Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[ShoHiro]

Dear teachers,

A researchers argues that the sentence of (1) have two readings:

(1) They are ready-to-wear clotes.
Reading (i): they are clothes with a special brand name, label or proper name.
Reading (ii): they are clothes which are ready to wear.

They correspond to (2a) and (2b), respectively.

(2) a. Those clothes are ready-to-wear.
b. Those clothes are ready to wear.

My question is that when you ask about the italic phrase of (2a), i.e., ready-to-wear, what intterogative word do you use? what or How? Similarly, when you ask about the italic phrase of (2b), what intterogative word do you use, what or how?
I think that what is approapriate in (2a) and how is approapriate in (2b).

(3) a. What are those clothes?
b. How are those clothes?

Is that correct?

[Bob S.]

[ShoHiro]

Dear Bob,

Thank you very much for answering my question. I'm very happy.

I would like to confirm several things about this topic. What interrogative word should be used in (1) when you ask the italic words?

(1) a. My coffee is Irish. (intended meaning: My coffee is Irish coffee)
b. My coffee ishot.
c. My coffee is black.

My prediction is:

(2) a. What is your coffee?
b. How is your coffee?
c. How is your coffee?

Is that correct?

Best wishes,
ShoHiro

[Bob S.]

[Lorikeet]

I have a lot of trouble accepting "What's your coffee?" "My coffee is Irish."

I think it would be more common to hear, "What kind of coffee is that?" "It's Irish Coffee." Maybe it's just me.

[CP]

[Bob S.]

I agree it doesn't sound natural. I had to do a little mental gymnastics to think of a situation in which someone might use that sentence. (Hmmm, let's see. If a person came back to the office after making a Starbuck's run with a tray of coffees for everyone and had to divie them out to who ordered what using colloquial English... )

_________________
"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper

[ShoHiro]

Dear Bob, Lorkeet, and CP,

Thank you very much for answering my question and giving helpful comments. I have not checked it.

I understand. I found the following sentences in the web:

(1) Whether your coffee is Irish or regular, it's sure to stay warm longer when you keep it tucked inside this colorful cozy.

Of course, this sentence is not predicational but identificational or specificational sentence. It might be possible that "My coffee is Irish" in the situation Bob suggests, although it is not a predicational sentence but an identificational sentence, according to Declerk's classification.

Anyway, your arguments are very helpful. Thank you very much!

Best wishes,
ShoHiro

[Lorikeet]

Yes, with the choice there, the sentence sounds okay.

[ShoHiro]

Dear Lorikeet,

Thank you for the comment!

Although it might be better to ask as a new topic, the question I have now is related to the argument so far, so let me ask a question in this thread.

(1) John drank his coffee hot.

If you want to ask the italic part, you can ask in at least two ways:

(2) a. How did John drink his coffee?
b. In what state was his coffee, when John drank it?

Is that correct?

How about (3), (4) and (5)?

(3) John bought those stocks / medicine over-the-counter.
a. How did John buy those stocks / medicine?
b. In what state were those stocks / medicine, when John bought thme?

(4) The salesman visited all the houses in this town door-to-door.
a. How did the salesman visit all the houses in this town?
b. In what state was the salesman, when he visited all the houses in this town?

(5) John drank his coffee Irish.
a. How did John drink his coffee?
b. In what state was his coffee, when he drank it?

Although the sentence of (5) is not acceptable, if it is, what is the result?

Sincerely,

ShoHiro

[Lorikeet]

[ShoHiro]

Dear Lorikeet,

Thank you very much for answering in detail. I understand them very much. "How" can be used more broadly than I thought.

(I'm very sorry I responed to your answer late every time.)


Best wishes,
ShoHiro