Language/French/Grammar/Agreement-of-past-participles-with-preceding-direct-objects-in-questions
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Agreement of past participles with preceding direct objects in questions
[CHANGED]
Questions can be created in different ways. When they are constructed with the direct object before the past participle in compound tenses, the past participle agrees with it in gender and number:
- Quel disque as-tu acheté ?
Which record did you buy?
- Quelle chaise as-tu achetée ?
Which chair did you buy?
- Laquelle a-t-il choisie ?
Which one did he buy?
- Lesquels ont-ils voulus ?
Which ones did they want?
- Combien de melons as-tu achetés ?
How many melons have you bought?
- Combien de bouteilles de Champagne as-tu achetées?
How many bottles of Champagne did you buy?
Note: The past participles of impersonal verbs, like il y a "there is/there are", never agree with a preceding questioned complement:
- Quels remarques y a-t-il eu (NOT *eus)?
What remarks were there?
This should be distinguished from the personal use where the agreement would take place:
- Quels remarques a-t-il eus?
What remarks did he have?
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