Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stevenukd]

Dear Teachers,

- �How are you?� is used to ask only about how his or her health is, right?
- �How�s it going?� is used to ask only about how his or her work or business going, right?
- �How are you doing?� is used to ask both about how his or her health is and how his or her work / business going right?

- These answers are applied to the questions above, right?

- Good � very good � not too good � not bad � so so � fine � ok � very well -great

Thanks a lot to Teachers,

Stevenukd

[CP]

In conversation (in the U.S., at least), you might say any of the three as a greeting to someone, without worrying too much about either the actual meaning or the answer. You can be half-dead with the flu and answer, "Fine" when womeone asks you, "How are you today?"

If you answered "How are you?" with a full report of your health, you would surprise the person who asked, because the real function of these phrases is to greet someone and acknowledge his or her presence in a polite but informal way.

But, yes, "How are you?" is more about one's health, "How's it going?" would be more appropriate if you are discussing someone's work or some project, and "How are you doing?" could be used for either.
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