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Asking Questions by Inversion

FoundationHigherAQA

Practise Asking Questions by Inversion for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Inverting the verb and subject forms a question, as in où habites-tu.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Inversion forms a question by swapping the subject pronoun and the verb, joined by a hyphen.

Tu aimes becomes aimes-tu? Vous parlez becomes parlez-vous? The hyphen is compulsory. This is the most formal of the three question forms and is expected in written work at Higher tier.

One detail causes most errors. When the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, a -t- is inserted for pronunciation: parle-t-il? a-t-elle? va-t-on? Without it, two vowel sounds would collide. This inserted t has no meaning — it exists purely to make the phrase pronounceable.

Revision notes

The basic form

Swap the subject pronoun and the verb, joined by a hyphen.

Tu aimes becomes aimes-tu? Vous parlez becomes parlez-vous? Il est becomes est-il? The hyphen is compulsory in every case.

The inserted -t-

When the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, insert -t-.

Parle-t-il? A-t-elle? Va-t-on? Without it two vowel sounds would collide. The t carries no meaning and exists only for pronunciation.

With a noun subject

Keep the noun first, then add the pronoun after the verb.

Marc aime-t-il le sport? The noun stays at the start and a matching pronoun is inverted with the verb. This is a Higher-level structure worth recognising.

Key points

  • Inversion swaps the pronoun and verb.
  • A hyphen joins them.
  • It is the most formal question form.
  • A -t- is inserted after a vowel.
  • This applies to il, elle and on.
  • The inserted t has no meaning.

Worked examples

Example 1

Turn this into a question by inversion: Tu aimes le sport. [2 marks]

Working

Aimes-tu le sport?swap the pronoun and verb
A hyphen joins the inverted verb and pronounexplain the punctuation

Example 2

Turn this into a question by inversion: Il parle français. [2 marks]

Working

Parle-t-il français?swap the pronoun and verb
A -t- is inserted because parle ends in a vowel and the pronoun is ilexplain the inserted t

Example 3

Explain why the -t- is inserted in a-t-elle. [2 marks]

Working

The verb a ends in a vowel and elle begins with onestate the situation
so the t prevents two vowel sounds from colliding and makes the phrase pronounceableexplain the purpose

Common mistakes

  • Omitting the hyphen.

    It is compulsory in inversion.

  • Forgetting the inserted -t-.

    Parle-t-il, not parle-il.

  • Inserting -t- where the verb ends in a consonant.

    Est-il needs no t.

  • Combining inversion with est-ce que.

    Use one form only.

Exam tips

  • Always use a hyphen.
  • Insert -t- after a vowel with il, elle or on.
  • Check whether the verb already ends in t or d.
  • Use inversion for formal written work.

Key terms

Inversion
Swapping the subject pronoun and verb to ask a question.
Hyphen
The compulsory link in an inverted question.
Inserted -t-
A letter added for pronunciation only.
Formal register
The context where inversion is expected.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.