Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Teo]

1. What are you?
2. What do you do?
The above sentences seem to have the same meaning.
What's the difference in use or style between them?
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Thank you very much for your reply.

[myprofe]

What do you do?

This is how you ask someone about their function, position, post, profession, job etc.

What are you?

This could be understood to mean the same as the above but only in a conversation where everyone is discussing their functions and there is one person who has not answered yet.

"What are you" would be an appropriate question at a costume (fancy dress) party if you can't determine what a person is dressed up as.
Are you a tree?
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