"Where" construction; grammar question


I'm beginning my study of Japanese grammar and am unclear as to the difference
between the following interrogative structures. Is one more correct than the
other in asking where something specific is? Sorry if this is a dumb question,
I'm learning on my own... >< Help appreciated!

>   1. いしかわさんのうちは **どこですか** 。
>   2. いしかわさんのうちは **どこにありますか** 。
>




Well, basically there is no difference. A subtle difference could be that one
sentence is a nominal construction (名詞文{めいしぶん}） and the other a verb
construction (動詞文{どうしぶん}).

For example:

  1. いしかわさんのうちはどこですか。

Answer: いしかわさんのうちはそこです。

This is a nominal construction. Even the question is nominal in this case. On
the other hand

  1. いしかわさんのうちはどこにありますか。

Answer: いしかわさんのうちはそこにあります。

「ある」here is the verb, and hence this is a verb construction (as well as the
question is).

Notice that one key here is to know that 「です」 is the polite version of the
_auxiliary_ verb「だ」and is actually not a verb.

Another difference could be the following. In case 1. who is asking probably
knows that there is such a house somewhere and wants to know where it is
exactly. In the second case he might not know whether such house exists or not
and is asking where he can find one. (Since we are talking about a private
house here maybe this makes little sense, but if you think about the same
sentence with a Macdonald instead Ishikawa's house, this difference might be
easier to grasp).

There are similar answers and more info
[here](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/3969819.html) as well.




Well, basically there is no difference. A subtle difference could be that one
sentence is a nominal construction (名詞文{めいしぶん}） and the other a verb
construction (動詞文{どうしぶん}).

For example:

  1. いしかわさんのうちはどこですか。

Answer: いしかわさんのうちはそこです。

This is a nominal construction. Even the question is nominal in this case. On
the other hand

  1. いしかわさんのうちはどこにありますか。

Answer: いしかわさんのうちはそこにあります。

「ある」here is the verb, and hence this is a verb construction (as well as the
question is).

Notice that one key here is to know that 「です」 is the polite version of the
_auxiliary_ verb「だ」and is actually not a verb.

Another difference could be the following. In case 1. who is asking probably
knows that there is such a house somewhere and wants to know where it is
exactly. In the second case he might not know whether such house exists or not
and is asking where he can find one. (Since we are talking about a private
house here maybe this makes little sense, but if you think about the same
sentence with a Macdonald instead Ishikawa's house, this difference might be
easier to grasp).

There are similar answers and more info
[here](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/3969819.html) as well.

