The use of -t- in the middle of a phrase

Question

I don't understand the use of -t- in forming a phrase.  For example, why is "she accepted" written  "accepte-t-elle" instead of "elle a accepté"?

Accepted Answer

The phrase "accepte-t-elle" is an inverted phrase and would usually be used in a question, where it would mean "does she accept", not "she accepted". The "-t-" has no meaning. It's just there to make the combination easier to pronounce or make it sound better (to native French speakers). It goes between the verb and the inverted third-person singular subject where the verb ends with a vowel so without the "-t-" there would be two vowels side by side.