What this book is about ?

[Waheed Alazony]

Is it grammatical to write ..."This book is about what ? " instead of saying " What is this book about?"
It sounds odd to me but one of my colleagues said it can go so I want to make sure.

 

[5jj]

It's grammatical, but natural only in some contexts.

 

[Barque]

Is it grammatical to write ..."This book is about what ?

If you're asking a question, this is ungrammatical in my opinion, but you'll hear it in casual speech.

 

[Waheed Alazony]

If you're asking a question, this is ungrammatical in my opinion, but you'll hear it casual speech.

It was supposed to be a dialogue in a formal exam

 

[Waheed Alazony]

It's grammatical, but natural only in some contexts.

Can it be used in a formal dialogue ?

 

[Tarheel]

Is it grammatical to write ..."This book is about what ? " instead of saying " What is this book about?"
It sounds odd to me but one of my colleagues said it can go so I want to make sure.

I don't understand any of that, but I'm not as smart as the others.

"What is this book about?" makes perfect sense. Could you provide some context for the other one so it makes sense?

What does "it can go" mean?

 

[Barque]

Can it be used in a formal dialogue ?

I wouldn't expect it in any careful speech. Even in casual speech, you'll hear the correct form (What's this book about?) as much as if not more than this form (This book's about what?).

(I'm talking about English speaking societies.)

 

[Barque]

What does "it can go" mean?

I think it's meant to mean "It can work".

 

[5jj]

I wouldn't expect it in any careful speech

I might, in the right context. there is nothing wrong with it at all. It's just not normal in most situations.

 

[Skrej]

I agree with 5jj. It's a pretty narrow window of context, but within that window, it could be perfectly natural. I've had occasion to use such a construction myself.

I've asked students things like "This paragraph is dealing with what?" or "The author's making a statement about what in this paragraph?"

 

[jutfrank]

It's not what we'd call 'normal' word order but that doesn't make it ungrammatical. Since it does stray from the normal order, one would need a special reason to use it.

 

[jutfrank]

It was supposed to be a dialogue in a formal exam

Do you mean that it was a line of dialogue that appeared in a formal exam?

The fact that an exam is formal doesn't mean that the language used in any given text in the exam is formal.

Can it be used in a formal dialogue ?

What do you mean? What would you consider an example of a formal dialogue?

 

[emsr2d2]

Is it grammatical to write no ellipsis here "This book is about what?" instead of saying "What is this book about?"
It sounds odd to me but one of my colleagues said it can go be used so I want to make sure.

 

[Waheed Alazony]

I don't understand any of that, but I'm not as smart as the others.

"What is this book about?" makes perfect sense. Could you provide some context for the other one so it makes sense?

What does "it can go" mean?

Can work

 

[Tarheel]

@Waheed Alazony Read post #13.

 

[emsr2d2]

So far, including the word order in your title, you have given us three versions of the same question. You have given us (I've copied them exactly):

1. What this book is about ?
2. This book is about what ?
3. What is this book about?

#1 is wrong because that's the wrong word order for a question and you have put a space before the question mark.
#2 is wrong because you have put a space before the question mark. Technically, it's not the correct word order for a question. However, as the others have said, you might hear it in casual speech.
#3 is correct. It uses the standard word order for a question and there is no space before the question mark. In speech, most native speakers would contract the first two words to "What's".