AP Spanish Formal Commands: Practice Test & Review
Formal commands are how Spanish addresses someone with usted or ustedes — a teacher, a stranger, a group of people you do not know well. They are built from the yo form of the present indicative, with the opposite vowel: -ar verbs take -e, and -er and -ir verbs take -a. A small set of verbs is irregular, and pronoun placement changes depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative. The AP exam tests this in the email reply, where you address a formal recipient, and in reading passages about instructions, rules, and public signs.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the contrast, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. Every question is built around a feature that forces exactly one form: the yo stem, an irregular command, an attached pronoun, a negative structure, or the plural -n. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full grammar guide.
Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
This guide explains how formal commands are formed and used. The quiz above drills the contrast. The guide is for review and reference.
The Rule
Formal commands address someone with usted (singular) or ustedes (plural). They are built from the yo form of the present indicative by dropping the -o and adding the opposite vowel: -ar verbs take -e, and -er and -ir verbs take -a. The ustedes form adds -n to the usted form. A small set of verbs is irregular, and pronoun placement depends on whether the command is affirmative or negative. Affirmative commands attach the pronoun to the verb. Negative commands place the pronoun before the verb.
Formation: Usted and Ustedes
| Verb Type | Usted | Ustedes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs | -e | -en | Hable / Hablen. |
| -er verbs | -a | -an | Coma / Coman. |
| -ir verbs | -a | -an | Escriba / Escriban. |
| Stem-changing -ar (cerrar) | cierre | cierren | Cierre / Cierren la puerta. |
| Stem-changing -ir (pedir) | pida | pidan | Pida / Pidan ayuda. |
Irregular Formal Commands
| Verb | Usted | Ustedes |
|---|---|---|
| ir | vaya | vayan |
| ser | sea | sean |
| estar | esté | estén |
| saber | sepa | sepan |
| dar | dé | den |
| haber | haya | hayan |
| tener | tenga | tengan |
| hacer | haga | hagan |
| decir | diga | digan |
| venir | venga | vengan |
| poner | ponga | pongan |
| salir | salga | salgan |
Pronoun Placement
| Command Type | Placement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative usted | Attached to the verb | Dígame la verdad. |
| Affirmative ustedes | Attached to the verb | Siéntense aquí. |
| Negative usted | Before the verb | No me diga eso. |
| Negative ustedes | Before the verb | No se vayan todavía. |
| Affirmative with accent | Written accent added | Déme, dígame, póngase. |
Negative Formal Commands
| Affirmative | Negative | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Hable. | No hable. | Speak. / Don’t speak. |
| Coma. | No coma. | Eat. / Don’t eat. |
| Vaya. | No vaya. | Go. / Don’t go. |
| Déme el libro. | No me dé el libro. | Give me the book. / Don’t give me the book. |
| Siéntese. | No se siente. | Sit down. / Don’t sit down. |
Fixed Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Form |
|---|---|---|
| dígame | tell me | Usted affirmative + pronoun |
| disculpe | excuse me | Usted affirmative (irregular from disculpar) |
| pase usted | come in | Usted affirmative |
| siga usted | go ahead | Usted affirmative (irregular from seguir) |
| no se preocupe | don’t worry | Negative usted + pronoun |
Common Mistakes
1. Using the tú form for a formal recipient.
✗ Señor, habla más despacio.
✓ Señor, hable más despacio.
Addressing someone with señor requires the usted command form hable.
2. Attaching the pronoun to a negative command.
✗ No preocúpese.
✓ No se preocupe.
Negative commands place the pronoun before the verb.
3. Dropping the accent on an affirmative command with an attached pronoun.
✗ Deme el libro.
✓ Déme el libro.
The accent keeps the stress on the original stressed syllable of dé.
4. Forgetting the -n for ustedes.
✗ Señores, hable más despacio.
✓ Señores, hablen más despacio.
Ustedes commands add -n to the usted form.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is the recipient usted? | Singular formal | Opposite vowel, no -n |
| Is the recipient ustedes? | Plural formal | Opposite vowel + -n |
| Is the verb irregular? | Yes | Check the irregular list |
| Is the command affirmative with a pronoun? | Yes | Attach pronoun, add accent if needed |
| Is the command negative with a pronoun? | Yes | Pronoun before the verb |
| Is the verb stem-changing? | Yes | Keep the stem change from the yo form |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Dígame la verdad, señor.
Tell me the truth, sir.
Affirmative usted command with the pronoun attached. The accent keeps the stress on dí-.
Señor, no me diga eso.
Sir, don’t tell me that.
Negative usted command places the pronoun before the verb.
