Spanish 2 Quiz: Using Commands
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Using CommandsQuestion 1 of 10

Estás trabajando como guía turístico. Un grupo de turistas adultos que no conoces te pregunta cómo llegar al museo. Les dices: '  por esta calle,   a la derecha en el semáforo, y   dos cuadras más.'

Para darle indicaciones formales (ustedes) al grupo de turistas, ¿cuál es la secuencia correcta de mandatos?

Caminen / doblen / sigan
Caminen / doblen / siguen
Caminad / doblad / seguid
Caminen / doble / sigan
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Spanish 2 Quiz

Spanish 2 Quiz: Using Commands

Practice Using Commands in Spanish 2 with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Using Commands, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Spanish 2.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Estás trabajando como guía turístico. Un grupo de turistas adultos que no conoces te pregunta cómo llegar al museo. Les dices: '  por esta calle,   a la derecha en el semáforo, y   dos cuadras más.'

Para darle indicaciones formales (ustedes) al grupo de turistas, ¿cuál es la secuencia correcta de mandatos?

  1. Caminen / doblen / sigan (correct answer)
  2. Caminen / doblen / siguen
  3. Caminad / doblad / seguid
  4. Caminen / doble / sigan
Explanation: When giving directions in Spanish to a group of strangers, you need to use formal plural commands (ustedes imperatives). This is the key concept being tested. Since you don't know these tourists, "usted/ustedes" is required, and since there's a group, you need the plural form. To form ustedes commands, take the yo form of the present tense, drop the -o, and add the opposite vowel ending: -AR verbs get -en, and -ER/-IR verbs get -an. So: caminar → camino → caminen; doblar → doblo → doblen; seguir → sigo → sigan (note the spelling change is preserved from the yo form). This makes A (caminen / doblen / sigan) the correct sequence — all three are properly formed formal plural commands. B is wrong because "siguen" is the present indicative tense (they follow), not a command. Mixing an indicative verb into a command sequence is a classic trap — it looks like a command but it's just a statement. C is wrong because "caminad / doblad / seguid" are vosotros commands, used in Spain when speaking informally to a group. Since these are strangers (requiring formality) and the context calls for ustedes, vosotros forms are completely inappropriate here. D is wrong because "doble" is a singular usted command — it works for one person, but the question asks about a group. All three commands in the sequence must match the same subject. Study tip: Always identify who you're addressing (tú, usted, ustedes, vosotros) before forming commands — the subject determines everything about the ending.

Question 2

Tu amiga te llama porque está perdida en la ciudad. Le dices por teléfono: '¡No   a la izquierda! Esa calle no tiene salida.   derecho hasta el parque y luego   me desde allí.'

¿Qué combinación de mandatos (uno negativo y dos afirmativos de tú) completa correctamente el consejo con los verbos 'doblar,' 'seguir,' y 'llamar'?

  1. dobles / sigue / llama me
  2. dobles / sigues / llámame
  3. dobles / sigue / llámame (correct answer)
  4. doblas / sigue / llámame
Explanation: When giving directions in Spanish, you need to distinguish between negative tú commands and affirmative tú commands — they're formed differently, and mixing them up is one of the most common errors at this level. For negative tú commands, you use the present subjunctive: drop the -o from the yo form and add the opposite vowel ending. For doblar: yo digo → dobles → "¡No dobles!" This eliminates choice D right away, since doblas is simply the present indicative, not a command form at all. For affirmative tú commands, you use the third-person singular of the present indicative. So seguir (él sigue) becomes sigue, and llamar (él llama) becomes llama. When a reflexive or indirect object pronoun accompanies an affirmative command, it attaches directly to the verb: llama + me = llámame (note the accent mark to preserve the original stress). This confirms that choice C — dobles / sigue / llámame — is correct. Now for the distractors: Choice A writes llama me as two separate words, which is grammatically wrong — pronouns must be attached to affirmative commands, not separated. Choice B uses sigues, the present indicative rather than the affirmative command form; you're giving an order, not describing what your friend does. Choice D, as mentioned, uses doblas instead of the subjunctive dobles, making the negative command incorrect. A handy tip: when you see a sentence mixing ¡No...! with other directions, mentally flag it — you'll need both subjunctive (for the negative) and indicative third-person (for the affirmatives) in the same sentence.

Question 3

Un estudiante le pregunta a su profesora cómo mejorar su español. La profesora le responde: '  más libros en español,   podcasts en español todos los días, y no   miedo de cometer errores.'

La profesora usa mandatos formales (usted) para darle consejos al estudiante. Con los verbos 'leer,' 'escuchar,' y 'tener,' ¿cuál es la combinación correcta?

  1. Lee / escucha / tenga
  2. Lea / escuche / tenga (correct answer)
  3. Lea / escuche / tiene
  4. Lea / escuche / tengas
Explanation: When a teacher, doctor, or authority figure gives commands or advice in Spanish, they typically use formal (usted) commands. Recognizing this register is the first step — then you need to know how to form those commands correctly. For regular formal commands, take the yo form of the present tense, drop the -o, and add the opposite vowel ending: -AR verbs get -e, and -ER/-IR verbs get -a. So leer → yo leo → drop -o → lea. And escuchar → yo escucho → drop -o → escuche. For tener, it follows the same logic: yo tengo → drop -o → tenga. This gives you the combination lea / escuche / tenga, which is answer B — the correct choice. Answer A (lee / escucha / tenga) uses informal tú commands for the first two verbs. Since the profesora is speaking to a student in a formal context, tú commands would be inappropriate and grammatically inconsistent with the rest of the sentence. Answer C (lea / escuche / tiene) correctly forms the first two verbs but ends with tiene, which is simply the indicative present tense — meaning "she/he has" — not a command at all. Answer D (lea / escuche / tengas) mixes formal commands with tengas, which is a tú subjunctive form, not a formal usted command. A handy tip: for irregular yo forms like tener (tengo), hacer (hago), or venir (vengo), the formal command will always reflect that irregularity — teng-a, hag-a, veng-a. Memorizing those yo forms unlocks the formal commands automatically.

Question 4

Tu amigo Marcos quiere aprender a cocinar arroz por primera vez. Te pide consejos básicos. Le dices: '  el agua primero y luego   el arroz al final.'

Marcos quiere saber cómo cocinar arroz. ¿Cuál es la combinación correcta de mandatos informales (tú) para completar el consejo?

  1. Hierve / añade (correct answer)
  2. Hierves / añades
  3. Hervir / añadir
  4. Hierva / añada
Explanation: When giving instructions or advice to a friend in Spanish, you need the informal (tú) imperative — the command form used with someone you'd call "tú." Recognizing which form fits this context is exactly what this question tests. For regular and stem-changing verbs, informal affirmative commands are formed by taking the él/ella present-tense form. "Hervir" (to boil) is an e→ie stem-changer: él hierve → command: hierve. "Añadir" (to add) is regular: él añade → command: añade. So the correct advice is "Hierve el agua primero y luego añade el arroz al final" — making A the right answer. Here's why the other options miss the mark. B (hierves / añades) uses the regular present-tense indicative "you boil / you add" — these describe what someone does, not what you're telling them to do. Giving advice doesn't mean switching to the indicative. C (hervir / añadir) uses the infinitive forms, which are the dictionary entries for the verbs. Infinitives work in certain structures (like "Hay que hervir..."), but not as standalone commands to a friend. D (hierva / añada) uses the formal (usted) subjunctive commands — correct grammar, but for a stranger or authority figure, not a friend like Marcos. A handy tip: whenever you're asked about commands in Spanish, first identify who is being addressed — tú (informal) or usted (formal). That single distinction narrows your answer immediately and eliminates two distractors every time.

Question 5

Le estás dando consejos a tu hermana menor sobre cómo tener éxito en la escuela. Quieres decirle: 'No te duermas en clase y no salgas con tus amigos antes de terminar la tarea.'

¿Cuál de las siguientes opciones expresa correctamente ambos mandatos negativos informales (tú)?

  1. No te duermas en clase y no salgas con tus amigos antes de terminar la tarea. (correct answer)
  2. No te duermes en clase y no sales con tus amigos antes de terminar la tarea.
  3. No te duermas en clase y no te salgas con tus amigos antes de terminar la tarea.
  4. No duermas en clase y no salgas con tus amigos antes de terminar la tarea.
Explanation: When forming negative informal (tú) commands, you need two things: the present subjunctive form of the verb, and — for reflexive verbs — the reflexive pronoun placed before the verb (not attached to the end). This question tests whether you can correctly apply both rules simultaneously across two different verbs. For dormirse (a reflexive verb), the negative tú command requires the reflexive pronoun te placed before the subjunctive form duerma, giving you no te duermas. Notice the stem change: o → ue. For salir (a non-reflexive verb in this context), the negative tú command is simply no salgas — using the irregular subjunctive stem salg-. Putting both together correctly gives you option A, the correct answer. Option B fails because te duermes and sales are present indicative forms, not subjunctive. You use the indicative to describe what someone does, not to issue a command. Option C incorrectly adds te before salgas — but salir is not being used reflexively here. The verb is simply salir ("to go out"), not salirse ("to leave/slip away"), so no reflexive pronoun belongs there. Option D drops the reflexive pronoun te from dormirse entirely, making it no duermas — which would mean "don't sleep" rather than "don't fall asleep." Losing the reflexive pronoun changes the verb's meaning. A good study tip: whenever you see a reflexive verb in a negative command, remember the order is always No + te + subjunctive form. The pronoun never attaches to the end in negative commands.

Question 6

Un médico le da instrucciones a su paciente adulto (usted): 'Para mejorar su salud,   más agua cada día,   el azúcar de su dieta, y   al menos treinta minutos de ejercicio.'

¿Qué serie de mandatos formales (usted) completa correctamente las instrucciones del médico?

  1. beba / elimine / haga (correct answer)
  2. beba / elimine / hace
  3. bebe / elimina / haga
  4. beba / elime / haga
Explanation: When a doctor speaks to an adult patient using "usted," all commands must follow the formal imperative (mandato formal) form. This means you conjugate the verb in the present tense, then switch to the "opposite" vowel ending: -AR verbs take -e, and -ER/-IR verbs take -a. Let's apply this to each verb in the blank: beber (to drink) → beba ✓, eliminar (to eliminate) → elimine ✓, and hacer (to do/make) → haga ✓. Notice that hacer is irregular — its formal command isn't "hace" or "hacía," but haga, which must be memorized. This makes option A — beba / elimine / haga — the correct answer. Looking at the wrong choices: B (beba / elimine / hace) gets the first two verbs right but uses hace, which is simply the present indicative third-person form, not a command at all — a very common trap. C (bebe / elimina / haga) uses the tú informal command forms for the first two verbs (bebe and elimina), which would be appropriate for a friend or child, not an adult patient addressed as "usted." D (beba / elime / haga) contains a spelling error — elime is not a real Spanish word; the correct formal command of eliminar is elimine, preserving the full stem. A useful study tip: when forming formal commands, always start from the yo present-tense form (like hago → haga), then apply the opposite vowel. This trick handles most irregular verbs automatically.

Question 7

Tu compañero de cuarto te pide que le digas cómo usar la lavadora. Le dices: '  la ropa sucia adentro,   el detergente, y luego   el botón de inicio.'

Estás hablando con tu compañero de cuarto (tú). ¿Qué opción completa los mandatos afirmativos con los verbos 'poner,' 'añadir,' y 'presionar' de forma correcta?

  1. Poner / añadir / presionar
  2. Pone / añade / presiona
  3. Pon / añada / presiona
  4. Pon / añade / presiona (correct answer)
Explanation: When giving someone instructions in Spanish, you need to use informal affirmative commands (mandatos afirmativos de tú), since you're speaking to your roommate — someone you'd address with tú. For most regular verbs, this form is simply the él/ella present-tense conjugation: drop the -o from the yo form and you're done. For poner (yo pongo → pon), añadir (él añade → añade), and presionar (él presiona → presiona), the correct tú commands are pon, añade, and presiona — making D the correct answer. Let's walk through why the others miss the mark. A gives you the plain infinitives (poner, añadir, presionar), which are the dictionary forms of the verbs, not commands — you can't instruct someone with an infinitive in Spanish. B uses pone, añade, presiona: while añade and presiona are correct, pone is actually the él/ella present tense, not the tú command. The tú command for poner is irregular: pon, not pone. C mixes registers entirely — pon is correct for tú, but añada is the usted command (formal), which contradicts the informal context of talking to a roommate. A quick study tip: memorize the eight irregular tú commands — di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven — since they're the most common traps on this type of question. For everything else, the rule is simple: tú command = él/ella present tense form.

Question 8

Una madre le habla a su hijo adolescente: 'Mira, ya tienes dieciséis años.   tu cuarto tú mismo y   a lavar tus propios platos después de comer.'

La madre quiere usar mandatos afirmativos informales con los verbos 'limpiar' y 'aprender.' ¿Cuál de las siguientes opciones es correcta?

  1. Limpia / aprenda
  2. Limpias / aprendes
  3. Limpie / aprenda
  4. Limpia / aprende (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question asks about informal affirmative commands (mandatos afirmativos informales), you need to recall the "tú" command form — used with peers, children, or family members in casual settings. This passage fits perfectly: a mother speaking to her teenage son. For regular verbs, the informal affirmative command is formed by taking the third-person singular (él/ella) form of the present tense. For limpiar, that gives you limpia. For aprender, that gives you aprende. Both are regular verbs, so no stem changes or irregularities apply here. That makes D) limpia / aprende the correct answer. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A) Limpia / aprenda gets the first verb right but uses aprenda for the second — that's actually the usted formal command or a present subjunctive form, not the informal tú command. B) Limpias / aprendes looks like the regular present tense conjugations for tú, which describe what someone does habitually — not what you're telling them to do. Commands and conjugated present-tense verbs look similar but serve very different purposes. C) Limpie / aprenda uses the formal usted command for both verbs, which would be appropriate for speaking to a stranger or someone you respect with distance — not a teenager you're raising. A helpful study tip: whenever you see informal commands on an exam, ask yourself "What is the él/ella present-tense form?" That shortcut works for most regular verbs and will save you from confusing tú commands with usted commands or present-tense conjugations.

Question 9

Eres el entrenador de un equipo de fútbol. Al final del partido, le das instrucciones a todo el equipo (ustedes): 'Chicos,   mucha agua,   bien esta noche, y   listos para practicar mañana a las ocho.'

¿Qué serie de mandatos de 'ustedes' con los verbos 'tomar,' 'dormir,' y 'estar' completa correctamente las instrucciones del entrenador?

  1. Tomen / duerman / esté
  2. Tomen / duerman / están
  3. Tomen / duerman / estén (correct answer)
  4. Toman / duerman / estén
Explanation: Whenever you see a command (mandato) directed at a group using ustedes, you need the ustedes subjunctive form — formed by taking the yo present-tense form, dropping the -o, and adding the opposite vowel ending (-en for -ar verbs, -an for -er/-ir verbs). This applies to every verb in the command, no exceptions. For the three verbs here: tomar (yo: tomo → tom- + en) gives tomen; dormir (yo: duermo → duerm- + an) gives duerman (note the stem change e→ie carries over); and estar (yo: estoy → est- + én) gives estén. That makes option C — Tomen / duerman / estén — the complete and correct series. Looking at the wrong answers: A (esté) is the usted singular command for estar, not the ustedes form — a very common mix-up when you forget that the coach is addressing the whole team. B (están) is simply the regular present-tense indicative of estar, which describes a state rather than issuing a command — it has no imperative force. D (toman) makes the same indicative mistake with tomar, using the present tense instead of the subjunctive command form; even though duerman and estén are correct, one wrong verb disqualifies the entire series. A quick study tip: when forming ustedes commands, always ask yourself "What is the yo form?" first — this helps you catch irregular stems (like estoy → estén*) that you might otherwise miss.

Question 10

Tu vecino te pide que le ayudes a escribirle un mensaje a sus hijos adultos que viven lejos. Quiere decirles (ustedes): 'Hijos, no   tanto en las redes sociales y   más tiempo con la familia cuando vengan a visitarnos.'

¿Cuál de las siguientes opciones completa el mensaje correctamente con un mandato negativo y uno afirmativo de 'ustedes' usando los verbos 'perder' y 'pasar'?

  1. pierden / pasen
  2. pierdan / pasen (correct answer)
  3. pierdan / pasan
  4. perdáis / pasad
Explanation: When you see a question asking for ustedes commands (mandatos de ustedes), remember that Spanish uses two distinct forms: negative commands use the present subjunctive, while affirmative commands also use the present subjunctive for ustedes. This differs from vosotros commands, which use different endings entirely. Here's how to build ustedes commands for these two verbs. For perder (an e→ie stem-changer), start with the yo form: pierdo → drop the -o → add subjunctive ending → pierdan (negative: no pierdan). For pasar (regular -ar), start with paso → drop the -o → add subjunctive ending → pasen. So the correct sentence reads: "no pierdan tanto en las redes sociales y pasen más tiempo con la familia" — making B the right answer. Now let's look at why the other options fail. A) pierden / pasen uses pierden, which is simply the present indicative (not a command at all) — it states a fact rather than giving an instruction. C) pierdan / pasan gets the negative command right (pierdan), but then uses pasan, another present indicative form, for what should be an affirmative command — you can't mix indicative and imperative this way. D) perdáis / pasad uses vosotros command forms, which are only used in Spain; since the neighbor is addressing ustedes (his adult children), this regional distinction makes D completely wrong for this context. A helpful tip: for ustedes commands — both affirmative and negative — always use the present subjunctive. Memorize the yo-form trick: yo → drop -o → add opposite vowel endings.