Question word

Stefan · Post by **Stefan** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:36 am

I'm not sure about the correct question word in this context:

"She left Lima on Christmas eve."

"___ did she leave on Christmas Eve?" "Lima."

'Where'. 'what', or another one?
Thanks in advance.
Stefan

Lorikeet · Post by **Lorikeet** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:30 am

I like "What city" myself, but maybe that's just me

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:25 am

'Where", but it's a stupid question few would ever ask. Burn the text book, preferably with the author attached to a stake and surrounded with them.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:46 pm

Just out of interest, Stefan, is that question an isolated one (that is, a "transformation" of the isolated sentence), or one of several to check the comprehension of a passage of text (that is, a story's main points)?

If it is an isolated transformation, it is, of course, total nonsense - who is asking the question, and how did they come to possess the knowledge that she was anywhere to leave on Xmas Eve?!

As a comprehension question for a story, at least there is a context on top of the context within which to ask, and thus a reason for asking, the question, but I think it would be better to simply get the students to retell the story without obvious prompting, unless they missed what seemed to be a major point; and who knows if leaving Lima is/was an essential plot element.