Where is the line ???

[betterin]

I want to teach ss to raise questions according to the underlined words in sentences.

I want to know exactly which words should be underlined in this sentence--
"Tom is two years old." (In most books,"two years old" is underlined)

Which is correct, "Tom is two years old." or "Tom is two years old."?

Or both are acceptable?

[Casiopea]

Hello, betterin.

I'm not quite sure I fully understand your question. Is this the answer you're looking for?

Statement: Tom is two years old.
Question: How old is Tom?

Does that help?

[betterin]

Hello, betterin.

I'm not quite sure I fully understand your question. Is this the answer you're looking for?

Statement: Tom is two years old.
Question: How old is Tom?

Does that help?

Yes.
You understand me 100 percent. I didn't notice the "underline" tag.
Thanks a lot!

I just wonder which words I should underline, "two years old " or "two years"?
Or are both acceptable? In most books, "two years old" are underlined.

But I think it is better not to underline "old". Underlined words usually do not appear in the question.For example,

Tom and Bill are students.
Who are students?

Is my opinion correct?

[Casiopea]

But I think it is better not to underline "old".

Well, you don't have to underline it, but old does head the phrase two years old, which is why it's underlined in most of the books you have.

Example A
Tom is two years old.
_____ is Tom?

Example B
Tom is two years old.
_____ old is Tom?

Does that help?

[betterin]

Thanks a lot.

I want to infer a rule (e.g. underlined words do not appear in the question)so that students can easily raise questions according to the underlined words.

It seems that this rule doesn't apply to the "how old " questions, which i think are just exceptions.

Other questions apply with the rule.

For example:

Tom is two meters tall.
How tall is Tom?

"tall" is not underlined in most books.

Is my opinion correct?

[Casiopea]

For example:

Tom is two meters tall.
How tall is Tom?

"tall" is not underlined in most books.

Is my opinion correct?

It's not your opinion, though. It's what you've read in 'most books'.

My advice to you is this, be consistent:

Tom is two years old.
Tom is two meters tall.

Does that help?

[betterin]

You misunderstood me. Thank you anyway.

My opinion is that underlined words had better not appear in the question.

[Casiopea]

You misunderstood me. Thank you anyway.

My opinion is that underlined words had better not appear in the question.

OK. Do you mean something along the lines of say,

Tom is two years old.
How_________?


You're right, I have misunderstood you.

[betterin]

You misunderstood me. Thank you anyway.

My opinion is that underlined words had better not appear in the question.

Example

Q1 Tom is two years old.
A)How old is Tom?
B)How Tom is old?
C)How old Tom is?

Q2 Tom is two years old.
A)How old is Tom?
B)How Tom is old?
C)How old Tom is

Q1 is better than Q2. That is my opinion.

[Casiopea]

I'm sorry I can't seem to understand what it is exactly you want me to see. You mentioned that you don't want underlined words to appear in the question, and yet you underlined the words. Help.