Dialogue
Passé composé questions: tu as, est-ce que or inversion?
Ask about an evening out with three past-tense question patterns. Practise your lines, then check auxiliaries, question words and linking -t-.
- A2
- 10 lines
- Practice mode
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In short
Three patterns keep the auxiliary and participle: tu as réservé ?, est-ce que tu as réservé ? and as-tu réservé ? In inversion, the auxiliary moves before the subject pronoun; the participle stays after it.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
| Frame | Question | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Statement order | Vous avez réservé ? | Common in conversation |
| Est-ce que | Est-ce que vous avez réservé ? | A clear everyday question |
| Inversion | Avez-vous réservé ? | Often more formal |
The French passé composé already carries the past tense: avez réservé. English “did” adds no extra French word. With est-ce que, keep ordinary subject order after the opener. Before elle, write est-ce qu’elle.
Ask Laurent about last night
You are speaking to Laurent, one man, using vous. Switch on practice mode and ask each question from the English cue. His answers give you the next detail.
- You
Vous avez retrouvé votre billet ?
Ask in statement order whether he found his ticket.
English
Did you find your ticket?
- Laurent
Oui, il était dans mon manteau.
English
Yes, it was in my coat.
- You
Est-ce que vous avez appelé votre amie ?
Use est-ce que to ask whether he called his friend.
English
Did you call your friend?
- Laurent
Oui, je l’ai appelée avant de partir.
English
Yes, I called her before leaving.
- You
À quelle heure êtes-vous arrivé ?
Use inversion to ask a man what time he arrived.
English
What time did you arrive?
- Laurent
Je suis arrivé à huit heures moins le quart.
English
I arrived at quarter to eight.
- You
Qu’est-ce que vous avez acheté ?
Ask what he bought, using qu’est-ce que.
English
What did you buy?
- Laurent
J’ai acheté le programme du concert.
English
I bought the concert programme.
- You
Votre amie a-t-elle aimé le concert ?
Ask whether his female friend enjoyed the concert, using inversion.
English
Did your friend enjoy the concert?
- Laurent
Oui, elle a beaucoup aimé !
English
Yes, she really enjoyed it!
How do you ask a question in the passé composé with inversion?
A-t-elle répondu ?
Has she replied?
Add linking -t- between a and elle.
Est-elle arrivée ? Ont-ils répondu ?
Has she arrived? Have they replied?
Est and ont already end in t.
Tu l’as vu ? L’as-tu vu ?
Did you see him? Did you see him?
The object pronoun l’ stays before the auxiliary in both frames.
With a noun subject, keep the noun and add the matching pronoun in inversion: Votre amie a-t-elle aimé le concert ? For a question word that is itself the subject, use Qui a appelé ? (“Who called?”). To ask about the person receiving a call, use À qui avez-vous téléphoné ?
Four things from the evening
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