answersLogoWhite

0

"How come?" or "Why?"Popular Opinion- Technically it would not necessarily be wrong but many English teachers and professors prefer why because it is more mature-like and understandable without sounding like a child.

Answer- Although it is not improper, to use "how come" it in the place of "why" is an American idiom that some teachers would like to eliminate. It is most often used today in informal speech, even though it appears in educated journals in the 19th century. It is a shortened version of the phrase, "how does it come to be..."

"How come", in its proper usage, differs from "why" in that "how come" is factive, whereas "why" is not. "How come" presupposes its complement; "why" does not. Anastasia Marie Conroy of the Linguistics Department at the University of Maryland discusses these and other differences at length in her article The Semantics of How Come: A Look At How Factivity Does It All.http://www.ling.umd.edu/~staceyc/Conroy%20UMWPiL%2014.pdf

To further illustrate the above, the question, "How come I have to stay after school?" indicates that the speaker wants to know the reason that they must stay after school. On the other hand, the question "Why do I have to stay after school?" could mean the same thing or that the speaker would like to know why he or she should stay after school, as in "Why do I have to stay after school (when I can get my work done at home)?"

Other Answers-

Yes it is improper. Example: "How come I have to stay after school?" to "Why do I have to stay after school?" You can see the difference. The reason one must speak fairly good English (not all the time and we can get sloppy when relaxed) is when you get out in the business world. A well-spoken person always stands out and sounds much more educated than they actually may be.

How come is never acceptable in English English.

________

There's nothing wrong with how come? It is somehat colloquial, which isn't a problem.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Is it improper grammar to say 'how c?

Only if used in formal written communications but not in texting or email or verbally.


Is it improper grammar to say 'I am itching my mosquito bite' instead of 'I am scratching my mosquito bite'?

Yes, it is incorrect to say this, as the itch is the annoying impulse in the nerve that makes you want to scratch, and not the other way round. "Itch" is not a verb, and cannot be used as one, nor is a "scratch", although, sometimes, in colloquial talking, it can be used as one.


Is it improper grammar to say 'i dont like' istead of 'i dislike'?

It's proper. "Don't" is an abbreviation for "do not" so it's like saying "I do not like", which is correct :]


Answering your phone this is he or him correct grammar?

This is he is correct, but we'll say that's me.


Is it proper grammar to say me and you?

No, it is not proper grammar. The correct phrasing is "you and I."


What is improper in a sentence?

An improper sentence may have incomplete thoughts, lack subject-verb agreement, contain run-on sentences, or have unclear meaning due to poor grammar or punctuation. It fails to convey the intended message effectively and can be confusing for the reader to understand.


Is it proper grammar to say I betted you or I bet you?

It is proper grammar to say, "I bet you".


Is as per check correct grammar?

It sounds odd to me. I would suggest, upon checking, instead.


How to say.come out of difficulties or come out from difficulties-?

You should say "come out from difficulties" instead of saying "come out of difficulties."


If I were going to learn grammar would I say If I was going to learn grammar?

Yes, you would say that.


Is it common to say 'you was sent some flowers' if you get some flowers from someone else?

It is improper grammar to say "you was." You would either say, "I was sent some flowers," or "You were sent some flowers," not "You was sent some flowers." Although "Someone sent me (or you) some flowers" sounds better.


Is it bad grammar to say thanks instead of thank you?

"Thanks" is used in informal settings and "thank you" in formal settings. Thanks to your friends. Thank you to your teacher.