how often vs when

[ademoglu]

Hi,

Alice: How often do John and Robert argue?
Michael: They argue every few months.

Can we use 'when' instead of 'how often' in the above question? I think we can but I am not sure.

Alice: When do John and Robert argue?
Michael: They argue every few months.

Thanks.

 

[Tarheel]

No, they do not mean the same thing. The first is about frequency. The second is about time. (At what time do they argue?)

 

[emsr2d2]

Despite the different in question, the same answer could still be possible.

How often do they argue?
Every time they go out.

When do they argue?
Every time they go out.

The possibility of the same answer, however, does not mean that the questions are interchangeable nor that they mean the same thing.