🎯 Why This Matters
To ask questions correctly and get information.
Proper question formation in all contexts.
🇪🇸 The Challenge
Question word order. Spanish forms questions mainly with intonation. English requires auxiliary verbs and specific word order.
🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷 Missing auxiliary
Problem: Spanish questions don't need auxiliaries
Watch out: Saying 'Where you live?' or 'You like coffee?' without DO
✅ Fix: Add DO/DOES/DID for all questions without BE/HAVE/modal
🧠 Mental Note: No BE, no modal? You need DO!
🇪🇸 Same auxiliary challenge
Problem: Spain Spanish also uses intonation for questions
Watch out: Relying on intonation instead of structure
✅ Fix: Written and formal English REQUIRES the question structure
🧠 Visual Explanation (The Mental Fix)
The Question Formula
Aux-Sub-Verb for questions! Unless the Wh-word IS the subject.
🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
How Spanish speakers should pronounce this structure:
Wh- pronunciation
Spanish Habit: Pronouncing W like Spanish 'gu'
English Reality: W is a rounded lip sound, not a hard G
Examples:
- what → /wɑːt/ (lips rounded)
- where → /wer/
- when → /wen/
- why → /waɪ/
Practice: Round your lips like blowing a kiss for the W sound
📖 How It Works
Teacher Recommendation: Teacher recommended
Time Investment: 5 hours
🔑 Signal Words (Memory Anchors)
These words/phrases appear with this structure:
| English | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| do/does/did | (auxiliar) | Do you know? / Does she work? / Did they come? |
| what | qué | What is your name? / ¿Cómo te llamas? |
| where | dónde | Where do you live? / ¿Dónde vives? |
| when | cuándo | When did you arrive? / ¿Cuándo llegaste? |
| why | por qué | Why are you late? / ¿Por qué llegas tarde? |
| how | cómo | How are you? / ¿Cómo estás? |
💬 Real Examples
Let's see this structure in action with correct vs incorrect usage:
Example 1: Yes/No question formation
✅ CORRECT: "Do you speak English?"
🇪🇸 Translation: "¿Hablas inglés?"
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "You speak English? / Speak you English?"
Why wrong? Yes/No questions need auxiliary (do/does/did) before the subject
Example 2: Wh-question formation
✅ CORRECT: "Where do you work?"
🇪🇸 Translation: "¿Dónde trabajas?"
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "Where you work? / Where work you?"
Why wrong? Wh-questions also need auxiliary: Wh + do/does/did + subject + verb
Example 3: Subject questions (no auxiliary)
✅ CORRECT: "Who called you?"
🇪🇸 Translation: "¿Quién te llamó?"
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "Who did call you?"
Why wrong? When the WH-word is the SUBJECT, don't use auxiliary
✏️ Practice Exercises
Ready to test your understanding? Let's practice!