how = what ... like?

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sitifan

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The Meteorological Office, which is responsible for telling people _____ the next day, is always receiving suggestions from amateur forecasters, offering it advice.
(A) how will be the weather
(B) how the weather will be
(C) what will be like the weather
(D) what the weather will be like
(Yang Jinfang)

The answer to the above question is option D.
What's wrong with option B?
 
People usually say:
What is the weather like today?
How is the weather going to be today?
 
What is the source of the quoted text? The author's name alone is not sufficient.
 
The Meteorological Office, which is responsible for telling people _____ the next day, is always receiving suggestions from amateur forecasters, offering it advice.
(A)how will be the weather (B) how the weather will be (C) what will be like the weather (D) what the weather will be like
(Yang Jinfang)

The answer to the above question is option D.
What's wrong with option B?


In (D) "what the weather will be like" is a subordinate interrogative clause, where the meaning is "... responsible for telling people the answer to the question 'What will the weather be like the next day?'"

In (B) "how the weather will be" is also a subordinate interrogative, but the question word "how" in some subordinate interrogatives tends to be frowned on, indeed not acceptable to many speakers, and hence is best avoided.
 
What is the source of the quoted text? The author's name alone is not sufficient.

The title of the book is Chinese, my English translation of which is "A Must for College Entrance Examination: Cloze Tests with Detailed Answers."
 
Last edited:
The Meteorological Office, which is responsible for telling people _____ the next day, is always receiving suggestions from amateur forecasters, offering it advice.
(A) how will be the weather
(B) how the weather will be
(C) what will be like the weather
(D) what the weather will be like
(Yang Jinfang)

The answer to the above question is option D.
What's wrong with option B?

It seems like that when you ask how the weather will be you're asking about the weather's health. Instead, of course, you want to know how hot it will be or if it will rain.
 
It seems like that when you ask how the weather will be you're asking about the weather's health. Instead, of course, you want to know how hot it will be or if it will rain.
1. How's the weather today?
2. What's the weather like today?

Are the above sentences both correct?
 
1. How's the weather today?
2. What's the weather like today?

Are the above sentences both correct?

Yep. But if you want to know about current conditions all you have to do is look out a window.

I turn on the radio to get a forecast (conditions in the future). (There's also that thingy on my phone).

(I just looked out my window, and it's dark. It must be night. :) )
 
3. I'd like to know how the weather is today.
4. I'd like to know what the weather is like today.

Are both the above sentences correct?
 
3. I'd like to know how the weather is today. Grammatical but unnatural.

4. I'd like to know what the weather is like today.:tick:

Are both the above sentences correct?
See post #6.
 
3. I'd like to know how the weather is today.
4. I'd like to know what the weather is like today.

Are both the above sentences correct?

As pointed out to you, "how" is not a suitable question word in your particular examples.

You will find that some people use it, but strictly speaking it's only marginally acceptable.
 
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