Grammar

What¹Which

(What + noun; Which + noun)


-What book did you buy?

-What books did you buy?

-What soap do you use? (What + noun makes a general inquiry)

 

-Which boy wants/ Which boys want to come with us?

  What: não há praticamente escolha.

   Which: seleção de um ou mais elementos.

-Which book did you buy?

-Which books did you buy?

-Which soap do you use? (Which + noun refers to a limited choice)

 

-What boy wants/ What boys want to come with us?

(What + noun to ask about people is possible, but less common than Which)


How ¹ What...like


-How's your new boss?

(refers to appearance, character, but How's your new boss? can also refer to health)

 

-How was the film?

(i.e. 'tell me')

-How did you get there?

 (=in what way; by car? by bus?)

 

-How do you know this?

(=in what way? Who told you so? Where did you read about it?)

 

-How do you like it?

(i.e. 'tell me' ; your opinion)

 

A: "How do you do?"

B: "How do you do?"

( formal introductions)

 

 

-What's your new boss like?

 

-What is it like to be in love?

 

 

-What was the film like? (description)

 

A: "What is your sister like?" (characteristics, description of a person)

B: "She is tall and thin. She's a nice girl."

 

A: "What was the weather like in Ubatuba?"

 (characteristics, descriptions of the weather)

B: "It was rainy."

 

 

How + Adjective or Adverb

 

-How long have you been waiting? (how long to refer to a period of time "quanto tempo")

 

A: "How long ago did you arrive?"

B: "A couple of hours ago."

(how long ago to refer to a point of time in the past)

 

­-How long is your dining table? (what length? "qual o comprimento?")

 


        -How long  is this room? = What length is this room?

 


-How wide is this room? = What width is this room?

 

-How far do you live? (distance?)


-How many names are there on the list?

(how many + plural countable noun)

-How much bread did you buy?

(how much+ uncountable noun)


 


-How much is it?                     ($$$$, price)

-How much does it cost?


-How often do you exercise? (frequency)

-How old is he? (age)


 

*How about   going for a walk?

*What about  doing the exercises?  

 

 

...Other adverbs...

         When is your birthday? (Date, time, at the time when)

                   Where do you live? (place, "onde")

 

                                              

What for * why

         -What did you do that for?

 

                            -Why did you do that?

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