include an explanation.
Similarly, "Combien de" asks for a quantity, so make sure your answer includes a number or an amount.
Grammar Point
Understanding "Quel, Quelle, Quels, Quelles":
"Quel," "Quelle," "Quels," and "Quelles" are all forms of the same word, meaning "which" or "what" in English. The form you use depends on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun it refers to:
- Quel - Masculine singular (e.g., Quel livre? = Which book?)
- Quelle - Feminine singular (e.g., Quelle voiture? = Which car?)
- Quels - Masculine plural (e.g., Quels films? = Which films?)
- Quelles - Feminine plural (e.g., Quelles maisons? = Which houses?) Key Tip: Always match "Quel" to the gender and number of the noun it describes. This ensures your question is grammatically correct and clear.