Ustedes sometimes used for one person.

Jack L.A2Kwiziq community member

Ustedes sometimes used for one person.

I have trouble understanding why the question "Do you always choose your own clothes?" has the correct answer ¿Ustedes eligen siempre su ropa? I don't understand why ustedes is used instead of the singular usted, i.e. ¿Usted elige siempre su ropa?

Many of the test questions use what I think is the plural form when it is referring to one person. I don't doubt that the answer is correct usage, I just don't understand why ustedes is used sometimes when referring to one person.

Thank you


Asked 1 week ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

 

Hola Jack

Thank you for your question!

In our exercises, we sometimes provide different translations for 'you' to expose learners to the variety of ways 'you' can be expressed in Spanish. This includes both singular (, usted) and plural (vosotros, ustedes) forms, depending on the context.

For test questions, you are always given either the subject (e.g., "usted" or "ustedes") or a hint in the sentence to indicate which form to use. This helps reinforce the differences between singular and plural as well as formal and informal usage.

If you see "¿Ustedes eligen siempre su ropa?" in a question, it means the plural 'you' (ustedes) is being tested. If it were singular, the correct form would indeed be "¿Usted elige siempre su ropa?"

I hope this helps clarify! Let us know if you have any other questions.

Saludos

Silvia

Jack L. asked:

Ustedes sometimes used for one person.

I have trouble understanding why the question "Do you always choose your own clothes?" has the correct answer ¿Ustedes eligen siempre su ropa? I don't understand why ustedes is used instead of the singular usted, i.e. ¿Usted elige siempre su ropa?

Many of the test questions use what I think is the plural form when it is referring to one person. I don't doubt that the answer is correct usage, I just don't understand why ustedes is used sometimes when referring to one person.

Thank you


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