Questions about statements

[learning54]

Hi Teachers,
Could you help me with these questions?
According to this statement, 'It was dark and quiet under the trees'.
Is the following question correct? What was it like under the trees?

According to this statement, 'He ran first to the left, and then to the right'.
Which question is correct? None?
a) Where did he run first?
b) What did he do?

Thanks in advance

 

[thanhnhankaka]

(Not a native teacher of English)
My personal comments:
In the first example, "How was it like..." would be safer.
For the second case, "What did he do" is correct but it is also a very broad question whose answers can be "He ran" or "He didn't stay"...either way, if your question concerns about the direction that he was running, "head for" can be a good choice, "Where did he head for at first?". Hope this helps.

 

[5jj]

In the first example, "How was it like..." would be safer.
No. 'How was it like' is not acceptable English.

For the second case,[...]...either way, if your question concerns [STRIKE]about[/STRIKE] the direction that he was running, "head for" can be a good choice, "Where did he head for at first?".
No. he didn't really head for anything.

'What was it like under the trees?' is fine for the first.
'In which direction did he run first?' works for the second, though I don't really see the point of asking a question to which the answer is so obvious.

 

[Rover_KE]

(Not a native teacher of English)

In the first example, "How was it like..." would be safer. No, it wouldn't. That is wrong. 'What was it like...' is fine.

For the second example, you could ask 'Which way did he run first?'

Rover

 

[learning54]

(Not a native teacher of English)
My personal comments:
In the first example, "How was it like..." would be safer.
For the second case, "What did he do" is correct but it is also a very broad question whose answers can be "He ran" or "He didn't stay"...either way, if your question concerns about the direction that he was running, "head for" can be a good choice, "Where did he head for at first?". Hope this helps.

Hi,
Thank you for your commentaries.

Best,
L54

 

[learning54]

'What was it like under the trees?' is fine for the first.
'In which direction did he run first?' works for the second, though I don't really see the point of asking a question to which the answer is so obvious.

Hi,
Thank you for your help.
I don't really see the point of asking a question to which the answer is so obvious.
So sorry. I should have said that the exercise is just for listening. The students don't have the answers. I just give them the question in order to find the answers while they listen to the story.

Best,
L54

 

[learning54]

For the second example, you could ask 'Which way did he run first?'

Rover

Hi,
Thank you very much for your reply too.

Best,
L54

 

[thanhnhankaka]

I think I would have to ask for more clarifications from you. I have always thought that "How was it like" is a better way to avoid using "what was it like" when you are not sure. So it turns our that I was wrong all those times? If "How was it like" is unacceptable, then "How is she like?" is also a wrong sentence, I assume? can we ask "How was it under the trees" .
One more thing, is the sentence "how was it" a correct one?
Hope to read more from you.
Thank you very much.

 

[5jj]

I should have said that the exercise is just for listening. The students don't have the answers. I just give them the question in order to find the answers while they listen to the story.

Sorry. I assumed, wrongly, that it was a reading comprehension question.

 

[learning54]

Sorry. I assumed, wrongly, that it was a reading comprehension question.

Hi,
No worries. It was my fault. Thank you so much for your reply once again.;-)

Best,
L54

 

[5jj]

. I have always thought that "How was it like" is a better way to avoid using "what was it like" when you are not sure.
It's not a matter of being sure. If you are going to ask 'How was it?' or 'What was it like?', then you presumably don't know the answer. If you did, you wouldn't be asking the question. 'How was it like?' is not natural English. I see no reason to want to avoid 'What was it like?
'So it turns our that I was wrong all those times? Yes
If "How was it like" is unacceptable, then "How is she like?" is also a wrong sentence, I assume? Yes
[STRIKE]c[/STRIKE] Can we ask "How was it under the trees?" . We can.

One more thing, is the sentence "[STRIKE]h[/STRIKE]How was it" a correct one? Yes. It often has a similar meaning to 'What was it like?'

5

 

[Rover_KE]

If "How was it like" is unacceptable, then "How is she like?" is also a wrong sentence, I assume? Yes. It's 'What is she like?'

Can we ask "How was it under the trees". Yes. It means 'What was it like under the trees?'

One more thing, is the sentence "How was it?" a correct one? Yes. It means 'What was it like?'

Rover