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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Please help me!
Please help me!
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Homeless Turtle
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Please help me!
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I am having trouble understanding the use of the question word "HOW" in the middle of a sentence.
For example I don �t know how to play it.
Is it an adjective that describes know? I understand the use of "HOW" as a question word; like "How long" or �How much" but this is new to me.
Also, I have not been able to find any worksheets that deal with this form of "HOW." If anybody knows of a worksheet that I cold use to teach my students this new form of "HOW" I would really appreciate it, thank you. |
17 Jun 2009
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mena22
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Hi georgejones! Michael Swan calls that "how" an infinitive complement, just like who in "I wonder who to invite."; what "Show me what to do."; where "I don �t know where to put the car."; when "Tell me when to pay"; what "Show me what to do." You use an infinitive
after the question words in indirect speech and this structure usually expresses ideas such as possibility or obligation: "I wonder who to invite = ... who I should invite).
Hope it helps.
mena
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17 Jun 2009
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Homeless Turtle
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Thank you mena! I am so happy to get such a speedy reply to my question. I will study�How as an infinitive complement" and try to develop a worksheet to help my students understand it also!
PS: I am a big fan of your worksheets; thank you so much for helping to make this site such a great E.S.L. resource. |
17 Jun 2009
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Spagman63
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George,
That is HOW we do it here. LOL When someone needs help we try to offer a solution.
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17 Jun 2009
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Spagman63
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APodo,
WOW!!! You sure have a lot of free time on your hands. :)
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17 Jun 2009
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Apodo
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A few clicks was all it took. ;-)
I have the dictionary in my favourites. |
17 Jun 2009
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HARIM
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Hi George,
Adding to what mena said,this infinitive complement or verb phrase can have different parts of speech according to the sentence:
I don �t know how to answer . "how" is a question word acting as an adverb of manner modifying the verb answer
"how to answer" is a verb phrase acting as a direct object of the verb "know"
hope this helps
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17 Jun 2009
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Homeless Turtle
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Thank you Spagman63, Apodo,and Harim for sharing all your helpful information! This is a great E.S.L. resource and I feel fortunate to be part of it. |
17 Jun 2009
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