Est-ce que usage?

[Namssob]

Hi - I'm an absolute beginner, and new on this website!

Can someone give me the basic run down of "'Est-ce que", and where it would be appropriately used? For example:

Est-ce que vous travaillez beaucoup?
vs.
Vous travaillez beaucoup?

Quelle est la difference entre?

And if the answer is something like, "You don't need to use it", that's fine - but when it's spoken to me, I need to know how to interpret it's usage - thanks!

[community.french]

Bonjour !!

Thank you for your question !
To form a yes-no question (one that can be answered by 'yes' or 'no'), you just need to put "est-ce que" at the beginning of the sentence :
"Est-ce que tu travailles aujourd'hui" ? => Yes / No
"Est-ce que tu aimes la pizza ? " => Yes / No

It's better to use "est-ce que" to form a question if you want to be formal.
Est-ce que vous travaillez beaucoup? => polite
vs.
Vous travaillez beaucoup? => informal language

Bon week-end !
Marie Alice
Team FrenchPod101.com

[Namssob]

D'accord, merci!

I will start by sticking with the polite forms first until I get better. But I do have another question - I've learned that swapping the "vous" and the verb form changes from a command to a question, for example:

1) Vous parlez francais - More of a command
vs
2) Parlez-vous francais? - A question

How is #2 above different from the example below?
Est-ce que vous parlez francais?

[community.french]

Rebonjour !

There is no real difference between these two sentences.
=> Vous parlez Français. Is a statement.
But it can be a question : "vous parlez Français ?"
"Parlez-vous Français" is more polite and must be used when written.

A bientôt !
Marie Alice
Team FrenchPod101.com