Monday, May 13, 2019

Questions with how

QUESTIONS WORDS: HOW CAN I USE HOW?





How is a very useful question word.  Let’s look at some of the ways it can be used.
How can I stay healthy?
This question is asking about method—the way you do something.  You would answer in this way:
You can stay healthy by exercising, by eating well, and by getting enough sleep.
How do you use a public bus?
First, you need to buy a ticket.  Then, you wait at the bus stop.  When the bus comes, you put your ticket in the machine next to the driver.  The driver will give you a transfer.  When you want to get off the bus, pull the cord.  Finally, remember to thank the driver!

How far is it to your house?
How + adjective is asking you to say the quantity of the adjective —in this case, distance.  You could answer in this way:
  • It is five miles.
  • It is a mile and a half.
How big is your room?   This question is asking you how much space it has.  You could answer:
  • It’s huge.  It’s 200 square feet.
  • It’s really tiny.  It’s not much bigger than a bath tub.
How spicy is the food at that restaurant?  
You could answer in this way:
  • It’s really spicy.
  • It’s not very spicy.
You can ask the same type of question with an adverb:
How quickly do you learn new vocabulary words?
You could answer:
  • I learn very quickly.
  • I don’t learn them very quickly.

How long does it take to get to your job each day?
“How long does it take to” + verb is asking about the amount of time needed to do something.
You could answer in this way:
  • It takes an hour.
  • It takes twenty minutes.
  • It takes five minutes.
How long does it take to speak English like a native speaker?
You could answer:
  • It takes years.
  • It takes a life time.
  • It takes many months.

How much does it cost to buy a house in your city?
“How much does it cost to” + verb is asking about the amount of money needed to buy something.
You could answer:
  • It costs half a million dollars.
  • It costs $400,000.
  • It costs an arm and a leg (a lot!).
How much does it cost to go out to eat?
You could answer:
  • For one person, it costs about $10.
  • For a family, it costs around $50. 
Notice how the modifiers about and around mean not exactly—maybe more, maybe less.)

How many people do you know who can speak English?
How + many/much is asking you about a quantity of a noun.
You could answer:
  • I know tons.
  • I know around 5. 
  • I know a few. 
Notice how with a plural count noun (people), you use the word many, which is plural, and your answers are also plural:  tons, 5, a few.
How much fun do you have each day?
You could answer:
  • I have a lot. 
  • I have a little. 
  • I have a bit. 
Notice how with a non-count noun (fun), you use the word much, and your answers are also non-count amounts: a lot, a little, a bit.

How much do you exercise?
How much do you + verb asks you about the quantity of a verb:
  • I exercise a lot.
  • I rarely exercise.
  • I exercise three times a week.
How much do you drink?
  • I never drink.
  • I drink about two glasses of alcohol a day.
  • I drink a lot.

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