'How' Questions
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DEFINITION: There are many different ways to ask a how question word. When making a how-question, it usually follows a [how + adj/adv] pattern and asks about specific characteristics, qualities, quantities, etc.
Also, the most common pattern when answering a how-question is [pronoun + verb].
How is the weather? It is...
How many pens do you have? I have...
NOTE: Japan's JHS public school English textbooks spread the 'how' question word throughout all three grades instead of teaching all the various forms of 'how' at one time (how much, how long, etc,). The textbooks usually hook the How-Question into another grammar point: "How many CDs do you have?" "How long have you played the piano?"
Englipedia has gone through all the textbooks and returned the 'how' questions back onto one page.
How... （どうような？） Asks about a condition or quality: How was your test? | How many + 数えられる名詞... （いくつの+名詞？） Asks about countable quantities: How many CDs do you have? | How old... （何歳？ ） Asks about degree of age: How old are you? |
How... （どうように？or どうやって？） Asks about manner: How does this machine work? | How much + 数えられない名詞... （どれくらいの+名詞？） Asks about uncountable quantities: How much money do you have? | How tall... （どれくらい背が高い？） Asks about degree of height: How tall are you? |
How long... （どれくらい長い？） Asks about degree length (time or space): How long is this pencil? | How much... （いくら？） Asks about degree of price: How much is the pencil? | How high... （どれくらい高い？） Asks about height of object: How high is Mt. Fuji? |
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