Questions are your superpower 🦸
To get information, you need to know how to ask. There are two main types:
Yes / No Questions
Answer: Yes or No.
- Do you like pizza? → Yes, I do.
- Does she work here? → No, she doesn't.
- Is he a teacher? → Yes, he is.
- Are they coming? → No, they aren't.
Wh- Questions
They contain a question word and ask for specific information:
| Wh- word | Ask for | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| What | Things/Information | What is your name? |
| Where | Lugar | Where do you live? |
| When | Tiempo | When is the party? |
| Who | Persona | Who is your teacher? |
| Why | Reason | Why are you late? |
| How | Manera | How do you get to work? |
Variations of "How"
"How" is combined with other words to form specific questions:
| Question | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| How many | Cantidad (contables) | How many books do you have? |
| How much | Cantidad (no contables) / Precio | How much water? / How much is it? |
| How often | Frecuencia | How often do you exercise? |
| How old | Edad | How old are you? |
| How long | Duration/Length | How long is the movie? |
| How far | Distancia | How far is the airport? |
| How tall | Altura | How tall is he? |
Investment pattern
- Claim: She is a doctor.
- Question: Is she a doctor?
- With Wh-: What is she?
With do/does:
- Claim: You live in Mexico.
- Question: Do you live in Mexico?
- With Wh-: Where do you live?
Intonation in questions
-
Yes/No questions: Intonation GOES UP at the end ↗️
- "Do you like coffee?" ↗️
-
Wh-questions: LOW intonation at the end ↘️
- "Where do you live?" ↘️
💡 Tip: Practice turning statements into questions. It's the best way to master investing!
🗣️ Pronunciation Tip: In questions with "do you", it often sounds like /d'ya/ or "d'you" in fast speech: "D'you like pizza?"
⚠️ Common Mistake: In questions with "do/does", NEVER conjugate the main verb:
- ✓ "Does she work here?"
- ✗
"Does she works here?"