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Is "how to" in these context(questions) correct?

  1. How to go to {somewhere}?

  2. How do you/I go {somewhere}?

  3. How to get {something}?

  4. How do you/I get {something}?

And what about "what to"

  1. What to do in {some certain situation}?

  2. What do you/I do in {some certain situation}?

  3. What to do?

  4. What do I do?

Are these correct or not.

Could help me with how to use "How to" and "What to" and the rule behind these, please.

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1 Answer 1

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  1. How to go to England? (when you know the name of a certain place and use it for the first time in a conversation, not necessarily first mention needed though)
  2. How to go there? (when you have previously mentioned about the place, use a pronoun to refer it.)
  1. How did y'all/you all go to England?
  2. How did y'all/you all go there?

How to get {something/that thing}? (usage is correct)

  1. How will you get that thing? (indicating future action)
  2. How did y'all/you all get that thing? (indicating past action)
  3. How do you get that thing? (indicating present action)

What to do in {some certain situation}? (correct usage)

  1. What do y'all/you all do in {certain situation}? (correct usage - indicates present time)
  • Alternatives
  1. What will y'all/you all do in {certain situation}? (correct usage - indicates future time)
  2. What did y'all/you all do in that situation? (correct usage - indicates past time)

What to do? (this sounds like a title, a rhetorical question, or a line of a song, but the usage is correct)

What do I do? (correct usage)

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  • How did you'll is definitely wrong! Anyway, the OP didn't ask about the past tense. How to... is not a standard way of asking a question, although in some contexts it could be an implied question - see the link in my previous comment. Commented Nov 21, 2020 at 17:40
  • Oh my my, it is not the correct abbreviation that I used. Let me edit it. I shouldn't have used abbreviations in the first place. Thanks @KateBunting Commented Nov 21, 2020 at 17:42
  • @KateBunting Yes, I did check that link. But it is very natural way of questioning, isn't it? I have heard a lot of How to questions in my life. Is that completely wrong? Commented Nov 21, 2020 at 17:50
  • It isn't natural in my (British) English - certainly not as a direct question in ordinary conversation. Commented Nov 21, 2020 at 17:54
  • Thank you very much @DhanishthaGhosh and @ KateBunting for the answer and the link. But according to the answers to the question in that link, "how to" in a question usage is not correct. Would anyone shed some more light? Thank you.
    – Guri
    Commented Nov 22, 2020 at 5:45

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