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      Ask where: information questions with '¿dónde?'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use a range of adjectives to ask and answer questions about how and where someone is today.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. Spanish statements become questions by raising tone of voice at the end.
      2. Spanish uses two question marks; the one at the front of the question is upside down.
      3. When an adjective ends in -e or -z it can describe a female and male person or animal; it does not change.
      4. Many cities in Spanish-speaking countries contain [a] [o] [u].

      Keywords

      • Dónde - question word for 'where?'

      • Cómo - question word for 'how?'

      • Estoy - part of the verb 'estar', 'to be, being', meaning 'I am'

      • Estás - part of the verb 'estar', 'to be, being', meaning 'you are'

      Common misconception

      Questions in English and Spanish are written in the same way.

      Questions in Spanish need an upside-down (inverted) question mark at the begininng and a regular question mark at the end. This is because the verb and person do not swap in Spanish questions, as they do in English.

      Teacher tip

      Teachers might want to use this opportunity for pupils with a different cultural background to learn the names of their countries of origin and share with the class. This might provide a bit of a challenge too as there are likely to be unknown phonemes in those country names.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the adjective and the rule.

      Correct Answer:serio,describes a male subject

      describes a male subject

      Correct Answer:curiosa,describes a female subject

      describes a female subject

      Correct Answer:triste,describes both male and female subjects

      describes both male and female subjects

      Q2.
      Which of these adjectives could you use to describe both male and female subjects?

      tranquilo
      Correct answer: feliz
      Correct answer: elegante
      Correct answer: triste
      preparado

      Q3.
      Which is the correct translation of 'Rubén is serious today.'?

      Rubén está serio ahora.
      Rubén está serio hoy.
      Rubén está serio.

      Q4.
      '¿Cómo estás ahora? Change this question so it asks 'How is she today?'

      Correct Answer: ¿Cómo está hoy?

      Q5.
      '¿Cómo está hoy?' Which answer could describe Sofia?

      está contento
      Correct answer: está feliz
      está cansado
      Correct answer: está tranquila

      Q6.
      '¿Cómo está Quique hoy?' Choose the response that says 'Quique is pleased today'.

      Quique está contento ahora.
      Correct answer: Quique está contento hoy.
      Quique estás contento ahora.
      Quique estás contento hoy.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which key sound is missing from these Spanish-speaking countries: Per_, Ec_ador, Col_mbia?

      Correct Answer: u, [u]

      Q2.
      Match the English and Spanish.

      Correct Answer:dónde,where

      where

      Correct Answer:cómo,how

      how

      Correct Answer:ahora,now

      now

      Correct Answer:hoy,today

      today

      Correct Answer:en,in

      in

      Q3.
      ¿Dónde estás ahora? Which is the correct answer?

      Correct answer: Estoy en Ambato.
      Estoy curioso.
      Está en Ambato.
      Estás en Ambato.

      Q4.
      Quique wants to ask where you are today (¿dónde estás ?') but has forgotten the word for 'today'. What is it?

      Correct Answer: hoy

      Q5.
      ¿Cómo estás ahora? Which of these could be a correct answer to this question?

      Correct answer: Estoy curioso.
      Correct answer: Estoy preparado.
      Está preparado.
      Está curioso.
      Estás serio.

      Q6.
      ¿Cómo está Rubén? Answer this question by saying 'Rubén is tired'.

      Correct Answer: Rubén está cansado., Está cansado., Él está cansado.

      To help you plan your 3 Spanish lesson on: Ask where: information questions with '¿dónde?', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...