1. Statements Yes/No Questions Interrogative questions

2. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish Statement Usted es de Guatemala. You are from Guatemala. Question ¿Usted es de Guatemala? Are you from Guatemala? One way to form a yes/no question is to raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a declarative sentence. Declarative statements usually follow the order: Subject + verb + the rest of the sentence. When writing any question in Spanish, be sure to use an upside down question mark (¿) at the beginning and a regular question mark (?) at the end of the sentence.

3. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  You can form a yes/no question by inverting the order of the subject and the verb of a declarative statement. The subject may come directly after the verb or it may even be placed at the end of the sentence. Statement SUBJECT VERB Usted es de Guatemala. You are from Guatemala. Question VERB SUBJECT ¿Es usted de Guatemala? Are you from Guatemala? VERB SUBJECT ¿Es de Guatemala usted? Are you from Guatemala?

4. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  Questions can also be formed by adding the tags ¿no? or ¿verdad? at the end of a statement. Statement Usted es de Guatemala. You are from Guatemala. Question Usted es de Guatemala, ¿verdad? You are from Guatemala, right? Usted es de Guatemala,¿no? You are from Guatemala, aren’t you?

5. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  In Spanish no can mean both no and not.  Therefore, when answering a yes/no question in the negative, you need to use no twice. ¿Es usted de Guatemala? No, no soy de Guatemala. Are you from Guatemala? No, I am not from Guatemala.

6. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  To ask a question that requires more than a simple yes or no answer, an interrogative word is used at the beginning of the question.  All interrogative words carry an accent mark.  If an interrogative word includes a preposition, the preposition must start the question.  ¿De dónde eres?  From where are you?  When pronouncing this type of question, the pitch of your voice falls at the end of the sentence.

7. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish Question words that we have already used ¿Cómo? How? ¿Cómo estás? ¿Cuál? Which? ¿Cuál es tu nombre? ¿ Qué? What? ¿Qué dia es hoy? ¿Quién? Who?¿Quién es ella? ¿Quiénes? Who (plural)? ¿Quiénes son ellos? ¿De dónde? From where? ¿De dónde eres?

8. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish

9. —¿De dónde es Javier? —¿De dónde es Inés? Where is Javier from? Where is Inés from? —Es de Puerto Rico. —Ella es de Uruguay. He’s from Puerto Rico. She’s from Uruguay.

10. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  ¿Quién es ella?  Who is she?  Ella es una chica.  She is a girl.  ¿Quiénes son ellos?  Who are they?  Ellos son los profesores.  They are the teachers.

11. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish ¡ATENCIÓN!  Unlike English, Spanish does not use the indefinite article (un, una) after ser when referring to professions, unless accompanied by an adjective or other description: Marta es profesora. = Marta is a teacher. Marta es una profesora excelente. = Marta is an excellent teacher.

12. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  Who is she? ( the teacher)  ¿Quién es ella?  Ella es la profesora.  Who is he? (a teacher)  ¿Quién es él?  Es profesor.

13. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  Who are they? ( the women)  ¿Quiénes son ellas?  Ellas son las mujeres.  Who are they? (some tourists)  ¿Quiénes son ellos?  Ellos son (unos) turistas.

14. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  Who are you? ( a student) friendly  ¿Quién eres?  Soy estudiante.  Who are you? ( a teenager) formal  ¿Quién es Ud.?  Soy un joven.

15. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  There is no Spanish equivalent of the English subject pronoun it. Generally it is not expressed in Spanish.  When referring to things, Spanish omits the subjects ellos/ellas.  Like in English, Spanish often omits the indefinite article some. ¿Qué es?=What is it? Es un cuaderno. = It is a notebook. ¿Qué son? = What are they? Son (unas) computadoras. = They are (some) computers.

16. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C1: What is it?  C2: : It is a notebook.  C2: What are they?  C1: They are things.  C1: Who is he?  C2: He is a man. C1: ¿Qué es? C2: Es un cuaderno. C2: ¿Qué son? C1: Son cosas. C1: ¿Quién es él? C2: Es un hombre.

17. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C2: What is it?  C1: : It is a pencil.  C1: What are they?  C2: They are pens.  C2: Who is she?  C1: She is a teacher. C2: ¿Qué es? C1: Es un lápiz. C1: ¿Qué son? C2: Son bolígrafos. C2: ¿Quién es ella? C1: Ella es profesora.

18. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C1: What is it?  C2: : It is a country.  C2: What are they?  C1: They are buses.  C1: Who are they?  C2: They are passengers. C1: ¿Qué es? C2: Es un país. C2: ¿Qué son? C1: Son autobuses. C1: ¿Quiénes son? C2: Son pasajeros.

19. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C2: Is it a problem?  C1: Yes. It is a problem.  C1: He is a teacher, isn’t he?  C2: Yes, He is a teacher.  C2: They are women, right?  C1: Yes, they are women. C2: ¿Es un problema? C1: Sí, es un problema. C1: Él es profesor, ¿no? C2: Sí, es profesor. C2: Son mujeres, ¿verdad? C1: Sí, son mujeres.

20. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C1: Is it the capital?  C2: : No, it is not the capital.  C2: Is it a community?  C1: Yes, it is a community.  C1: Are they tourists?  C2: No, they are not tourists. C1: ¿Es la capital? C2: No, no es la capital. C2: ¿Es una comunidad? C1: Sí, es una comunidad. C1: ¿ Son ellos turistas? C2: No, ellos no son turistas.

21. 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish  C2: Is he the driver?  C1: Yes, he is the driver.  C1: Are they students?  C2: No, they are not students.  C2: Is she a driver?  C1: No, she is not a driver. C2: ¿Es el conductor él? C1: Sí, él es el conductor. C1: ¿Son estudiantes ellos? C2: No, ellos no son estudiantes. C2: ¿Es ella conductora? C1: No, ella no es conductora.