Questions & Answers about Ja, er fragt es.
Does Ja count as the first word for the verb position?
No, it doesn't. Words like Ja (yes) and Nein (no) sit outside the main sentence structure (often called "Position 0"). After the comma, a normal statement begins. The subject er is in position 1, and the verb fragt takes the normal position 2.
How would I turn the part after the comma into a yes/no question?
To ask "Is he asking it?", you move the verb to the very front (Verb-first or V1 word order). The sentence would simply become: Fragt er es?
Why is it translated as "he is asking" instead of "he asks"?
Both translations are correct! German doesn't have a separate "-ing" form (present continuous) like English does. Er fragt translates to both "he asks" (a general habit) and "he is asking" (happening right now). You just pick the one that sounds most natural in English.
Does es change its spelling when it's the object of the sentence?
No, it doesn't. The pronoun es (it) looks exactly the same whether it is doing the action (the subject) or receiving the action (the direct object). Here, it is the direct object—the thing he is asking.