Class 3 - Levels of Formality

Question 1

You are greeting your best friend, what do you say?

Answer 1

¿Cómo estás?

Question 2

You are asking a child for their name, what do you say?

Answer 2

¿Cómo te llamas?

Question 3

An elderly person says to you: ¿Cómo estás?

You respond “bien, ¿y….

Answer 3

usted?”

Question 4

You greet your boss in the morning and ask how they are. You say:
“Buenos días…

Answer 4

¿Cómo está?

Question 5

You are visiting your brother who lives in a different town from you. He says to you: “¿Cómo estás?”
How do you respond to him?

Answer 5

Bien, ¿y tú?

Question 6

You are the receptionist of a hotel. When asking a guest for their name, you say…

Answer 6

¿Cómo se llama?

Question 7

You are driving to look after your 8-year-old nephew. When you arrive, you ask him how he is. What would you say?

Answer 7

¿Cómo estás?

Question 8

A 15-year-old girl asks her middle-aged neighbour how she is. The neighbor responds with good, and you?
What does…
a) the 15-year-old girl say?
b) the middle-aged neighbor?

Answer 8

a) ¿Cómo está?

b) Bien, ¿y tú?

Question 9

Cristina is a teacher at a local primary school. On the first day of each year, she asks each of her students for their names. What question would she use for this?

Answer 9

¿Cómo te llamas?

Question 10

Alejandro is a waiter at a popular Mexican restaurant. When asking how his guests are, he says…

Answer 10

¿Cómo está?

Question 11

You are at a casual party and are saying goodbye to everyone. You forget one persons name whos the same age as you. You ask them for their name again. What question would you use?

Answer 11

¿Cómo te llamas?

Try not to forget peoples names, it’s embarrassing ;)

Question 12

You see someone in public you met at a function the week before. You didn’t talk much to this person, but both of you are recognizable to each other. What question would you use to greet them?

Answer 12

¿Cómo está?

the level of formality is still high as you haven’t engaged much with this person

Question 13

You run into an old work colleague from your previous job. You worked together for 5 years. What would…

a) You say to your colleague? (you are asking the first question)
b) your colleague say in reply to your question?

Answer 13

a) ¿Cómo estás?

b) Muy bien (or other answer), ¿y tú?

Question 14

You work in customer service and greet each customer as they walk in, which question are you most likely to use?

Answer 14

¿Cómo está?

Question 15

You work for a company and a client greets you and asks how you are. How would you respond to them?

Answer 15

Bien gracias (or other answer), ¿y usted?

Question 16

It is 9am. You are entering work and greeting your fellow work colleagues.
Use a greeting suitable to the time of day, and the question you would use for asking how they are.

Answer 16

Buenos días, ¿Cómo estás?

or ¿Cómo está? depending on your level of formality with certain colleagues

Question 17

It is 8pm and you are at your first Salsa dance class.
You are meeting all the other students for the first time. What question do you ask them to find out their names? (Add a greeting suitable to the day before the question)

Answer 17

Buenas noches, ¿Cómo se llama?

Question 18

You work for an organization that is sponsoring a new program for youths. You are in charge of enrolling everyone to the program. For each student you enroll, you ask them how they are and what their name is. Which two questions would you use for this?

Answer 18

¿Cómo estás?
¿Cómo te llamas?

(Being a youth program, the students will either be your age or younger, therefore the formal is not required)

Question 19

Carolina works for a call centre in Santiago, Chile. It is currently 3:30pm and she is answering a call. Part of her job description is to greet each caller and ask how they are.
What greeting and question would Carolina use?

Answer 19

Buenas tardes, ¿Cómo está?

Question 20

You are at the Kmart checkout yet again buying more stuff you really don’t need. You greet the checkout operator and ask how they are. They respond and then ask you how you are. Which two questions would be used in this scenario?

Answer 20

¿Cómo está?

Bien, ¿y usted?