How smart is your kid? vs How is your kid smart?

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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pdh0224
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How smart is your kid? vs How is your kid smart?

Post by pdh0224 »

Dear teacher,

"It's awfully important to know the category before you lay your money down," he said. Discovering a child's real talents would be even better, he added. "Your mission as a parent is to say not 'How smart is my kid?' but 'How is my kid smart?' " he said. "You focus in on that and then, wherever the kid goes to college, he'll know, 'This is what I'm good at.' "

Q : The function of "smart" in "How smart is my kid?" is an adjective and "smart" in "How is my kid smart" is a noun , isn't it?


All the best, :)
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Alan
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Post by Alan »

No, in both it is an adjective.
googl
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Post by googl »

So what is the difference between these two sentences? When add adjective after 'How' and when at the end of sentence?
pdh0224
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Post by pdh0224 »

I think

'How smart is my kid?'

=> "How" modifies "smart" as an adverb.

It is about a degree of one's intelligence.

'How is my kid smart?'

=> "How" modifies "is" as an adverb.

It means the way in which one thing is different from or similar

to another. That is, It shows us what he is good at.



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Alan
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Post by Alan »

Correct!

Incidentally, 'How is my kid smart?' is a slightly unusual construction, for more standard 'IN WHAT WAY(S) is my kid smart?'. It is deliberately expressed using 'how' in order to effect a connection with the previous question.
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