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how

Use and word order​

How is used to introduce questions or the answers to questions.

  • How did you do it?
  • Tell me how you did it.
  • I know how he did it.

We also use how in exclamations (see here). The word order is not the same as in questions. Compare:

  • How cold is it?
    How cold it is!
  • How do you like my hair?
    How I love weekends! (not How do I love weekends!)
  • How have you been?
    How you’ve grown! (not How have you grown!)

When how is used in an exclamation with an adjective or adverb, this comes immediately after how.

  • How beautiful the trees are! (not How the trees are beautiful!)
  • How well she plays! (not How she plays well!)

With adjectives/adverbs: how, not how much​

We use how, not how much, before adjectives and adverbs.

  • How tall are you? (not How much tall are you?)
  • Show me how fast you can run. (not … how much fast …)

Comparisons: how not used​

In comparisons we use as or like (see here) or the way (see below), not how.

  • Hold it in both hands, as / like / the way Mummy does. (not … how Mummy does.)

how, what and why​

These three question words can sometimes be confused. Note particularly the following common structures.

  • How do you know? (not Why do you know?)
  • What do you call this? (not How do you call this?)
  • What’s that called? (not How is that called?)
  • What do you think? (not How do you think?)
  • What? What did you say? (not How? How did you say?)
  • Why should I think that?

Both What about …? and How about …? are used to make suggestions, and to bring up points that have been forgotten.

  • What/How about eating out this evening?
  • What/How about the kids? Who’s going to look after them?

In exclamations (see here), what is used before noun phrases; and how is used before adjectives (without nouns), adverbs and verb phrases.

  • What a wonderful house!
  • How wonderful!
  • How you’ve changed!

how much, how many, how old, how far, etc​

Many interrogative expressions of two or more words begin with how. These are used to ask for measurements, quantities, etc. Examples:

  • How much do you weigh?
  • How old are your parents?
  • How many people were there?
  • How far is your house?
  • How often do you come to New York?

Note that English does not have a special expression to ask for ordinal numbers (first, second, etc).

  • ‘It’s our wedding anniversary.’ ‘Congratulations. Which one?’ (not … the how-manyeth?)

the way​

The way (see here) can often be used instead of non-interrogative how. Note that the way and how are not used together.

  • Look at the way those cats wash each other. or Look at how those cats … (not … the way how those cats wash …)
  • The way you organise the work is for you to decide. or How you organise … (not The way how you organise …)
note

For how to …, (see here).

For how ever, (see here).

For learn how to …, (see here).

For however, (see here) (conjunction) , (see here) (adverb).

For how-clauses as objects, subjects, etc (e.g. Don’t ask me how the journey was; How you divide up the money is your business), (see here).