Question about sky description

Hi Teachers,
Which one is the appropriate question for the answer given?
a) What was the night sky like?
b) How was the night sky like?
The night sky was black and cold.

Thanks in advance

It's all fine grammatically, but the night sky isn't cold. The night itself is.

[Not a teacher]

Calis said:

It's all fine grammatically, but the night sky isn't cold. The night itself is.

[Not a teacher]

Click to expand...

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.
It's a sentence from a book. I guess it should be something poetic.
Sorry I've change my previous post at the same moment you were answering me.

L54

It's fine.

You have posted several threads about the formation of suitable questions for certain answers.

Remember that the 'answers' you provide are usually not answers, but statements. Although this types of exercise is quite common in some books, it is not natural. With your question, for example, the natural answer would be , "(It was) black and cold". Bear in mind, too, that, we don't often go round asking people what the night sky was like. And, in real life, we rarely ask questions to which we already know the exact answer.

If you are interested in getting the learners to practise asking questions, I suggest that you focus on what natural questions they might actually ask, rather than on the 'answers'.

ps. I was writing that response when Callis posted his.I think that it is possible to speak of a 'cold' sky.

Hi 5jj,
Thank you for your reply and suggestion.
Remember that the 'answers' you provide are usually not answers, but statements.
You are absolutely right. They should be staments because there's no previous question. It's me that I write the question. Right?

If you are interested in getting the learners to practise asking questions, I suggest that you focus on what natural questions they might actually ask, rather than on the 'answers'.
Let me tell you that in this exercise the students listen to a CD at home and I give them just the questions and they have to fill in the answers according to what they listen to.

This is what the students have
6.-
What did he do after what he thought?

He ___________ ____________ _______.


7.-
What could he see?

He __________ _______ _______ __________.


8.-
How many men were there?

There __________ _________ or _______ _______.


9.-
How did they run?

They _______ __________.




How did their lights move?

Their ___________ __________ _____ and _________.


This is what they should answer after they listen to the CD

6.-
What did he do after what he thought?

He looked behind him.


7.-
What could he see?

He could see the lights.


8.-
How many men were there?

There were five or six men.


9.-
How did they run?

They ran fast.




How did their lights move?

Their lights moved up and down.


The exercise goes on, if you wish to know it just tell me and I'll write down for you without a doubt. It will be very good for me to know your opinion.

Thank you

learning54 said:

Hi Teachers,
Which one is the appropriate question for the answer given?
a) What was the night sky like?
b) How was the night sky like?
The night sky was black and cold.

Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

I would change question b):

b) How was the night sky [strike]like[/strike]?

Tdol said:

I would change question b):

b) How was the night sky [strike]like[/strike]?

Click to expand...

Hi Tdol,
Thank you very much for your reply.

One last question please.
Is there any difference between these two questions?
a) What was the night sky like?
b) How was the night sky?

L54

"What like" is related to a physical description

e.g. What was the weather like?

whereas "How" is more related to an impression or feeling about something or someone

"How did you get on?" "Very well, thanks".
"How is your dad"? "He's in great form".

If you take this last sentence and used "what like" instead the meaning will change utterly.

e.g. "What is your dad like?" "He's tall and has got a beard".



Hope it helps

shannico said:

"What like" is related to a physical description

e.g. What was the weather like?

whereas "How" is more related to an impression or feeling about something or someone

"How did you get on?" "Very well, thanks".
"How is your dad"? "He's in great form".

If you take this last sentence and used "what like" instead the meaning will change utterly.

e.g. "What is your dad like?" "He's tall and has got a beard".



Hope it helps

Click to expand...

Hi shannico,
Thak you for your reply and examples.
What confuses me is that I was told that we generally use how ... like? to ask about things that change and what .. like? to ask about things that don't change, that is appearance and people's character.
Is it a wrong definition?

learning54 said:

What confuses me is that I was told that we generally use how ... like? to ask about things that change and what .. like? to ask about things that don't change, that is appearance and people's character.
Is it a wrong definition?

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For me, yes. I have been trying to think of a natural question with 'how...like?', and I haven't come up with one yet.

5jj said:

For me, yes. I have been trying to think of a natural question with 'how...like?', and I haven't come up with one yet.

Click to expand...

Hi 5jj,
Thank you for your reply.
What if I change my sentence and instead of that I say, 'we generally use how ...? to ask about things that change and what .. like? to ask about things that don't change, that is appearance and people's character.
Does it make sense now?:roll:

I'm with 5jj. For me, you either ask "What ... like?" or "How ...?"

How was the play?
What was the play like?

How was your dinner?
What was your dinner like?

How is his new apartment?
What is his new apartment like?

Hi Teachers,
Could you tell me if these are these appropriate explanations?
Questions with 'like'
What does she look like? (physical appearance / physical description)
What is she like? (personality)
What is the weather like? (description of the climate)
What was the night sky like? (description of the night sky)
How was the night sky? (description of the night sky)
How was the play? (personal opinion / description of the play)
What was the play like? (personal opinion / description of the play)
For all these questions we always use the verb 'be' in the answers.

Thanks in advance

emsr2d2 said:

I'm with 5jj. For me, you either ask "What ... like?" or "How ...?"

How was the play?
What was the play like?

How was your dinner?
What was your dinner like?

How is his new apartment?
What is his new apartment like?

Click to expand...

Hi,
Thank you for you reply.

Best,
L54