lorelei0

[random sun]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[jovial aspen]

For your first question, there are actually three way to ask a question in French: inversion, using « est-ce que », and intonation
You're already familiar with the first two. The last one, intonation, is basically saying your sentence normally with a higher pitch towards the end, so it sounds like a question.
Par exemple...

• Tu vas à la bibiliothèque ? ("Are you going to the library?")
• Ton père va nous chercher ? ("Is your father coming to pick us up?")
  Moreover, intonation is the least formal way to ask a question. Inversion and using « est-ce que » are considered more formal.

For your second question, keep in mind that inversion is only used between a verb and a pronoun. Since there is no pronoun in the sentence "Is your glass full or empty?", then using « est-ce que » is the only acceptable choice.

[sterile spruce]

you can’t invert a noun in a yes-no question

so you have to say “ton verre est-il plein?”