He asked how old I was
vs
He asked how I was old
Is there any difference between these two sentences? Is the second sentence is grammatically correct or we can use adjectives only after question words if it's presented?
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1The first one is OK. The second one is ungrammatical. That's a pretty big difference. The reason it's ungrammatical is because how old is a unit wh-word and can't be separated. The whole phrase formed with how has to move together to the beginning of the wh-clause, as it does in the first sentence.– John LawlerCommented May 14, 2020 at 21:18
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It's "how old…?", "how tall…?", "how much…?", "how far…?" etc.. NOT "How I am old?", "how is she tall?" or "how it is much?" etc.– Mari-Lou ACommented May 18, 2020 at 7:16
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2 Answers
The second doesn't mean the same as the first, and the second would never be used.
If you say "He asked how I was happy" that means, in direct speech
He asked, "How are you happy?"
That is rather odd, but saying "How are you happy" is asking for the method you achieve happiness.
So, "he asked me how I was old" means that he asked about the method used to achieve oldness. Its a weird question and it would never be asked.
On the other hand, "how old are you" asks for your age, in the same way that "how happy are you?" asks for the level of happiness. That is a normal question
He asked how old I was
Him: "How old are you?"
Great way to ask how many years old you are. Perfectly acceptable.
He asked how I was old
Him: "How are you old?"
Very awkward. I don't think it would be used at all; but if someone did say it, it might mean:
- "How are you still alive?"
- "How does time work?"
- "Why would you call yourself 'old' at your age?"
Or worse (your name is literally "Old"): "How are you, Old?" :)
