英语用法之二：What about与How about的运用建议

 

    一位很较真儿（难得）的朋友几次来邮件一定要问，到底什么时候用what about，什么时候用how about?还是说二者可以随意使用。   

    我们先看看剑桥大学语料库的数据统计：

     这里我们可以知道，what about，how about主要用在三种情形：转换话题、选择说话人、提出建议。

然后我们可以看到，在转换话题时，我们主要用what about(超过60%),也运用how about,不过只有30%多；在选择说话人时，我们主要使用how about（20%多），而不大使用what about(不到5%)；表达建议时，则是how about略多一点（30%），而what about则差了10%左右。

    剑桥语法书上说：

    Both forms are used to change the topic in conversation, with what about being used to do this more frequently than how about (What about this new airport plan; what do you think of that?). Another common function for both items is in the turn-taking system, where there is a strong preference for how about as a way of selecting the next speaker (How about you Jean; what do you think?). When suggestions are being made, both forms seem more or less equally available (How about a walk before lunch?)

 

    还说：

    What about is common in questions when the speaker points out something or wishes to orient the listener to a topic:

    What about all the cuts in education and in housing?

    What about Andreas? Isn’t he coming with us?

   

    What about, how about, and very informally, how’s about are commonly used to make suggestions:

    What about moving that bookshelf into the other room? It would give us a bit more space.

    How about an ice-cream?

    How’s about going to Kyoto for the day?

    还把二者与what if比较，说：

    What about, what if and how about may all be used to make suggestions or give advice or make offers. They are common in everyday conversation:

    A lot of people went to the meeting and said, ‘Why don’t you, if you’re going to have all these extra concerts and it’s going to allow seven more thousand people into the ground, what about putting double glazing in cos of the noise?’ And they wouldn’t.

    (suggestion)

 

    [deciding where to place the cooker in a new kitchen]

    A: It’s going to become a little bit dangerous here.

    B: [indicating a different place] Yeah well what if we had it here?

    A: Er, well, yeah.

 

    (suggestion)

    [house guest to host just before dinner]

    A: What if I set the table?

    B: Oh, thanks, yes, that’d be nice.

  

   (offer)

    [informal student meeting: deciding times to meet again]

    A: I’m available at eleven but if it goes on past, like, twelve, I’ve got a tutorial at twelve so er …

    B: No it wouldn’t go past twelve.

    A: Well that’s alright then.

    B: Right. How about Thursday at twelve then?

    C: We’ve got a class then.

    D: Yeah everyone’s got …

    B: Anybody want to do Thursday at nine?

 

    (suggestion)

In informal contexts, how’s about occurs as an alternative to how about: 

     A: I’ll fit it around your schedule.

     B: Oh that’s very kind of you.

     A: Erm how’s about kind of half eight-ish?

     B: Yeah.

     A: Yeah.All three expressions realise other important functions too.

 

    How about (and to a lesser extent what about) is frequently used to invite someone to speak or comment, or to reciprocate a speaking turn. They are also used to raise new topics of conversation or to shift the topic to a different sub-topic:

    A: It was very interesting doing it.

    B: It was all right was it. Yeah. Yeah. How did everybody else feel? Lucy, how about you?

    C: Er, well, the same really.

 

    A: Are you Norwich born and bred?

    B: Yeah I am. What about you? Where were you born?

    A: No I’m from Kent but I’ve lived in Wales. 

 

    A: I think there should be stronger government regulations to make the industry reduce the risks to the public because they are admitting there are risks.

    B: Right.

    A: So there should be some. That’s my point of view.

    B: But how about the argument that industry knows its operations better than anyone else?

 

从这些材料看，我的建议是：

 

一、若你想你说话比较随大流，显得比较符合大家的习惯，不显得很有个性，可以按照以下方法使用：

    1、表达建议时，尤其是较为正式的提出建议时，用how about，如：How about playing football this afternoon?

    2、提出话题时，用what about，如：What about your new book?

    3、选择说话人，用how about，如：Now who can tell us your findings? How about you, Sam?

 

二、若你想总是“词不惊人死不休”，总是用和大家不太一样的词来展示个性表达，则可以恰好和“一”的三项建议相反。

 

三、若你愿意一个词打遍天下，那自始至终what about。

 

供参考。