What/what kind of pen is this?

[Banglardon]

Could you please explain what the difference in meaning between the following two sentence is?

1- What pen is this?
2- What kind of pen is this?

 

[emsr2d2]

Could you please explain what the difference in meaning between the following two sentences is?

1- What pen is this?
2- What kind of pen is this?

They're both grammatically possible but I don't know what sort of answer you would expect to question 1. Can you give us an example of a possible answer?

 

[Banglardon]

They're both grammatically possible but I don't know what sort of answer you would expect to question 1. Can you give us an example of a possible answer?

I don't know what would be the answers to these questions. So I asked that.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know what [STRIKE]would be[/STRIKE] the answers to these questions would be. [STRIKE]So[/STRIKE] That's why I asked. [STRIKE]that.[/STRIKE]

Well, the difference is that no one would ask question 1 because there is no logical answer. Every permutation of the question I can think of requires something between "What" and "pen".

What type of pen is this?
What kind of pen is this?
What colour pen is this?
What brand/make of pen is this?

 

[Banglardon]

If i ask 'what book is this?', will that work? Or should I use 'what kind of'?

 

[GoesStation]

If I ask 'What book is this?', will that work? Or should I use 'What kind of'?

What did emsr2d2 say in post #4? Is there a logical reply to the question "What book is this?"

 

[Banglardon]

What did emsr2d2 say in post #4? Is there a logical reply to the question "What book is this?"

Maybe, someone can answers the name of the movie.

 

[Rover_KE]

How have you got from a pen to a book to a movie?

 

[emsr2d2]

What did emsr2d2 say in post #4? Is there a logical reply to the question "What book is this?"

Maybe no comma here someone [STRIKE]can[/STRIKE] could [STRIKE]answers[/STRIKE] answer with the name of [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] a movie.

Now I'm more confused than I was before. Why on earth would someone tell you the name of a film when you asked them a question about a book?

 

[Banglardon]

Now I'm more confused than I was before. Why on earth would someone tell you the name of a film when you asked them a question about a book?

I didn't notice it. It should be 'the name of the book'. Sorry for my mistake.

 

[emsr2d2]

The two book questions have different meanings and would elicit different responses.

What book is this?
It's I, Robot.

What type of book is this?
Science fiction.